Setting up my website - mod_ruby and Apache V2 - Naive questions.

[Victor Reyes]

I am in the process of setting up a website on my own hardware.
The plataform is as follows:

IBM RS/6000 7025-F50.
Couple hundred GB of Disk Space, Etc.
AIX 5.2
Apache Version 2.x
Ruby 1.8.2 - when I find the way to get it to compile.
DSL 1.52/780 up/down from Cyberonic with my own static IP address.
I registered the name childrenutopia.com and .org and I plan to open a
non-profit corp.

Goals:
Set up a website dedicated to help children in need.
Set up a ruby mirror repository.
Use Ruby as the development language, once I master it.

Question:
How do I use the mod_ruby that manhy people discuss? I know that the
mod_ruby name goes in the httpd.conf file, but how is it used?

I hear people discussing ruby websites. What do they mean by that? Are
these websites that alllow users to program with ruby? or what?

Do anyone outthere knows of a relatively inexpensive way to get a fast
line to the web? The DSL that I have is very slow and it paints the
screen rather slowly.
If you have any suggestion for a line provider, I live in NYC.

Thank you and forgive the naive questions.

 

[Andreas Schwarz]

Apache Version 2.x

How do I use the mod_ruby that manhy people discuss? I know that the
mod_ruby name goes in the httpd.conf file, but how is it used?

I don't think that mod_ruby works with Apache 2.x (-> threading). I
would use fastcgi. It seems to be faster, and the ruby interpreter is
completely independent of the web server process. This has many
advantages: the Apache processes need less memory, a crashing ruby
interpreter can't kill a web server process, you don't introduce any
memory leaks from Ruby/mod_ruby into Apache, and you can run the
interpreters under different users for more security.

Andreas

 

[Matt Lawrence]

IBM RS/6000 7025-F50.
Couple hundred GB of Disk Space, Etc.
AIX 5.2
Apache Version 2.x
Ruby 1.8.2 - when I find the way to get it to compile.

When you do, please let me know what it took. Also, if you need any AIX
sysadmin help, I know quite a bit about it.

Do anyone outthere knows of a relatively inexpensive way to get a fast
line to the web? The DSL that I have is very slow and it paints the
screen rather slowly.

I have heard good things about speakeasy.net, but I've never used them.

-- Matt
It's not what I know that counts, it's what I can remember in time to use.

 

[Mark Probert]

I am in the process of setting up a website on my own hardware.

Good luck!

The plataform is as follows:

IBM RS/6000 7025-F50.
Ruby 1.8.2 - when I find the way to get it to compile.

An ignorant question: have you considered going to Linux?
I believe that it has been done:

http://www.solinno.co.uk/7043-140/news.php

I hear people discussing ruby websites. What do they mean by that? Are
these websites that alllow users to program with ruby? or what?

There are a number of Ruby application packages that make development of
dynamic websites pretty straight forward. Two of the more popular ones
are:

+ Rails (http://www.rubyonrails.org/show/HomePage)
+ IOWA (http://enigo.com/projects/iowa/index.html)

Both are 100% Ruby and allow the developer to code in Ruby plus HTML.
Depending on your tastes, either may work for your site. The best thing
would be to:

1. Get Ruby up and running
2. Get a copy of the PickAxe book
(http://pragmaticprogrammer.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/index.html)
3. Go through the book, focusing on the basics and tutorials
4. Install Rails and IOWA (plus any other frameworks that interest you)
5. Start doing your site
6. Post questions to c.l.r

I hope this helps,

 

[Thomas Fini Hansen]

I don't think that mod_ruby works with Apache 2.x (-> threading). I

Well, considering that 1.2.2 fixes a SEGV bug on Apache2 with threads,
I'd say it does work. How mature it is, is another question though. I
wouldn't know, so far I've only tried it using the prefork model.

would use fastcgi. It seems to be faster, and the ruby interpreter is
completely independent of the web server process. This has many
advantages: the Apache processes need less memory, a crashing ruby
interpreter can't kill a web server process, you don't introduce any
memory leaks from Ruby/mod_ruby into Apache, and you can run the
interpreters under different users for more security.

This is good arguments, though. But it is a different approach if you
come from the PHP world.

By chance, nobody has made a .rhtml handler in FCGI, to ease
transitions? Or am I just too tired to think strait right now?

 

[Victor Reyes]

Thanks you all for your help.
Just answering some of the questions:

I selected AIX over Linux because I have been doing AIX sysadmin for
over 10 years. Second, I have the hardware, RS/6000. Although I
believe that the 7025-F50 runs Linux, I did not tried that. I might
look into that as a way to enhance or perhaps I should say develop my
Linux skills.

The PickAxe book I have, and I waiting for the new version of it. As a
matter of fact, I think I have all the Ruby books published to this
point.

Any suggestions about the speed of the line?

Thanks a bunch!