Caching MySQL results in either files or the Alternate PHP Cache (APC) is very interesting to me and something I haven’t tried yet. Like a lot of people, I’m using the MySQL Query Cache along with full-page caching for my WordPress powered websites. I’m currently working on a project where I’ll probably be caching with APC. My APC storage file is currently 1 gigabyte in size and I’ve had it like that for months and without it completely filling up. Since I have tons of disk space for my memory-mapped file, I’ll probably bump it up to 2 gigabytes (or more) while testing the code in my project. Today, I’m going to start off by talking about the MySQL Query Cache, and its drawbacks, before moving on to APC and file-based variable caching. Read more »
Tips for Connecting to a Server by SSH
When I first set up this server, the SSH port was set to the default port of 22. Since I already had “ConfigServer Security & Firewall” set up under Webmin, I quickly found a lot of IP addresses being denied there. People from all over the world were trying to hack into my site through SSH. That’s when I read everything I could about SSH, SFTP and connecting to the SSH server without using a control panel. Read more »
Commodore 64 Nostalgia – Playing Video Games on an Emulator
I don’t know about other emulators and video games, but the freely available emulators and games for the old Commodore 64 computers are completely legal. It has something to do with DMCA exemptions for software that isn’t sold or supported anymore because the computers than ran them are no longer being sold. I think the last retail Commodore 64C was sold in the 1990s. Anyway… I’m going to point to where to get an emulator and hundreds (or thousands) of video games that run on that emulator, which originally ran on the Commodore 64 computers. Read more »
NginX, WordPress and SSL on an Alternate Port
The latest version of WordPress supports using SSL for logging in or the entire admin dashboard, including login, by adding either “define(‘FORCE_SSL_LOGIN’, true);” or “define(‘FORCE_SSL_ADMIN’, true);” in the wp-config.php file. This works fine if you’re using SSL on the default HTTPS port of 443, but won’t work at all for an alternate port. I’ll explain how to get it to work on an alternate port and what the appropriate NginX rewrite directives should be to make sure the SSL pages get served on the alternate port while the non-SSL pages get served on the standard HTTP port of 80. Read more »
Speed up WordPress by Loading JavaScript in Parallel and by Allowing WordPress.com to Serve Images
While Google and some other entities have learned to use asynchronous code to prevent slow downs caused by JavaScript, many others have not. In self-hosted WordPress itself, the JavaScript files are not served in an asynchronous manner. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could somehow remove the bottlenecks before they become a problem? Read more »
Prevent Direct Access to a PHP File
There are times when you want to prevent direct access to a PHP file (which would display in a web browser) that would return results of some kind. If the PHP file doesn’t return results, it simply processes and ends. In either case, you can set up conditions that prevent the file from displaying anything or even processing at all. Read more »
Random Strings in JavaScript and PHP
In both scripting languages, JavaScript on the client side and PHP on the server side, there are multiple ways to accomplish specific tasks. Generating random strings is one of those things that can be done in both languages in exactly the same way or in completely different ways, depending on the whims of the coder. First I’ll present a JavaScript version and then I’ll present a PHP version. Both can be made shorter or more complicated, but I’m only going to provide simple functions. Read more »
JavaScript and PHP Encryption vs. SSL (TLS) for Websites
I’m sure many people will agree with me when I say SSL is overkill for many kinds of websites. On the other hand, some websites simply need to lock down logging in and things of that nature. If it’s a personal login you’re dealing with, and no one else is involved, you can get by with JavaScript and PHP encryption or you can use a self-signed SSL certificate, if the latter is even an option. I invite you to follow along because I have some experience with commercial SSL certificates, self-signed SSL certificates and even JavaScript/PHP encryption. Read more »
Biblical Holy Days and my Attempts to Follow Christ
I’ve never kept my religious affiliations secret. In fact, I’m made it well-known to friends and relatives that I belong to no religious organization at all. I hesitate to use the word “church” because a church consists of people, with or without a “temple”. I live in an area where I’m practically surrounded by Roman Catholics, so it’s difficult to talk to anyone around me about these things. Read more »
Easter is a Pagan Holiday co-opted by Christianity
I think I’m a lucky individual when it comes to some so-called religious practices and holidays. My parents never associated Easter or Christmas with religion and I, myself, have not associated the two with religion. Unfortunately, my wife was raised as Roman Catholic and educating her on the history of certain holidays has been the subject of ongoing trials. Read more »