Ok, the first drawback is, the touchpad is not multitouch, I mean, at least by hardware it seems it doesn’t support this lovely feature with the latest Linux kernel (using Ubuntu 10.04, 2.6.32-22). Pretty bad, isn’t it? I’ve been really used to use the double tap (to press the secondary button) and using two finger for scrolling with my previous 1000HA.

Should I whine now? Nah, that’s for Windows users So… what should I do? Google it, try some smart approach to the problem and solve it.

Alright, I’m cutting the crap and post the solution here.

Step 1 (skip this step if you’re using 10.04 or higher)

Create the file /etc/hal/fdi/policy/11-x11-synaptics.fdi and put the content below:

Step 2

Put the next code in some executable file:

#!/bin/sh

# Set multi-touch emulation parameters

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure" 32 10

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Width" 32 8

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Two-Finger Scrolling" 8 1

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Scrolling" 8 1 1

# Disable edge scrolling

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Edge Scrolling" 8 0 0 0

# This will make cursor not to jump if you have two fingers on the touchpad and you list one

# (which you usually do after two-finger scrolling)

xinput set-int-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Jumpy Cursor Threshold" 32 110

Restart the gdm, or Ubuntu, and try it. Remember to execute the shell file created in step 2. Later you could add it in your start up scripts.

I hope it works for you guys.

Playing with it it’s easy and you will be able to understand what to do based on my example. (I’ve download the MS Fonts Pack).

<?xml version=’1.0′?>

<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM ‘fonts.dtd’>

<fontconfig>

<!– General –>

<match target=”font”>

<edit name=”antialias” mode=”assign”>

<bool>true</bool>

</edit>

<edit name=”hinting” mode=”assign”>

<bool>true</bool>

</edit>

<edit name=”hintstyle” mode=”assign”>

<const>hintfull</const>

</edit>

<edit name=”lcdfilter” mode=”assign”>

<const>lcdlegacy</const>

</edit>

<edit name=”rgba” mode=”assign”>

<const>rgb</const>

</edit>

</match>

<!– Fuentes sin alias –>

<match target=”font”>

<test qual=”any” name=”family” compare=”eq”>

<string>Tahoma</string>

<string>Verdana</string>

<string>Trebuchet MS</string>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”less_eq”>

<double>13.9</double>

</test>

<!–

<test qual=”any” name=”weight” compare=”less_eq”>

<const>medium</const>

</test>

–>

<test qual=”any” name=”slant” compare=”eq”>

<const>roman</const>

</test>

<edit name=”antialias” mode=”assign”>

<bool>false</bool>

</edit>

</match>

<!– Fuentes bold con alias mayores a 14px –>

<match target=”font”>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”more”>

<double>14</double>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”weight” compare=”more_eq”>

<const>medium</const>

</test>

<edit name=”antialias” mode=”assign”>

<bool>true</bool>

</edit>

</match>

<!– Prevenir fuentes mas chicas que 9.4px –>

<match target=”font”>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”less”>

<double>9.4</double>

</test>

<edit name=”pixelsize” mode=”assign”>

<double>9.4</double>

</edit>

</match>

<!–

Enable FreeType Auto-Hinter for select fonts.

Auto-Hinter is disabled by default if Bytecode Interpreter was compiled in.

Some Linux “native” fonts look better hinted by Auto-Hinter,

usually in sizes 11pt-13pt; others look better hinted by BCI.

–>

<!–

Set Auto-Hinter to full hinting style.

’slight’ and ‘medium’ hinting often produce pixel discoloration.

–>

<match target=”font”>

<edit name=”hintstyle” mode=”assign”>

<const>hintfull</const>

</edit>

</match>

<!–

font group #11: hinted via Auto-Hinter

–>

<match target=”font”>

<test qual=”any” name=”family” compare=”eq”>

<string>Bitstream Charter</string>

<string>Courier 10 Pitch</string>

<string>DejaVu Sans Condensed</string>

<string>DejaVu Serif Condensed</string>

<string>FreeMono</string>

<string>FreeSans</string>

<string>FreeSerif</string>

<string>Luxi Mono</string>

<string>Luxi Sans</string>

<string>Luxi Serif</string>

<string>MgOpen Canonica</string>

<string>MgOpen Cosmetica</string>

<string>MgOpen Modata</string>

<string>MgOpen Moderna</string>

<string>URW Bookman L</string>

<string>URW Chancery L</string>

<string>URW Gothic L</string>

<string>URW Palladio L</string>

</test>

<edit name=”autohint” mode=”assign”>

<bool>true</bool>

</edit>

</match>

<!–

font group #12: normal italic hinted via Auto-Hinter at 9-10pt

Arial hinted via BCI at 9pt has distorted ‘y’, at 10pt – ‘2′

–>

<match target=”font”>

<test qual=”any” name=”family” compare=”eq”>

<string>Arial</string>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”more_eq”>

