Fedora 16

- included package “biosdevname” that sets up strange network port names (p3p1 versus eth0)

- remove this nonsense by:

yum erase biosdevname

- to take total control of network interfaces back over (edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth?)

- remove NetworkManager

yum erase NetworkManager

chkconfig network on

1. Wireless access is at  HFA-Guest  /  <password listed on the fridge>  .. no the password is not “password listed on the fridge” .. don’t bitch about the password, it’s free WiFi bro!
2. Don’t adjust the temperature!  If you’re cold, put on a sweater, tuque (beanie if you’re south of the 49th parallel).  If you’re hot, have a drink with ice, and if that doesn’t help, then piss off.
3. Austin tunes over-ride. Period. Don’t care you want to listen to some wimpy East Coast, West Coast, Popular rock or Northerner crap. Doesn’t mean country. Let me repeat …
4. If there is a NFL game on, then the game is ON .. don’t expect much else.
5. Don’t suck up *all* the bandwidth in pr0n, dude. Really? I know it’s you. Remember what I do for a living?? Yes there are “proxies” on friend’s free Internet connections. Duh.
6. GPS (aka TomTom or Garvin) HIGHLY recommended for out-of-town-ers.
7. GPS (aka TomTom or Garvin) HIGHLY recommended for in-towners.
8. Be energy conscious. Rinse your damn dishes (don’t be lazy) – that’s what the drying rack is for. Duh.
9. You consume the last bottle of _______, REPLACE it. Damn, there is a Tarjay (Target for our American friends), or H-E-B, or Randall’s within walking distance!
10. Do NOT put your drinks on my Red’s Porch tab. Food is negotiable.
11. You MUST have a valid reason to go to another joint than Red’s
12. Yes, it IS a shower curtain rod like Marriott’s.  No, I didn’t steal it. Nice, eh? That’s another 5.5″ of room in the shower!!
13. No you don’t have to come run with me in the morning at 5am.  Nor do I .. but sometimes I’d appreciate the encouragement out of bed.
14. Recycling bin is in the pantry.  Just cuz y’all are too lazy to actually walk outside and dump your junk in the recycle bucket out back. Just sayin’. By the way .. organics hit the bucket at the BACK .. if you give a cr@p about that stuff.
15. Yes, I do offer a taxi service at 5am to the AUS airport.  It’s $50,000 per one way.  Your choice, but it’s COB bud.
16. Don’t touch the Henkle knife (knives) .. I have to sacrifice  goat entrails to keep it sharp.  Pretty sure you don’t want any part of that. Just sayin’. You get the steak knives.
17. NEVER turn off the Cranberries or AWOLNATION. EVER. See rule #3.
18. Whoever gets to the music remote wins. Except when Rule #3 applies. That means Al wins. All the time. Damn dude don’t cry.

Ok, you get the point. Be responsible. Recycle. Use less energy. Don’t be lazy. Book your stay. (It’s only uncomfortable for those of you who don’t and wind up sleeping in the same guest bed .. y’all are NOT sleeping with me).

Oh .. ya, I’m sure you’ll have fun here .. no problems, mate. Yes the lights in the back yard are a secret. DON’T tell Amanda.

• The getting lost was worth the coming home. 

• What I fear, I can create.  We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

Here are 20 things you can do to make your apache configuration more secure.

Disclaimer: The thing about security is that there are no guarantees or absolutes. These suggestions should make your server a bit tighter, but don’t think your server is necessarily secure after following these suggestions.

Additionally some of these suggestions may decrease performance, or cause problems due to your environment. It is up to you to determine if any of the changes I suggest are not compatible with your requirements. In other words proceed at your own risk.

First, make sure you’ve installed latest security patches

There is no sense in putting locks on the windows, if your door is wide open. As such, if you’re not patched up there isn’t really much point in continuing any longer on this list.

Hide the Apache Version number, and other sensitive information.

By default many Apache installations tell the world what version of Apache you’re running, what operating system/version you’re running, and even what Apache Modules are installed on the server. Attackers can use this information to their advantage when performing an attack. It also sends the message that you have left most defaults alone.

There are two directives that you need to add, or edit in your httpd.conf file:

ServerSignature Off
ServerTokens Prod

The ServerSignature appears on the bottom of pages generated by apache such as 404 pages, directory listings, etc.

The ServerTokens directive is used to determine what Apache will put in the Server HTTP response header. By setting it to Prod it sets the HTTP response header as follows:

Server: Apache

If you’re super paranoid you could change this to something other than “Apache” by editing the source code, or by using mod_security (see below).

