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boost and boost::serialization micro-HOWTO

(Editor’s note: see the wiki for a more structured and updated version…)

I wrote an object-oriented database a few years back using “C++ Database Development” from Al Stevens as inspiration, and I’ve always wanted to dig it out and get it updated. I’m also working on ShareTheDJ, which needs cross-platform object serialization. Robert Ramey implemented boost::serialization and it looks like an excellent way to serialize my objects in a more STL-friendly way. Here’s how to set up under FC3/FC4, gentoo and Windoze…

UPDATE: Sourceforge root changed from [cvs-pserver.sf.net:443] to [boost.cvs.sourceforge.net]. Instructions were updated.

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Comments | Monday, May 30, 2005

Gentoo Chatter

I really love Gentoo, but I don’t get to play with it enough (my main server is Fedora Core 3). Under Fedora, I use yum to stay up to date. On Gentoo, of course, there is portage. Here are some notes on the steps to get things updated on my spare Gentoo box…

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Comments | Thursday, March 17, 2005

Handling Virtual Domains with Cyrus IMAP

I am no longer a total Cyrus IMAP newbie. Cyrus IMAP newbies don’t run and administer Cyrus IMAP servers, at least not for long.

That said, I’ve lost a lot of email along the way. This stuff hasn’t been easy or straightforward. That’s mainly due to linux’s modular architecture, which is the only way to go, but it’s a mixed blessing. By the time you really figure out something like Cyrus, you’ll likely have learned a lot about linux’s authentication (PAM), your mail transport agent (MTA – it actually listens for mail and hands it off to Cyrus), other available MTA’s (sendmail, exim, qmail… why are there so many?), PHP and Mysql configuration, and so on.

So I’m not going to try to explain what it takes to get it all working. The main doc that makes that attempt is here. Use it as a reference – it’s extremely unlikely you’ll be able to actually go through the outlined steps directly. I definitely recommend trying to find a pre-built package for your distro.

I just wanted to document the steps that are needed with postfix and cyrus to get multiple virtual domains handled on one installation. There are two files that need tweaking, /etc/postfix/main.cf, and /etc/imapd.conf.

To do…

Comments | Wednesday, January 5, 2005

Fedora Core 2 to Fedora Core 3

To get from Fedora Core 2 to Fedora Core 3, I basically followed these instructions to set up yum for an upgrade. Somehow, though, “yum upgrade” always returned “No Packages marked for Update/Obsoletion”. I ended up sticking with FC3 yum and “yum install …”‘ed my ass off. Also had to CPAN my butt off as well, for perl 5.8.5, and recompile apache. The only real trouble I had was something stomping on /etc/hosts and removing the entry for localhost – it was not fun figuring that out.

As a result of the upgrade, I’ve got an updated one-step apache 1.3.33 compile script to post.

Upwards and onwards!

Comments | Thursday, December 9, 2004

Mo Betta Linux-on-top-of-Windows

A hyper-quick CliffNotes summary of X for those new to linux: The X Window System is the foundation of the GUI of modern Unices. The best part: it allows you to escape the graphical prison of a M$ Windoze(TM) operating system by running an “X Server”. The X server can display your X windows from a remote linux machine on the local machine instead (even if it’s a Windoze(TM) box). With a smart Winblows(TM) SSH client like putty, you can tunnel your X packets through an SSH session, so you end up with both command line and graphical secure remote access to your boxxen, whoop!

There are literally TONS of X servers for Windumbs(TM). However, I think I just found the best. Cygwin is a super-groovy set of native libraries that provide a command shell under Winslows(TM) with a LOT of linux functionality. On top of that, they provide an X environment. On top of THAT, it comes with an X server. Just run the Cygwin setup program, and make sure you include the following components:

xorg-x11-base

x-startup-scripts

Then open your Cygwin shell and type “startxwin.sh”.

As a final note, I’m having a lot of luck with the newer X.org flavor of X. It’s running on my Gentoo box, my Fedora box, and the Cygwin on this laptop. All the goodies, none of the crankiness, of XFree86. :>

Life just doesn’t get any better under Windoesn’t(TM).