Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
This amazing bash linux prompt does more than meets the eye. If you want to know how to become really good with technology, linux is the secret sauce behind the AskApache articles. Open Source is elixir of the web. Thanks to everyone who helped me for the past 20 years. I use linux/bsd because homey don’t play, so this is geared to be as productive a prompt as I can make it.
Don’t have much time.. or just don’t care? Not a problem, here are the 3 lines to copy and paste – you can just paste them right in your shell to test it, or add to a startup script.
export AA_P="export PVE=\"\\033[m\\033[38;5;2m\"\$(( \`sed -n \"s/MemFree:[\\t ]\\+\\([0-9]\\+\\) kB/\\1/p\" /proc/meminfo\` / 1024 ))\"\\033[38;5;22m/\"\$((\`sed -n \"s/MemTotal:[\\t ]\\+\\([0-9]\\+\\) kB/\\1/p\" /proc/meminfo\`/ 1024 ))MB\"\\t\\033[m\\033[38;5;55m\$(< /proc/loadavg)\\033[m\";echo -en \"\""
export PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a;((\$SECONDS % 10==0 ))&&eval \"\$AA_P\";echo -en \"\$PVE\";"
export PS1="\\[\\e[m\\n\\e[1;30m\\][\$\$:\$PPID \\j:\\!\\[\\e[1;30m\\]]\\[\\e[0;36m\\] \\T \\d \\[\\e[1;30m\\][\\[\\e[1;34m\\]\\u@\\H\\[\\e[1;30m\\]:\\[\\e[0;37m\\]\${SSH_TTY} \\[\\e[0;32m\\]+\${SHLVL}\\[\\e[1;30m\\]] \\[\\e[1;37m\\]\\w\\[\\e[0;37m\\] \\n(\$SHLVL:\\!)\\\$ " && eval $AA_P
Tags: .bashrc, 404 Not Found, admin, Advanced, Apache, askapache, bash, bash_profile, CommandLine, Dig, Examples, Forms, GET, grep, HowTo, Kung-Fu, Linux, Login, mysql, Port, Prompt, PROMPT_COMMAND, PS1, Putty, ram, Redirect, server, servers, Shell, Shell History, SPEED, SSH, SSI, stat, trick, Username, Web Hosting
Posted in Apache, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Making Money, Security, Server Administration, Shell Scripting, Web Hosting, Webmaster, WiredTree | 8 Comments »
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
#### No https except to wp-admin -
# If the request is empty ( implies fopen or normal file access by a php script )
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^$ [OR]
# OR if the request if for wp-admin or wp-login.php
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/(wp-admin|wp-login\.php).*$ [NC,OR]
# OR if the Referer is https
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://www.askapache.com/.*$ [NC]
# THEN skip the following rule, basically all this does is force https or badhost to be redirected
# BUT because of the above 3 rewritecond's, this won't break poorly written admin scripts
RewriteRule .* - [S=1]
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} =on [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.askapache\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule .* http://www.askapache.com%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]{3,9}\ /(wp-admin/.*|wp-login\.php.*)\ HTTP/ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule .* https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]
Tags: AddHandler, Apache, Backups, Block IP, Cache-Control, cheatsheets, developers, errordocument, etag, htaccess tricks, http cookie, indexes, Mod_Security, open source, password protection, real world, rewritecond, rewriterule, Source Code
Posted in Apache, Apache Modules, Cache, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Mod_Rewrite, SEO, Security, Server Administration, Web Hosting, Webmaster | 4 Comments »
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
NOT a typo.. 30x is measurable, well-documented, and easily tested. This is what open-source is about. I haven’t had time to post much the past year, I’m always working! So I wanted to make up for that by publishing an article on a topic that would blow your mind and be something that you could actually start using and really get some benefit out of it. This is one of those articles that the majority of web hosting companies would love to see in paperback, so they could burn it.
