tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242237432024-03-13T16:05:26.130-04:00Cranial SoupPeas, carrots, green beans, and gray matter.Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-26717937140866068212010-07-28T18:14:00.002-04:002010-08-26T08:27:34.900-04:00CaSe Matters<p><img style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline" title="abc" alt="abc" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/TFCr20HoErI/AAAAAAAABEk/GzsEXyn3xuk/abc%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="125" height="125" /> Budding young web designers and developers usually learn this pretty quick, when creating a page on Windows and not using the same case as the files and folders they are linking to. They often will use lowercase in all the URLs, regardless of the case of the actual file and folder names. And this will work fine when viewed on their Windows machine. But as soon as they upload it to a server that is running something else, like Linux, it stops working. Their page is full of broken images and dead links, because they used something like <b>mypicture.jpg</b> in place of the actual file name of <b>MyPicture.jpg</b> and <b>about.html</b> in place of the actual file name of <b>About.html</b>.</p><p>Or they upload an <strong>Index.html</strong> and wonder why when they visit their site they still see the default <strong>index.html</strong> page provided by their web host and why when they check on the server there are now two index files and not one.</p><p>For the domain name part of the URL it doesn't matter. That part is not case sensitive.</p><h4 align="center"><b>example.com</b> is the same as <b>Example.com</b> is the same as <b>EXAMPLE.com</b></h4><p>For the rest of the URL it could matter, depending on what operating system is being run on the server that is hosting the site.</p><p> </p><p><img style="margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline" title="windows-logo_c" alt="windows-logo_c" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/TFCr3Sdw73I/AAAAAAAABEo/uxqLfjQ5f1c/windows-logo_c%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="32" height="31" /> If the server is running <b>Windows</b>, case doesn't matter. The reason for this is because you can only have a single file or folder of a particular name in a folder, regardless of the case used in that file or folder name.</p><h4 align="center"><b>index.html</b> is the same as <b>Index.html</b> is the same as <b>INDEX.html</b></h4><p>All three will lead to the same page.</p><p>In Windows, adding a file or folder of the same name with a different case to a folder, <i>overwrites</i> the original. Only one can exist.</p><p> </p><p><img style="margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline" title="linux-penguin-full1_2" alt="linux-penguin-full1_2" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/TFCr3zffy0I/AAAAAAAABEs/pwi8knY5Zq0/linux-penguin-full1_2%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="30" height="30" />If the server is running <b>Linux</b>, case matters, as you can have multiple files and folders of the same name within a folder, each having a different case.</p><h4 align="center"><b>index.html</b> is not the same as <b>Index.html</b> and not the same as <b>INDEX.html</b></h4><p>In Linux adding a file or folder of the same name with a different case to a folder, <i>does not</i> overwrite the original. Linux will allow all three to exist in a folder, and each are considered different. If you change the case of a file or folder in the URL path and the server is running Linux, and that variation does not actually exist on the server, it will result in a <a title="Wikipedia: HTTP 404" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_404" target="_blank">404</a>.</p><p>And if you upload a file of the same name but a different case, it will not overwrite the original. You will have both on the server, and lowercase is the default index file. This is the reason why the place holder <strong>index.html</strong> supplied by your web host is still seen, even though you have uploaded your <strong>Index.html</strong> file, and why you see two index files when you view it in your FTP client.</p><p> </p><p>It is always best to assume the server runs Linux when creating links to pages on the web and when typing URLs into the addressbar of your browser. It is the only way to ensure that if case matters, that you are using the correct URL.</p><p>It is also best to use all lowercase in the folder and file names of your website when creating the files and folders, regardless of what operating system you are using locally. Always assume the site will be run on a server that is case sensitive. That way there is a set standard of practice you follow that leaves less room for error. </p><p>Step 1, before you begin coding, should always be to fix all your file and folder names so you won't have to worry about it later.</p><!--22f8a5fa64cd4b4aae91aa92d7fc4e2a-->Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-48610473912586340092009-03-31T18:50:00.001-04:002009-03-31T23:42:54.041-04:00Fix Firefox Not Remembering to Keep You Logged Into Sites<h3><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/SdKeNY_1mZI/AAAAAAAAAu4/t_ARy-6s51E/s1600-h/FirefoxLogo%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="FirefoxLogo" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px" height="139" alt="FirefoxLogo" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/SdKeNpscp6I/AAAAAAAAAu8/mZdbROOtGeE/FirefoxLogo_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="141" align="left" /></a> The Problem: </h3> <p>Lately, I have been hearing a lot of complaints from people that Firefox does not remember their preferences to stay logged into sites, after they close Firefox and run it again. </p> <h3>The Cause: </h3> <p>The cookie database file is corrupted. </p> <h3>The Fix: </h3> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">WARNING:</font></strong> This will log you out of ALL sites till you log into them again! </p> <p>You may also lose certain site preferences that depend on cookies. You may have to configure those again. These would not be settings that are stored on the site's server. They would be settings specific to your PC and not set if you used the same site from another computer. While it might be a bit of a bother to reconfigure them, it's not a common thing to store site preferences this way and it should only affect a very small number of sites, if any at all. </p> <p>The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Google search. If you have configured it to turn safe search off for images, set it to show more than 10 results per page, or to open links in a new tab or window, you will have to set it again. </p> <p>You will not lose any saved password information stored in the password manager. You will only lose all of your cookies.