Dream Host: V11.12 December 2009

DreamHost Newzealetter v11.12 December 2009

0. Introduction.
1. New: Ceph, the open source scalable distributed file system!
2. New: WSGI on Passenger!
3. New: Super-fast nginx web server on Private Servers!
4. New: Chartbeat real-time web analytics!
5. DreamHost API: added flash media FLV conversion!
6. DHSOTM

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0. Introduction.

Hello there. I'm sure you're as happy as I am to finally get your hands
on the December 2009 Happy DreamHost Newsletter. I'll now give you a
moment to wipe the finger grease off your screen. Just kidding, I'm just
going to keep right on going!

You're probably thinking to yourself, "There is no possible excuse for
having the December 2009 newsletter three full weeks into 2010!" Well,
I forgive you. Because unless you, unlike me, have been reading the
DreamHost Blog, there's no possible WAY you could know that I've been in
Wellington, New Zealand the last THREE DAYS!

So really, it's three full weeks plus one day into 2010!


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1. New: Ceph, the open source scalable distributed file system!

Why are we here? Well, it's not to soak up the Jaffa lollis nor to ride
the trolleys, THAT's for sure. And it's not so we can say "have here"
when we're eating FOR here, nor is it so we can always go up to the
counter to pay after eating, even at a super fancy $150-a-person restaurant.

Nope, it's all for the "Australian" Linux Conference,

http://www.lca2010.org.nz/

which is still a little confusing for us, because I know for damn sure
an "American" Linux Conference would NEVER ever be held in Iran. Which is
the closest thing we Yanks have to the Australia-New Zealand relationship.

But, as I mention in the blog post I haven't read:

http://blog.dreamhost.com/2010/01/18/happy-new-year-zealand/

We're here for an actual purpose... Sage is giving a talk on Ceph, our
open source project to develop a highly scalable, reliable, distributed
file system for linux!

http://ceph.newdream.net/

In fact, Ceph is practically what you'd call "stable" at this point
(which is not to say it's "production-ready"!), and we've actually begun
testing it as a backup/replacement for our poor backup.dreamhost.com
server (who's been having a terrible time for months)!

If YOU would like to give Ceph a try, please, download away... it's free!

Also, we're going to be setting up a "playground" test-bed where anybody
can try out a Ceph installation we set up and maintain in our data
center. If you're interested, just email beta@ceph.newdream.net, and
we'll send you an invitation when it's ready!


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2. New: WSGI on Passenger!

Another reason we're not in New Zealand.. to do a lot of programming or
write any newsletters. But, it turns out all the pubs close around 10pm
here in Wellington, so whatever.

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Passenger_WSGI

What is WSGI? Besides the radio station at 1100 AM in Springfield,
Tennessee? Well, I just found out that it's a "Web Server Gateway
Interface", and that it "defines a simple and universal interface
between web servers and web applications or frameworks for the Python
programming language."

Hmm, a lot of time could probably be saved on newsletter writing if
everybody were as good at Google as I am.

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Django

What does WSGI on Passenger mean for YOU, as a happy DreamHost newsletter
reader? Basically it means that: DreamHost is now THE premiere web host
for Django application hosting! All you have to do is enable the
"Passenger" option when adding a new domain, and then follow the
instructions in the above wiki article and WHAMMO you've got the best
durn Django solution this side of $10!

And if you need more, boom, upgrade to DreamHost PS and you're
seamlessly on your way to THAT side of $10.. with SUPER-fast nginx to
boot!


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3. New: Super-fast nginx web server on Private Servers!

Just for a moment, imagine that the equator is a giant $10 bill, all
stretched around the circumference of the globe, per month.

Now most of you are in the Northern hemisphere, which is this side of
$10. BUT, there are a number of you who, like me for the next 3 days,
are on THAT side of $10... i.e. you have a DreamHost Private Server!

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=vserver.provision

For those Kiwis, Aussies, and people who DO have a DreamHost PS, or are
about to add one right after reading what I'm about to say, check out
what I'm about to say:

We now have nginx support on DreamHost PS! What's nginx? It's a SUPER-
fast and SUPER-lightweight web server alternative to Apache.. see the
benchmarks we ran:

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Web_Server_Performance_Comparison

Pretty pretty good.

To switch to nginx on your DreamHost PS, just visit:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=vserver.settings

But keep in mind not EVERYTHING that we offer works on nginx.. see?

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Alternative_Web_Servers


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4. New: Chartbeat real-time web analytics!

For those of you not interested in DreamHost PS, nginx, Django, or WSGI,
but still considering a move South, let me offer to you yet another
method to arrive at THAT side of $10: Chartbeat Analytics!

http://blog.dreamhost.com/2009/12/14/introducing-chartbeat/

I know, I know, we announced this feature on the blog over a month ago,
what makes it newsletter-worthy NOW? Hmm. I dunno. How about the fact
that this is the December 2009 newsletter?!

Anyway, Chartbeat gives you all kinds of sweet real-time stats for your
web site, and all you have to do is put a little javascript snippet in
your HTML. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial right from our panel:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=goodies.chartbeat

and then you get the stats integrated into our Manage Domains area and
for just an additional $9.95/month (after the free trial). You'll be
on your way to eventually moving all the way down to Antarctica, per
month!


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5. DreamHost API: added flash media FLV conversion!

By this point most of you are probably thinking, geez, isn't there a
feature for those of us who are happy living in a place with winter in
the winter, summer in the summer, and toilets flushing the correct
direction? Must EVERY new feature (other than WSGI and ceph of course)
incur a new cost? Must the relentless death march of progress BLEED ME
DRY!?

Fine. The DreamHost API (Application Programming Interface) is always
going to be free, free, and more FREE! And also continuously (slowly?)
add features, features, and more BUGS! Ha, FEATURES! Such as:

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/API#services-flvencoder

Which means you can now launch our Flash media converter service on any
files you've uploaded to your account via our API! Remember, if you want
to check out (or add to) any of the cool (mostly FREE) applications
people have written using our API, visit:

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/API_Apps


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6. DHSOTM

Oh wait, did I almost forget another Arctic feature that has been tried
and true for more than a decade, the DreamHost Site of the Month? I sure
did not. And this month's winner, as always, seems to be a flash-based
portfolio site!

http://www.oich.com.ar/nuevo/

However, after over 11 years, maybe it is time for a little shake-up to
the DHSOTM. Maybe next newsletter will have some news in this regard.

http://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=home.dhsotm

Maybe.


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Haere ra,
Josh Jones!

P.S. Content to stay put? Unsubscribe from all this money-moving-madness
at: https://panel.dreamhost.com/id/?tab=contact