October 23rd, 2004
A part of the protest.net’s recent move to a new server, we’ve moved towards less custom compiled packages, and a more standard Debian install. One of those changes was that apache no longer runs as the user ‘apache’, but rather as ‘www-data’. Well and fine, except Wifimug is using rcs to provide versioning, and every file is strictly locked by the user apache, who no longer exists. What to do?
First mass unlock all the files with:
sudo rcs -u *,v
Then mass re-lock with:
sudo -u www-data rcs -l *,v
Hat tip to Nat for pointing out the problem.
December 3rd, 2003
Wikis (or at least Kwiki) make a great rapid development environment.
Problem
Build a tool to allow collaborative editing and maintenance of the
Indymedia folk blogroll. (data needs to be improved)
Solution
- Write a few notes on the problem in my todo wiki
- Decide on a simple wiki syntax for representing the data. I chose field: value, with records separated with by blank like.
Title: LaughingMeme
Url: http://laughingmeme.org
RSS: http://laughingmeme.org/index.rdf
Language: en
-
Write a 20 line subclass of
Kwiki::Plugin that returns the relevant page as OPML
-
Write some simple custom formatting rules for displaying this new wiki syntax. (actually I skipped this step, but it would be easy)
-
Cross off todo list.
- Blog about it.
Time spent: approx 20 minutes, including writing this entry.
October 14th, 2003
Now that I think I’ve solved its various cache issue (except a lingering one, which I’m convinced is a bug in Safari), I’m please to announce…
The wireless coffee shops of Seattle wiki is now at its own domain, wifimug.org!
The best part about moving the wiki to its own domain (besides the boost in credibility) is this opens up the possibility for having a whole federated network, of loosely autonomous locale based wikis of wireless coffee shops. (in other words, write me if you want a subdomain for, say boston.wifimug.org, or montevideo.wifimug.org)
Random Wiki Thoughts
- Squid and wikis do not work well together. Its amazing how confused people can get when their changes don’t show up.
- Wiki’s generate very little Google power, especially given their inherently linky, twisty, wordy nature. I blame WikiWords, and think perhaps wikis would be better served by displaying the above as Wiki Words.
- RSS feeds of RecentChanges is match made in heaven.
Next Steps
Portability. When you need a wireless coffee shop often you are standed without connectivity, a drift without the life line of TCP/IP, and a website (even a wiki!) isn’t going to help. Some ideas:
- Wiki in a box – it is easy to tar up, and download a Kwiki wiki sans version history (RCS gets grouchy about changing file permissions), making it easy and obvious to keep a local copy of the wiki on your laptop might be cool.
- Auto-generate a PDF with names, addresses, and other key pieces of information (maybe on a personalized basis) for easy print out, and stuff in the pocket.
- Palm sync/iSync support
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