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#3026 2023-07-27 06:31:32

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

For All!

Now that NewMars is back up, thanks to James Burk and kbd512 (and possibly others), we can send email to members.

I am open to suggestions for members you would like to see contacted.

A quick off-the-top-of-my-head list would include:

GW Johnson
Void
Elderflower
OldFart1939

The Admins were notified by email.

Other names are welcome.

PS ... Mars_B4_Moon has an invalid email address on file.

Mars_B4_Moon ... if you read this, please update your email address!

(th)

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#3027 2023-07-27 07:29:04

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Amazon apparently has a gift registry system, and apparently it is possible for folks to contribute to purchase of an item. I have not had a lot of success wading through the Amazon Help system, but today I found this:

What I'm trying to do is to find out how SpaceNut can set up a gift registry so we can contribute toward a new power supply.

Group Gifting allows gift givers to contribute any amount towards higher-value items or the Diaper Fund in an owner’s Baby Registry.

When you access a Baby Registry, you can browse and view the item details of anything on the list. Items available for Group Gifting contributions will display an option to contribute. Eligible items show the amount already received with a link to View purchase options, if no contributions have been received, or Contribute to Gift, if there are contributions.

To contribute to a gift:

Browse the registry.
Select Contribute or View purchase options next to the gift.
Select Contribute to Gift and enter a dollar amount to contribute (minimum $1).
Select Add Contribution to Cart.
Select Proceed to Checkout to purchase the contribution.
Note:
You can purchase the item in full if no one else has contributed.
As soon as an item is fully funded, you can't contribute to it.
When an item is purchased directly from the registry, you can't change the item quantity after adding it to your cart, or during checkout. Instead, you can give a Group Gifting contribution for the value of one item.
Your Group Gifting contribution isn't refundable, because funds are immediately sent to the registry owner as Amazon.com Electronic Gift Cards.
Was this information helpful?

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#3028 2023-07-27 07:32:49

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Digging further, it appears there is an option more suitable for SpaceNut than the Wedding or Baby registries.

Find more solutions
Gifts, Gift Cards, and Registries  ›
Custom Gift List
Manage Your Custom Gift List
Create and Add Items to Your Custom Gift List
Edit Items in Your Custom Gift List
Delete Your Custom Gift List
Share Your Custom Gift List
Return Gifts from Your Custom Gift List
Manage Your Custom Gift Thank You List
Edit Your Cover Banner Photo
Change Your Custom Gift List Privacy Settings
Find a Custom Gift List
Search for a Custom Gift List
Purchase from a Custom Gift List
Was this information helpful?

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#3029 2023-07-27 07:34:16

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Digging further:

Find more solutions
Gifts, Gift Cards, and Registries  ›  Custom Gift List  ›
Purchase from a Custom Gift List
Once you've entered a Custom Gift List, you can browse the item details on the list.

To purchase from a Custom Gift List:

Browse the gift list and select the item you want to buy.
In the pop-up box, check the item details and select Add to Cart.
When you're finished shopping the list, you can go to your Cart and Proceed to Checkout.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your order.
Note:
Only the registrant's name, city, and state will appear at checkout to protect the privacy of the gift list owner.
Items purchased from a Custom Gift List will be marked as purchased within a few hours, as long as the purchaser added the item to their shopping cart using the Add to Cart button in the gift list. If the item is ordered outside of the gift list, it won't be marked as purchased.
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#3030 2023-07-27 07:36:04

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Digging further:

Gifts, Gift Cards, and Registries  ›  Custom Gift List  ›
Create and Add Items to Your Custom Gift List
Create and add items to your Custom Gift List.

To create a Custom Gift List:

Go to Custom Gift List.
Select Create a Custom Gift List.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Select Submit.
To add items to your Custom Gift List:

Search for items you want to add to your gift list.
On the product page, select the Add to Registry & Gifting drop-down located below Add to Cart.
Select the Custom Gift List you want to add the gift to.
Was this information helpful?

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For SpaceNut .... here is the url for the gift registry:
https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom

(th)

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#3031 2023-07-27 07:40:12

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Digging further:

Please provide information to help guests find your list in search results
* Indicates required fields
Your first and last name *
Gifters will use this to search for your Gift List
First and last name
Name your Gift List *
When are you celebrating? *
Don't know your date yet? Please put an estimated date.
Where are you celebrating?
City (Optional)

State
*
Back

SpaceNut, for name you could put SpaceNut Newmars

I don't think Amazon cares what you put there. You need the name so your contributors can find your registry.

(th)

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#3032 2023-07-28 16:11:36

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: Housekeeping

We have had quite a bit of heavy rain during the past few weeks with more roads wash out in the hardest hit places. The current week has been hot like the rest of the US with the day being in the 90's.

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#3033 2023-07-29 06:07:46

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

For SpaceNut re #3032

Thanks for this update on conditions in New Hampshire.

