Linux

How to prevent direct file access in your wp-content directory

I was working on a secure site with sensitive video material that we needed strict members access to. Even though many plugins can make sure your direct permalinks can only be seen by logged in members, direct links to files in your wp-content directory are still accessible to others. They can even be hotlinked from [...]

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What’s the full path to php in CentOS?

The path to PHP is /usr/bin/php This is good to know if you need to setup a cron job which triggers a PHP file. Calling it from a web browser directly is not a problem, but if you have to call it from the command line or as a scheduled task you need to call [...]

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How to avoid emails from Dr. Web

Dr. Web is a Russian anti-virus utility that comes bundles with Plesk. It’s good and it tries to keep the bad guys out. To keep up with all the mutations out there it tries to update itself frequently but usually doesn’t succeed because the Dr. Web server is busy or down or somehow now working [...]

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How to install OSSEC HIDS

I’ve recently added two more servers to my ever growing network at WP Hosting. To prevent an attack by those scumbags from Hacker Land, I’ve been relying on the amazing OSSEC Host Intrusion Detection System. Even though the OSSEC website is great, I always forget the simple steps that are involved in getting it up [...]

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How to amend an Application Vault Repository in Plesk

I’m currently building a WordPress Hosting Service where customers get hosting with WordPress pre-installed. I also want to offer several pre-installed Themes and Plugins that I’ll deploy from the Plesk Back End using Application Vault. WordPress is already available as a free repository, however it does take some time for new versions to be made [...]

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How to upgrade PHP on CentOS 5

With the recent end-of-life announcement it becomes clear that WordPress isn’t going to support PHP 5.1.6. for much longer anymore. CentOS 5 however comes pre-compiled with PHP 5.1.6 and there are no plans to change this in the current version. For simple folk like me it’s unimaginable to re-compile the entire OS from source or [...]

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Linux Disk Space shown as Pie Chart

I’m managing a server for Loft London. They’re using it as FTP site for various clients, so I wanted to provide an easy way for them to keep an eye on how much space is used and how much is left. I’ve done some digging and found this super handy PHP Pie Chart generator by [...]

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When Plesk fails to upgrade

I’ve had this issue before: you get a new server, the image is a few revisions behind the current release and your first line of business is to upgrade the system. A few minutes later you check and instead and Plesk refuses to start. Bugger. Now what? My Customer Support Gurus always know what to [...]

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How to install Parallels Plesk on a new Linux server

So I’ve expanded my server arsenal to a fifith machine with Strato in Germany. Sadly they only offer an OpenSUSE installation bundled with Plesk (in German – unchangeable to English). What I really wanted was another CentOS system though, which Strato offer – but without Plesk installed. After a bit of hackage, I found out [...]

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How to repair MySQL tables from the Command Line

Sometimes your tables crash and your website is unresponsive. You don’t have access to phpMyAdmin to do a repair, because you can’t access Plesk. That sucks! When you’re out in the field and all that’s at hand is a trusty SSH connection from your mobile, here’s an alternative way to bring your WordPress Sites back [...]

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Where are the Backup Files in Plesk?

By default, they’re located in /var/lib/psa/dumps It’s useful to clear this directory out every once in a while, especially because Plesk doesn’t overwrite old backups. So if you ever find that you’re using 60GB of storage on your system, but are fully aware that your entire site shouln’t be bigger than 100MB, then this is [...]

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How to update multiple WordPress installations in one swoop?

We’ll do that with the help of our friend the “cp” command and SSH access to our server. You can find a good manual for all the switches at Tux Files or ask The Die, or simply try “cp –help” at the command prompt. I use “cp” to update multiple installations of WordPress on the [...]

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Where is php.ini on a Linux Server?

By default, it’s located in /etc/php.ini In this file, you can set your upload limits, memory limits, safe mode and many other settings that you may wish to change. Before saving permanent changes to this file please consider the following: CREATE A BACKUP before saving all changes will be live AFTER REBOOTING your machine all [...]

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How to setup a Cron Job

Wouldn’t it be great if something could be triggered even when you’re not around? Say once an hour, once a day, once a week or whenever you like in predetermined intervals? Then you want to do this with what’s known as a Cron Job, or Scheduled Task. Unfortunately, this is a bit beyond what WordPress [...]

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