Nginx + PHP-FPM : $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] returning itself twice

Writing this down here in case anyone else encounters the same.

I got the $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] returning itself twice (eg. /123.php/123.php instead of /123.php as it should be) with my Nginx and PHP-FPM server. (Nginx 0.7.61, PHP 5.3.0)

Seems that the issue lies with the fastcgi configuration that I used. Make sure that this is not set.

# fastcgi_param PATH_INFO $fastcgi_script_name; #do not use, causes php_self to screw up

Ubuntu on Acer Aspire One cannot see or join wireless network

In case anyone encounters the same problems, hopefully this saves the sanity of these people trying to troubleshoot this.

I'm using an Acer Aspire One A150, running Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10, madwifi-hal drivers as instructed here.

I was not able to see my wireless network even though it could detect and join other networks.  The problem was caused by the wireless network being set to a radio channel higher than 11.

Possible solutions:

1) (recommended) Change the wireless AP channel to between 1 and 11.

2) If (1) is not possible for you, follow squire_uk's forum post made on February 10th, 2009, 06:11 PM for his fix.

References:

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne#Install Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10 on the Acer Aspire One
• http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1056042.html

Java Control Panel in Vista

It seems that Java’s Control Panel needs administrator rights in order for some configurations to work, but when I need to configure settings for the current user, it becomes a pain in some part of the body.

Here’s how to open the Java control panel using the user account and not the administrator account:

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Java (where you installed Java)
   
   
2. Press F3 for search
3. Type in cpl and search for the file
4. You should see the cpl files used to launch the Java control panel
   
   
5. Double click on it to run it using the current user account
   
   
6. After doing what you need to do, when the applet closes, Vista might prompt to always open the cpl file using administrator rights. Say NO! (select “This control panel works correctly”)
   

To run it using administrator rights, instead of step 5, right click on the cpl file and select “Run as administrator”)

To troubleshoot a printer

[Dated 13/03/2008]

Yifen's printer had been giving her problems since last night: the paper refused to load into the printer and print. She thought that the printer was dead, and now we need to get another one.

When I looked at the printer, it really didn't load the paper in properly somehow, and it couldn't print as a result.

So in order to find out why the paper wasn't loading...
Tried to "guide" the paper in: failed.
Tried to open the front panel of the printer and look for jammed stuff inside: nothing found.

Thought the paper was too damp from the constant raining these few days, and thus becoming too soft to be loaded properly. =O Tried loading a different set of paper: failed.

Then I noticed that the paper was jamming in an odd (and consistent) way: it always tilted to the right when loading, before it stopped there. So the only reason left was that there's something jamming the printer from that end, on the left side...

Succumbing to desperation and curiosity, I put away my common sense and inserted my hand into the printer feeder's left portion (whilst it was trying to load more paper!), and as expected, I felt something furry in there...

Thought it was a dustball that was stuck there somehow. But it sure felt BIG. How could a dustball of such a size appear so suddenly? And in a printer?

I managed to grab an endge of the "dustball", hoping to pull it out to remove bit by bit, and guess what I found instead?

Some used tissue paper...that had somehow flown in and gotten lodged in the printer! -_-

Moral of the story: never leave used tissue paper lying around, especially on printers. Heh.