Year: 2006

Killing the Apache load with KeepAlive

Over the weekend, Apache web server went nuts and bolts, pushing server load average to 10, 11, 12, 14, 15… I even got the notification from the hosting company that they see some abnormal behaviour on my node. Looking for a quick fix, I scrolled through default configuration looking for some way to instantly improve performance. Gladly, I found it. I had to uncomment three lines:

KeepAlive On
MaxKeepAliveRequests 100
KeepAliveTimeout 15

What these lines do is they tell Apache to keep the connection for another 15 seconds after the request was served, waiting for more requests from the same client. And just for garbage collection reasons, the maximum number requests over the same connection is set 100.

It turned out that this does magic for my setup.

Looking for a new WordPress theme

I’ve been looking for a new WordPress theme for this blog, but I can’t find anything that I like enough. Maybe I’m not ready yet, or maybe it’s just that time of year. So, I thought, I’d ask for help from you guys. Here are a few things that I’m looking for:

  • Wide. I want something wide. I like margins and all, but I have so much stuff that I want to fit in that space is essential. Main content area should be wide enough to accommodate 500 pixel images from Flickr. Sidebar should have enough space for my blogroll, recently read items, Flickr badge, Google AdSense, and so on and so forth.
  • Easy on the eyes. I’m writing lots of text, so it’s essential that text is easy to read. Black on white or something of equal contrast should work fine. Light backgrounds are preferred. Bonus points for large letters.
  • Formatting. I often use block quotes and code samples. I use plenty of links. I use lists a lot. I like both full size and thumbnailed images, which I can centralized or align to the left or to the right and float with text. New theme should support all of those.

Do you guys have any suggestions for the theme that fits the above? Please, let me know via comments.

Blogging is fun

This post is a part of Together! Blogging group blog effort at Cyprus Blog Network.

For me, blogging is:

  • Fun. Expressing myself in writing is still a challenge for me, even after all these years of practice. A fun challenge. Much like ice skating – you know you can do it, and you do it pretty good by the end winter. But when the next winter comes, you have start all over again.

    Also, reading blogs is a lot of fun. Especially with more and more of my friends joining the blogosphere.

  • Note taking on steroids. I’ve tried several note taking systems – from pen and paper to specialized applications, but blogging is the one that works best for me. Cross-linking is easy. Additional information is easy (with comments). Searching is supereasy (with categories, tags, and Google). And, additional bonus is for reduced clutter – I blog mostly only things that I care about.
  • Professional tool. Blogging helps me with self-promotion. It connects me with all those smart people out there. And, recently, earns me a cent or two.

… and much more.