Improved Performance on the Release of Joomla 2.5

Joomla, one of the world’s most popular open source content management systems (CMS) used for everything from websites to blogs to Intranets, announces the immediate availability of Joomla 2.5 on Tuesday, 24 January 2011. It’s a good news for Joomla fans of course. There’s a major step in development of this new Joomla version, it’s now can use Microsoft SQL Server or PostGreSQL, in addition to MySQL.

“Multi-database support is a huge step forward for Joomla, which is already powering more than 1.6 million websites worldwide. It ensures companies and organization, both large and small, will save even more money and time by adopting Joomla,” said Ryan Ozimek, president of Open Source Matters, a non-profit created to provide organization, legal and financial support to the Joomla project. “No longer will Joomla developers be tied down to a particular database or have to spend more money and time integrating other software to get Joomla to communicate with their database. This enhances Joomla’s scalability immensely.”

Not only that, other key features in Joomla 2.5 includes:

• Automatic notification when a Joomla or extension update is available. When logged into the control panel, site administrators will instantly have access to new notification buttons that allows them to see and act on the latest updates. In addition to updates for the Joomla CMS, a second button offers third party extension notification updates.
• A better natural language search engine to the Joomla core. Complete with auto-completion and stemming (for example if you type “running” in a search field you also see run), it is faster and more versatile than the standard search.

But, it’s not finished. There are the other features in Joomla 2.5. Check ‘em out at http://joom.la/25features.

What a great improvement! I can’t wait to try it! But how? Joomla 2.5 is available at http://www.joomla.org/download.html.

Tags: CMS, Joomla, new release, search

I just found a cool entertainment from Google. Although Google Translate is designed to help people to translate (of course) one language to another, this application can be an entertainment tool.

It’s not a new stuff, but I don’t care. I want to share this to the others who don’t know :D

1. Open Google Translate (http://translate.google.com)

2. Copy and paste the sentence below:

“zk bschk zk bschk zk zk bschk zk bschk bschk pvzkpv bschk kkkkpvkkk bschk“

Translate from Indonesian to German. Screenshot is shown below:

Instead of displaying a listen button, Google Translate provide “beatbox” button :D

3. Click Beatbox button

4. Try to change the language such as Indonesian & Vietnamese, etc. And don’t forget to create your own beatbox style :D

5. Another version: Click here

6. Good luck!

Tags: beatbox, Google, just for fun, translate

500 – An error has occurred!

DB function failed with error number 126
Incorrect key file for table ‘/tmp/#sql_54d6_0.MYI’; try to repair it SQL=SELECT c.*, g.name AS groupname, cc.title AS name, u.name AS editor, f.content_id AS frontpage, s.title AS section_name, v.name AS author FROM jos_content AS c LEFT JOIN jos_categories AS cc ON cc.id = c.catid LEFT JOIN jos_sections AS s ON s.id = c.sectionid LEFT JOIN jos_groups AS g ON g.id = c.access LEFT JOIN jos_users AS u ON u.id = c.checked_out LEFT JOIN jos_users AS v ON v.id = c.created_by LEFT JOIN jos_content_frontpage AS f ON f.content_id = c.id WHERE c.state != -2 ORDER BY section_name , section_name, cc.title, c.ordering LIMIT 0, 20

Have you ever got this? Joomla users may have seen it. Is Joomla CMS is not stable enough? Nope! This error is not caused by Joomla.

This error is come from MySQL. If you read the error message above, you may see there are several tables are involved:

• jos_content
• jos_categories
• jos_sections
• jos_groups
• jos_users
• jos_content_frontpage

The possibility is one of the tables above has been damaged by something. Failure on electricity or something else.

The solution is you need to repair one of those tables by using command REPARO, ups sorry, that’s spell for repairing stuff in Harry Potter story :D. This is the command: REPAIR TABLE. This is how to use it:

repair table jos_content;
repair table jos_categories;
repair table jos_sections;
repair table jos_groups;
repair table jos_users;
repair table jos_content_frontpage;

If the problem still exist although you have repaired all those tables, another possibility is your MySQL temporary directory. You can’t write that directory (maybe full).

Tags: database, Joomla, MySQL, repair, table, temporay

I’ve found several emails that send link to my email through mailing list. I’m suspicious that the link in the email message is fake. The characteristics of the email are:

1. The email has No Subject. In several mail client you will find subject (unknown).
2. No message but blog link only. The link is like shown below:
   http://wakleng.wordpres.us/2010/08/about-my.html
   Notice that the domain is wordpres.us. It imitates the famous blog service, WordPress. The real WordPress has two “s”, the fake one has only one “s”.  The real one has top level domain .com or .org, but the fake one use .us.
3. The sub domain name “wakleng” comes from the sender email address. And it is usually yahoo (in my observation).

I’ve googled (September 13rd, 2010) keyword wordpress.us, but found none. I thought this is a new method (I never found like this before – using name wordpres). I found this for the first time at Sept 8th, 2010. Becareful before clicking link from others, eventough from your friend.

Tags: Blog, email, fake, wordpres.us

I’ve experienced a problem while upgrading to WordPress 2.9 a few days ago. My blog didn’t show the RSS widget. Some error are found in my dashboard also.

