1-800-HOSTING Blog » Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com Inside 1-800-HOSTING Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:00:58 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 MySQL Error in the errmsg.sys file http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/08/mysql-error-in-the-errmsg-sys-file/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/08/mysql-error-in-the-errmsg-sys-file/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:03:11 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=2139 I came across a simple fix for an odd MySQL issue. We recently had a MySQL server that needed to be restored from backups. After reinstalling all the essentials and importing the data, the database engine wouldn’t start. The log file indicated the following error.

[ERROR] Error message file '/usr/share/mysql/english/errmsg.sys' had only 481 error messages,
but it should contain at least 641 error messages.

After some googling, I found that some of the official RPM packages for MySQL actually contain the incorrect errmsg.sys files. The recommended fix listed on several sites was to either recompile from scratch or, vaguely, to “replace it with the correct errmsg.sys file.” I decided to try the vague reference and make it more specific here.

  • First, determine the version of MySQL installed. In our case it was 5.1.56
  • Second, locate a zip file of the raw uncompiled tar.gz of that version. I used http://mysql.llarian.net/Downloads/MySQL-5.1/mysql-5.1.56.tar.gz
  • Third, download and extract the file to a location of your choosing.
    cd /usr/local/src
    wget http://mysql.llarian.net/Downloads/MySQL-5.1/mysql-5.1.56.tar.gz
    tar -zxf mysql-5.1.56.tar.gz
  • Fourth, backup the existing errsg.sys file.
    mv /usr/share/mysql/english/errmsg.sys /usr/share/mysql/english/errmsg.sys.old
  • Fifth, copy the errmsg.sys file from the extrated source code to the live location.
    cp /usr/local/src/mysql-5.1.56/sql/share/english/errmsg.sys /usr/share/mysql/english/errmsg.sys

After that’s done, MySQL should start normally unless it encounters other errors.

-Mark Kraus
Senior Systems Administrator

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/08/mysql-error-in-the-errmsg-sys-file/feed/ 0 Taking “Common Knowledge” for Granted http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/taking-common-knowledge-for-granted/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/taking-common-knowledge-for-granted/#comments Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:24:04 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=2048 A recent episode of ‘Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” featured a woman who did not know how many feet were in a yard. Her closest guess was 352 ft. When my friend told me of this now viral video I was shocked. I thought, how could anyone who grew up and was educated in the United States not at least know how many feet were in a yard? But I immediately realized the danger in this line of thought.

As Senior Systems Administrator, an employee of 1-800-HOSTING for over 7 years now, and a worker in the IT industry for 2 decades, I tend to take a lot of things for granted as common knowledge. To me, thinking that one should check the windows registry of a known working server against one that is faulty to check for differences is common knowledge. This fact is lost on many who are not veterans of windows administration. Many other esoteric bits of knowledge are like that for me, and probably for others with similar experience. However, experts from other fields will have a completely different realm of “common knowledge.”

One of my long time friends is a car mechanic. He is a credit to his craft being highly skilled and knowledgeable. We often have very interesting conversations that involve our not-often-overlapping esoteric magisteria. He has no clue how a SQL server works and I have no clue how a flywheel works. We use these discussions to fine tune our customer interaction skills. Because we are both fairly ignorant of the other’s craft, we can ask questions and practice giving answers that are not esoteric. This also helps me reset my expectations of what “common knowledge” of my field is to the common man.

I think it is important to follow this kind of exercise from time to time. However, I still think that 3 feet should be the common knowledge answer to how many feet are in a yard. Just don’t ask me how many feet are in a mile.

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/taking-common-knowledge-for-granted/feed/ 0 Lessons from a 1964 Modem http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/lessons-from-a-1964-modem/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/lessons-from-a-1964-modem/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:30:18 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=2014

The video linked above shows a man connecting to the internet via a circa 1964 analog modem. This video demonstrates how far we have come in internet technology in terms of speed and sophistication. The most mesmerizing piece of information in this video is the complete lack of digital parts in the modem. The box contains a simple analog tone generator that is oscillated when data is sent from the PC over the RS232 cable.

The sound of a dialup modem connecting to an ISP conjures up grand nostalgia. For me it started with the local BBS’s I would get a list of from the local library. How many text based games did I waste away on? I also could access the internet through my father’s work. Eventually, the Fort Worth Star Telegram had a gateway service called STARTEXT which finally allowed me use web browsers to view HTML pages. That’s right, the Internet wasn’t always web pages and that fact is commonly forgotten or unknown! (Also, boo if you must, I was a Netscape user and fan).

I would probably never go back to those days, however. Just watch the video and see how painfully slow 300 baud is and know that 14.4k was not much better. Also, waiting 5 or more minutes to just connect to the internet was a grinding torture. I like my always on, instantly available setup now. If my laptop is hibernating it takes me less than a minute to turn it on and start browsing the web or playing an online game.

