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 »
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
The following is a transcript of a chat I had with a company called tektonic, and at that time I was looking for a cheap linux host to use for some redundancy/failover operations. I generally contact a new hosting company like this every few months.. I like to have options available in case of some kind of failure or network attack, so it’s always a good idea to have a few ace linux servers in your back pocket.
If you’ve read any other articles on AskApache, you can see a certain obsession towards optimization, speed, and security — so that is the purpose of the following questions.
Tags: askapache, DreamHost, Examples, Hosting, Linux, Powweb, server, servers, tutorial, VPS, Web Hosts, WiredTree
Posted in DreamHost, Featured, Linux Unix BSD, Making Money, Review, Security, Server Administration, Web Design, Web Hosting, Webmaster, WiredTree | 7 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 »
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 »
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
The goal is to add the HostGator server to be an exact mirror of the static.askapache.com domain, then to add that server as a 2nd A record to my DNS zone. That way half the visitors to the size will be taking up resources and bandwidth on the HostGator server instead of mine.
Round Robin A records in DNS are intended to evenly distribute queries between each host of the same name. Using some tricks straight out of a hackers toolbox we can verify if the distribution is taking place. (It is.)
Tags: 500, 503, admin, Apache, askapache, ASP, Bandwidth, Cache, caching, CNAME, CSS, Dig, DNS, DreamHost, experiments, GET, HostGator, HowTo, Htaccess, HTTPS SSL, Javascript, Linux, Logs, Networking, Nice, PHP, Port, Powweb, Prompt, PS1, Round Robin, rsync, Security, server, servers, Shell, SPEED, SSH, SSI, stat, trick, Web Hosting
Posted in Ajax, Apache, Apache Modules, Cache, Featured, Linux Unix BSD, Web Hosting | 5 Comments »
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
The story behind this plugin is sorta wack, but in a good way :). While doing tons of security research on permissions, authorization, access, etc.. for the Password Protection plugin (still being worked on), I needed to have unheard of debugging capabilities while working on the plugin on the various websites, webhosts, and test servers that I use to test in different environments. So I hacked together a bunch of php code that helped me debug, actually I pretty much went overkill and tried to get as much debugging info as programmatically possible, and it ended up being so much code that I took it out of my Password Protection code and made it its own plugin.
Tags: admin, Ajax, Apache, Apache Modules, askapache, authorization, Cache, chmod, Cookies, debugging, error log, fifo, File Permissions, GET, Htaccess, Login, Nice, password, password protection, PHP, php.ini, phpinfo, Port, post, ram, Rewrite Tricks, Security, server, servers, Socket, SSI, stat, umask, Username, WordPress, WordPress Development
Posted in WordPress, WordPress Plugins | 1 Comment »
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
Tags: Apache, askapache, GET, Google, Htaccess, httpd, httpd.conf, Mod_Rewrite, Mod_Security, Perl, PHP, ram, Rewrite Tricks, Security, SEO, server, servers, stat
Posted in Apache, Google, Htaccess, PHP, SEO | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
Skip this – still under edit
I discovered these tips and tricks mostly while working as a network security penetration specialist hired to find security holes in web hosting environments. Shared hosting is the most common and cheapest form of web-hosting where multiple customers are placed on a single machine and “share” the resources (CPU/RAM/SPACE). The machines are configured to basically ONLY do HTTP and FTP. No shells or any interactive logins, no ssh, just FTP access. That is when I started examining htaccess files in great detail and learned about the incredible untapped power of htaccess. For 99% of the worlds best Apache admins, they don’t use .htaccess much, if AT ALL. It’s much easier, safer, and faster to configure Apache using the httpd.conf file instead. However, this file is almost never readable on shared-hosts, and I’ve never seen it writable. So the only avenue left for those on shared-hosting was and is the .htaccess file, and holy freaking fiber-optics.. it’s almost as powerful as httpd.conf itself!
Most all .htaccess code works in the httpd.conf file, but not all httpd.conf code works in .htaccess files, around 50%. So all the best Apache admins and programmers never used .htaccess files. There was no incentive for those with access to httpd.conf to use htaccess, and the gap grew. It’s common to see “computer gurus” on forums and mailing lists rail against all uses and users of .htaccess files, smugly announcing the well known problems with .htaccess files compared with httpd.conf – I wonder if these “gurus” know the history of the htaccess file, like it’s use in the earliest versions of the HTTP Server- NCSA’s HTTPd, which BTW, became known as Apache HTTP. So you could easily say that htaccess files predates Apache itself.
Once I discovered what .htaccess files could do towards helping me enumerate and exploit security vulnerabilities even on big shared-hosts I focused all my research into .htaccess files, meaning I was reading the venerable Apache HTTP Source code 24/7! I compiled every released version of the Apache Web Server, ever, even NCSA’s, and focused on enumerating the most powerful htaccess directives. Good times! Because my focus was on protocol/file/network vulnerabilites instead of web dev I built up a nice toolbox of htaccess tricks to do unusual things. When I switched over to webdev in 2005 I started using htaccess for websites, not research. I documented most of my favorites and rewrote the htaccess guide for webdevelopers. After some great encouragement on various forums and nets I decided to start a blog to share my work with everyone, AskApache.com was registered, I published my guide, and it was quickly plagiarized and scraped all over the net. Information is freedom, and freedom is information, so this blog has the least restrictive copyright for you. Feel free to modify, copy, republish, sell, or use anything on this site ;)
Tags: .htaccess examples, 301 Redirect, 302 Redirect, 401, 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found, 500, 503, admin, Advanced, Apache, Apache Htaccess, apache ssl, askapache, ASP, authorization, Backups, Bandwidth, bash, Blocking, Boot, Cache, Cache-Control, caching, cheatsheet, chmod, code snippets, compression, Cookies, CSS, debugging, DreamHost, Email, error log, errordocument, Etags, Examples, experiments, feed, FeedBurner, File System, FilesMatch, filesystem, Firefox, Flash, Forms, GET, Google, Hacking, hotlinking, HowTo, Htaccess, htaccess files, htaccess guide, htaccess rewrite, htaccess tricks, htaccess tutorial, Htpasswd, HTTP Error, HTTP Headers, HTTP-EQUIV, httpd, httpd.conf, HTTPS SSL, hyper text transfer protocol, If-Modified-Since, Javascript, Last-Modified, Linux, Login, Logs, mad skills, mod_include, mod_python, Mod_Rewrite, Mod_Rewrite examples, Mod_Security, Mod_Setenvif, mysql, Nice, nsa, password, password protection, PDF, Performance, Perl, PHP, php.ini, phpinfo, Port, post, Powweb, Prompt, Python, ram, Redirect, Redirection, Request Method, Rewrite Tricks, rewritecond, rewriterule, Robot, robots, Sample .htaccess, Scripts, Security, SEO, seo secrets, server, server config, servers, SetEnvIf, Shell, Socket, Source Code, SPEED, SSH, SSI, stat, SymLinks, trick, tutorial, ultimate htaccess, Username, Web Hosting, WordPress
Posted in Apache, Apache Modules, Cache, DreamHost, Featured, Google, Hacking, Htaccess, Linux Unix BSD, Mod_Rewrite, SEO, Security, Web Design, Web Hosting, Web Tools, Webmaster, WordPress | 71 Comments »