So, I started searching on the Internet how to solve my problem. And finally I found that there are some bugs in WordPress 2.9. They are:

Bug tersebut adalah:

• Major bug was simply dismissed
• A related critical bug was only partially fixed)
• A last critical bug (and its child bug) crept in at the last moment

As a result of this:

• RSS widgets are completely broken on servers that are missing both of iconv and multi-byte string functions;
• The curl transport is broken on some servers with an outdated library. This breaks the WP cron, and with it future posting, pings, etc.

Not all sites are affected, of course. Most aren’t, in fact. But for those few who are, the situation is frustrating.

To solve this problem, you need to follow this steps:

1. Download this patch (from semiologic.com):

WordPress 2.9 Patch

2. Extract all files (class-simplepie.php, default-widgets.php, http.php) to wp-includes directory. Replace the old files with the patch files.

3. Done…

Good luck… :)

Tags: Error, patch, Upgrade, WordPress

Yesterday I need to post my photo in my special blog for photography, http://lens.danigunawan.com. But, what happened??? My blog didn’t appear correctly!!! I got these error messages:

Warning: is_dir() [function.is-dir]: open_basedir restriction in effect.
File(/) is not within the allowed path(s):
(/home/MY_ACCOUNT:/usr/lib/php:/usr/php4/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:
/usr/local/php4/lib/php:/tmp) in /home/MY_ACCOUNT/wp-includes/functions.php
on line 1942

Warning: file_exists() [function.file-exists]: open_basedir restriction in effect.
File(/) is not within the allowed path(s):
(/home/MY_ACCOUNT:/usr/lib/php:/usr/php4/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:
/usr/local/php4/lib/php:/tmp) in /home/MY_ACCOUNT/wp-includes/functions.php
on line 1933

Warning: is_dir() [function.is-dir]: open_basedir restriction in effect.
File(/) is not within the allowed path(s):
(/home/MY_ACCOUNT:/usr/lib/php:/usr/php4/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:
/usr/local/php4/lib/php:/tmp) in /home/MY_ACCOUNT/wp-includes/functions.php
on line 1942

FYI, I created my blog using wordpress. It’s the best blog engine ever.. :) After asking some questions to uncle Google, I found that some people have asked the same questions. But they don’t get the solution yet. I started thinking, then I decided to check the database. I looked into tables wp_options (For example I use the default prefix “wp_”, table prefix depends on wordpress configuration). I scanned one-by-one, and I found something suspicious in column option_name = ‘upload_path’. The value of column option_value = ‘/home/MY_ACCOUNT/wp-content/uploads’. After comparing with column option_value from the “healthy” blog, I changed the value to ‘wp-content/uploads’.

Back to my favorite browser…, then I pressed F5. Tadaaaa… error in my photography blog disappeared… :)

Tags: Error, open_basedir, Photography, WordPress

As we know, Joomla is one of the best CMS in the world. It often uses to make websites. You can make a great website fast. You don’t need to know PHP or HTML to use it. You only need to understand Joomla.

I started using Joomla from version 1.13. The Joomla is very great, although it still has many drawbacks. After that, Joomla changed the core. Joomla released version 1.5, a version that is not compatible with previous version. Yes, that’s right, it’s a brand new Joomla. Although it is not backward compatible, but some Joomla 1.13 extensions and templates can run in Joomla1 1.5 by condition you need to turn on system legacy plugin. For Joomla 1.13 lovers, don’t stay there, move to Joomla 1.5 because Joomla stops the development of version 1.3. They no longer support it.

For web programmer, understanding Joomla is not enough. We need to understand more to extend or build template for Joomla. Now, Joomla releases version 1.6alpha. In general, alpha version is not recommended for production. It’s only for developer or hobbyist. What’s new in Joomla 1.6alpha? Take a look at the list below:

• ACL: access management for global permissions as well as content item specific permissions, variable usergroups, users member of more than one usergroup, permissions are inherited, really fast (it’s the main feature I expect for a long time ago)
• Extendable user profile, profile view in frontend, extendable user parameters
• Tableless com_content layouts
• Improved com_content modules (mod_articles_archive, mod_articles_latest, mod_articles_popular)
• Article linker plugin for editors (Nice!)
• New frontend template (atomic)
• New backend template (bluestork)
• New uploader for media manager

Other Joomla 1.6 improvements that existed in alpha 1:

• Mootools 1.2
• Refactored backend
• JForm
• Nested Categories and category parameters
• New views in frontend: categories, category
• Lots of small code improvements, almost cut the code size in half while adding to the functionality
• PHP 5.2 required, huge performance improvements, partially eaten up by new features => 1.6 will be faster than 1.5

What’s next?
After alpha 2, the Joomla community can expect a beta release. There are no intentions for a 3rd alpha release. Hmm.. the stable version is coming up! Can’t wait to try it!

Future improvements will be developed by Joomla Team:

• Commenting solution is going to be added (At last.. :D)
• Additional DB drivers
• Lots of small performance/UI/code improvements

Great! Hope they will win Best Open Source PHP CMS.

