Turn off swap
Posted inGNU Linux

Turn off swap

Swapping is costly for disk I/O and not every Linux server needs to have a swap partition and to start swapping. For instance, MySQL servers all have more than enough RAM available to do their work. Yet, when a swap partition is enabled Linux starts swapping, and that degrades MySQL database performance.
25/03/2015Posted inGNU Linux
Deploy Software through WDS
Posted inWindows Server

Software deployment through WDS

In my environment, I had to set up a new Windows Deployment Services (WDS) configuration for Windows 8.1 Enterprise. To roll out in our office (some 20+ workstations). I wanted to install some additional software at the same time, without using Microsoft Deployment Workbench (using FirstLogonCommands), because I find the interface too slow. The solution? Read on...
04/03/2015Posted inWindows Server
MONIT - Barking at daemons. Monit is a small Open Source utility for managing and monitoring Unix systems. Monit conducts automatic maintenance and repair and can execute meaningful causal actions in error situations.
Posted inGNU Linux

Monit monitoring on Ubuntu 14.04 VM on Hyper-V

Set up a Monit monitoring service for your websites and services. Monit is a free and open source service monitoring application which can perform various event-based actions. Monit can send email notifications, restart a service or application, or take other responsive actions. We set Monit up on a Ubuntu 14.04 VM, built on Hyper-V. And we use Monit to monitor several websites, and send out notifications on downtime.
15/02/2015Posted inGNU Linux
Posted inCode base

Convert PHP ext/mysql to MySQLi

Learn how to convert PHP mysql functions to PHP MySQLi extension. The old ext/mysql extension is deprecated as of PHP 5.5.0 and therefore it's a must to migrate away from using it and towards MySQLi or PHP Data Object (PDO). This post will show you how.
04/02/2015Posted inCode base
DOSBox, play old games
Posted inWindows Server

How to play old games on Windows with DOSBox

PC retrogaming how-to for 64-bit Windows - and Linux! We all love old games. It's a nostalgia thing from when we played those really old games on our 286 (or older, like an MSX) computer, either using floppy disks or cassettes/cartridges. There is nothing much sysadmin about this, it’s all about FUN! You all remember Airborne Ranger, Operation Wolf, Blues Brothers, Gunboat and The Lost Vikings, right?
04/01/2015Posted inWindows Server
Posted inWordPress

Disable WordPress comments (how-to)

When the WordPress comment option is abused by spammers, it becomes a real pain in the "@ss". With thousands spam reactions, disabling -and removing- WordPress comments is the only way to go. Here is how to disable WordPress comments in both the WordPress Dashboard interface and in your MySQL database. As a bonus, I show you how to re-enable comments too!
02/01/2015Posted inWordPress
Posted inWindows Server

Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) slows down outbound connections

Explicit Congestion Notification is an extension to the Internet Protocol and to the Transmission Control Protocol and is defined in RFC 3168. ECN allows end-to-end notification of network congestion without dropping packets. Windows Server 2012 is the first Windows Server version to enable Explicit Congestion Notification, or ECN, in the TCP stack. This is also known as ECN Capability in Windows.
03/12/2014Posted inWindows Server