i.justrealized

Oracle shuts down open source test servers that PostgreSQL uses to test their builds. PostgreSQL is competing with Oracle’s MySQL and Oracle Database.

Oracle shuts down open source test servers

Like most open source platforms, PostgreSQL relies on an army of distributed volunteers. It is volunteers that, for example, operate the PostgreSQL Build farm, a “distributed, automated build and verify system” built by enthusiast Andrew Dunstan.

Oracle has shut down servers Sun Microsystems was contributing to the build farm for open source database software, PostgreSQL, forcing enthusiasts to scramble to find new hosts to test updates to their software on the Solaris operating system.

“It’s a vital piece of the infrastructure for developing PostgreSQL,” Dunstan told iTnews. “Before it existed, if some change we made broke on some platform, it was often weeks or months before we found out about it. Now we know within hours.”

At the start of July, Oracle shut down its three PostgreSQL build farm servers without warning, leaving the PostgreSQL community rushing to find replacements.

Dunstan said he “suspects” Oracle does view PostgreSQL as a competitor. (Source: IT News)

I love to see Oracle post their financial results, they have made quite a bit of cost cutting moves since the acquisition. You can hardly blame them too; they’ve got shareholders to report to. After all, doing too much charity work on open source is partly why Sun Microsystems failed in the first place.

I am using Windows 7, and I’m lacking MSVCR71.dll which is Microsoft Visual C Runtime library when using sendmail, the PostgreSQL PHP connector and curl. The MSVCR71.dll is probably bundled with .NET Framework 1.1 or something, but I couldn’t get those to install successfuly.

The program can’t start because MSVCR71.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this program.

So how do I solve it:

1. Download MSVCR71.dll from dll-files.com. (It is free.)
2. Unzip…
3. Place MSVCR71.dll into C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 if you using a 64-bit Windows.

And sendmail now works for me already in Windows 7.

By the way, I only tested this in Windows 7 64-bit. I assumed it would work for other versions of Windows. I would appreciate it if you could feedback to me if it works on your version of Windows.

XAMPP is one of the easiest options to develop using PHP or PHP CLI. I use CakePHP for development and one of the features of CakePHP is to back the MVC. In this guide, we’ll see how to get started. This tutorial doesn’t teach you how to use CakePHP’s bake feature. This guide is specifically written for Windows Vista or Windows 7.

0. Objective

To run XAMPP’s PHP CLI, you first have to set up the environment variables for PHP CLI. Also introduce how to get started on CakePHP’s console.

1. Setting up environment variables

(more…)

I was fairly impressed with pgAdmin III when I first used it. It seems to be simple to use for anyone who can’t write their own SQL statements. I wasn’t too good and it and each time I execute a change in the database I have a feeling the world’s going to end. But one thing the pgAdmin III doesn’t do well is backup and restore.

(Using pgAdmin III for PostgreSQL. A screenshot.)

0. Objective

In the end it’s best to use the command prompt (or terminal) and in this really beginner tutorial, we’ll do a backup and restore using the command line.

1. Set PATH for PostgreSQL in Windows Vista

This guide assumes you install in ‘C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\’, the default installation directory. (more…)

This guide aims to go through installation of PEAR modules using XAMPP. The module to install is MDB2.

I use XAMPP Lite instead of the full XAMPP but I imagine it to be the similar. My platform is Windows Vista.

0. Objective

To install PEAR module, MDB2, using a XAMPP set up. Also install the MySQL, MySQLi and PostgreSQL drivers.

1. Setting up environment variables

(more…)

Reddit decides to go open source. Reddit is already using open source software – Debian, lighttpd, HAProxy, PostgreSQL, Slony-I, various python libraries, Psychopg, pylons, Solr, Tomcat, Ganglia, Mercurial, Git, gettext (translation), daemontools, and memcached. The only thing that isn’t open source is Reddit itself so they decide to open source it.

(Souce: Reddit)

Oh so that’s what the penguin is about.

How to be mean to your users:

Encourage them to generate a random password and get them to write it down. Oh and no way to copy the text easily. This is found in PostgreSql Windows installations. Seems like someone doesn’t like me very much.