Rob's Helpdesk Posting

I'm having too much fun installing CMS's and making them work, I have been looking for a simple blog for customers who want a blog solution, sBLOG seems good, installed easy, see below for a HowTo...

1. Download the install of sBLOG, at the time of writing its available here:

http://sblog.se/wiki/Main_Page

2. Extract the files from the file sBLOG archive making sure you keep the directory structure, I find using Winzip works well for .tar.gz files.

3. Upload the file to your islandnet.com account via FTP, I find an easy way is to add a network place to "My Network Places" in Windows XP:

Internet/NW Address: ftp://username@islandnet.com/

Name for NW Place: Anything you like, defaults to islandnet.com

When you open the Network Place, drag-n-drop the content of the extracted sBlog folder into /www

Windows will calculate the time to upload and then upload all the files into the /www folder in your account.

4. If you go to http://islandnet.com/~username/ you will be faces with a form page:

sBLOG Installer - Step: 1 / 4

5. Now is a good time to setup the database and username for the blog to use, to do this go to http://helpdesk.islandnet.com and log into the account that you uploaded the files to, if its a child account you need to log into the parent account to create the database or have the parent grant the child account access to create the database.

Once logged in hover the mouse over My Account and click on the "MySQL Databases" link, create a username and password by entering them in and then clicking the Update User list button them create a database by entering a name for the database and clicking "Update Database Button" If you use the default settings it should put the database on sql3.islandnet.com

Armed with this information go back to: http://islandnet.com/~username/

6. Fill out the form:

- MySQL hostname: sql3.islandnet.com
- Username, Password and Database name are those created in step 5
- MySQL Prefix - leave it as the default.
- Username and Password, these are the username and password you will use to administer the Blog and the email is your email address, e.g.username@islandnet.com
- Document Root can be left as the default and the webroot can be http://www.islandnet.com or if you host a domain on the account put the http://www.domainname.com in there substituting the domainname.com for your domain name.

Click the Next Step button...

7. Step 2 gives you the creation of the blog data... Nothing to do here but it should all be green and show:

MySQL: Connected to host.
MySQL: Selecting database "sblogdb".
MySQL: Table sblog_blocks created.
MySQL: Table sblog_categories created.
MySQL: Table sblog_censoring created.
MySQL: Table sblog_comments created.
MySQL: Table sblog_config created.
MySQL: Table sblog_data created.
MySQL: Table sblog_img created.
MySQL: Table sblog_img_dir created.
MySQL: Table sblog_links created.
MySQL: Table sblog_menu created.
MySQL: Table sblog_static created.
MySQL: Table sblog_trackbacks created.

Click Next Step button.

8. Step 3 will give you the following errors, don't be alarmed.

ERROR: Write permission is needed on the directory /upload/
ERROR: Write permission is needed on the directory /upload/tn/

You need to go into the site via FTP (Or file manager on the Islandnet website) and drill down into the /www folder and change the permissions on the upload directory setting the 3 write flags to on. and the same for the /upload/tn/, you can do this by right clicking the folder in the Windows FTP and choosing Properties and checking the "Write" boxes.

Once you have done this click "Try again" and all being well you will see:

"The script has write permissions to all required directories.

Click on "Next step" to continue installation."

So...Click on "Next step"

9. Now copy the text it shows in the box into a text file called config.php, you can create this file by going to http://helpdesk.islandnet.com/ logging into your account and in file manager in the /www folder Click the Create file button and paste the content into the main section and type config.php in the name being sure its all in lower case and then clicking the save button.

10. Delete the folder install from the /www folder in the account.

Your blog is now ready to use...: http://www.islandnet.com/~sblogtest/login.php

Rob's review of sBLOG.

I cant tell you if its well coded but it seems very slick, easy to install, easy to use, there are some good themes, a really good basic blog. See my install at: http://www.islandnet.com/~sblogtest/index.php

I hope to do some more of these, if you have a suggestion for step-by-step setup of a CMS you would like me to try email me and I will try time permitting. I try to write them so that a intermediate user can implement it without too much of a problem so if you think I need to tech it up or simplify it further let me know too.

