Leopard Server Wiki Woes – Possible “Fix”

Posted on 3 Nov 2011 by Shawn Pullum

DOS uses the excellent Apple Wiki software that is bundled with Mac OS X Server. However, we discovered a few bugs as browsers were updated over time:

  • Incompatible with Google Chrome – trying to log in would result in a “8002 Invalid Session” error
  • Bugs when using Firefox 4+ (maybe others) – clicking Edit would show the Edit Toolbar but not put the page content in an editor, so it looked like the View mode (and wouldn’t work)

My assumption is that the JavaScript was using later-invalid syntax, or that previously ignored bugs now crashed the interpreter. I could “fix” the Firefox bug by refreshing the page a few times, or by logging out. However, it became so annoying I stopped using the Wiki as much as before.

Today I thought: “what if the JavaScript library on a newer version of OS X Server was compatible?” I tossed the code into Firebug and found the specific file that threw an error when I clicked Edit (sometimes): wikiserver_api.js

This file is located in /usr/share/collaboration/javascript

I decided to try Snow Leopard Server’s copy instead of Lion’s since it would be (hopefully) more compatible (and less likely to render the system unusable). I renamed the old file, scp’ed the new file, and it seems to be working =D

Users can now use Chrome with our Wikis, and the Edit button works in Firefox and Chrome on the first try.

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Server woes

Posted on 3 Feb 2011 by Shawn Pullum

Hi all,

Working late tonight. This is my second attempt at a server hard disk upgrade for our “IT box” that serves Wikis, handles e-mail, and processing user logins. If you are thinking this box does too many things, I totally agree. We’re going to split up services later this month when we get a new box.

My hope was to clone the primary hard drive on top of a bigger hard drive. The first time I tried Carbon Copy Cloner (great program). The image worked perfectly, but I made the mistake of partitioning the new drive under Snow Leopard.  By default, Disk Utility uses “GUID Partition Table”, which will not boot on the Mac Pro G5 Tower that we are using (older Macs use Apple Partition Map).

This time, I decided to try Disk Utility. I dragged ServerHD to the “source” area, and put the new drive in the destination. After 45 minutes, I returned to a “read/write error”.
At first, I thought “oh well, I’ll try again later”, but I started to get worried when Disk Utility couldn’t see the original disk anymore. It complained that “the disk isn’t mounted” so I restarted the computer. It wouldn’t boot up… Tried again, no luck. I got a flashing Globe icon that I’m assuming means “trying to network boot”.

My heart sank in my chest. I immediately decided to grab the machine and take it back to my office. Luckily, for some strange reason it worked over here. I had hooked up an external, bootable (not really… we partitioned it as GUID too, ugh) hard drive.

Now I have it running and I am using Carbon Copy Cloner live on the boot volume. I’ll get everything backed up and put it back tomorrow morning. Whew! I’m running into all those errors you read about but don’t dream you’ll see. We do have backups, luckily, but I’m thinking I will make it out when I wanted to leave.

Wish me luck UCI and the world :)

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Hi everyone

Posted on 30 Jan 2011 by Shawn Pullum

I’m going to use this blog to document interesting ideas, news stories I like, projects we are working on in DOS-IT/SA-IT/OIT, and other streams of consciousness. Hopefully it will be somewhat interesting.

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