Failed opening required 'XML/RSS.php' - Solved

Sometimes, it takes a small problem to make one realise how little he actually knows. I personally know a fair bit about all sorts of technology, ranging from networks, to development to integration; however I haven't really had much experience with Linux. It's partly because most of the services I use are nicely packaged, but also because I'm mostly grounded in a Microsoft world in my day-to-day job. But it was great to find that thanks to the Internet I can research a problem and solve problems too.

Last night I started dealing with a problem were a PHP component I had written some time back has stopped working after a server move. Looking through the logs I could see that the error I was getting was:

PHP Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required 'XML/RSS.php' (include_path='.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/pear/XML') in /var/www/vhosts/xxx/httpdocs/site_elements/register.php on line 6

Okay I thought, it must be that the PEAR component I needed wasn't available. PEAR stands for PHP Extension and Application Repository and is a framework and distribution system for reusable PHP components. I needed the RSS component which was used by my code. I eventually got myself SSH access to the box and deployed the components (also finding out that I needed a couple of prerequisite packages). The way you do this is:


pear install XML_Parser
pear install XML_Tree
pear install XML_RSS


This downloads and deploys the required components for you into /usr/share/pear. But my code still wouldn't run.

Eventually I found out that this was becuase PHP was running in "safe mode". Safe mode is a way to protect PHP from different users on the same server, but this was a dedicated server so I didn't really need it on. One thing that safe mode does is that it stops you from including files from other directories. This was coupled with another parameter "open_basedir" that limits the files that can be opened by PHP to a specified directory tree (which didn't include /usr/share. so that needed to be rectified too.

I did my reading, open SSH again and proceeded to update my php.ini file to adjust these settings. I saved it, tried the site again. Still exactly the same error.

Reading a bit more around the subject, I discovered that each website also has it's own httpd.conf file which overrides php.ini, so the search was on once again to find more of these settings. Sure enough, I found this configuration file, modified it, saved it and tried the site again. Still the same error.

At this point I ran out of things to try, so like all techies I figured, maybe I need to restart Apache to read the settings again. You know, the traditional "turn it off and turn it back on again". Being a noob when it comes to Linux I logged into my control panel, stopped the site and started it again. Still the same error.

Eventually I got to the bottom of it. Stopping and starting the site didn't quite restart the service the way I wanted it to. The REAL way to do it is with the following command (again in SSH)

service httpd graceful


And would you know it .. the problem is now solved!

I thought I'd document the process here for two reasons. If you're trying to solve this problem you may find these steps useful. You may need this if you go into fixing people's technical problems, there may be a franchise opportunity there somewhere. And I'm pretty sure I'll need to do this again one day, so it's always a good idea to write it down!

(continue reading &aquo;)

Honeypot Post: Failed opening required 'XML/RSS.php' - Solved http://s3nt.com/tg4

Honeypot Update: Failed opening required 'XML/RSS.php' - Solved http://s3nt.com/tg4

Christmas Cookie

Christmas comes but once a year. So step away from the fancy gadgets, baby clothes and shopping sprees and settle down with some cookie recipes to spread some cheer. Trust me and follow these instructions:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup nuts
• 2 cups of dried fruit
• 1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Here’s what you do:

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer…Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar…Beat again.

At this point it’s best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, try another cup .. just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off floor…

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Samp! le! the Cuervo to check for tonsist icity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who giveshz a sheet.

Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don’t forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS

Even cheaper noise-canceling headphones

A couple of days ago I blogged about how I found a set of noise-cancelling headphones for under $20. Well, today I was checking the Weekly Deal pages on buy.com to see what was on sale and I came across an even cheaper set! The RCA HPNC500 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones retail for $17.99 which is just an awesome price for technology like this. The normal retail price is $99.99 so there's an $82.00 discount and then there's free shipping to boot (if you live in the United States that is).

For the more technically minded, here are the technical specs:

• Active Noise Canceling Headphones


• Perfect for Airline Travel


• 12dB Active Noise Canceling eliminates virtually all outside noise


• Deep, rich sound from 40mm driver


• Full-size earcups provide comfortable fit for long-term listening


• Swivel ear cups for easy storage in laptop cases


• Single-side cord entry keeps wires out of the way


• Airline adapter included


• Pouch included provides easy storage and protection on-the-go


• Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz


• Sensitivity: 102dB


• Impedence: 32 Ohms


• Cord Length: 4 feet


• Plug: 3.5mm Stereo Mini Plug

The reviews looks relatively good, particularly considering the cost. The biggest bugbear seems to be the fact that the headphones need a battery and there are no instructions pointing this out, but I'm pretty sure I could figure this out on my own ;)

It's great to see technology like this becoming more and more accessible. It was only a few years ago when you were limited to purchasing what was available in the store around the corner. Nowadays, you can shop from anywhere you want in the world, and if you use a satellite internet provider you can do  your shopping from anywhere in the world too. It makes you wonder what things will be like in ten years time. How will we go about seleting what products to buy? How will we pay for them? And more interestingly, how will them be delivered to us?

