How to show your Linux Version

Sometimes you’re working on a system and you’re not entirely sure which Linux distribution it is. There are several ways to find out what you’re working with and I keep forgetting what they commands are to get there – so here’s a quick list for all of us. Release and Distribution Most systems (but not … Read more

How to use vi to edit files in Linux

Here’s a brief reminder on how you can edit files with vi directly from the command line. Text is all you get, no other visual clues or menus are included, and best of all you need to know each keyboard shortcut once you’ve entered it.

vi is an old editor going back all the way to 1976. It’s not the most comfortable one, but the beauty is that it’s available on pretty much every distribution. There are several other common editors out there, but it’s not always an option to install those just for a quick file edit.

In this article I’ll show you the most commonly used commands and shortcuts, help you delete old versions of a file and show you a couple of links to more in-depth sources.

I assume here that you are comfortable using the command line interface (CLI).

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How to use SFTP with Plesk 10.4.4

We had a discussion recently about using SFTP under Plesk 10. It’s possible, however the feature is not called SFTP explicitly so I thought it’s best to describe how it works here.

Note that SFTP is only possible for the main domain owner, not for additional FTP Users that you may create under Web Users… sorry! Here’s the Parallels Knowledgebase article which explains why.

That said, here’s how you activate SFTP for your account:

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How to tweak P2: adding and replacing categories

Today I’m going to tweak the marvellous P2 Theme by Automattic.

P2 is one of my all time favourite themes – not only because it transforms WordPress into something completely different, but also because it’s an innovative way we communicate internally here at WP Hosting. If you don’t know P2 yet, do check it out at p2theme.com and watch the video.

At the time of writing P2 is at Version 1.3.3 and has been since November last year. Code changes quickly, so by the time you’re reading this my ramblings may be out of date.

Let’s have a look at how we can add and amend the default categories (i.e. Status Update, Blog Post, Quote and Link).

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Snapshot Backup 2.1

After over 20.000 downloads and one day before “the new iPad” hits the shelves, I give you an update on Snapshot Backup. I have finally found the time this week to work again on this project. It’s been too long, (8 months since my last update) but better late than never. It’s like a good wine.

I’ll tell you upfront: if this was easy for me, and it wouldn’t have taken this long if my knowledge of PHP was better. The latest version is available immediately from the WordPress repository.

Here’s what I’ve been slaving away over, and what’s new in Version 2.1

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How to install CentOS with Parallels Desktop

You can never have enough servers flying around, be that for testing, playing or developing. Today I decided that I wanted my local copy of CentOS on my Mac Book Pro – and thanks to Parallels Desktop I can run this in a virtual container alongside Mac OS X. Nice!

It’s a bit complex so I took some notes – may they be useful for both you and me at some point in the future.

I’m installing CentOS 6.2 in 64bit on OS X Lion on a 13″ Mac Book Pro with 8GB of RAM and an Intel i7. I’m using Parallels Desktop 7 for this exercise.

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How to remove Customer and Business Manager in Plesk

Let’s remove those links

One of the questions that came up at Parallels Summit recently was how to uninstall Customer and Business manager. Plesk doesn’t offer a solution to uninstall things – even though you can add modules, once they’re installed they’re installed.

Luckily I remember a good forum thread that’s a bit long so I’ll give you a concise version here.

Note: this works in Plesk 10.4.4 and 11.0.9 for Linux (CentOS) – I haven’t tried earlier or later versions or other distributions at the time of writing. If you have any feedback, please leave a comment.

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FIXED: The Problem with running PHP as FastCGI Application (WordPress and Plesk)

We’re currently on our way to Kissimmee, FL to join Parallels Summmit, an annual conference from the people who make Plesk. We’re also taking exams in Plesk 10.4.4 so we’re studying it in-depth – I’ve been using the software for over two years now but never had formal training in it. Well here goes!

In preparation for the exam tomorrow I’ve come across something the instructor mentioned: namely the benefits of running PHP as a FastCGI application instead of an Apache module. Sadly I’ve also come across some drawbacks when using this option in regards to WordPress. I thought I’d mention those here, alongside how to avoid those.

UPDATE: Thanks to Boldock this problem can be fixed 😉

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