Amy Abatangle

I finally got around to getting a proper development server set up on my new MacBook Pro. As a web developer, it’s invaluable to have a local server to test projects before sending them out into the world.

During my time as an engineering manager, I made sure that we had a development, test and staging server set up as part of the QA process. Recreating these exacting conditions as an independent contractor can be challenging, but a local development server is a great place to start.

I’ve used a lot of different rigs in the past, usually involving one or more dual-boot Linux/Windows boxes. I’m now working primarily from my MacBook and enjoy the portability. Having a local server has several advantages, not the least of which is not having to ssh into another box. I also like being able to work offline; this allows me to truly work anywhere.

Now I can get that same LAMP goodness for my Mac without tedious installs of Apache, MySQL and PHP (which replaced Perl for me once blog software became the CMS of choice). Cue the MAMP!

MAMP is Mac, Apache, MySQL and PHP and it is glorious. One download, one install and it works. That’s it. If you can follow an install wizard, you can be up and running with the MAMP in a matter of seconds. There’s an easy control panel that indicates server status, so you always know what’s going on without opening up a terminal. I laid WordPress over it, and was testing a client’s new blog in just a few minutes.

Aren’t Apache and PHP already installed on OS X? Here’s what the MAMP FAQ says about it:

At the moment, when using OS X, only Apache 1.3.x with PHP 4.3.2 is pre-installed. PHP has to be activated by changing the configuration files. The Apache/PHP versions provided by Apple are not always up-to-date, and the Apache-PHP combination is quite slow. In addition, MySQL has to be installed manually.

With one click, and in just a few minutes MAMP will install Apache 2, current PHP 4, current PHP 5 and MySQL. Using the included eAccelerator, PHP-scripts are executed up to ten times faster compared to Apple’s pre-installed Apache/PHP. When you use the MAMP programme, you can easily start and stop the server. Thus, the server does not have to be running in the background all the time, wasting precious resources. To “uninstall” MAMP, you only have to delete the MAMP directory and everything returns to the original state (MAMP does not alter anything on the “normal” OS X).

If your development work involves more than Dreamweaver and Photoshop, I highly recommend checking out the MAMP.

I’ve finally turned my on-again, off-again relationship with knitting and crochet into a full-fledged hobby, complete with its own online presence. :)  I spent a shocking number of hours this weekend setting up my PayPal account, Etsy shop and designing the template for the patterns that I will be selling. It was a great chance to brush up on my Adobe InDesign skills, but I’m sure glad it’s finished!

I’m really enjoying the design process. Designing for crochet feels at once sculptural, but also a little like programming. Add that to the cute/kawaii aesthetic, and I’m definitely “hooked”. :P

The 2010 campaign of Ronald “Scott” Owens for District Attorney of Placer County is kicking off next month, and the website I’ve built to support it has launched at scottowensforda.org.

I built the site in WordPress and designed a custom template. I think this will allow for easy updates, and the blog platform feels appropriately conversational for a campaign. I’m using PayPal for tickets and donations, and Flickr for the photostream.

I’ll be supporting the site on an ongoing basis and am looking forward to keeping pace with the campaign.

The political campaign website is well underway. I’ve got a beta version out, but the content needs to be polished a bit. The design is simple, but I’m hoping it will last through the 2010 election.

I’m now working with a stealth-mode start-up in the security space. I’ll be able to discuss more about my role a bit later. Right now, I’m working on getting a blog up-and-running for the founders.

I’m looking forward to travel later in the month. Happy Holiday Hiatus!

evolt.org has a consolidated, updated character entity chart. Incredibly useful; no more hunting and pecking. There’s no excuse now for poor typography.