-Mark Kraus, Senior Systems Administrator

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/lessons-from-a-1964-modem/feed/ 0 The Rise of the Vocaloid http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/1852/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/1852/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:51:29 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=1852 Three of my life’s passions are anime, music, and technology. I started watching anime over a decade ago and, according to my most recent estimate, have watched over a month’s worth of anime shows, movies, and specials. As for music, aside from being a fan of almost every genre of music, I have been in bands, choirs, and produced music as a DJ. Obviously, technology is my job and I got into the field because of my love for it. In recent years an industry has evolved that has incorporated all three of these passions into one. The word for it is Vocaloid.
At the core Vocaloids are virtual voice synthesizers. There are several voice synthesizer software packages out there, but the craze was made famous and gets its name sake from the VOCALOID software from Yamaha. This software basically allows a musician to put lyrics into the program, assign notes, adjust pitches and vocal effects and create a human sounding voice singing the lyrics. Several packages exist to fit certain voice styles. These voices are molded after actual singers and voice actors using samplings of their voices. The majority of these voices are Japanese and can only poorly sing in English (it does sound like a Japanese person speaking English, so at least it’s accurate for that).
Vocaloid Hatsune MikuThese voice packages have a digital persona to accompany them. That’s where the term Vocaloid begins to apply. The most popular of Vocaloids is Hatsune Miku. Miku is a teenage girl with long turquoise hair and matching black and turquoise outfits. Her voice is high and youthful. This is where the technology and music marry with anime. The Vocaloid community has created the Miku Miku Dance studio which animates Miku as well as other Vocaloids to create dance videos to coincide with the songs made by that Vocaloid. Some users have even created a tie-in for Microsft Kinect to allow real dancers to directly input moves for the Vocaloids to execute.
The most interesting thing about Vocaloids, to me, is that the songs they sing are community projects. One person may write the lyrics, another write the score, another will create the music video, and someone else will encode the English translations. The end product will have been an indirect collaboration between various people. Some of them may be well known musicians and producers some may be armatures. The band Supercell is one famous collaboration that has created many of Miku’s most popular songs including “World is Mine” and “Heartbreaker.”
Vocaloids have now taken a step out of the computer screen and onto the performance stage. Miku and friends have performed at several concerts in Japan. This past Independence Day weekend the Vocaloids took stage at the Anime Expo 2011 in Las Angeles, California. I was sadly unable to attend, but it was an event much anticipated by Vocaloid fans across the continent. At these concerts, the Vocaloids sing and dance in a projected holograph-like form on stage to the music of a live band. The video at the end of this post shows some highlights from the concert.
Vocaloid Megurine LukaMy favorite Vocaloid is Megurine Luka. Her voice is a bit lower and more mature than Miku’s and she sports long pink hair. Her voice sounds more natural, in my opinion, but she is not as popular as Miku and has fewer songs using her voice. My personal favorite Luka song is “Just Be Friends.”
I find this technology to be fascinating and entertaining. I think it allows the creativity to flow directly from the creative minds to the desiring ears without the need to hunt down a skilled singer. I personally don’t think Vocaloids could ever completely replace the human voice. There are times in Vocaloid songs where the Uncanny Valley is breeched and can make one feel a bit repulsed. The technology is improving and Yamaha has announced the upcoming release of VOCALOID 3.

-Mark Kraus, Senior Systems Admin

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/1852/feed/ 0 And Now For Something Completely Annoying… http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/and-now-for-something-completely-annoying/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/and-now-for-something-completely-annoying/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 03:39:02 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=1780 Cell Phone Glowing in the dark
Last week, whilst on vacation, I attended a performance of Spamalot. Spamalot is a Tony award winning comedy musical based on the comedy movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The performance was excellent and the show was quite hilarious. However, I noticed the disturbing trend of inappropriate cell phone use in theaters had crept its way into musical theaters as well.

In recent years, it has become common place, though not any less annoying, to see someone plop out a cell phone in the middle of a concert, movie, or any place or event really. The not-so-subtle glow of smart phone screens invading your eyes as you are trying to enjoy a movie is simply unavoidable these days. It isn’t any less rude to use your phone now than it has in the past. Yet, people continue to do it and seemingly at increasing rates.
I had hoped that theater and musical theater were the last remaining bastions of phoneless entertainment. I was robbed of this delusion when a woman three rows in front of me interrupted my enjoyment of the whimsical Knights of the Round Table with her Lady Gaga ringtone. Rather than do the decent thing and ignore the call and turn off the ringer, she instead answered it, had a brief conversation, and then proceeded to play with her phone for several minutes. I know it was for quite a while because I missed an entire scene being distracted by her and trying to materialize my annoyance and hurl it at the rude lady. I was not successful and now I don’t know what joke I missed that had the audience uproariously laughing.

I know smart phones are common place in our society and their use is wide spread. I’m also ok with many social situations having phone use injected. I’m on mine quite a bit for both work and pleasure in many situations where such behavior was previously unacceptable. I do, however, take a stand when it comes to movies and theater. There is just no way for phone use in these situations to NOT be inconsiderate of others. So I implore everyone to please consider turning your phone off completely before entering a theater or cinema. This way you can completely resist the temptation to annoy those around you.

