php5 and MySQL 5 – Access Denied

Permissions problem kept php5 and mysql 5 from talking….

When setting up a test website using Apache 2, php5 and mysql5, the connection to the database failed with AccessDenied. If the password were removed, then the failure looked different. The resolution to the problem is to include localhost explicitly in the host list and set database privileges for localhost. The default is @% which is wildcard, but apparently wildcard does not include localhost.
For a complete description, screen shots and the whole story:
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First Linux C++ Program Works

My first real linux program using KDevelop and QT works.

Using KDevelop 3.3.3 on SUSE 10.1 I’ve ported one of my WinMFC programs to Linux. The GUI is written with the QT3 tool kit and QTdesigner in KDevelop.

Screenshot-SiteProbe-2

When the program is running the appropriate buttons are disabled and the program saves and restores the configuration [interval and Watch on Start] and the site list.

Update: You can find the modern version of the program here.

Installling Linux for the First Time

Experiences installing SUSE Linux 10.1 for the first time.

While I’ve been a software engineer for years and have used *nix systems for some of those years, I’ve never installed or used Linux before. I started my foray into this subject by installing SUSE 10.1 on a DELL WS 410:

  • Dual 400MHz PII with 768MB of memory
  • 9 GB SCSI hard drive
  • NVidia GFX4200 Graphics

This system has been running Win XP Pro quite nicely. Performance has actually been quite good and this system is very usable under windows for document prep, C++ programming using Visual Studio 6 and web browsing.
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Panoramas of the South Slough

I’ve taken some panoramas of the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve ( SSNERR ). The SSNERR is a tidal wetlands park and research station in Charleston, OR. The park is about 5000 acres.

SSNERR panorama Panoramas

The skunk cabbage is in full leaf, although by now the flowers are all gone. Don’t forget to click on the pictures for a full size image. The images are about 6000 pixels wide in full size. If rendered at highest quality, some of these pictures would be over 20,000 pixels wide.

More information on the SSNERR and the entire NERR system can be found here: SSNERR home page

enjoy.

House wired phone / CAT5

Phone and CAT5 wiring around the house to distribute the connections to several rooms around the back of the house.

Cat-5
Cat-5

The wireless-G connection to the computer in the back room was flaky. A large wall mounted mirror on a wall between the office router and the back room reduced the signal strength. Using a cantenna on each end helped the signal strength, but did not eliminate the flaky connection. Using one cantenna was better, but was still not reliable, and there was message loss.

In a completely different direction, its time for a new satellite TV service [Dish] and the DVR requires a phone connection – Dish charges another $5 a month if there’s no connection. They are probably harvesting viewing habits with the phone line, in addition to allowing PPV ordering.

These two issues have created a project to wire a set of CAT5 cables around the house. The rear of the house has no crawl space and no attic, so the wiring is external on the outside of the house. The best and simplest method appears to be to use outdoor CAT5 cable with UV coating and silicon gel for direct burial. Oregon is wet, so while not used for direct burial, the cable is likely to be wet for much of the year.
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