Make sure apache is running under its own user account and group

Several apache installations have it run as the user nobody. So suppose both Apache, and your mail server were running as nobody an attack through Apache may allow the mail server to also be compromised, and vise versa.

User apache
Group apache

Ensure that files outside the web root are not served

We don’t want apache to be able to access any files out side of its web root. So assuming all your web sites are placed under one directory (we will call this /web), you would set it up as follows:

<Directory />
  Order Deny,Allow
  Deny from all
  Options None
  AllowOverride None
</Directory>
<Directory /web>
  Order Allow,Deny
  Allow from all
</Directory>

Note that because we set Options None and AllowOverride None this will turn off all options and overrides for the server. You now have to add them explicitly for each directory that requires an Option or Override.

Turn off directory browsing

You can do this with an Options directive inside a Directory tag. Set Options to either None or -Indexes

Options -Indexes

Turn off server side includes

This is also done with the Options directive inside a Directory tag. Set Options to either None or -Includes

Options -Includes

Turn off CGI execution

If you’re not using CGI turn it off with the Options directive inside a Directory tag. Set Options to either None or -ExecCGI

Options -ExecCGI

Don’t allow apache to follow symbolic links

This can again can be done using the Options directive inside a Directory tag. Set Options to either None or -FollowSymLinks

Options -FollowSymLinks

Turning off multiple Options

If you want to turn off all Options simply use:

Options None

If you only want to turn off some separate each option with a space in your Options directive:

Options -ExecCGI -FollowSymLinks -Indexes

Turn off support for .htaccess files

This is done in a Directory tag but with the AllowOverride directive. Set it to None.

AllowOverride None

If you require Overrides ensure that they cannot be downloaded, and/or change the name to something other than .htaccess. For example we could change it to .httpdoverride, and block all files that start with .ht from being downloaded as follows:

AccessFileName .httpdoverride
<Files ~ "^\.ht">
    Order allow,deny
    Deny from all
    Satisfy All
</Files>

Run mod_security

mod_security is a super handy Apache module written by Ivan Ristic, the author of Apache Security from O’Reilly press.

You can do the following with mod_security:

• Simple filtering
• Regular Expression based filtering
• URL Encoding Validation
• Unicode Encoding Validation
• Auditing
• Null byte attack prevention
• Upload memory limits
• Server identity masking
• Built in Chroot support
• And more

Disable any unnecessary modules

Apache typically comes with several modules installed. Go through the apache module documentation and learn what each module you have enabled actually does. Many times you will find that you don’t need to have the said module enabled.

Look for lines in your httpd.conf that contain LoadModule. To disable the module you can typically just add a # at the beginning of the line. To search for modules run:

grep LoadModule httpd.conf

Here are some modules that are typically enabled but often not needed: mod_imap, mod_include, mod_info, mod_userdir, mod_status, mod_cgi, mod_autoindex.

Make sure only root has read access to apache’s config and binaries

This can be done assuming your apache installation is located at /usr/local/apache as follows:

chown -R root:root /usr/local/apache
chmod -R o-rwx /usr/local/apache

Lower the Timeout value

By default the Timeout directive is set to 300 seconds. You can decrease help mitigate the potential effects of a denial of service attack.

Timeout 45

Limiting large requests

Apache has several directives that allow you to limit the size of a request, this can also be useful for mitigating the effects of a denial of service attack.

A good place to start is the LimitRequestBody directive. This directive is set to unlimited by default. If you are allowing file uploads of no larger than 1MB, you could set this setting to something like:

LimitRequestBody 1048576

If you’re not allowing file uploads you can set it even smaller.

Some other directives to look at are LimitRequestFields, LimitRequestFieldSize and LimitRequestLine. These directives are set to a reasonable defaults for most servers, but you may want to tweak them to best fit your needs. See the documentation for more info.

Limiting the size of an XML Body

If you’re running mod_dav (typically used with subversion) then you may want to limit the max size of an XML request body. The LimitXMLRequestBody directive is only available on Apache 2, and its default value is 1 million bytes (approx 1mb). Many tutorials will have you set this value to 0 which means files of any size may be uploaded, which may be necessary if you’re using WebDAV to upload large files, but if you’re simply using it for source control, you can probably get away with setting an upper bound, such as 10mb:

LimitXMLRequestBody 10485760

Limiting Concurrency

Apache has several configuration settings that can be used to adjust handling of concurrent requests. The MaxClients is the maximum number of child processes that will be created to serve requests. This may be set too high if your server doesn’t have enough memory to handle a large number of concurrent requests.

