Log in to ubuntu on virtualbox from host

We have been experimenting with different development environment in my startup.

python+virtualenv on Cygwin

I recently made Linux my platform for development, Firstly ue to the similarity with my production platform. Secondly because most open source programming tool performs optimally in Linux based system.

However, unless I replace my ageing system with a Mac, I will still need Windows OS for my small day to day works. So I have been doing most of my techical jobs on Ubuntu 12, installed ob Oracle VirtualBox.

However, I have been noticing some annoying delay, which prompted me to consider using Cygwin.

After pulling my hair a bit, I managed to figure out how to install python developement tools on Cygwin.

1. Install Python. 
2. Download and unzip pip. 
3. Install by going into the expanded directory and running python setup.py in a command prompt.
4. Set the %PYTHONHOME% system variable to the python base directory, (i.e. C:\Python27\) and adding the python base directory and script directory (i.e. C:\Python27\Scripts) to your %PATH% system variable.
5. Install Cygwin WITHOUT Python. The previous step tells Cygwin to use the Windows binary.
6. Install Cygwin-Virtualenvwrapper using pip install https://bitbucket.org/cliffxuan/virtualenvwrapper-for-cygwin-windows-python/get/tip.tar.gz
7. Install virtualenvwrapper-win using pip install virtualenvwrapper-win
8. Make a symlink between Cygwin's virtualenvhome directory and Windows's using ln -s /cygdrive/c/Users/<USER>/Envs/ ~/.virtualenvs
9. Add the following to Cygwin's .bashrc file: 

export VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PYTHON="/cygdrive/c/Python27/python.exe"
export VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_VIRTUALENV="/cygdrive/c/Python27/Scripts/virtualenv.exe"
source virtualenvwrapper.sh

 
10. Go to C:\User\<username>\Env (or other %VIRTUALENV_HOME% location) and use virtualenv to start a new environment. Doing this allows virtualenvwrapper-win's workon command to work.

Happy 54th NIGERIA!

Its Nigeria 54th Independence, and am happy to join all other Nigeria to say HAPPY INDENPENCE DAY NIGERIA.

Our future is better than our past!!

And thanks to the people from @Google for the beautiful doodle

Only in Nigeria!

• its only in Nigeria that airports get flooded oh
•  only in Nigeria Health, Education, Security and Agriculture are on the negative scale!!!
• Only in Nigeria you see such rubbish!  
• Its only in Nigeria people vote Name
• It's only in Nigeria; dat u'll be judged on wat u wear, music taste, hw u act on social ntwrks, wat u luk like, nd evn d kinda phone u use
• Its only in Nigeria that a football club's Twitter account will be flirting with a female follower.
• Only in Nigeria will the supposed cure for something have killed more people than the disease itself
• Ex-Nigeria coach Chief Adegboye Onigbinde: “It is only in Nigeria that a carpenter is allowed to run sports and most especially football."
• Only in Nigeria can you rewrite recent history

... a few selection from Twitter

Few things ticks me off like the "Only in Nigeria" phrase. This is very pertinent in social media, by "critics" to protest one incident or the other.
Its has become so pervasive, that even supposedly enlightened people have joined/leading the bandwagon.

It is more annoying because.

• It cannot be true
• Even if its true (or not), does it make it right?
• It amounts to intellectual laziness

Often, the individual making the statement, seems to make it for the effect, not for any intellectual purpose!

A better response below:

Small advice: Before you say 'Only in Nigeria' ask Google. You could get 7509782 results in 0.75 secs.
— Aunty Abigail (@Anabagail) August 21, 2014

Its "Only in Nigeria" that people think things happen "Only in Nigeria". There i have said it.. does its sound stupid?

Deploying a Flask Project on WebFaction with Git

I found it tedious having to redo the setup of my application on WebFaction whenever there is a new update of the application. I started looking for way to update the content of the application, without affecting the setup configurations of the application on WebFaction.

Step 1: Add your site to Your WebFaction Account

From your WebFaction console:

1.       Log into your WebFaction Console

2.       Go to your “Websites” tab, click the “Add New Website” button

3.      Enter the website name and domains as needed for your project

4.      Under the Contents section, choose Add an Application > Create a New Application

1.      Name to "myapp" 

2.      Set App Category to “mod_wsgi”

3.      App Type should be the most recent version of mod_wsgi that supports your Python version. Make sure that your Python version matches with your mod_wsgi choice ( “mod_wsgi 3.5/Python 2.7″ for this guide).

4.      Click the Save button to add that application

5.      Click the Save button to save your website

Now your WebFaction account should have a new domain, website, and mod_wsgi application.