</p> <p>Ready? </p> <ol> <li>Make sure Firefox is closed. </li> <li>Go here: <ul> <li>On 2k/XP: <font color="#ffff00">C:\Documents and Settings\(your name)\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\</font> </li> <li>On Vista/Win7: <font color="#ffff00">C:\Users\(your name)\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\</font> </li> <li>On Mac OS X: <font color="#ffff00">~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/</font> or <font color="#ffff00">~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/</font> </li> <li>On UNIX/Linux: <font color="#ffff00">~/.mozilla/firefox/</font>  </li> </ul> </li> <li>In that folder you will find a folder that has a bunch of random letters & numbers for a name and ends with "<font color="#ffff00">.default</font>". </li> <li>Open that folder and find the file named "<font color="#ffff00">cookies.sqlite</font>". </li> <li>Delete "<font color="#ffff00">cookies.sqlite</font>". </li> <li>Run Firefox and log into all your sites again. </li> </ol> <p>Firefox will create a new cookies.sqlite file with the necessary info and you shouldn't have a problem any more. </p> Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-33372510950285003512008-12-06T13:00:00.003-05:002010-12-13T22:49:33.156-05:00AutoHotkey is NOT a Virus, Worm, or Trojan!<p><img style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px" height="200" alt="AutoHotkey" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/STq90-KrE6I/AAAAAAAAAgg/_kavoAd-uH4/ahk%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="200" align="left" /> I am so sick and tired of irresponsible antivirus companies unfairly flagging compiled AutoHotkey (AHK) scripts as viruses, trojans, and worms. </p><p><a href="http://www.autohotkey.com" target="_blank">AutoHotkey</a> is a free, open source scripting language, just as much as Perl, Python, Ruby, or JavaScript is a scripting language. </p><p>There is nothing wrong with the language itself, nor is there anything wrong with most scripts written in it. A lot of <a href="http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel" target="_blank">really awesome, useful, Windows utilities</a> have been developed in AutoHotkey. </p><p>The language is powerful, easy to learn, enables you to write Windows utilities very quickly, and you can compile them to .exe and distribute them to others that don't have AutoHotkey installed, or you can give them the source script (.ahk) and they can run that if they do have it installed. </p><p>The problem is that there are idiots that will write malware in AHK, just as there are idiots that will write malware in any other programming language. You can't blame the language for this. And you can't blame all the developers that use the language, either. </p><p>But that is exactly what the antivirus companies are doing. They have decided that if a single person writes and compiles malware in AHK, then all compiled AHK scripts are malware. This results in tons of false positives, ruined reputations of innocent programmers, and a mistrust in AHK applications by the general public. </p><p>Developers have repeatedly contacted antivirus companies and complained, which after enough outcry from programmers and the public will result in them fixing the problem with the false positives. That is until a new version of AutoHotkey is released. Then the antivirus vendors get amnesia and forget that AutoHotkey is a language again, and flag all utilities made with it as malware, once again. </p><p>Lather, rinse, repeat. </p><p>This has been going on for a few years now and it's a viscous cycle that needs to stop. </p><p>I have written utilities that I would love to distribute to the public, with the source code, but I am afraid of putting them on my website, out of fear that my reputation will be destroyed by the stupidity of the antivirus companies. </p><p>This is unacceptable behavior on their part. Can you imagine if these antivirus companies decided to pick on another programming language and did the same thing they do to AutoHotkey? Can you imagine if every six months they decided that all applications written in C/C++ were malware? Or anything compiled with Microsoft's Visual Studio was malware? How about if they decided that all JavaScript was malware? You wouldn't be able to load most web pages or run most of your software. If they did that, those antivirus companies would all be out of business very quickly. </p><p>But that is exactly what they are doing. And AHK is the language they are picking on. </p><p>I am asking all developers and AHK users to join an organized effort to take the bull by the horns and petition the antivirus companies to stop the unfair treatment of our software. </p><ul><li><a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31975" target="_blank">An open letter for Antiviral software companies</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=15210.0" target="_blank">DonationCoder stands behind AHK developers</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=223437" target="_blank">All of these false positive virus alerts on ahk scripts</a> </li>
</ul>Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24223743.post-46230250899049768342008-06-28T06:01:00.005-04:002008-12-11T02:24:13.724-05:00Bill Gates Cleans Out His Desk and Leaves Behind a Priceless Email<img style="margin: 20px 10px 10px 0pt; float: left;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qlCAUZtia6Q/SGYP3-So54I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/07Q3_lsF5Rg/s400/bill_gates.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216874672643696514" border="0" /><br />The internet has been cluttered lately with <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=bill-gates-cleans-out-his-desk">tributes</a> and <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23930871-5014239,00.html">articles</a> devoted to Bill Gates and his contributions to the world of computing, on the eve of his retirement from Microsoft.<br /><br />Out of all of these, one in particular stands out...<br /><br />Back in 2003, Bill Gates tried to download and install Windows Movie Maker, unsuccessfully, and then sent a <a href="http://www4.osnews.com/story/19921/Full_Text:_an_Epic_Bill_Gates_e-Mail_Rant">whopper of an email rant</a> to the proper department heads.<br /><br />I chuckled and felt a great sense of satisfaction as I read this, because this is a whole different side of Bill that we have never seen. This is not the smiling Bill you see in all the publicity photos. This is not the Bill you have seen in interviews and videos.<br /><br />This is "Bill the XP user"...one of us. And he was pissed as all hell, at all the crap he had to go through to download & install an application from Microsoft.com, which in the end, he still wasn't able to do.<br /><br />This email rant is a priceless gem.<br /><br />It is the email we all wish we could have written, a million and one times over.<br /><br />Each and every time that we have blamed and cursed out Bill over the years because of some stupid-ass Windows crap that has annoyed or confused the hell out of us, Bill Gates has been annoyed and confused right along with us, and bitching at the people responsible for the bullshit.<br /><br />Thanks, Bill. You changed our lives. And I hope, even though you are retiring, that you plan to keep on bitching.Apphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04973805741360160102noreply@blogger.com3