Tags: CMS, Future, Joomla, PHP

Of all the precious metals, gold is the most popular as an investment. Investors generally buy gold as a hedge or safe haven against any economic, political, social or currency-based crises. These crises include investment market declines, currency failure, inflation, war and social unrest. Investors also buy gold during times of a bull market in an attempt to gain financially. Investors generally buy gold for two main reasons: because they believe that gold prices will continue to rise and thus that they can gain financially, and/or as a hedge or a perceived safe haven against any economic, political, social or currency-based crises. Of course prices can fall as well as rise, so investors must make a best guess on what the future holds.

A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold’s intrinsic value. In modern times, most gold coins are intended either to be sold to collectors, or to be used as bullion coins — coins whose nominal value is irrelevant and which serve primarily as a method of investing in gold.

While obsolete gold coins are primarily collected for their numismatic value, gold bullion coins today derive their value from the metal (gold) content — and as such are viewed by some investors as a “hedge” against inflation or a store of value.Bullion coins are also produced in fractions of an ounce – typically half ounce, quarter ounce, and one-tenth ounce. Bullion coins sometimes carry a face value as legal tender, The face value is minted on the coin, and it is done so in order to bestow legal tender status on a coin, which generally makes it easier to import or export across national borders. However, their real value is measured as dictated by their troy weight, the current market price of the precious metal contained, and the prevailing premium that market wishes to pay for those particular bullion coins. The face value is always significantly less than the bullion value of the coin.

Tags: Bullion, Coin, Gold, Investment

Logo eduCommons

eduCommons is a content management system designed specifically to support OpenCourseWare projects like Notre Dame OCW and OCW Universidad de Cantabria. eduCommons will help you develop and manage an open access collection of course materials. It is built around a workflow process that guides content developers through the process of publishing materials in an openly accessible format.

What can it do?
eduCommons is built around a workflow process that guides users through the process of publishing materials in an openly accessible format. This includes uploading materials into a repository, dealing with copyright, reassembling materials into courses, providing quality assurance, and publication of materials.

Wanna try? Here is the eduCommons demo.

What universities use eduCommons? Here is the list of eduCommons adopters.

Who develop it?
The Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (COSL,), at Utah State University is dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunity worldwide. At the Center, we believe that all humans beings are endowed with a capacity to learn, improve, and progress. Educational opportunity is the mechanism by which we fulfill that capacity. Therefore, free and open access to educational opportunity is a basic human right. When educational materials can be electronically copied and transferred around the world at almost no cost, we have a greater ethical obligation than ever before to increase the reach of opportunity. When people can connect with others nearby or in distant lands at almost no cost to ask questions, give answers, and exchange ideas, the moral imperative to meaningfully enable these opportunities weighs profoundly. We cannot in good conscience allow this poverty of educational opportunity to continue when educational provisions are so plentiful, and when their duplication and distribution costs so little.

The Center is doing what we can through a of mix research, development, and teaching. COSL is part of the Department of Instructional Technology at Utah State University in Logan, UT.

• Press Coverage: What folks are saying about COSL
• Partners: Partners and Organizations Supporting COSL
• Giving to COSL: Giving to COSL
• Visit COSL: Directions to COSL

Tags: CMS, Education, eduCommons, Open Source, Open Ware

OpenCourseWare, or OCW, is a term applied to course materials created by universities and shared freely with the world via the Internet. Already in 1999 the University of Tübingen in Germany published videos of lectures online in the context of its timms initiative. The OCW movement only took off, however, with the launch of MIT OpenCourseWare at MIT in October 2002. Since then, a number of universities have created OCW projects, some of which have been funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

An OpenCourseWare is a free and open digital publication of high quality educational materials, organized as courses. The OpenCourseWare Consortium is a collaboration of more than 200 higher education institutions and associated organizations from around the world creating a broad and deep body of open educational content using a shared model. The mission of the OpenCourseWare Consortium is to advance education and empower people worldwide through opencourseware.

According to the website of the OCW Consortium, an OCW project:

• is a free and open digital publication of high quality educational materials, organized as courses.
• is available for use and adaptation under an open license.
• does not typically provide certification or access to instructors.

The Goals of the Consortium

• Extend the reach and impact of opencourseware by encouraging the adoption and adaptation of open educational materials around the world.
• Foster the development of additional opencourseware projects.
• Ensure the long-term sustainability of opencourseware projects by identifying ways to improve effectiveness and reduce costs.

Participation Requirements
In order to participate in Consortium activities, institutions must have committed to publishing, under the institution’s name, materials from at least 10 courses in a format that meets the agreed-upon definition of an opencourseware. Organizations that do not publish their own content but whose activities further Consortium goals—such as translation and distribution affiliates—also participate in Consortium activities.

For managing the course content, we can use a CMS (Content Management System) called eduCommons which is developed by Utah University’s Center for Open Sustainable Learning. eduCommons is built on the open source CMS called Plone and is used by many members of OCW Consortium.

Institutions and organizations participating in OpenCourseWare Consortium activities will have the following button featured on their individual OCW Web sites:

Tags: Course, Education, Free, Learning, OCW