<double>12</double>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”less_eq”>

<double>13.4</double>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”weight” compare=”less_eq”>

<const>medium</const>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”slant” compare=”not_eq”>

<const>roman</const>

</test>

<edit name=”autohint” mode=”assign”>

<bool>true</bool>

</edit>

</match>

<!– Reemplazo de Arial por Tahorma –>

<match target=”pattern”>

<test qual=”any” name=”family” compare=”eq”>

<string>Arial</string>

</test>

<test qual=”any” name=”pixelsize” compare=”less_eq”>

<double>13</double>

</test>

<edit name=”family” mode=”prepend” binding=”same”>

<string>Tahoma</string>

</edit>

</match>

</fontconfig>

Don’t miss checking out my example htaccess file, its very comprehensive

Heres the actual code that I use when I’m developing sites for clients

This lets google crawl the page, lets me access the whole site (24.205.23.222) without a password, and lets my client access the page WITH a password. It also allows for XHTML and CSS validation! (w3.org)

Each code snippet has been copied from htaccesselite. Additional and detailed info on each htaccess code snippet can be found at askapache.com

NOTE: Most of these snippets can be used with a Files or Filesmatch directive to only apply to certain files.

NOTE: Any htaccess rewrite examples should always begin with:

Apache Documentation: 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | Current

Make any file be a certain filetype (regardless of name or extension)

Redirect non-https requests to https server fixing double-login problem and ensuring that htpasswd authorization can only be entered using HTTPS

Additional https/ssl information and Apache SSL in htaccess examples

SEO Friendly redirects for bad/old links and moved links

For single moved file

For multiple files like a blog/this.php?gh

different domain name

Require the www

Require the www without hardcoding

Require no subdomain

Require no subdomain

Redirect everyone to different site except 1 IP address (useful for web-development)

CHMOD your files

chmod .htpasswd files 640
chmod .htaccess files 644
chmod php files 600
chmod files that you really dont want people to see as 400
NEVER chmod 777, if something requires write access use 766

Variable (mod_env) Magic

Set the Timezone of the server:

Set the Server Administrator Email:

Turn off the ServerSignature

Add a “en-US” language tag and “text/html; UTF-8″ headers without meta tags

Article: Setting Charset in htaccess

Article: Using FilesMatch and Files in htaccess

Using the Files Directive

Using the FilesMatch Directive (preferred)

Use a custom php.ini with mod_php or php as a cgi

Article: Custom PHP.ini tips and tricks

When php run as Apache Module (mod_php)
in root .htaccess
SetEnv PHPRC /location/todir/containing/phpinifile

When php run as CGI
Place your php.ini file in the dir of your cgi’d php, in this case /cgi-bin/

htaccess might look something like this
AddHandler php-cgi .php .htm Action php-cgi /cgi-bin/php5.cgi

When cgi’d php is run with wrapper (for FastCGI)
You will have a shell wrapper script something like this:

#!/bin/sh
export PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN=3
exec /user3/x.com/htdocs/cgi-bin/php5.cgi

Change To

#!/bin/sh
export PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN=3
exec /x.com/cgi-bin/php.cgi -c /abs/path/to/php.ini

Securing directories: Remove the ability to execute scripts

Heres a couple different ways I do it

This is cool, you are basically categorizing all those files that end in those extensions so that they fall under the jurisdiction of the -ExecCGI command, which also means -FollowSymLinks (and the opposite is also true, +ExecCGI also turns on +FollowSymLinks)

Only allow GET and PUT request methods to your server.

Processing All gif files to be processed through a cgi script

Process request/file depending on the request method

Force Files to download, not be displayed in browser

Then in your HTML you could just link directly to the file..

