Wikitech-l November 2003

wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org

71 participants
128 discussions

software delivery vision
by Hunter Peress 03 Nov '03

03 Nov '03

As we all know wikipedia is a bitch to set up. now that we are talking about switching from one distro to another, it will be even more of a bitch to set up. Here is the solution: UML, user mode linux (it lets you run an complet emulation of linux inside your own linux box). So: instead of telling people they need php 4.3.2 and apache 2.0.48 with this and that compile option (a combination which might not be available to some distros), simply: use dd to create a running image that people can run right off the bat (they could probably use the thing that lets you run linux inside windows as well...). The beautiful thing about UML is that it has no hardware requirements: eg no kernel compile need be done by the image makers (like knoppix for example which just throws every imaginable driver on there), eg up and running within minutes. But does the beauty of this idea stop here ? NO. This is fine for testing purposes (running a slow UML image that is), but if someone wants to run wikipedia without limits then they can simply find a kernel that works for their machine, drop it into the image (maybe a small touch of hacking required by us to create a utility to drop a kernel in), and then use a tool designed to plop images directly onto a harddrive (like the proprietary "symantec ghost"). Aside from allowing the world an unprecentedly easy way to hack,tinker,consider,or use wikipedia on their own, this process will make operations inside wikipedia easier. Yes, all code should be included in this image, the database code the web code: so that any machine can be an: all-in-one, or database-only eg...with an /etc/wikipedia-node.conf file (this would help when new machines come in AND when important machines go down). This idea originally spawned out of the fact that all parts of wikipedia's code are not on sourceforge, when i asked why i was told "there is some site specific code". The only thing that is site specific in my mind are the passwords everything else should be exactly what the public is getting, down to the byte. And its great to make it in an extrememly easy to use format as well which defeats the difficult-to-setup aspect. Well as I hope you can understand, its better for all that its wholly open setup and why not make it easy! I hereby declare wikipedia an OS. -Hunter Peress __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/britneyspears/

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AW: [Wikitech-l] Need developers
by Dufrenoy, Alexis 03 Nov '03

03 Nov '03

Yes, I started to read the code, but it's not easy without documentation (I saw the existing, and it's really weak) and with almost no comment. But I didn't give up, and the good thing is : I can easily improve the code. I just have to add comments. And I can easily improve the whole software. I just have to write doc. Traroth -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Tim Starling [mailto:ts4294967296@hotmail.com] Gesendet: Freitag, 31. Oktober 2003 01:30 An: wikitech-l(a)wikipedia.org Betreff: [Wikitech-l] Need developers Is there anyone out there who has considered contributing to the MediaWiki PHP script, but decided it against for reasons such as: * Don't know PHP/MySQL * Poor documentation, can't understand the code * Wouldn't know where to start * Don't have a test server * Don't have CVS/server access, and you find contributing otherwise to be tedious and frustrating Or perhaps you've contributed on occasion but you're deterred from contributing again for reasons such as those above? If so, please speak up! What areas could we improve to make it easier to contribute? If you prefer, you can contact me privately at tstarlingphysicsunimelbeduau. -- Tim Starling. _______________________________________________ Wikitech-l mailing list Wikitech-l(a)Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l

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Afrikaans wikipedia - unable to edit
by Ian Gilfillan 03 Nov '03

03 Nov '03

hi There's been a problem for the past few days on the Afrikaans wikipedia. Everytime I try and preview/edit, I get: ---- Software error: Could not get editing lock at /home/usemod/wiki-af/work-http/wiki.cgi line 3224. For help, please send mail to the webmaster (lee(a)piclab.com), giving this error message and the time and date of the error. ----- I've sent messages to that address, but since the software is old, I guess the email is too. thanks, ian gilfillan

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Load balancing
by Jimmy Wales 02 Nov '03

02 Nov '03

What are our plans for the network architecture as soon as the new server arrives (sometime next week)? At that time, we hope that larousse and pliny will both be successfully upgraded (though I believe that Jason has not yet successfully gotten 4 gig of RAM to work, but 2 gig each and dual Athlon 2800+ should be do-able) and equivalent to each other. The DB server will be the DB server, that much we know for sure. :-) Beyond that, I think that the easiest thing to do would be to have en served by one machine, and everything else by the other machine. Based on total article count, which is roughly comparable for en vs rest-of-the-world, that seems good, but is it really? What about traffic? In the longer term, the right way to do this is not to load balance by domain names, but to load balance properly. I have had very good success in the past using iptables and a configuration that looks a lot like this picture: http://www.ultramonkey.org/2.0.1/topologies/lb-eg.html Of course, I did this years ago, and the "poor man's" way -- I think there are probably packages (like ultramonkey!) that are quick solutions now. The beauty of this kind of architecture is: 1. high availability -- if one webserving node falls over, traffic automatically goes to the ones that are still up 2. easy expandability -- just add more webservers, at $2000 a crack for 'good enough' machines, and install the software and there you go. Anyhow, to really do something like this, we'd need one more machine, but it need not be very powerful, since it's only going to be doing NAT/IPTABLES stuff. --Jimbo