To many people Open Source means FREE. Although that's one of our favourite words and often enough for us to know before trying something, Open Source means a lot more than FREE.

In a nutshell, an Open Source program or other project can be used by anyone and can be altered by anyone to suit their needs. That is, they can use or alter the program or project as long as they keep their work Open Source and don't try to slap any restrictions on how anyone else uses the work they've done. What this does is open the door for anyone to improve software and other products without fear of getting sued because they do so—within the bounds of the original software or project license.

Licenses are key in Open Source development, just as they are in proprietary development. Licences in Open Source development are key in keeping Open Source projects “open.” Licences for proprietary projects generally ensure no one uses the code without authorization and / or without payment first. For a bit more on Open Source licenses, you can read the last section of our earlier newsletter article on Ubuntu.

Although the term Open Source is most often associated with computer software, there are many Open Source projects in very diverse disciplines. You can now drink or participate in Open Source beer or cola. You can participate in the Tropical Disease Initiative—a project to develop drugs to treat tropical diseases ignored by pharmaceutical companies.

The Open Source Initiative owns the rights to the term “Open Source.” A quick tour of their site will show that Open Source is a progressive and collaborative effort to produce high quality software. You may find reading their FAQ page illuminating and motivating. The Open Source Initiative website sums up "Open Source" as follows:

Open source promotes software reliability and quality by supporting independent peer review and rapid evolution of source code. To be OSI certified, the software must be distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely.

One happy fact remains for us techies. Open Source is FREE.

For a more complete discussion of Open Source, visit Wikipedia.

Islandnet.com is a proud supporter of Canadian Blood Services. Islandnet.com encourages regular blood donations from both staff and customers. If you're a regular blood donor, you've probably helped save someone's life.

As part of its program of support for Canadian Blood Services, Islandnet.com keeps a log for staff and customers at the Victoria Canadian Blood Services location. The log is called the "Life Link Book" and when customers or staff donate blood, they are encouraged to leave their username in the log. Every two to three months, Islandnet.com will retrieve names from the log and draw a username for free Internet time or other services. Duplicates in the log for any given period will count as separate entries, meaning the more often you give, the more likely you are to win.

The Victoria location for the Canadian Blood Services is as follows:

3449 Saanich Road
Victoria, BC

The following URL will link you to a map showing the Canadian Blood Services location:

Canadian Blood Services Location Map

To visit the Canadian Blood Services website, use the following URL:

Canadian Blood Services Website

Remember, the life you save may be your own.

Islandnet Picks

Stellarium Astronomy Program	FotoSearch	Web 2.0 Search Engine	From Old Books
“C-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-l-l-l-l-l-l!” This FREE program lets you look at the night sky as it appears in your neck of the world. Just input your location (Victoria for Islandnet.com) and use your mouse to view the heavens: South, north, west, & east. Or you can look directly over your head. Overlay constellations, constellation artwork, constellation names, star names, nebula names, and lots of other cosmic objects. This program is available for Windows, Mac OSX, & Linux. “C-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-l-l-l-l-l-l!”	Stock photos, they come in handy quite often if you work as a graphics pro. They even come in handy from time to time if you're not but you're working on a graphics project just the same. That's where FotoSearch comes in handy. FotoSearch lets you search a huge collection of stock images, whether they are royalty free or come with use limitations. What's great is the fact that the collection isn't limited to the images related to the FotoSearch site. FotoSearch combines the resources of several large image libraries. If you can't find the image you need on FotoSearch, it's probably not been created.	If it's Web 2.0 and popular, you'll probably find it listed here. Don't know what "Web 2.0" is? Visit Wikipedia to find out. Whether you do or don't know what Web 2.0 is, you'll probably find this site interesting. The page we've linked to is a list of all the most popular Web 2.0 websites. Generally speaking, Web 2.0 websites focus on the social and social networking potential of the Internet. Content is created to a great extent by the degree to which site visitors participate and contribute to the website. Actually, Wikipedia is a great example of a Web 2.0 site. We've linked to a list of Web 2.0 sites listed on this site. If you want to visit the site front page, click here.	In January's newsletter this slot was taken by a website that offers FREE books for download. This month we've got a complimentary site “From Old Books.” From Old Books has gigabytes worth of images scanned from old books. Why old books? Well, old books are free of copyright restrictions. You can use them as you wish without worrying about getting a letter from someone's lawyer. Many of the images are quite outstanding, though the vast majority of them are black and white. If you're involved in graphic design or you just enjoy beautiful things, this site is worth a peek.