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/07/and-now-for-something-completely-annoying/feed/ 0 Things That Can’t Be Done Online That Should http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/06/things-that-can%e2%80%99t-be-done-online-that-should/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/06/things-that-can%e2%80%99t-be-done-online-that-should/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:26:27 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=1381 I recently received my US Census paperwork in the mail and I was frustrated that I had to fill it out with a pen and then mail it back. I realize that the census is done on a per home basis, and that its execution goes a long way back, but what a waste! I think it would be quicker and more efficient if the form could be filled out online. I know, there are several problems with that, but snail mail bothers me.

It occurred to me that there are many things I can’t do online that I should be able to. My first on this list is rent. I can pay all of my bills (internet, credit card, electricity, student loans, etc.) online with the sole exception of my apartment rent. I have two used checkbooks where the only checks written from them were rent. This is the one time a month I have to pull out my checkbook and write a check. I’ve never lived in an  apartment that had a way to pay online. My current complex has modernized slightly by allowing auto-debit from a checking account, but I’ve never trusted auto pay systems.

Another thing I should be able to do online is order Chinese food. This may be possible in downtown Dallas or Fort Worth, but I haven’t seen any where I live in the suburbs. Most of them will accept fax (HAHA… fax…), but I know for certain none of the 10 Chinese food places which I live near have the ability to order online. Most of them do have a website with their menu and phone number, but no online ordering. Working in phone support, one gets accustomed to communicating with those for whom English is a second language, but for some reason the Chinese restaurants in my area are especially difficult. It would be beneficial for both me and the kind lady on the other end of the phone if I could place my order online.

I know there are many problems which keep these types of things from being done online. I also understand the fear behind allowing people to anonymously submit orders and information. But, many of the same fears can be applied to the current methods. Census papers could be snagged from your mailbox and falsely completed. Anyone can spoof a phone number and place a fake order to a Chinese restaurant. But the technologies to implement these abilities are widely available and easy to implement for even the most novice of web developers. Most businesses and government agencies have a website. With just a bit more investment into those sites I can be ordering my Kung Pao Chicken online while paying my rent and being a good census completing citizen.

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]]> http://blog.800hosting.com/2011/06/things-that-can%e2%80%99t-be-done-online-that-should/feed/ 0 Free Websites a la Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/2010/03/free-websites-a-la-mark-karus/ http://blog.800hosting.com/2010/03/free-websites-a-la-mark-karus/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:37:51 +0000 Mark Kraus http://blog.800hosting.com/?p=1359 Several years ago I stopped working on computers for free. I was beginning to think the requests for free work would never end. There is nothing less satisfying than spending your whole work week working with computers to have to spend your time off work doing the same thing for free. This is a common issue for people who have  trade skills like automotive repair, plumbing, and computer repair. But, this has started to get more complex recently.

Most of my friends have a vague understanding of what I do. I imagine to them it is like “something, something, Internet, with something, something, websites, something, computer stuff.” Most of my friends are not computer savvy, in fact, few of them actually have computers and of those friends even fewer use their computers frequently. So it’s no surprise that they don’t understand the details that go into things like high-availability, high-traffic websites. But it is annoying when a friend comes to me and says “I have an awesome idea for a website, you could make it for me, right? Oh and you’ll do it for free, right?”

There is a sentiment among many tech professions that our skills are undervalued and the work is seen as simple. I suspect there are several reasons for this. The first reason is that there are few physical results from our labors. When I create a web site there is nothing to hold and what people see they think can be created in programs they are familiar with, like word processing applications and imaging programs. Since all the hard work is done behind the scenes to produce what the person sees, they are not apt to think it is labor intensive.

A second reason I believe tech skills are undervalued is the over simplification or such portrayed in the cinema and media. A few good examples of this can be found in Maxim’s “The 13 Hackiest Hacking Movie Moments,” or weekly on any one of the 4 trillion CSI programs on TV. These depictions, while meant for entertainment sake, do influence the perceptions of those who watch them. As a result, people assume that things like hacking the Gibson are just a few simple keystrokes. These are the same people who say, “It’s probably really easy, but I don’t want to learn how to do it.”

The last statement brings me to my final reason I believe tech skills are undervalued. Anything is easy when you are skilled at doing it. I have a friend who can juggle live blades like it’s nothing. He practiced at it for quite awhile to be able to do it on command with little fear of injury. But someone looking at that trick would be quick to say, “That takes skill and must have taken a lot of practice.” But those same people when watching me work my magic on a system just assume I’m hording some simple knowledge from them so they’ll have to pay me to do it. It’s not simple, it takes skill, education, and practice to become good at it.

So, despite the great relationships I have with my friends, I quote exactly how much I would charge a private client. Please realize that good, functional websites are worth their price tag. Unless you want a one-page site with simple text and questionable uptime, good websites cost good money. I encourage everyone to do their research before finding a webmaster/designer/developer. Friends, I have no qualms giving you my real quote if you have no qualms with asking me for free labor.  C’est La Vie!

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