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Fw: Human Audio System Response to Modulated M Wavepulses SIMILAR to Thattes Brain As Information Transmitter an EST Phenomena.Communication Topic
by Ramesh Hotmail 01 Nov '03

01 Nov '03

1 st Nov 2003 From-. MR.RAMESH PANDURANG THATTE B E ELECT-PUNE-1964 / M.TECH-ELECT-IIT BOMBAY-1968 SEC-B INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS(INDIA) IN [MECH-CHEM-INDUSTRIAL] EX IAF PILOT OFFICER ( TECH/SIGS - 11230 ) " THATTE CONSULTING ENGINEERS " SNEHSADAN NEAR CHAMBHARLI BUS STOP PO-MOHOPADA TAL-KHALAPUR DIST-RAIGAD.MAHARASHTRA.INDIA.PIN-410222. TEL NO-91-02192-250004/254471 Contact 1 rpthatte(a)sancharnet.in OR arthatte(a)sancharnet.in Mr THATTE'S EST phenomenon www.thatte.net OR http://mumbai.sancharnet.in/rpthatte Mr Thattes [M Tech ]Identificatioin thr http://www.alumni.iitb.ac.in/details.asp?scn=2032 Weblinks Human Auditory System Response to Modulated Micro Wave Pulses http://mumbai.sancharnet.in/rpthatte/weblinks1 Few Important weblinks Human Auditory System Response to Modulated Micro Wave Pulses. 1. http://members.aol.com/phikent/orbit/new174.htm by Cain, CA and WJ Rissman 2. http://www.raven1.net/frey.htm 3. http://www.raven1.net/synthtel.htm 4. http://www.raven1.net/stocklin.htm Patent 5. http://www.raven1.net/ravindex.htm To-Mr Ibrahim Afghani Wikipedia Scientists, Engineers, Medicos, Political Leaders, Social Workers,Well wishers. SUB-Human Audio System Response to Modulated Microwave Pulses SIMILAR to Mr Thattes Brain As Information Transmitter ie EST Phenomena. Sir, I request help of Patrakar Sangh for publishing it. I am presenting My EST Phenomena almost SIMILAR to Above audio phenomena explained by Mr Alen Frey & Other Scientists from 1962 onwards.The weblinks file about Human auditory phenomenon & My EST file are attached to this e mail. I request help/guidence for measurement of EST phenomena. I request help/guidance for SENSING & RECORDING of my EST/BRAIN Waves. I can send some of the related files about Human Audio system Response to Modulated M wave Pulses thr e mail if requested for. Thanks By Mr Ramesh P Thatte

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Test server idea
by Tim Starling 01 Nov '03

01 Nov '03

Perhaps we could set up test.wikipedia.org as an ISP-style user script directory, i.e. with open_basedir and disable_functions and all that. We could then make a simple upload form which allows people to upload scripts to it using a web interface. I'm not suggesting someone else do this, I'm suggesting someone try to talk me out of it, if there's any reason it won't work. -- Tim Starling.

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RE: [Wikitech-l] Need developers
by Poor, Edmund W 01 Nov '03

01 Nov '03

Tim, After enthusiastically accepting Jimbo's offer to provide me with "developer access", I quickly soured on having any hands-on participation. It was as I feared: no requirements documents, nothing about architecture or detailed design. The hardest-working, most universally respected developer(s) kept basically saying "just read the code". So I've kept on the sidelines. I've been a cheerleader and catalyst (for speed tweaks) and for many months a sort of chief sysop (carrying out bans and promotions). As for your request for suggestions, I think the best thing would be to adopt some sort of "best practices" methodology. I don't care if it's XP, CMM, or just a checklist of common- sence guidelines from Steve McConnell's "Rapid Development". Adopt some mutually agreeable (and useful!) guiding principles, and follow them: that's what I suggest. Ed Poor Highly Paid Professional Software Engineer

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Test server idea
by Daniel Mayer 01 Nov '03

01 Nov '03

Tim wrote: >Perhaps we could set up test.wikipedia.org .... Wikipedia is not the only project that runs MediaWiki. Please use test.wikimedia.org instead. Part of the problem with attracting users and developers of MediaWiki has been the very strong perception that MediaWiki is for encyclopedias only. -- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)

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Wikitech-l November 2003