Best wishes for survival of the recently repair road in your immediate area.

Regarding power supply for computer ... do you have an Amazon account?

(th)

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#3034 2023-07-31 06:37:38

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

There is a need for a Webmaster for NewMars.

In an ideal situation, we would have three working backups at the homes of three of the four Admins, and we would upgrade the web site to current technology.

The base web site has been restored to use older software to run, but it needs to be upgraded to current generation support software, and then kept up to date.

The web site had no Webmaster after James Burk was promoted to Executive Director, and I failed to properly work that problem.  The recent crash of the main web site at Mars Society revealed that the NewMars site could not boot using current generation support software, so it has been temporarily given a lifeline of some old obsolete software. 

The reason we did not have a Webmaster is that no one stepped forward to assume that role.

I am motivated (by the recent outage) to work the problem until it is resolved.

(th)

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#3035 2023-07-31 06:47:38

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

For RobertDyck re backup Webmaster opportunity

In a recent post, (as I read your message) you offered to build a backup of the NewMars web site on your home server.

I am also interested in building an up-to-date version of the web site on a test system at home.

kbd512 has (apparently) already done that.

The Mars Society web site is back in operation because (as I understand the situation) kbd512 discovered that the Mars Society had upgraded some software at the Mars Society server, and NewMars kept running because it had not been rebooted.  When NewMars had to be rebooted (as I understand the situation) the FluxBB package could not start because the old support software it needed was no longer available.

There are several things that need to be done:

First, each of three of the Admins need to build duplicates of the ideal (up to date phpBB/MySql/etc) web site at home.

When the NewMars web site is converted to up-to-date software, it needs to be updated at the Mars Society.

I'd like to see the ability to serve as Webmaster distributed among the three of us, and not confined to just one of us.

All of us are perfectly capable of serving as Webmaster for NewMars, which is a comparatively small site.

What we have lacked until now is motivation to collaborate to maintain the site.  We now have the motivation.

Let's build our respective duplicate systems over the next few weeks or months at the most.

(th)

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#3036 2023-07-31 07:53:32

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

For kbd512 re NewMars email server ...

If you can (somehow) find the time needed, please investigate to see if (possibly) the restored NewMars web site lacks the required password to send email using the Mars Society email service.

Since the restore, I have tested the email server, and it appears not to have delivered any of the transmissions. The log of the transmission indicates that the requests were accepted by FluxBB, but nothing is going out.

(th)

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#3037 2023-08-01 11:35:07

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

For RobertDyck .... recently you wrote a post about the NewMars web server, and maintenance of same.

I looked for the post and tried "apache" and "mysql"

The post I was looking for never showed up, but I found this interesting mini-resume instead: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 96#p122496

In the post I was trying to find, you indicated interest in building a duplicate/backup web site for NewMars.

At the recent Zoom meeting, kbd512 indicated he is now in possession of the Webmaster access.

I would like for the three of us to achieve equivalent skill in maintaining the site.

kbd512 is and will remain the lead for this endeavor, but both you and I are qualified and capable of maintaining a small web site like NewMars.

As I recall the post I was looking for, you said you use removable hard drives to swap operating systems on your hardware.

I use a similar system, based upon swapping equipment that is no longer manufactured.  Fortunately, I bought enough of the equipment while it was available, so I should be able to keep going for a while.

In your case, I see an opportunity for us (NewMars members) to help fund a removable hard drive for a web site backup.

I did a bit of investigating on behalf of SpaceNut, but he has not acknowledged the opportunity.

Do you have an Amazon account?

I expect you do, but there may be a reason you have chosen not to have one.

I ask because (assuming you do have an account) you can set up a Special/Custom Gift opportunity.

Amazon customers can then log in, find your Custom Gift offer, and make contributions in any amount.

If you decide to take us up on the offer, then the site you build would have an investment by us members, to complement the time and thought you'd put into it.

I have a web site partly assembled on one of my hard drives, but need to install the php engine.

I'd like to build a web site with phpBB and state-of-the-art components, install the NewMars MySQL backup, and participate in fine tuning the phpBB software to run NewMars.

***
Reminder for kbd512 ...

It appears the email service is not working.

The problem could be as simple as the FluxBB package not knowing the password to the Mars Society email account (on Google).

(th)

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#3038 2023-08-02 06:40:53

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

The login information for Zoom, provided in Post #1 of the Zoom topic, has been improved in response to observations by GW Johnson.

In particular, the entire "Invitation" block from the Professional Zoom account was reproduced in Post #1.

A single link is provided for access to the waiting room.

In addition, the entire set of links and numbers for mobile phone users is available.

In the recent NewMars Zoom, RGClark used the mobile phone feature to join the meeting, and from my perspective it worked well.

