Ubuntu server having IPv6 probs? It’s easy to disable

I had a server recently start having serious problems with connections of all types, at least when IPv6 was involved. I use IPv6 at home and ssh access took a significant amount of time to make a connection. Then when I tried to do apt-get update from the server it would fail with a message like this:

$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for matt:
0% [Connecting to archive.ubuntu.com (2001:67c:1360:8c01::1a)] [Connecting to security.ubuntu.com (2001:67c:1360:8c01::1...

It would sit there and take forever without making any progress. Sadly, the Ubuntu docs aren’t much help unless you’re using Ubuntu 8.04 or older (I refuse to link to them which will only add to their credibility).

A workaround is to disable IPv6, but really you should take the time to fix the problem, since it is the way of the future. In my case I’m sure it’s routing related, and hopefully my server provider can resolve it. Until then, I do this: Continue reading →

How I am switching to Node.js

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In the last blog post I explained that I was moving to Node.js from Django and what is motivating me to do so. So how am I making the switch to Node? This post answers that question.

I love to read so I’ve got two books to share with you, and then I’ll identify three tasks that are well suited to Node.js which you can choose from for your to get started. First let me share the books I read and found helpful.

note: This is part two of three, stay tuned for the final installment. Continue reading →

Why I switched to Node.js

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In 1999 Perl/Mason was the king, but soon after PHP 3 started to take over. As Y2K approached, these where the tools I used to build websites. In 2000 and 2001 I decided to invest significant time building strong Javascript skills.

I went on to add some additional tools to my belt, such as C#, Java and, starting in 2007 I switched my primary platform from PHP to Python/Django. Since then I’ve also used Python/Flask and Ruby on Rails. Throughout all of these platform changes one thing has been constant: Javascript has been a key skill that I’ve used in nearly every project.

in late 2011 I started experimenting with Node.js, and after signficant contemplation I’ve decided to make the leap and use it as my new primary platform. I thought I’d write this blog post to explain how and why I’m doing that.

*note: due to length, I’m splitting this article into three pieces, part one about how is available, stay tuned for the final note!

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Reddit is melting our server, here’s what we did (Nginx, Apache, Django and MySql)

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I help out a popular clothing retailer, kuhl.com, sometimes when they need some after-hours help. Last night at dinner I got an urgent text from the lead developer who is based in Europe saying the website was melting due to being mentioned in a highly popular Reddit post. It seems that one of the Boston bombing suspects was spotted wearing a hoodie from Kuhl.

The first problem was that there weren’t enough database connections available, the second was that, of the M1.extra-large’s 15G of RAM, only 4G was being used, and the third problem was that the disk i/o and cpu usage was close to nil. We solved all of these problems, and they all helped, but ultimately could only handle the load by serving a static copy of the popular page. But here’s the process I took to get there and how each step impacted performance. Continue reading →

7 free tools to transform your website from simple into spectacular

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I hope you enjoyed the review of 5 free web hosting solutions for geeks. So now you have a website, but it feels a little bland and needs some sparkle. Try a few of these free tools that will add some dynamic bling in a jiffy.

From plug ‘n play comment systems to social media integration to rich dynamic data storage service, there’s a little bit here for everyone. Continue reading →

Free webhosting for geeks: five options reviewed

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I remember in the mid-90′s reading Scott Adam’s “Men who use computers are the new sex symbols of the 90′s” and laughing out loud. This has largely come to reality as computers become an integral part to all of our lives. But one particular phrase stands out in my mind:

“Soon anyone who’s not on the World Wide Web will qualify for a government subsidy for the home-pageless.”

So what’s a geek to do? Gone are the days when you can be considered cool merely by driving a nice car. We need to run a hot website to be taken seriously, but a website costs money… or maybe not! As it turns out, if you don’t mind getting a little geeky, here is a review of some of the best free hosting deals. (OK, little fib, one of these costs about $0.25 per month after the first year, so not technically free)

If you want to run a Ruby or Python website, if you want some advanced Javascript or Coffeescript action, if you don’t mind using GIT, if you’d really love a database and most of all, you don’t want anyone injecting ads or other foreign code into your page, you’ll find something here to meet your needs. Continue reading →

What is a Baptist? Probably not what you think

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I was recently reading about Westboro Baptist Church and thinking to myself, “I wish they didn’t have ‘Baptist’ in their name.” The problem is that most people don’t understand how loosely knit, how varied, Baptist churches can be from each other.

Unlike some other Christian denominations, Baptists are autonomous and operate independently. This includes the massive number of churches gathered under the “Southern Baptist Convention” umbrella. Each church is run by it’s own local congregation, elects it’s own pastor and elders and can therefore vary drastically from one to another in both doctrine and organization.

So what does it mean to be a Baptist? Here are a few things: Continue reading →

March’s coolest links – Inside Aperture Science, indestructable phones and encouraging kids to fail

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I’ve decided to start monthly blogging about the links and stories I favorited in March. You’ll find an eclectic mix of web development, open source, usability/ux and whatever trips my fancy.

This month we have news about Firefox OS app payments, how to get Netflix running in Ubuntu, indestructible cell phones and some WordPress tips.

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Why you can’t see shared Bitbucket repos in SourceTree

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I like Bitbucket for hosting Git repos. Github is great too, but I generally just host open source stuff there and keep my private repos on Bitbucket. (But check out this article on how to create your own private Git server similar to Github) SourceTree is a native app for Mac and Windows that lets you manage your Git repos and if you link it to Bitbucket it shows a list of all your repos so that you can easily manage them.

But when someone shares a repo with you it doesn’t show up in the list of hosted repositories automatically in SourceTree. This appears to be true with any app that uses the Bitbucket API such as JetBrains IDEs like PyCharm and IntelliJ. The solution is easy – Only repos that you own or have starred / followed show up in the list. So here’s what you do: Continue reading →

How does the Hebrews author connect Jesus to Melchizedek?

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Whenever I read Hebrews 7 I wonder how the author comes up with a connection between Jesus and Melchizedek. I don’t doubt the connection, but it strikes me as an obscure reference. When the recipients of the letter read this, did they suddenly say, “A ha!” and understand the comparison, or did they scratch their head wondering who on earth Melchizedek was? (like I did) Continue reading →