Tags: Advanced, Apache, askapache, Backups, Bandwidth, Boot, Cache, chmod, console, devshm, DreamHost, File System, filesystem, grep, Hard Drive, HowTo, HTTPS SSL, ionice, Linux, memory bandwidth, mysql, Private Server, ram, rsync, Scripts, Security, server, servers, Shell, shell script, SLRAM, SPEED, speed improvements, SSI, stat, SymLinks, tmpfs, trick, Vulnerability, Web Hosting, webhosts, WordPress, WP-Super Cache
Posted in Apache, Cache, DNS, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Mod_Rewrite, PHP, Security, Server Administration, Shell Scripting, Web Design, Web Hosting, Web Tools, Webmaster, WiredTree, WordPress, WordPress Plugins | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Ok I just came back up to write the intro.. I’m trying to keep it short to avoid getting bogged down by the coolness of each step. Here is what goes on. When I logon to my XP machine at work, I bring my usb key and plug it in first. On logging a window pops up first and it’s a password prompt to mount my encrypted drive leonardo. It also checks a keyfile that is located on my usb key, but all I do now is type in my password. That causes my encrypted folder to be accessible to me like a normal drive, and it autoruns a startup batch file.
The batch file causes Portable versions of Firefox (all my bookmarks, my settings) to load, and launches Portable Mozilla Thunderbird (IMAP makes this work well), which is my favorite program (great GPG features and open-source!). Also Some Adobe CS4 software is loaded from the hard drive, like DreamWeaver. In the background, a service we created executes a PortaPuttY plink command to create forwarded tunnels from various remote servers and accounts, all using key-based encryption. These tunnels are automatically reconnected if they are disconnected, meaning you can use a socks 5 if you want or even better!
Part 1 of 5
Tags: 401, Apache, askapache, ASP, Backups, Bandwidth, bash, bash_profile, Boot, compression, curl, Defrag, Email, encryption, filesystem, Firefox, Flash, GET, Google, GPG, Hard Drive, ionice, Linux, Login, Nice, PageDefrag, password, Performance, Pipelining, Plink, Port, post, Prompt, Putty, ram, rsync, Security, server, servers, Shell, SOCKS, SPEED, SSH, SSH Tunnels, SSI, stat, trick, TrueCrupt, tutorial, USB Drives
Posted in Apache, Cache, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Making Money, Security, Web Design, Web Hosting, Web Tools, Webmaster, WiredTree | 7 Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Learn how to setup, configure, secure, optimize, and create a low-maintenance website the AskApache way. I’m piecing together all the hacks, tricks, methods, and ideas discussed throughout this blog and all across Netdom and glueing them all together to show you how to have the most optimized, crazy fastest, and best website setup I can think of.
Tags: 301 Redirect, admin, Advanced, Ajax, Apache, apache server, askapache, Backups, Bandwidth, bleeding edge, blog, Cache, Cache-Control, caching, ColdFusion, compression, CSS, Dig, DNS, errordocument, Etags, Examples, expires header, feed, File Permissions, Flash, GET, Hacking, hacks, Htaccess, htaccess files, Htpasswd, HTTP Error, HTTP Headers, HTTP Status Codes, HTTPS SSL, Javascript, Linux, Login, Logs, Mod_Rewrite, Optimization, optimizations, optimized website, password, password protection, PDF, Performance, PHP, php.ini, Port, post, ram, real deal, Redirect, Redirection, Rewrite Tricks, Robot, robots, robots.txt, Scripts, search and replace, Security, server, server config, servers, SPEED, SSI, stat, SymLinks, trial and error, trick, Web Development, Web Hosting, web server, WordPress, WordPress Plugins
Posted in Apache, Cache, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, PHP, SEO, Security, Shell Scripting, Web Design, Web Hosting, Webmaster, WordPress | 9 Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
There are a total of 57 HTTP Status Codes recognized by the Apache Web Server. Wouldn’t you like to see what all those headers and their output, ErrorDocuments look like?
Tags: 301 Redirect, 302 Redirect, 401, 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found, 500, 503, admin, Advanced, Apache, askapache, authorization, Bandwidth, curl, Dig, error log, errordocument, Flash, Forms, GET, Google, Htaccess, HTTP Error, HTTP Headers, HTTP Status Codes, httpd, HTTPS SSL, If-Modified-Since, password, Perl, PHP, phpBB, Port, post, ram, Redirect, Redirection, Request Method, Security, SEO, server, servers, Sniffing, Source Code, SSI, stat, tutorial, Wget, Wireshark, WordPress
Posted in Apache, Apache Modules, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Mod_Rewrite, PHP, Server Administration, Web Hosting, Webmaster, WiredTree | 22 Comments »
Sunday, November 29th, 2009
There are so many WordPress plugins out there now that I wanted to post my favorite 3 plugins for speeding up a WP-Powered blog. These are the 3 plugins that I install for pretty much all of my WP-Powered sites, which I run about 300 now. They work together to provide a very optimized blog for speed.