***
A pothole scan is being run today, for the sequence from 211001 through 212000. 

(th)

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#3039 2023-08-02 17:37:52

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

The pothole scan run today, over the range 211001-212000, revealed four missing posts:

SK: Skipping to Next Item from Post ID: 211025 Bad request
Time Out! Skip Requested! Skipping to Next from Post: 211025
Match for: Bad request. The link you followed is incorrect or outdated. Count is: 1
String 2: Completed Sequence for ID: 211025

SK: Skipping to Next Item from Post ID: 211301 Bad request
Time Out! Skip Requested! Skipping to Next from Post: 211301
Match for: Bad request. The link you followed is incorrect or outdated. Count is: 2
String 2: Completed Sequence for ID: 211301

SK: Skipping to Next Item from Post ID: 211345 Bad request
Time Out! Skip Requested! Skipping to Next from Post: 211345
Match for: Bad request. The link you followed is incorrect or outdated. Count is: 3
String 2: Completed Sequence for ID: 211345

SK: Skipping to Next Item from Post ID: 211995 Bad request
Time Out! Skip Requested! Skipping to Next from Post: 211995
Match for: Bad request. The link you followed is incorrect or outdated. Count is: 4
String 2: Completed Sequence for ID: 211995

That's not too bad, considering we had a major outage over that stretch!

(th)

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#3040 2023-08-02 18:43:23

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Just got the Internal Server Error .... charming

(th)

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#3041 2023-08-03 06:36:59

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

When the recent NewMars outage occurred, I offered the data I'd collected over the past couple of years, to see if it might be useful for reconstructing the NewMars database if we could not recover it.  The data I had collected was NOT intended for backup.. It was a byproduct of the cleanup exercise that SpaceNut requested.  Any criticism of the data as not being suitable for backup is reasonable.  The data was never intended to be used for a backup.

However, now that the site is back online, and there is a discussion underway about how to improve the site software (a) and (b) improve the recovery options, I decided to think about how the software developed to perform the bogey cleanup might be adapted to create a text file that ** could ** be loaded into an empty
database.  To that end, I ran a note taking exercise this evening, using Housekeeping as the topic to study.

The result was the rough draft below.  Since this is a rough draft, suggestions for improvement are both expected and welcome.

Text omitted here due to internal server error

(th)

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#3042 2023-08-03 06:40:38

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

12:40 UTC

Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator at webmaster@newmars.com to inform them of the time this error occurred, and the actions you performed just before this error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

(th)

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#3043 2023-08-03 06:49:51

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Notes for Investigation of Possible Text Based Topic backup and restore option for NewMars:

Open topic

Example: Housekeeping in Meta New Mars

topic id=9336

Click on user: id=430138

Click on date: pid=165012#p165012

Program has to be logged in to perform a Quote or Edit

Quote would be good because it does not put the original at risk.

Excellent! Quote captures the user ID!

quote=tahanson43206 For SpaceNut
(th)

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#3044 2023-08-03 06:51:31

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Split post into parts ...

Here is the next section


For reference - Tuscon Water notes:
etc...

Question .... how to get #2 of topic ?

I wonder if there might be a query that delivers posts within a topic?

The view topic query appears to do that .... it shows there are 122 pages of posts for Housekeeping

Note: A possibility is to search for #number in ascending order

When found, the row can be captured.

(th)

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#3045 2023-08-03 06:58:25

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Next installment of post about possible text based database backup method:


It contains the author's ID and the date field, which reveals the id of the post

This could be a three step process...

(th)

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#3046 2023-08-03 07:00:47

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Next installment...

Start positioned on a post in a topic:

Click on the user and capture data (user link)
Return to post of interest

(th)

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#3047 2023-08-03 07:05:43

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Next installment...

empty ...

(th)

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#3048 2023-08-03 07:07:15

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Next installment....

Click on the date


(th)

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#3049 2023-08-03 07:09:49

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

Next installment...

capture post link and date itself for historical interest.

The date of the replacement post will be today's date, so the historical date must be inserted into the recovery post as additional text.

Return to post of interest

Then open the post and quote the post
Return to top level and search for next post


At end, a search for the next sequential number will fail.

At restore time, the user id's need to be loaded first.

The Index level of the data structure needs to be reproduced, which means it needs to have been recorded.

At restore time, the restore program needs to create the topic in the desired Index level.

This tentative plan needs to be evaluated for possible use as a simple text backup format.

Can this data be used to rebuild the (a) database?

(th)

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#3050 2023-08-03 07:12:29

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,009

Re: Housekeeping

As an observation .... I was monitoring heavy packet loss while the struggle with Internal Server Error was occurring.

I note that the final installment went smoothly, and packet loss had dropped to zero.

In future, if Internal Server Error occurs, it may be instructive to check packet loss.

The method I use is to ping www.yahoo.com.  Any web site can be used for the purpose.

(th)

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