How to install Laconica microblogging platform on Debian Lenny

Here's a quick howto on installing Laconica on Debian 5.0 (Lenny) with a PostgreSQL database backend.

Got a weird DNS issue that's stumped me.

Here's a good one.

dns2 is primary nameserver for a local zone 'servers.datacentre.foo'. Running Debian Lenny, bind9, nothing unusual. Update this zone to add a Xen guest recently provisioned at the datacentre. Reload dns with rndc reload, the updated zone is transferred to the slave nameserver, which is dns1 (yeah I don't know why either, what's in a name).

Debian Lenny on the EeePC 1000HE, 2.6.26-2-686 kernel

Today I finally stopped um-ing and ah-ing and went and bought a new Asus EeePC 1000HE :)

I originally bought a 701SD and loved it, but gradually grew frustrated with the tiny screen. The smaller netbooks get a bad rap for their keyboards being to small, but I actually got used to them. The screen was the bigger issue for me.

I bought a second hand 900 a couple of months back and that was a lot better screen-wise, but the Celeron processor and short battery life proved troubling again.

Dovecot fails to lookup db after PostgreSQL-8.3 upgrade (Lenny 5.0.1)

Be wary when you upgrade Debian Lenny server to 5.0.1 and you use Postfix & Dovecot with a PostgreSQL backend and PostgreSQL-8.3 gets upgraded and restarts itself. My Dovecot stopped being able to connect to the database to authenticate my login requests from Thunderbird all
of a sudden with the error 'you have enabled secure authentication and this server does not support it'.

I knew I hadn't changed any Dovecot settings on how I authenticate my IMAP session so assumed it was the PostgreSQL upgrade, though PostgreSQL was running fine.

This in the dovecot logs

dovecot: 2009-04-13 10:38:15 Error: auth(default): sql(<a href="mailto:example@some--address.com">example@some--address.com</a>),): Password query failed: FATAL: terminating connection due to administrator command
dovecot: 2009-04-13 10:38:15 Error: auth(default): io_loop_handle_remove: epoll_ctl(2, 9): Bad file descriptor

I restarted Dovecot, and Postfix just to be sure :) and all is back to normal. I'm assuming it was Dovecot holding a stale connection open to PostgreSQL, and not the MTA, as it wasn't a problem with delivering mail (though it might've posed a problem for Postfix too, but didn't let it hang around long enough to find out)

I wonder, I know that some packages like openssl and whatnot, are able to check what other services are running that depend on it when it's upgraded, and offer a postinst (I assume) ncurses notification telling the user that some services should be restarted. PostgreSQL should have a similar check to see if it's being used for a vhost mail setup.

Intel Pro/Wireless 4965 on 2.6.26-1-686 (Debian Lenny)

I recently acquired a Fujitsu Lifebook T2010 tablet for use as my work machine (finally giving me the opportunity to put aside a very tired Dell Dimension 4700). This tablet has an Intel Pro/Wireless 4965 wireless card. I'd used the 3945 before on a Dell Inspiron with minimum fuss (install the firmware, make a wpa_supplicant.conf, Bob's your uncle), so I figured I'd have a similar situation.