Move mySQL Directory to Home

Salams

Upon logging on to one of the servers this morning we found out the Cpanel was not working because it was complaining about / ran out of disk space

So doing a df indeed confirmed that /var folder was out of disk space and most the space was being taken up by mySQL Databases

So we needed to move this to /home and create a symlink for this

By default all mySQL database on a server is saved in /var/lib/mysql directory. If you don’t have enough space left in /var directory or if its filling up quickly, you can move your  directory to /home partition

so this is what we did

Login to SSH and do the following

//Make a backup of all databases
mysqldump --all-databases | gzip > /home/backupdatabases.sql.gz

//Stop mysql
/etc/init.d/mysql stop

//Create a new mysql directory in home
mkdir /home/mysql

//move mysql from current location to new location
mv /var/lib/mysql /home/mysql

//Set Permissions
chown -R mysql:mysql /home/mysql/mysql

//create a symlink
ln -s /home/mysql/mysql /var/lib/mysql


//restart mysql
/etc/init.d/mysql start

and there you go :) nice space freed up and all back to normal

 

Broadcasting Skype Conversation Via Shoutcast using Sam Broadcaster or Winamp

Assalamualaykum

As you guys may be aware we run an Islamic Radio Station called Ummahradio.com as well as providing streams for Various other Islamic Radio Stations and Mosques

Now occasionally we have people asking us or for us as well is how do i take live callers on air,  from Skype Especially

Now After searching for a long time i could not find no easy way to do this but i did manage to find a workaround that works perfectly

This is the Setup we use (Bit of a strange or cowboy setup but it does the trick!!)

1) Standard PC running Winamp / Sam Broadcaster Software (We will call this the broadcasting Device)

This PC MUST have a Line in Port at the back of the PC

Have Skype Open on this PC aswell

2) I then proceeded to use another Device i.e iPad, Laptop or anything else even a mobile device on and installed Skype on there

So…

on the iPad / Laptop Have Skype Open and You Host the call and invite the participants over so we sign on to skype as say SKYPE ACCOUNT 1

on the Broadcasting PC Sign up on Skype as SKYPE ACCOUNT 2 and join the conversation as a participant

Now take your line in cable from the back of your PC and plug it to your Speakers

Basically on the Broadcasting PC Whatever is being Beemed out from your Speakers will transmitted via the Radio (if you using shoutcast select source as LINE IN) and likewise with Winamp as well select Line In

Now you want to talk to your guests – use the iPad to talk to your Guest – with SKYPE ACCOUNT 2  still logged on and Listening via Broadcasting PC

this method seems to work! bit long winded and complicated but does the trick!

 

Thoughts and opinions?

 

Updates

Assalamualaykum!

We are still around not blogged as much mainly just lurking around on Twitter where you can follow us on our Twitter Account or follow us on our Facebook Page 

soo whats been happening since last post

Well we managed to upgrade our servers in the process, developed and developing more apps and much more!

So Keep uptodate with us on Twitter or Facebook 🙂

Hopefully the next updates should not be too long INSHALLAH!

Upgrading from Mysql 5.0 to 5.1 Via WHM – Internal Server Error

Salams

Bit of a scary ordeal today

We decided to have a crack at upgrading MYSQL from 5.0 to 5.1

So we tried attempting to do it via WHM via the MYSQL Upgrade option in Software

Seemed straight forward enough with a easy Wizard to Follow Through

So we kicked off the Install, took a while to go through everything

Then the black dialog box comes up ran some sort of script and also it seemed to be doing some database checks by going through every single mysql Table and checking to see if they were ok – Fair enough

Started with domain names from A down alphabetically..did took a while atleast 1 hour…

So then it reached domain names with Z – i thought to myself ahh finally after 1 hour of waiting just sat watching the screen (of course did not sat there the whole time went out to grab some munch for local takeaway – at this point i had left and it reached domain names starting with the letter D)…so was expecting it to complete by then………once it reached the last database if then decided to start with domain names starting by A Again……

so thought maybe it just missed out some domains  -so gave it a benefit of doubt and left it running again just incase it missed some first time around……..then when it came down to the Domain names letter C then got a bit concerned that its already done this database why is it going through it again???