And then you will get a pop-up box asking whether you want to save the file or open it.

Show the source code of dynamic files

If you’d rather have .pl, .py, or .cgi files displayed in the browser as source rather than be executed as scripts, simply create a .htaccess file in the relevant directory with the following:

Dramatically Speed up your site by implementing Caching!

Article: Speed Up Sites with htaccess Caching

Prevent Files image/file hotlinking and bandwidth stealing

ErrorDocuments

Article: Additional ErrorDocument Info and Examples

Note: You can also do an external link, but don’t do an external link to your site or you will cause a loop that will hurt your SEO.

Authentication Magic

Require password for 1 file:

Protect multiple files:

Example uses of the Allow Directive:

Using visitor dependent environment variables:

Article: Additional SetEnvIf examples

Allow from apache.org but deny from foo.apache.org

Allow from IP address with no password prompt, and also allow from non-Ip address with password prompt:

block access to files during certain hours of the day

A good default example .htaccess file

I use this when I start a new site, and uncomment or delete parts of the file depending on the sites needs

Ultimate htaccess Article
source here
Thanks to AskApache

After install Sphinx Search following the instructions here, I wanted to get the daemon (searchd) running automatically after my Ubuntu Server box restarts.

The trick is to install the daemon in the init.d doing the following (as a root sudo -s):

First, create /etc/init.d/searchd with this content:

#!/bin/sh
case "${1:-''}" in
'start')
/usr/local/sphinx/bin/searchd
;;
'stop')
/usr/local/sphinx/bin/searchd --stop
;;
'status')
/usr/local/sphinx/bin/searchd --status
;;
'iostats')
/usr/local/sphinx/bin/searchd --iostats
;;
'cpustats')
/usr/local/sphinx/bin/searchd --cpustats
;;
*)
echo "Usage: $SELF start|stop|status|iostats|cpustats"
exit 1
;;
esac
exit 0

Change the mod with: chmod a+x /etc/init.d/searchd

Last, execute this command to add the script into the runlevels: update-rc.d searchd defaults

That’s it.

UPDATE: Since Sphinxsearch now has a .DEB file to download, you could have it installed from that source in 5′ Just go to http://sphinxsearch.com/downloads/release/ get the .DEB (32 or 64 bits) and run: dpkg –install XXXXX.deb (where XXXXX.deb should be the name of the downloaded file). Check if you have any dependencies requirements to fulfill, but that’s it. Pretty straight forward. Doing this, you don’t need to compile, or build your own scripts to get it started on the startup. Furthermore, you could use “service sphinxsearch (start|stop|restart|status)” to manage the daemon.

end of the player…

I’ve been trying to optimize multiple MySQL databases to perform full-text searches. My first attempt was using MyISAM table engine with full-text index support (at this moment the only engine with full-text search compatibility). At the very beginning this was acceptable (performance-wise). But as soon the data on the table was growing the first issues appears.

A MyISAM full-text index operates on a full-text collection (made up of one or more character columns from a single table). In effect, MySQL builds the index by concatenating the columns in the collection and indexing them as one long string of text.

One of the limitations is that unlike normal queries, the full-text search results are automatically ordered by relevance. MySQL cannot use an index for sorting when you perform a full-text search. Therefore, you shouldn’t specify an ORDER BY clause if you want to avoid a filesort.

On the other hand the problem with large datasets is if the whole full-text indexes doesn’t fit in memory, you will have a lot of I/O disk operations in order to find and update data into the index. MyISAM doesn’t perform well doing phase searches, because it doesn’t store the words together, in fact if you want to search for “nice cat” it should search for “nice” then “cat” and at the end sorting those results again to find those two words together, plus, if the index doesn’t fit in memory you will be in trouble.

As I said before, you shouldn’t use ORDER BY clause, or even worse, you shouldn’t combine full-text indexes with standard B-Tree indexes. Lets put this into an example. Suppose that we want to search for books containing “nice cat” of a given author, let say author_id = 4. In this particular case you should combine both indexes, but what MySQL will do is to use a full table scan to get the results.

The solution

Combining the limitations of MyISAM and the requirements of today applications a new index technique is mandatory. I’ve been looking for the right solution for my application and one of the best one was Sphinx.

To be continue… keep in touch!