Poleris

I do all my writing in an Etherpad private space. When Etherpad closed, I used its "Export all pads" function to save my work. Now there are a host of Etherpad clones. Unfortunately, there is no way to import that original zip file. I did not want to create and copy-paste hundreds of pads, so I made a script to automate the process.

This was a relatively easy process because I had already created a blog platform using Etherpad as a back-end. See: <http://annotalia.com>. Just wanted to share the below with HN in case others had my same predicament.

Instructions:

1. Download the script at <http://gist.github.com/461767>.

2. Register a private space at an Etherpad clone. Right now, I've tested <http://titanpad.com>.

3. Create a log file at <../log/etherpad.log>.

4. Make sure all relevant rubygems are installed.

5. Replace http://YOUR_SUBDOMAIN.titanpad.com/', 'YOUR_EMAIL', 'YOUR_PASSWORD' at the end of the file with your credentials.

6. Extract your original zip file to a folder. Run the script with that folder as an argument.

I've only tested it on my own server, but I will try to help you to get it to work if you post a comment. Apologies for the messiness of the code: I did it in a hurry.

Hello all,

I have a couple of small personal projects I've been working on over the years and I was wondering if they would be of use to anyone:

1. nginx configuration generator

  N.new('annotalia.com') { proxy(2666) } >> gen[:machine1]
  N.new('.eshao.es') { pppr } >> gen[:machine2]
  N.new('research.dsoglobal.org') { doku } >> gen[:machine3]

Ends up as a fully configured proxy to port 2666, a domain that supports perl/python/php/ruby, and a doku configuration respectively. It only generates the nginx configuration, but I've found it really helpful to setup my multiple sites. Currently, it supports most normal use-cases (like subdomains, specifying log locations, etc.) as well as specific applications like Wordpress, Rails, and Mailman. And of course, extensible.

An example configuration file can be found at: <http://dl.dropbox.com/u/146184/config.rb>, just so you can get an idea of how concise it is.

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2. Puppet configurations

I use puppet extensively to manage all my machines and have a ton of configurations which are accompanied by documentation on setup and any miscellaneous gotchas. Although FreeBSD-exclusive, I put a lot of thought into each file and code elegance (using macros, etc.) which might be helpful to others.

An example manifest can be found at: <http://dl.dropbox.com/u/146184/mailman.pp>.

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3. Blogging platform using Etherpad as a backend

I love writing in Etherpad. So much, I made an entire blogging platform which is controlled from within Etherpad. You edit configuration, tags on posts, and posts themselves (in Markdown) in Etherpad and everything gets cached locally as static HTML on the backend.

An example "Etherblog" can be found at <http://annotalia.com>.

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My assumption is that (1) would be suitable for github, (2) should go somewhere in the puppet wiki/github, and (3) should be discussed with the Etherpad folks first. But I honestly have no clue where to start and even less of an idea of whether these are valuable enough to bother open-sourcing. I do know that all of this needs to be cleaned up and I am only willing to do the work if someone will benefit.

So HN, please lend me your advice on:

* If you would find any of these projects personally interesting or useful?

* How you would go about open-sourcing the projects? Any good guides out there?

* Most importantly, if any of you would be willing to mentor me through the process, I'd really appreciate it. My email is in my profile. Would be great to have someone comment on my code quality and guide me through brainstorming anyone I need to contact, putting something up on github, and publicizing the projects.

Sorry for the long post and thank you for your time! - Edwin

Hi all,

My situation is this:

* I have several websites that are starting to generate revenue via subscription models.

* I would like to form an LLC to shelter myself from legal liability. Doubt VCs would be interested, so no C-Corp.

* I need to choose a state to incorporate it.

* I'd love to incorporate in my 'home state,' but I don't really have one. I usually move every year or so.

My objectives are:

* Simplify the process as much as possible. I hate filing forms and dealing with legal hassles.

* Pay as little income tax as legally possible.

So my questions are:

* Do you have any advice on where to incorporate?

* Given the virtual nature of my business, in what states would I be considered to have a "nexus," and thus have to file taxes? (Paid) subscribers will be from every state.

* Do any of you have thoughts or anecdotes on the Vermont Virtual Corporation?

* Do you have any recommendations on books I can read to give myself a better background?

Thank you!

With hard drives becoming ever cheaper, it looks more and more attractive to host backups in the clouds or at least off-site. The problem is I can't find a solution for my own needs:

* 200 gigs of data across 10 computers.

* Would prefer simple shell/cli access (scp/rsync/etc.)

Here are the major suggestions from browsing old discussions and why they don't work for me:

Amazon S3 - Would cost too much at $.15 per gig.

Mozy - No cli, costs too much at 5.95 per computer. Would also rather blur distinctions between computers.

Dreamhost - Pursuing those breaking TOS.

A solution such as Dreamhost would be perfect for me, but I can't find a shared host that allows using their services for backups/persistent storage. And Slicehost doesn't support expanding hard drive space (although I'm sure it would cost too much if they did.)

Am I stuck with my brick at home I currently use to do backups?