So i waited another 15 mins just to see what happens and yup it went all through the list again! it seemed that it was looping althought it had reach stage 7/7 of the install something seriously was not right here!

and at this point every single MYSQL site was returning with error 500 and not accessible!

So i went to check what mysql version was installed on the server and it was reporting 5.1.x so it had upgraded ok but why was it looping and doing table checks/

at this point decided to take the risk and close that window down

Ran EasyApache had to rebuild PHP /Apache again took a while – whilst i watched anxiously after it completed all sites backup again and running Wohooo!

 

So seems a bit buggy the WHM install not sure whats up with that

but if someone has this problem then what you do is run EasyApache and recompile PHP / Apache and everything should be ok!

Quite panicky when mysql fails as 90% of sites are powered by MYSQL

Interesting evening! 🙂

 

 

wa

Hello! Assalamualaykum!

Hello

Salams Visitors!

Lots of Exiting changes happening Watch this space……..

Been really really busy last few months since we last updated this blog – but we still blogging away and you can also Follow us via Twitter or you can Follow us on Facebook 

Its all about Apps, Apps and More Apps!

See you soon inshallah! Hopefully it wont be too long this time >o

Display Magento Products on Home Page or any CMS Pages

Salams

If you want to display Magento Products on the Home Page or any other CMS Pages from different Categories try the following

CMS > Pages > Home Page (Or any other Pages)

Add the Following Code:

 

{{block type=”catalog/product_list” name=”home.catalog.product.list” alias=”products_homepage” category_id=”5″ template=”catalog/product/list.phtml”}}

 

Don’t forget to change Category ID to whatever you want and it should then appear on the page!

This is what we done over at http://nasheedchannel.com/portal

Physical CDs was one Category

Digital Downloads was another

So we added that code twice to that page and works a treat 🙂

Request Sample for Magento with Yes / No Attribute

Salams All

Currently we are redoing SunnaMusk.com Website and they are using Magento ( :D) for their catalog

They sell mainly lovely nice Attars, Fragrances and Bakhoors as well as other stuff like Bakhoor Holders etc

So…On their website they wanted to offer the option for Customers to Order Samples of Certain Fragrances which they then ship out to customer

HOWEVER these samples were not applicable for all products for example Bakhoor Holders its a physical holder and you can’t really have samples for that lol!

Anyway Used the ParadoxLabs Request Sample Plugin which works a treat (Link here btw http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/paradoxlabs-requestsample.html ) Big thanks for a lovely plugin

but this required a bit of small customisation from ourside to achieve what we wanted

 

Ok Step one

We Create attributes from Magento Backend

> Admin > catalog > Manage Attributes > Create new attribute

Attribute code: samplerequest

Scope: store view

Default Value: YES

Unique Value: NO

Catalog Input Type for Store Owner: YES / NO

Values Required: YES

Leave the rest upto you or as it is

 

Manage Label Option Tab: Request Sample link?  (Or you can put down whatever you want meaningful to you)

Then Save

Then Catalog > Attributes > Manage Attributes Set

Choose Default Set

Unassigned Attributes you find samplerequest there simply drag it across to under General or wherever you want to put it

reload your cache and you will now find that there is a new field which says “Request Sample link” and a drop down either Yes or no

Now We Browse the template file
/public_html/store/app/design/frontend/default/themexxx/template/catalog/product/view/type/

Edit default.phtml (Or whatever template file you want

Then we add this Code right at the bottom

<?php if ($_product->getAttributeText(‘samplerequest’) == “Yes”): ?>
<p class=”availability in-stock”><a href=”<?php echo Mage::getBaseUrl(); ?>requestsample/?id=<?php echo $_product->getId() ?>”>Request a Sample</a></p>
<?php endif; ?>

The Bit in Orange is the code provided by the Plugin and the one above we did ourselves

So basically what this code says is that if “samplerequest” is set to YES then run the code in orange which is basically the request sample link and if set to no then display nothing

 

hope this helps 🙂

Installing Magento Extensions Via SSH

Salams

If you find that whilst trying to run any sort of mage command via SSH you get   ./mage:  Permission denied

then try the following:

rm -rf var/cache var/session
chmod 550 ./mage
./mage mage-setup .
./mage config-set preferred_state stable
./mage install http://connect20.magentocommerce.com/community Mage_All_Latest --force


Hopefully that should fix it!