Islandnet.com Hosted Sites

Fair Trade Concepts	Crest Fire Extinguishers	Small Farm Canada Magazine	Accent Home Furniture
Last month we featured a number of coffee companies who host their sites with us. Having bought coffee from a supermarket or from one of the coffee companies we featured, you may have seen the term “Fair Trade.” You may have wondered “What is fair trade anyway?” Well, if you did here's a place to find out, on this Islandnet.com hosted website.	We don't think about fire extinguishers much. When we do think of fire extinguishers, though, it may be at a time when thinking better not involve wondering whether it will work. If you're wondering whether that old extinguisher's gonna work, take it to these guys so you don't have to wonder anymore. Check out this Islandnet.com hosted website and you'll find out there are all kinds of fire extinguishers: ABC Dry Chemical BC Dry Chemical Carbon Dioxide Class K Wet Chemical Pressurized Water Purple K Dry Chemical Class D Dry Chemical Halotron-1 AR-AFF Foam	While we found ourselves wanting to yell “yeehaw!” when we came across this website, what you'll find inside is something pretty sophisticated and something worthy of more than red neck exclamations. Rather, you'll find articles on alternate energy resources, farmland conservancy, “hot” veggies (that is, “popular” veggies), and farming education—as well as information on more traditional farming topics. Visit this Islandnet.com hosted website. Who knows. Maybe you'll end up with a subscription.	If you like modern, minimalist design, you'll probably like this Islandnet.com hosted website. The site features lots 'n lots of chairs, stools, bar stools, tables, benches, desks, cabinets, and accessories. If you want your space to look like something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey, this is the place to go. Check it out!

We Love Websites!

Websites are our business—hosting them and building them. If you need a website—blog, retail, business-to-business, personal, database-driven, or something else—Islandnet has plenty of website development and programming experience. Call or e-mail us if you'd like anything from graphics to nit-picky programming.

Of course, we're disappointed when someone chooses to leave Islandnet. People move. They get jobs in different parts of the country.

We're even more disappointed when someone leaves us because they believe they can get better service elsewhere or because they don't get something they need through our package of services. So, to ensure we're not missing something or maybe not providing a service our customers need, we'd like you to participate in a quick survey.

So, to participate in our customer service survey, click here.

Operating Systems

In December 2006 we wrote about Ubuntu, a Linux distribution geared toward “mainstream” users. It's easy to use and does pretty much everything people need to do. What's great about it is the fact that everything comes bundled together—e-mail, browser, word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation application, database program, graphics program, and more.

Click here to go to the article on Ubuntu.

Browsers

While free browsers isn't really anything to get excited about because so many are available for free, browsers are still a crucial part of your Internet experience. Here is a link to our article on alternate browsers:

http://helpdesk.islandnet.com/newsletters/200608/index.php#6

E-mail Programs

There are lots of alternatives to Outlook and Outlook Express. Some are arguably better overall than either Outlook or Outlook Express. Others are better suited to the needs of particular users than Outlook or Outlook Express.

Click here to view the article on e-mail programs.

Other Stuff

Below is a link to our article on Irfanview, a graphics processing program. Also below are some programs we haven't covered in previous newsletters. Nonetheless, they're programs we use.

Irfanview Graphics Viewer / Processor for Windows

We featured this handy utility in one of our "Be a pro" articles a few months back. If you work with lots of graphics, this is a GEM! You can rename, resize, crop, increase canvas size, increase saturation, sharpen, rotate, flip, and convert dozens of image formats—hundreds at a time if need be.

Click here to view the article including a bit on Irfanview. Look at the bottom of the article.

Infra Recorder for Windows

Windows XP will burn CDs natively. Just pop a CDR in your CDR drive and Windows will open a folder where you can hold files to be burned to your CD.

However, there is a free, open source program called "Infra Recorder" that you can use if basic Windows XP capabilities are too basic.