Step 2: SSH into your new application

First, you’ll need to SSH into your webfaction account. Once you’re there, cd into your newly created application:

cd ~/webapps/myapp

In this directory, you’ll see two folders:

- apache2/      # This contains all of your Apache config and action files

- htdocs/       # This is the folder Apache looks into (by default) to launch your project

Step 3: Upload your Flask project using Git

Upload the project/ folder to the application directory using Git. "myapp" directory is created

git clone https://username@bitbucket.org/uobis0/myapp.git
 
 ==OR==

git init
git remote add origin https://username@bitbucket.org/uobis0/myapp.git
git fetch
git branch master origin/master
git checkout master

Now, my ~/webapps/myapp directory list looks like the following:

- apache2/

- myapp/

    - config.py

    - libs/

    - app/

        - static/

        - templates/

        - __init__.py

        - views.py

        - models.my

- htdocs/

All following instructions will assume you’re still in this directory.

virtualenv venv --python=python2.7
. venv/bin/activate
easy_install-2.7 flask    # Installs flask package for the app
pip install -r /myapp/app/requirements.txt  # Installs the packages for the app
deactivate

Step 4: Edit apache2/conf/httpd.conf

Using your favorite command line editor, open up the apache2/conf/httpd.conf file:

vim ~/webapps/myapp/apache2/conf/httpd.conf

Load Alias module

You’ll see a section where Apache Modules are being loaded. I had to manually add the Alias module to the bottom of the list (shown below).

LoadModule dir_module        modules/mod_dir.so

LoadModule env_module        modules/mod_env.so

LoadModule log_config_module modules/mod_log_config.so

LoadModule mime_module       modules/mod_mime.so

LoadModule rewrite_module    modules/mod_rewrite.so

LoadModule setenvif_module   modules/mod_setenvif.so

LoadModule wsgi_module       modules/mod_wsgi.so

LoadModule alias_module      modules/mod_alias.so    #Your version of mod_wsgi might not need to add this.

Modify <Directory>

Add the following parameters to your <Directory> section:

<Directory /home/username/webapps/myapp/htdocs>

    AddHandler wsgi-script .py 

    RewriteEngine On

    RewriteBase /    

    WSGIScriptReloading On

</Directory>

Now for the final edit of the config file.

Add Aliases

Finally, at the end of the file, add the following lines:

# This will ensure that domain.com/static points to the flask static directory

Alias /static/ /home/username/webapps/myapp/myapp/app/static/

# This points to the file that launches the site

Alias / /home/username/webapps/myapp/htdocs/index.py/

Step 5: Make sure your init.py file is right (optional)

Ensure that, whatever your structure, your project’s __init__.py file is launching your Flask application. This is what the file at ~/webapps/myapp/myapp/app/__init__.py should look like:

from flask import Flask

# Setting up the App

app = Flask(__name__)

app.config.from_object('config')

# Importing the views for the rest of our site

from app import views

 if __name__ == '__main__':

    app.run()

This will work nicely with our htdocs/index.py file, which we’ll set up next.

Step 6: Modify the htdocs/index.py file

WebFaction should have created this file. In it are a few scripts, but you can completely remove those. Here is what the ~/webapps/myapp/htdocs/index.py file should contain:

import sys

# Active your Virtual Environment, which I'm assuming you've already setup

activate_this='/home/username/webapps/myapp/venv/bin/activate_this.py'

execfile(activate_this, dict(__file__=activate_this))

# Appending our Flask project files

sys.path.append('/home/username/webapps/myapp/myapp')

# Launching our app

from main import app as application

Step 7: Restart Apache

The last step will be to restart apache, like so:

~/webapps/myapp/apache2/bin/restart

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble, take a look at your logs in the ~/logs/users/ directory.

Application Updates

The steps above makes updates very easy:

cd ~/webapps/myapp/myapp
git pull https://username@bitbucket.org/uobis0/myapp.git

~/webapps/myapp/apache2/bin/restart

NIS Job Test Charade!

Five things comes to mind after hearing that 7 people died yesterday while trying to write an Exam for Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS)

1. We have a serious problem of Unemployment in Nigeria
2. We have very undisciplined youth? Why did "gatecrashers" jump into a hall when they were not invited?
3. The Exam organizers are incompetent and corrupt!
4. One of Minister of Interior or DG NIS should be sacked for this charade..
5. Nobody who respect him/her self should put him/herself through that!

Lastly, I will like to find out from the President and Minister of Finance/Cordinating minister for Econony the qustion US President George Bush asks Head of State

“What keeps you up at night?”

Rampaging REDS!!

In March 15, 2009, Liverpool played one of the most complete game i have seen in Old Trafford.

Exactly 5 years later, we played another wonderful game, although this time, Liverpool came as favorites.

The score looks as good as before, so i say YNWA!! Common REDS!!