(note to self: stop watching so much Star Trek)

(continue reading &aquo;)

Honeypot Post: Even cheaper noise-canceling headphones http://s3nt.com/s4k

Honeypot Update: Even cheaper noise-canceling headphones http://s3nt.com/s4k

Rapidly becoming a ping.fm fan

Persystent Repair is an automated PC repair solution that works BEFORE your OS boots. Cool! http://ping.fm/6bM86

Persystent Repair is an automated PC repair solution that works BEFORE your OS boots. Cool! http://ping.fm/6bM86

Honeypot Update: Win yourself a webcam http://s3nt.com/suf

Honeypot Post: Win yourself a webcam http://s3nt.com/suf

Win yourself a webcam

Feeling geeky? Could you use a webcam? If you answered yes to both of those, Chris Pirillo is running a contest where all you need to do is join a group on his Geeks social network. Here are the details:



I'm in there .. are you going to try your luck? (continue reading &aquo;)

Honeypot Update: Network Solutions build websites too http://s3nt.com/sub

Honeypot Post: Network Solutions build websites too http://s3nt.com/sub

Network Solutions build websites too

Well, you learn something new every day. To me Network Solutions was the place where you use to go to buy domain names. I stopped using them because I found a cheaper provider, but now I see you can get .com domains from there for $9.99. And interestingly, you can register a domain for 100 years. That's a good way not to forget that you need to renew your domain. Anyway, that wasn't what I was going to blog about.

I noticed today that they also offer web design services. They basically have two different types of services; a standard service where a user gets to select from one pre-designed templates and a premium service where you work with a development team to create the exact website you require. I don't know how long they've been doing this for, but it does make sense to see them branching out into providing services that are complementary to their core business. They present a whole list of advantages as to why someone should go for their services and some of them sound pretty compelling.

Luckily, I wouldn't ever use them, because I can do my own work, but it's always good to know what sort of services are available on the market. The question is: if you needed a website built, would you consider someone like Network Solutions? (continue reading &aquo;)

Android-based, HTC-made, T-mobile powered G1 hits the streets

Unless you were hiding under a rock yesterday, you'd have heard the news that Android, Google's new mobile operating system finally has a home. The first device to sport this is the G1, and HTC device that T-mobile will be making available to punters on a choice of two tarrifs. The device looks cool, though there are still some niggles that I'm sure will be resolved pretty sharpish. It’s got GPS, WiFi, a touchscreen, an accelerometer, a camera, Gmail, Google Maps, a Webkit-based browser an App market and a keyboard. What more could you want on a phone?

It should be available in the US and UK by the "end of the year", but this particular offering will be locked to T-mobile (until someone writes an unlock for it). However, the OS is open source, so it won't be long before a whole host of other mobile phones could be running it. Expect a number of gadget sites to be publishing instructions on how to install it on unlocked cell phones with the right specification as it becomes more and more commonplace.

I'm still on my Windows Mobile XDA here. It does the trick but I'd love to get my mitts on one of these.

(continue reading &aquo;)

Honeypot Post: Android-based, HTC-made, T-mobile powered G1 hits the streets http://s3nt.com/sr0

Honeypot Update: Android-based, HTC-made, T-mobile powered G1 hits the streets http://s3nt.com/sr0

Getting started with social media

Allan sent me link to some advice by Dave Briggs recommending how Local Councils can start setting involved in social media. The great thing about it is that you could really apply this to anyone making a start in this environment. Here's what it says:

First, start listening. Stop relying on Google Alerts and start using RSS. Maybe iGoogle, Pageflakes or Netvibes to start with. Subscribe to searches, but also to feeds for Flickr tags and groups related to your area, to delicious bookmarks that are appropriately tagged, likewise YouTube and other video sites. Start checking the local forums and noting where the Council comes in for criticism or even praise. Look on Facebook to see if there are any groups or pages formed around the area - if they are public then you can see what's being said without having to join at this stage. Identify the people with an obvious love for the area, with genuine enthusiasm and commitment.

Next, start acknowledging and responding. Respond where appropriate in blog comments and in forums. Make sure that the Council's message is being heard where people want to hear it, don't rely on them checking your website for press releases or news items, or reading the local paper cover-to-cover. Make use of creative commons licenced images on flickr on your own website, and make sure you include a crediting link. Link from your site to those containing some good news, related to the local area.