Click here to go to the Infra Recorder website.

Other Programs...

There are many open source and / or free applications out there. We welcome any tips our customers might have regarding something they've seen or that they use.

Suggestions anyone?

A non-sufficient funds fee of $20.00 applies to all automated credit card transactions where the credit card is declined because of insufficient funds. The fee *does not* apply if the card is declined because of another error—incorrectly entered number, expiry date, et cetera. The fee also *does not* apply where a customer attends our office to make a payment and their card is declined in our reception area.

This policy is to cover the added cost of having to manually review account information where payment is made online and / or where a credit card is used for recurring billing but declined for insufficient funds. Unfortunately, it takes time to deal with automated transactions declined because of insufficient funds.

Forward Your Domains

Do you have more than one domain name and two or more are pointed at the same website? If you do, then you may want to simply point extra domain names at your site, rather than opt for full domain hosting.

So what's the difference between “forwarding” versus “full domain hosting?”

If you forward a domain, anyone trying to reach your website using the domain will get directed to the site via the domain you have hosted. For example, say you have “example.com” as your main domain name and you've got full domain hosting enabled for it. Say you also have “myexample.com” as a secondary domain and you want to forward it to “example.com.”

If someone types "myexample.com" or if someone inserts a link in their website that points to "myexample.com," when the browser goes to fetch files at that domain name, the browser will forward to “example.com.”

Why would you want to do this?

Probably the most important reason would be cost. Forwarding doesn't cost anything. Full domain hosting does.

Why does full domain hosting cost while forwarding doesn't?

That's easy. Full domain hosting takes significant resources. Forwarding requires very little in the way of resources.

For example, full domain hosting comes with e-mail services (i.e. you can use “me@example.com” for your e-mail address) and website statistics so you can track your website visitors.

How do I forward a domain?

Go to the following URL (My Account=>Host Entries):

https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/accountman.cgi?tab=hosts

From the above page, you can add domain names to your account. When you add a domain, you can select “Host Forwarding” instead of “Normal Hosting.” There are other choices available. The only choice that adds cost to your account fee (depending on the package you've purchased), is “Normal Hosting.”

Allow for E-mail Spelling Mistakes & Use Spam Assassin

Allowing for spelling mistakes in an e-mail address

Say your name is "aaron" and your domain name is "example.com." You tell people your e-mail address is "aaron_smith@example.com" and yet people seem to get it wrong. After all is it “Aaron,” “Aron,” “Aeron,” or “Earon?” As unlikely as such spelling constructions may be in a real name, they all sound the same. As a result, there's a good chance people will misspell “aaron_smith@example.com.”

You can allow for this eventuality in your “map” file. If you're unfamiliar with what a map file is and does, click here to read our help documentation.

All the variations in the name Aaron come from mixing up or getting wrong three characters. You can allow for this in your map file by using the following line:

aaron_smith[3]:aaron@islandnet.com

In the above example line “aaron_smith[3]” tells our system that as long as three or fewer characters are missing, misplaced, or simply wrong, deliver the message to the “aaron@islandnet.com” mailbox. Any message arriving with more than three wrong characters will get rejected.

Use Spam Assassin with your Map File

If you've been an Islandnet customer for a while, you probably know about filtering spam using Islandnet's PEP (Personal E-mail Protection). If you're not familiar with PEP, you probably should be since it allows you almost infinite flexibility in filtering your e-mail. Click here to check out the PEP help pages.

You may not know that you can use Spam Assassin with a map file. Here's a map file example line that uses Spam Assassin:

>10.0: !This message's spam score is higher than 10.0

The above line will delete any messages with a Spam Assassin score greater than 10.

What is really great about using this technique is the fact that any messages deleted at the map file stage do not even make it onto our e-mail server. The messages are deleted before they're processed, thereby saving bandwidth and processing power.

Legal Stuff

The information displayed in this newsletter and any previous or subsequent newsletters is for information purposes only. Islandnet.com, AMT Solutions Group, Inc. and related companies are not responsible for any losses or damages resulting from the use of information in the newsletter. While the information contained in this newsletter is believed accurate, readers must verify information for themselves. Sites we link to do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of AMT Solutions Group, Inc.