Other directives such as MaxSpareServers, MaxRequestsPerChild, and on Apache2 ThreadsPerChild, ServerLimit, and MaxSpareThreads are important to adjust to match your operating system, and hardware.

Restricting Access by IP

If you have a resource that should only by accessed by a certain network, or IP address you can enforce this in your apache configuration. For instance if you want to restrict access to your intranet to allow only the 176.16 network:

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 176.16.0.0/16

Or by IP:

Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 127.0.0.1

Adjusting KeepAlive settings

According to the Apache documentation using HTTP Keep Alive’s can improve client performance by as much as 50%, so be careful before changing these settings, you will be trading performance for a slight denial of service mitigation.

KeepAlive’s are turned on by default and you should leave them on, but you may consider changing the MaxKeepAliveRequests which defaults to 100, and the KeepAliveTimeout which defaults to 15. Analyze your log files to determine the appropriate values.

Run Apache in a Chroot environment

chroot allows you to run a program in its own isolated jail. This prevents a break in on one service from being able to effect anything else on the server.

It can be fairly tricky to set this up using chroot due to library dependencies. I mentioned above that the mod_security module has built in chroot support. It makes the process as simple as adding a mod_security directive to your configuration:

SecChrootDir /chroot/apache

There are however some caveats however, so check out the docs for more info.

Acknowledgments

I have found the book Apache Security to be a highly valuable resource for securing an apache web server. Some of the suggestions listed above were inspired by this book.

Imagine setting out on a journey without a map and signposts. That’s what it would be like if you tried to do your job without feedback from customers, partners, members of your team, and other key stakeholders, said Piau-Phang (PP) Foo, managing director and senior vice president of Global Sales, Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), in a recent Leading Ideas webcast.

Feedback can be a powerful tool to foster learning and drive better performance. “When executed well and on a consistent basis, it helps get people on track,” said Foo. “It serves as a guide to assist people to know how they are doing and how others perceive their performance.”

Ten tips for receiving feedback and five tips for giving feedback.

Foo cited research that shows that companies that provide frequent feedback energize and motivate their workforce to better performance. They have higher levels of customer satisfaction, hire and retain the best talent, and have better business outcomes.

But giving and receiving feedback, which Foo said is “an objective message about behavior and consequences,” can be challenging. And if you’re like many others, you’ve likely had at least one negative experience when feedback degraded into a verbal wrestling match, an argument about who’s right and wrong.

It doesn’t have to be this way, said Foo. With a little bit of knowledge and preparation, all of us can get better at giving and receiving feedback.

Ten tips for giving feedback

In his webcast, Foo offered HP leaders a range of practical and inspiring ideas for making feedback a competitive advantage, starting with giving feedback:

1. Set expectations.When someone new joins his team, Foo lets that person know that he typically offers prompt feedback. At the same time, he invites the new employee (and everyone else on his team) to give him prompt feedback, as well.
2. Make it informal.Foo tries to make feedback a regular occurrence. “Feedback works best if it is a continual process and not something you do only once or twice a year in a formal session,” he said. “Sometimes, I say to one of my subordinates, ‘Hey, let’s grab a quick lunch so I can give you some feedback.’”
3. Stay focused.Foo says that it is important to focus on just one or two topics at a time—maybe three at the most—so the person receiving feedback is not overwhelmed.
4. Discuss actions, not attributes.People tend to be more open to practical ideas and suggestions that could enhance their job performance than they are to feedback related to aspects of their personality.
5. Be specific.Convey the facts in an objective way, said Foo. For example, describe how an employee’s actions have had an impact on a customer or another member of the team. Avoid expressing emotions and feelings, which can put the other person on the defensive.
6. Check your assumptions.If you plan to give feedback based on something you’ve heard, be sure to investigate the situation for yourself so you can understand the bigger picture and have more empathy. Careless feedback can harm a relationship. “Whatever feedback you give, make sure it’s correct,” Foo said.
7. Be aware of your motivation.People sometimes use “feedback” as a way to get even with or belittle someone. But that’s not true feedback, said Foo. If you are upset about something, take a time out. “Cool down a little bit. Don’t overreact,” he advised.
8. Be balanced.Don’t just focus on the negative. Take a look over a period of time and give specific examples of what the person receiving feedback has done well. Acknowledge his or her contributions to customers and the team.
9. Suggest ways to improve.It’s easy to say that something’s wrong, but the person giving feedback should spend time in advance thinking about ways to improve. “It’s not up to you to come up with all the solutions, but you can start the process,” said Foo.
10. Agree on a time to follow up. Following up can help make feedback stick, but rather than imposing a timeframe, Foo suggests asking the person receiving feedback when he or she would like to talk about the matter again.

