Test message

Freeway
1

Keep your server updated to the latest practical version of PHP and Apache and MySQL. If you have to use cPanel, pay someone else to keep it running properly. Managed hosting, such as Rackspace or EngineYard, is worth every penny.

For the very best performance and quality of service, get a VPS, where you are ‘root’. Install a good community-updated Linux distro like Ubuntu, and the latest versions of Apache2 + PHP5, MySQL, and their respective dev tools. You can find recipes for all of this on the Web.

Every month or so, take a snapshot of your server, then run apt-get update && apt-get upgrade and test your sites. If nothing broke, carry on for another month. If something broke, roll back to that snapshot (after downloading the error logs for dissection). Often, you will find that an update you get one month that didn’t work is fixed within days or weeks, so these errors are likely to be transient.

Learn a little bit about server administration, and don’t fear the command line. This all falls under the umbrella of “Dev Ops”, which is a growing career path for people who find they have an affinity for telling servers sweet nothings. It’s also something you may want to pay someone else to do, if you don’t have that personal leaning.

Walter

On Jun 26, 2012, at 12:38 PM, Ernie Simpson wrote:

This really makes me curious about how the real world works. Did I just
luck out with my choice of hosting providers, or have I just been building
the wrong kind of websites?

What should I be looking to do to avoid such a problem as this?

–
Ernie Simpson

On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 12:32 PM, Walter Lee Davis email@hiddenwrote:

Checking to see if Mailman is still running. Apache is down on the
Softpress server, so softpress.com and freewaytalk.net are both dark.

Walter

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

2

And in other news, the server is back. Everybody raise a seriously loud cheer to Mr. Simon Manning, of Softpress Towers, for his tireless efforts kneeling on the throat of cPanel and it’s curiously-named EasyUpgrade “wizard”.

Walter (sent from the Web)

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

3

Hi Walter

Good news

Does this mean that the root cause of the FWT access issues has been found and sorted?

D

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

4

Yes. I have even re-enabled the little red number features, and everything seems to be working really well. New PHP5 and Apache2 with FastCGI. MySQL remains the only thing not upgraded, but it wasn’t a very large offender. I’m not sure if they somehow got more RAM put in the box, too, but everything is running like it’s on afterburners.

Walter

On Jun 26, 2012, at 2:30 PM, DeltaDave wrote:

Hi Walter

Good news

Does this mean that the root cause of the FWT access issues has been found and sorted?

D

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

5

Fabidoo!

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

6

everything seems to be working really well

Excellent. Now could you sort out RBS. :slight_smile:

For those across the pond and elsewhere: RBS boss blames software upgrade for account problems - BBC News

s

freewaytalk mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options