Tag: linux

‘Webtrees’ on a Home Server: Installing the Webtrees Software

July 17, 2020 / tim / 0 Comments

⬅️ Previous post: Getting online with LAMP and No-IP

Installing Webtrees • Installing ‘intl’ and preparing the data folder • Creating the MariaDB database • Tweaking the default PHP configuration • Troubleshooting SELinux errors • What’s next for the server?

Now that I have a server machine running Linux and a LAMP stack accessible via the internet, I’m ready to install the Webtrees software. Debugging the SELinux permission errors took some time, and got much easier once I learned how properly troubleshoot. Here’s what I went through to get it running. Continue reading

‘Webtrees’ on a Home Server: Getting online with LAMP and No-IP

July 1, 2020 / tim / 0 Comments

⬅ Previous Post: My Machine and Operating System

Installing and Configuring the LAMP stack • What about a firewall? • Opening the router to web traffic • Launching the site for free with No-IP • Visiting my new server for the first time

My laptop server is wedged discretely between my desk and my tower. Lights at the bottom show that it is on.

When last we left my Webtrees project, I had installed Gentoo Linux on an old 2005 HP Compaq nc6230, and hardened it for security with SELinux. This formed the foundation of my server machine. Since then, I’ve installed OpenSSH, which allows me to access the server laptop from other machines, over the network, without opening the laptop lid. All work on the server will now ideally be done over an SSH connection.

On today’s episode, I install the LAMP web server software and have it go live to the public. Compared to the work of installing the Gentoo system, this part is really a piece of cake. Even so, I’m still a noob when it comes to web servers. This series can not be read as a full how-to. It can only be a general inspiration and a nudge in the right direction. Continue reading

2020 Summer Project #1: ‘Webtrees’ on a Home Server

June 20, 2020 / tim / 0 Comments

The summer of 2020 is upon us. I just wrapped up my second year of teaching math full time for the School District of Philadelphia. In the wake of nationwide coronavirus business closures, I find myself without summer employment for the first time in about a quarter-century. ? That means it’s GeNeALoGy TiMe once again!!! ??

One project I’ve had on the back burner for the last decade or so is re-launching a family history website on a home server.

Fedora Linux on the GPD Pocket: Six Months On

January 15, 2018 / tim / 0 Comments

It’s been about six months since I first installed Fedora on my GPD Pocket. I’ve updated my original July 2017 post twice since then to keep you all updated. So much has changed since those early days that a new post is in order. The old post still has a lot of useful information, so I will be referring to it often, but a lot of it is outdated. Here’s what’s new: Continue reading

Playing with Toys: Fedora Linux on the GPD Pocket [Final Update: 1/15/2017]

July 10, 2017 / tim / 0 Comments

The GPD Pocket, with hot dog and Strongbow shown for size reference.

[Update (12/4/2017): DO NOT run a “sudo dnf autoremove” command until you’ve read the update at the bottom of this post!]

[Update (12/4/2017): There have been some wonderful updates over the past month. I now consider this post to be deprecated and a new post is available here!]

I bought a new netbook computer a couple weeks ago, and it’s the cutest thing you ever did see. It’s called the GPD Pocket, and it is a full Windows 10 laptop about the size of a 7-inch tablet. The specs are impressive for the devices size: quad core processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB solid state hard drive, and as the name implies, it will literally fit in the pocket of one’s cargo shorts. Continue reading

Tutorials: Upgrading GRAMPS on Debian Jessie

June 14, 2015 / tim / 0 Comments

I made a new video this week: How to upgrade GRAMPS on Debian Jessie. More accurately, I’m narrating the upgrading of GRAMPS on my own computer. Some aspects of this upgrade, such as the directories when I store my exports, will be unique to my computer, but hopefully you will get the gist.

The video is long, and probably could have been shorter. But hey, I was enjoying myself. Note also that the command I used to uninstall the previous version of GRAMPS was not written correctly on the instruction card. The correct command for me was:

$ sudo apt-get remove python3-gramps

This command may vary based on your previous installations. It may end with either python-gramps or simply gramps.

Lastly, important links for this video are the GRAMPS home page, and the GRAMPS download page. Enjoy upgrading GRAMPS!

Tutorials: How to install the free GRAMPS genealogy software.

March 17, 2015 / tim / 2 Comments

Yes, it’s been quiet here at RestorationsByTim.com, but I’ve been busy on a couple projects. One of these projects has been to get a couple videos up on my YouTube Channel. Continue reading

Command Line Genealogy: Filtering City Directories from Archive.org

October 4, 2014 / tim / 0 Comments

The 1848 Philadelphia City Directory, filtered on the Linux command line to show all entries that include the word 'Montgomery'.

The 1848 Philadelphia City Directory, filtered to show all entries that include the word ‘Montgomery’.

Fear not! It’s easier than you think!

☞ Background: I want a concise list of everyone who lived on Montgomery Avenue in Philadelphia in 1848.

I have a cemetery return for a baby girl named Mary Pickersgill, who died in 1848 and was buried in the now-defunct Mutual of Kensington Cemetery, in the then-newly consolidated city of Philadelphia. I suspect she is a lost sister of my great-great-great-grandfather, who was born William Harrison Pickersgill in February of 1846. The parents of these children, especially their father, is mysterious. Continue reading