Thirdly, start to engage yourself. Start public blogs for big council projects, so that people can be kept in the know - if they want to be - and can leave comments or ask questions, and then make sure someone responds to them. Maybe senior managers should blog too, to help get messages out that people can read without them first going through the filter of the local press. How about creating a blog to publicise the services that the council provides, by having a different team blog every couple of weeks about what they do. Create video content and make it shareable on YouTube, etc, encouraging others to display council content on their sites. Make the copyright on council content as relaxed as possible so that others can use it however they choose. Put meetings online, even if it isn't live streamed, make them available as podcasts, put any slides on services like SlideShare

Where should this all be done? Try and use existing services where you can. Don't try and recreate existing networks where they are already working. If people are happy uploading to a flickr group, let them, don't try and force them to use an online photo gallery you have just developed. In fact, rather than developing it, spend the money showing folk who don't know about flickr how to use it. Likewise with blogs - you need a really good argument, in my opinion, not to just use WordPress.com. It's just so quick and easy - and free.

Who should be doing this? In terms of listening, everyone in the Council. If that's unrealistic, then at least someone in each team should be monitoring what's going on, not just communications departments. In terms of acknowledging and responding, then officers with responsibility for what is being discussed should feel empowered to state the council's position on relevant issues online - again they shouldn't feel the need to leave it to the communications officer. As for enagaging, then anyone with an enthusiasm for connecting locally online should be provided with the tools to do so. Nobody should be forced into it, but those with a passion to spread the word about the good work they, and other council officers, do should be empowered to do so.

Another important point to make is that social media doesn't take the place of other forms of communication and enagagement, and really ought to be considered an "as well as". You'll still need to do your newsletters and stuff, bu you might be able to integrate the two - maybe by putting links to your online content in your newsletters, for instance. It also mean that you still need to use face to face means of consulting - whilst online social methods can bring great results, it is vital to blend in the offline too, so as to ensure that you are not excluding anyone, and so that as many different voices can be heard.

What is clear is that this stuff is not the responsibility of the web team, nor the comms team. It should be in service teams that the ideas should be produced and the comms and web folk should just provide the means for that idea to flourish. You do need to have the boss onside though, which is where notes from Cabinet Office ministers come into play.

That's most of it, but you can contribute on the topic here

(continue reading &aquo;)

Honeypot Update: Getting started with social media http://s3nt.com/sju

Honeypot Post: Getting started with social media http://s3nt.com/sju

Honeypot Post: Need more honey http://s3nt.com/sfs

Honeypot Update: Need more honey http://s3nt.com/sfs

Honeypot Post: Active Noise Canceling Headphones for under $20 http://s3nt.com/r74

Honeypot Update: Active Noise Canceling Headphones for under $20 http://s3nt.com/r74

Honeypot Update: Technology that improves everything we do http://s3nt.com/r7y

Honeypot Post: Technology that improves everything we do http://s3nt.com/r7y

Honeypot Post: Zemanta, Twitter and Scoutle - What do they have in common? http://s3nt.com/r53

Honeypot Update: Zemanta, Twitter and Scoutle - What do they have in common? http://s3nt.com/r53

If you're into offroad racing: http://ping.fm/TkCTV

Honeypot Update: Isle of Man Social Media Club - September 2008 http://s3nt.com/rvw

Honeypot Post: Isle of Man Social Media Club - September 2008 http://s3nt.com/rvw

Honeypot Update: No fun on Qantas http://s3nt.com/rsu

Honeypot Post: No fun on Qantas http://s3nt.com/rsu

Honeypot Update: Itex (Isle of Man) talk on "Storage Problems" http://s3nt.com/rrd

Honeypot Post: Itex (Isle of Man) talk on "Storage Problems" http://s3nt.com/rrd

Honeypot Post: Downloading new Microsoft software http://s3nt.com/rqv

Honeypot Update: Downloading new Microsoft software http://s3nt.com/rqv

Honeypot Post: Pick your tools http://s3nt.com/rmn

Honeypot Update: Pick your tools http://s3nt.com/rmn

Ping.FM is powerful, but I prefer interacting directly with Twitter. ping.fm's like yelling from a distance, valid in some cases

Honeypot Post: What a tangled Social Network Web we weave http://s3nt.com/rf4

Honeypot Update: What a tangled Social Network Web we weave http://s3nt.com/rf4

Honeypot Post: Everything you ever wanted to know about List Building http://s3nt.com/rfy

Honeypot Update: Everything you ever wanted to know about List Building http://s3nt.com/rfy

Honeypot Post: Double Whammy Thursday http://s3nt.com/rbf

Honeypot Update: Double Whammy Thursday http://s3nt.com/rbf

Honeypot Update: A weekend honeypost http://s3nt.com/q4v

Honeypot Post: A weekend honeypost http://s3nt.com/q4v

A test from ping.fm