Setting up Nginx in front of Apache2 on Ubuntu Server

I love my little Linode (shameless referral link), running several sites on the smallest instance available which gives just 512Mb of memory. With the popularity of HL Twitter and Plex Export, I pretty often max out the available memory and Apache starts dropping requests. So I recently set about looking at the best way to reduce my memory footprint and settled on dropping Nginx in front of Apache. This guide explains how and why. Continue reading »

First Timer Builder, Long Time Architect

Within the world of web applications, and much more relevantly within PHP, there is an abundant choice of frameworks available for use. It almost goes without saying that any project begun nowadays has at its foundation some form of framework, if only to remove the tedious repetition every project involves (requests, routes, database, caching etc). Within this world of frameworks though, two groups continually push to create new frameworks. Continue reading »

HydraHack

It’s always good when geeks get together. Well for geeks at least, most people’s eyes just glaze over at the first mention of programming. As such this is a quick bloggie to let all the web devs in the Brum area know about HydraHack, an informal meetup arranged by Tom Martin (a colleague at 383).

HydraHack is a monthly meetup for web developers in Birmingham, who enjoy getting together and making things.

Come along, show off your latest creation and have a few cuppas at Urban Coffee Co.

2010 -> 2011

2010. It’s being an absolutely amazing year personally and I’m sad to see it end, but as ever time marches on. This post serves to sum up everything I’ve done this year and what I’m looking forward to in 2011. Continue reading »