Zip File Corrupted in Magento Downloadable Product

Salams,

Late Ramadhan Mubarak infact very late May aswell wish you all a Eid Mubarak at this stage!

Anyway heres a  problem i was scratching my head over

We tend to use Magento CMS System for our E-commerce based website and for NasheedChannel.com (Some Great Nasheeds there btw do check it out :D)

Anyway We offer the option of Digital Download for our mp3 products so people can purchase single tracks or the entire album

So we had a few issues from customers when they purchased the full album which was infact a .zip file containing all the mp3 tracks in there that after they downloaded it the file was corrupted and could not open it, this was only after being redirected the the product download link via their control panel in magento

Tried downloading it directly from the link works fine…

so it must be the way Magento is translating the URL for download (It does not give the direct URL for good reason) it comes with a different URL with a bunch of random generated characters which is good

But anyway there was a few suggestions on the internet floating around about changing .htaccess files and messing about with them …tried it all did not work

Then realised that When magento passes the URL it Compresses it again

So we already had a zip file with the mp3 that was compressed…..so when a customer purchases the the .zip file it does it again

So the best solution for this is that if you need to upload a Zip file ensure that NO COMPRESSION is set from winrar you choose “No Store” or winzip “No compression” upload it and it worked!

Yes file sizes are larger but if you cant be bothered messing around with .htaccess files etc then this is a workaround that works

HTH!

Wassalam for now!

Yup we still around but very busy….

Assalamu alykum All

Been a few months since we updated t his blog! We have had a really busy last 6 months alhumdulillah (Never remember it this being so busy in all the time) But its good atleast we have things to keep us busy with and keep us going along!

Well you may ask what you been so busy about

Well its all about Apps development! We been designing apps and more apps ! ISlamic Apps to be precise

You can see our Android Apps here

https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Safarmedia

We have also help set up a lovely Islamic Radio Station called “Islam Radio” at www.islamradio.com Created an iPhone, Android and Blackberry App! As well as its website too

Some of our recent apps has been “Salaah Muslim Prayer” For Android – this is an excellent app courtesy islamicposters.co.uk showing a nice graphical view of how to pray each of the Salah, Janazah Prayer, Salatul Tasbeeh, Witr and So forth so do check it out

We have also launched a new Prayer time App called “What times Prayer” http://itunes.apple.com/app/what-times-prayer/id534918213?mt=8 Which shows live Prayer times for Mosques in London! Pretty Cool App this was designed for the lovely brothers at Sunnahmusk.com (Do check out their lovely collection of Attars and Ouds) and our biggest and best app is the iTajweed Quran for iPad and iPhone http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/itajweed-quran-for-iphone/id524225870?mt=8

much awaited 13 line COLOUR CODED iTajweed Quran application is available FREE [Fisabillillah) to download for the iPhone, iPod and iPad.

This application is very easy to use with simple easy to use arrows and cursors to browse and navigate throughout the whole Qur’an app. Color codes have been used throughout to distinguish all Tajweed rules. The reader can find out the definition of any Tajweed rule and clarification.

Some Features Include:

– Bookmarks are available for easy access at any given time.
– This application can be viewed both in landscape and portrait mode.
– Quick launch Tajweed rules button
– Quick launch Tajweed colour code button
– Surah Search Function

Do download it and Benefit Inshallah!

 

so yeh its just been all about apps apps and more apps!

Full info about ALL our Current apps are here

http://www.mpadc.com/web-service/

 

Oh and btw if you need an app designed let us know inshallah 🙂

Hopefully we should see you before Ramadhan if not Ramadhan Mubarak 🙂