Learning Node

In order to try out node.js, I am creating a small server infrastructure monitoring tool. I am pleasantly surprised by the ease of development and the large amount of libraries available on github.

The stack I am using is:
1. Node.js
2. Express.js

3. jquery/jquery UI and other charting libraries
4. Mongoose/Mongodb
5. Misc libraries - moment.js, underscore
5. Rules engine  - TBD

Very early stages of code posted on the https://github.com/smusafir/node_monlog

setting up LAMP

Install LAMP using instructions at http://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2010/lamp-linux-apache-mysql-php-on-fedora-centos-red-hat-rhel/
Install Zend using instructions at http://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2010/install-zend-framework-on-fedora-centos-red-hat-rhel/



Starting mysql -> /etc/init.d/mysqld start
Starting HTTP Server - /etc/init.d/httpd start
Configuration files - 
HTTP Server -  /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
PHP Config  -  /etc/php.ini


After installing mysql and configuring user

• To access using MySQL Workbench from remote windows machine open port 3306 
•  To find ip address of your SQL Server host use ifconfig  - check ipaddress for eth0 or wlan0 (based on wired or wireless network)

Remote desktop access to linux

Decided to allow remote desktop access, so could access all servers from my laptop.

1. Enable remote desktop access - (On gnome desktop System->Preferences->RemoteDesktop). Good article here
2. Download TightVNC or RealVNC
3. Enable firewall access to port 5900 on the target server running VNC server (On gnome desktop System->Administration->Firewall->other ports->Add)

Even on a low end Linux server, the remote desktop is reasonably responsive.

Restoring Windows XP on multi boot dell dimension 3000

With nothing better to do decided work to restore my old Dell desktop that has Windows XP and Fedora after XP got corrupted. I didnt have my OEM Windows re-install CD so the only way is to use the Dell <CTRL>-<F11> feature which puts back an old factory created vision.

• Step 1 - Fix MBR to allow Dell restore to work. 

Great instructions and software here to create bootable ISO to fix it : http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm#mediadirect

Now the PC looks like from the 2005 era when the restore image was created - with AOL and EarthLink etc. Now the painful step of going and reinstalling any drivers for hardware added later.

• Step 2 - Reinstall drivers for custom components

First step is to get the Wifi running so to do the Windows update. The DWL-G510 PCI wireless card had problems with SP3. The new dlink driver seemed to resolve it.

• Step 3 - Update MBR to allow boot to Fedora partition  

• Step 4 - Update Fedora 9 to Fedora 14

Fedora 14 installer has done a great job with the installing and updating the MBR. Everything worked out of the box. Only manual change I needed to do was to change the  label in /boot/grub/grub.conf to be more to my liking.

Purchasing new desktop

Finally decided I need a decent new desktop instead of my laptop.

Decided on on a new i5 based instead of i7. Based on a discussion here the difference seems to be the addition of hyperthreading. But with a quad core chip, I dont see the need to pay an addition $150.

Planning to buy a whitebox desktop from ComputerLx. Seems to have good reviews and one of the best prices. Planning for i5 quad core 2500K, 16 GB, 1 TB disk, Windows 7 64 Bit and add a dual boot with Fedora.

Dual boot with Windows 7 seem relatively straightforward and similar to XP

Some useful links

UI Development

• List of some nice UI 

Mobile UI

• Sencha  
• iWebKit
• jqtouch 
• jQTouch Cheat Sheet

PHP

• Zend Manual
• Setting up Zend

Other

• Phonegap - Allows HTML apps to access native functions
•  Jonathan Starks youtube channel

Deciding approach for mobile web development

I am trying to figure out the best/easiest approach to start (and learn) mobile application development. It seems instead of choosing to go iphone or android native app, HTML 5 may be the better approach. Also this will probably allow easier migration to google tv and other devices in the future.
I am considering the following stack:

• LAMP + Zend - Familiar technologies, easy to deploy
• With presentation using JQuery/JQTouch/HTML 5 - cross platform, looks like native applications

Now to start trying it out...