DB-Cache Reloaded does something entirely different, it saves the mysql queries that are made to the WP-database, as well as the mysql results to static files, and then through php serves those cached-files instead of re-querying the mysql database. Most mysql databases are stored on separate servers, and although many are on the same local network there is a limit to how many queries, and how many connections can take place.
So DB-Cache Reloaded basically makes WP-Super Cache work alot faster when generating the cache files, and DB-Cache Reloaded helps in a number of areas un-related to WP-Super Cache, like in the admin panel. And DB-Cache without WP-Super-Cache is a joke because it still uses the application-level and php for everything. Gotta use both (or just WPSC).
Tags: admin, Apache, askapache, AskApache Crazy Cache, Bandwidth, Bottleneck, Cache, caching, compression, Dig, filesystem, GET, httpd, mysql, Networking, password, PHP, post, Private Server, ram, Scripts, server, servers, SPEED, SSI, stat, Web Hosting, WordPress, WordPress Optimizing, WordPress Plugins, WordPress Speed, WP-Super Cache
Posted in Apache, Cache, Featured, Mod_Rewrite, Review, Server Administration, Web Hosting, Webmaster, WordPress, WordPress Plugins | 14 Comments »
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
WaMu Reincarnation!
Man I was bummed about WaMu folding, they had the best banking site I’ve seen, and I’ve worked on a few myself. And of course the biggest reason to love WaMu was that they actually paid YOU to borrow your money to lend to other people. Can you even imagine that level of decency existing in the world? It’s been taken to such a low level by Chase I almost forget how to spell it.
So I picked up my October issue of Wired to try and forget about such tragedies, and on the first page I flipped to was a 1/3 page advertisement for a bank that didn’t beat around the bush at all. No fine print of any kind, just loud and clear message that they will pay you to be their banking customer. I wasted no time and quickly checked out the site, and within 5 minutes of landing on their homepage I was a customer, and a very happy one. Even the name of this bank makes it clear they are not in the Microsoft Family Business with Chase and the other corporate pirates.
Tags: Apache, askapache, GET, Online Banking
Posted in Making Money, Review, Web Tools, Webmaster | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Advanced Web Development by AskApache is a Firefox Collection I created since I’m always trying new Addons out and using multiple computers and I wanted a quick and easy way to install my favorite’s and keep a running list. Firebug, YSlow, LastPass, and Web Developer are the only ones I always use regularly.
I like the idea of the last.fm but it’s not as powerful as the site, which is awesome. Lately listening to Kings of Leon Radio…
Tags: 401, 403 Forbidden, 500, Accessibility, Advanced, Ajax, Apache, askapache, Backups, Cache, caching, CommandLine, console, Cookies, CSS, debugging, Dig, DNS, Email, encryption, feed, Firebug, Firefox, Flash, Forms, GET, Gmail, Google, HTTP Headers, HTTPS SSL, Javascript, Login, Networking, Nice, Pagerank, password, Performance, PHP, Port, post, ram, Scripts, Security, SEO, server, servers, SOCKS, Source Code, SPEED, SSH, SSH Tunnels, SSI, stat, tmpfs, trick, Username, Web Development, Wireshark, WordPress, YSlow
Posted in Cache, Firefox, Google, Hacking, Javascript, Making Money, Music, Review, SEO, Security, Web Design, Web Tools, Webmaster, Windows | 4 Comments »
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
To prepare for several upcoming articles on AskApache that are focused on optimizing Servers and Sites from a server admin level, here is an article to introduce the main tools that we will be using. These tools are used to optimize CPU time for each process using nice and renice, and other tools like ionice are used to optimize the Disk IO, or Disk speed / Disk traffic for each process. Then you can make sure your mysqld and httpd processes are always fast and prioritized.
Tags: 503, Advanced, Apache, askapache, Backups, Bandwidth, bash, Blocking, Boot, Bottleneck, caching, compression, CPU, CSS, curl, Disk IO, DNS, Examples, feed, fifo, GET, httpd, ionice, iostat, Javascript, Linux, mysql, Nice, Optimization, pagefile, Performance, Perl, PHP, Port, ram, Renice, Round Robin, rsync, Scripts, Security, server, servers, Shell, shell script, Shell Scripting, Socket, SPEED, SSH, SSI, stat, taskset, trick, Ulimit, Web Hosting, WordPress, wp-config.php
Posted in Apache, Cache, Featured, Linux Unix BSD, Review, Security, Server Administration, Shell Scripting, Web Hosting, Webmaster | 3 Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
If you ever wanted to know the best way to defragment and speed up your Windows-Based PC, I mean you really wanted to know, here is the 2nd part to my article on Windows Speed Optimizing that details the process I have found works really well. Definately not a quick process, and certainly not the best ever, just my best ever and one that you only have to do once to get the benefits.
