August 2007 Archives

I finally figured out the MT4 issue. It took 2 straight weeks of pseudo-random configuration changes, and an open support ticket with Movable Type. They weren't particularly helpful, but did point me in the right direction. They said it was a permissions problem on the mt-static/ folder, which was the first thing I checked on my own.

After checking all the permissions in every folder, and in the Apache configuration files, I eventually checked the HTML source of the template editing page. The StaticURI option was reading a different virtual host than what I was expecting, so I checked the mtconfig.cgi file for its StaticWebPath setting. Sure enough, this was set to a vhost for an earlier beta version of MT.

I was unsure why this should make a difference, there being an mt-static/ folder in that path, and getting a "mt-static - OK" when accessing the path directly. However, it was still a problem. When I corrected the StaticWebPath to point to the new mt-static/ folder on the proper virtual host, everything started working.

Now I just need to figure out how to use the new template editor. Now, apparently, for every template stored on the server, there are separate template headers and footers, each needing to be edited separately. I'm still not clear on how the headers and footers interact, though it may be simply that there is one common header, and one common footer for each blog.

Also, there are dozens, if not hundreds of new variables, and a whole complicated scripting language I have to learn. I'm still trying to figure out how to make a simple change in the look and feel of the pages. For example, I do not want a category-based blog (such as Slashdot) to display a list of blog entries based on author name. Nor do I want a date-based list, nor a list of all the archives ever made. I've been blogging for about 7 years now, and that is one huge archive list page. So I'm going to be doing a lot more tweaking before I'm ready to transition my blog(s) to MT4.

I've been having problems getting Movable Type 4 working properly on my new server. Everything's working fine, except for perhaps the most important part -- the templates. MT relies on template pages, which help generate the HTML pages during rebuilds, or when you post a new entry, for example.

Unlike in MT3.x, where the templates were static files, and could be edited directly, MT4 has made use of the Codepress editor and stuffed the templates into the database. This makes it difficult to get to them, and I'd have to locate all the code, extract it, edit it, and replace it, hoping not to damage the database with my limited MySQL vocabulary.

Either that, or use the Codepress editor (which renders a JavaScript editing window in your browser). The trouble is that the editing window for templates is completely greyed-out, and the associated "Insert..." dropdown list doesn't insert anything. Without being able to modify the templates through this interface, MT4 is pretty much crippled. Sure, I can switch the default templates around, but then I get things I don't want, like a global archive index, listing every single entry on one page, and I can't insert any useful objects into the pages. What I end up with is a pretty stock blog, with none of the customizations I've worked so hard on in the past.

I've tried different browsers (IE7, Firefox, Netscape, Opera), and different browser permissions, thinking it might be something wrong with the Codepress editor. I've even installed Codepress on my server separately, but it works fine, as does the Codepress that comes in the MT package. This suggests there's nothing wrong with the apache server, or the browsers I'm using.

It's probably something with JavaScript, since the "Syntax Highlight" buttons that should show up in the editor aren't there. The really weird part is, except for some guy in Japan, I'm the only one with this problem on the MT forums. I'd really like to sort this out, because MT4 appears to have some really great features otherwise.

I've been busy getting a new hosted server online, and it's still a few weeks away from going live. I've got to tweak some settings and burn it in. I've switched to FreeBSD 6 just to keep myself limber, and it seems to be fairly responsive, and also easy to configure, especially since I use it at work.

The hardware itself isn't anything big -- a Dual PIII/1000 with 2GB RAM and 4x40GB hard drives arranged in a hardware RAID 0+1 array. Nothing too gutsy, but better than my current system, and more redundant, seeing as it's an off-site solution, and about 2 hours away.

I've also been testing out the latest beta (RC4, actually) of Movable Type. It's still got some bugs to work out, and it crashes Opera if I try to upload an image, but it's got some new features. If/when they get it stabilized, I'll probably look into upgrading. It's got a more advanced dashboard, and has some neat flash pages to show live statistics. There are other goodies, such as the ability to batch edit pages (so I can add keywords into all those old posts), and it now categorizes image assets, and even allows you to publish static pages, unrelated to blogs, but with the same dynamic stylesheets. It's going to make me a lazy HTML coder. Most importantly, it should fix some of the commenting nightmares I've had with the old blog.

I was heading to 1842 (the coffee shop I used to go to all the time) and decided it was early, so I'd take a little walk. Here are some pictures of uptown Waterloo on an early Friday morning.

Some neat resources for Bayfields here and here. The latter one is where I borrowed the layout image from.

I've been meaning to post some pictures from this sailing charter trip we did a few weeks ago, out of Scarborough. We chartered a Bayfield 32 for 4 hours for an evening picnic cruise, which took us out to Pickering and back to the Scarborough Bluffs. This was really an attempt to glean information about the Bayfield 32 model, which we were looking to purchase at some future date. This trip would give us an idea about how it sails, and what to expect with the boat.

The weather was great for sailing: clear, 15 knot winds, with gusts to 25 knots. Smaller boats might not handle as well in these winds, but they were perfect for the Bayfield 32, which are said to handle poorly unless given a strong wind. This rumour has some good grounding, since the Bayfield (this Bayfield, at least) has a shorter mast than one would expect on a boat this size. The Bayfields are traditionally cutter-rigged, but this one was sloop-rigged, with a 130% Genoa. The boat had a lot of weather helm with this rig, and it wasn't until the main was reefed that it started balancing properly. I imagine having the staysail in place would have balanced it out. Even with the reefs in place, we were able to get a good 7 knots on our return trip. Don't listen to anyone who says these are sluggish boats.

We packed a picnic basket (yes, a picnic basket) with cold cuts, cheese, and antipasto. We made our own sandwiches in the galley, to test out the functionality of the living quarters while underway. The owner had extended the cupboards so that access to the icebox was a little difficult, but we managed quite well given the heel of the boat during gusts.

The captain was more than happy to get us helping out with the boat duties; he was generally not used to having experienced (heh) skippers on charters. We helped in the raising/lowering/reefing of the sails, and assisted in driving the boat under power and sail. We also took her out and docked the boat with little problem. One point of note on docking: you really get a feel for the disproportionate LOA versus LWL, as the Bayfield has an enormous bowsprit (making a boat that's 24' at the waterline 32' long overall). During docking, we were able to get the bowsprit to completely block the walkway on the marina dock. Some clever adjustments got it nestled in its proper place.

Using the head while underway was a bit of a problem for us. Apparently while the boat is on a starboard tack, and heeling in high winds, the head is impossible to flush. I had to level out so the head could refill with water. I'm not sure, but this may be a problem for boats in general.

We had a great time on the boat, and were impressed by its solid handling. R's pretty convinced that this is the boat to get, but we're shopping around for a proper marina space first, so we'll have a place to put it. Kitchener's not known for its ready access to the Great Lakes.