Five tips for receiving feedback

Foo also offered practical insights for receiving feedback:

1. Go beyond welcoming feedback; ask for it.If you really want to benefit from feedback, seek it, Foo advised. “Make an effort. It can be as simple as sending a quick email to a colleague and saying, ‘How did I do?’”
2. Manage your emotions.Many of us find it easy to receive feedback when it is positive, but the moment we hear something challenging, we tend to get defensive. “You really need to manage your emotions,” said Foo. “Evaluate the situation before you respond.”
3. Don’t argue, deny, or try to justify.If the feedback you receive catches you by surprise, try to understand the other person’s point of view before you react. Ask for specific examples. For instance, you could say, “When did you see me doing that?”
4. Keep the proper perspective.Feedback usually relates to a specific area of your life, and now you have the opportunity to do something about it. Remember that it’s not about your entire life or you as a person.
5. Take action. After receiving feedback, you have to make a choice: Are you going to act on it, or are you going to ignore it? “I think we have to take action,” said Foo. “If people are willing to give us feedback and we make an effort, it makes an impression.”

Creating a culture of feedback

Feedback can help us learn, grow, and be more fulfilled in our jobs. It can help our team reach higher levels of performance. For these reasons, Foo suggests letting others know that you are open to receiving feedback. Those who might offer you helpful suggestions include people on your team, others in HP, partners and customers.

“Feedback is one of the cheapest, most flexible, yet most powerful tools available to everybody for personal and business success,” said Foo. “It is also perhaps the most underused tool that we have to facilitate learning. I would encourage everybody to use it more often.”

Kihei Boat Launch

Al, Seth, Dani and Andy

Two quiet days in October and the weather was fantastic. Day one I got to dive with AJ and Warren, while the second day I dove with Seth. The fact that every single time I head out with these guys, they have outstanding customer service and attitude .. and that’s not just the awesome sticky buns they consistently provide.

Day one was a great day in the Molokini crater where we saw lots of coral creatures including an extremely large lobster. The second dive at Puu O’Lai had great visibility and lots of turtles and several amazing (apparently rare) fly-bys of four Spotted Eagle Rays.

Spotted Eagle Rays

Bubbles off back wall of Molokini

Day two we hit the back wall of the Molokini Crater with the (literally) breath-taking 350′ expanse of coral and creatures. Dive two on the second day was at Wailea Point with more very friendly turtles.

Thanks again guys – hopefully we’ll see you in another year.

Assumptions:
- webserver root directory is /var/web
- production node is called prod
- development node is called dev
- WordPress database is called wpdb

Procedure to copy production WordPress instance to the development node:
1. Copy webserver www root dir via a tarball
tar czf prod-20110909.tgz /var/web

2. Dump the WordPress database to a MySQL dmp file:
mysqldump -u$mysqluser -p$mysqlpass wpdb | \
 gzip -c > prod-20110909.dmp.gz

3. Copy these two backup files to the dev node:
scp prod-20110909* user@dev:.

On the development node:
4. Unpack the webserver tarball:
mv /var/web /var/web.previous
cd /
tar xzvf prod-20110909.tgz

5. Drop the WordPress database and restore the new version:
mysql> drop database wpdb;
mysql> create database wpdp;
$ gunzip prod-20110909.dmp.gz
$ mysql -u$mysqluser -p wpdb < prod-20110909.dmp

6. Update the WordPress 'siteurl' and 'home' options to point to the development node:
update wp_options set option_value='http://dev.pomeroy.us' where option_name='siteurl';
update wp_options set option_value='http://dev.pomeroy.us' where option_name='home';

Should be all done!

Zest
1134 E. 54th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 466-1853
www.zestexcitingfood.com/

Remembrance of those who lost their lives and those who gave their lives in the line of duty is an important act that we all should honor.

 We will be doing our most difficult cross country mountain bike ride and will give a minute of silence at the top in honor of those who lost their lives as well as in support of the survivors.

Visit www.911day.org and tell the nation what you’ll be doing on 9/11/11.

Update: At 6,398′ on Moose Mountain, we gave a moment of silence.