This article has a lot of incredibly useful (and FREE) tools I recommend, which you can grab and use without reading the article..
Tags: 301 Redirect, admin, Advanced, Apache, askapache, ASP, Backups, Boot, Cache, CommandLine, compression, console, Defrag, Defragmentation, Deframenting, Disk IO, File System, Firefox, Forms, GET, Google, Hard Drive, Linux, Login, MyDefrag, nsa, Optimization, PageDefrag, pagefile, PDF, Performance, PHP, Port, ram, Registry Optimization, Scanners, Scripts, Shell, SPEED, SpinRite, SSI, stat, trick, tutorial, UltraDefrag, Windows XP, Windows XP Optimization
Posted in Cache, Featured, Firefox, Hacking, Linux Unix BSD, Review, Webmaster, Windows | 6 Comments »
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Web Developers sometimes use file.ext?v=004 as a version control system to force visitors to use updated files. This is terrible. Instead link to apache-003.css and set it to be cached forever. When you change the file you just change the links to apache-004.css. That eliminates millions of bandwidth and resource robbing If-Modified-Since requests. You only need Apache with mod_rewrite, and 1-10 minutes!
Tags: Apache, askapache, Bandwidth, Cache, Cache-Control, caching, Cookies, CSS, GET, Htaccess, HTTP Headers, httpd, httpd.conf, If-Modified-Since, Javascript, Last-Modified, Mod_Rewrite, Redirect, Rewrite Tricks, rewritecond, rewriterule, server, Source Code, SPEED, stat, trick
Posted in Apache, CSS, Cache, DreamHost, Featured, Htaccess, Mod_Rewrite, SEO, Security, Server Administration, Web Design, Web Hosting, Webmaster, XHTML | 3 Comments »
Monday, July 20th, 2009
The proponents of this scheme have given it names such as “trusted computing” and “palladium”. We call it “treacherous computing”, because the effect is to make your computer obey companies instead of you. This was implemented in 2007 as part of Windows Vista; we expect Apple to do something similar. In this scheme, it is the manufacturer that keeps the secret code, but the FBI would have little trouble getting it.
Tags: admin, Apache, askapache, ASP, CSS, debugging, Dig, encryption, GET, HTTPS SSL, password, Perl, Port, ram, Security, SSI, stat
Posted in Featured, Hacking, Linux Unix BSD | 4 Comments »
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
Here is the basic process that I use to speed up Windows. A lot of good tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the past 15+ years of crashing and burning Windows that can transform your PC to be much faster than its ever been. The process focuses on freeing up RAM/Memory, freeing up your CPU/Processor, and optimizing your Hard Drive for a permanent solution.
Make sure to check out the free software I recommend at the end, installing them after this optimization process will keep your machine fast for a long time.
Tags: 301 Redirect, 500, Advanced, Apache, askapache, ASP, Backups, Boot, Bottleneck, Cache, console, Defrag, File System, Forms, GET, Hard Drive, Linux, Login, Logs, Nice, Optimization, pagefile, Performance, PHP, Port, ram, Security, SPEED, SSI, trick, Windows XP, Windows XP Optimization
Posted in Featured, Windows | 14 Comments »
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Ever wanted to execute commands on your server through php? Now you can. I’m calling this file (see below) shell.php and it allows you to run commands on your web server with the same permissions that your php executable has.
Tags: 302 Redirect, 403 Forbidden, Ajax, Apache, Apache Htaccess, askapache, Backups, bash, chmod, console, errordocument, Flash, GET, Hacking, Htaccess, htaccess tutorial, HTTP-EQUIV, Javascript, Linux, Login, Mod_Rewrite, password, PHP, Port, ram, Redirect, Rewrite Tricks, rewritecond, rewriterule, Scripts, Security, server, Shell, shell console, shell script, Shell Scripting, SSI, stat, tutorial
Posted in Ajax, DreamHost, Featured, Hacking, Htaccess, Javascript, Linux Unix BSD, Mod_Rewrite, PHP, Security, Server Administration, Shell Scripting, Web Hosting, Web Tools, Webmaster | 15 Comments »
