Samba Upgrade, Toolkit & Bees So I had to build a new PDC. Simple right? Seeing as how I had been working on an installation script for Samba + LDAP + PHPLDAPAdmin on kubuntu, it should be simple enough on RHEL right? ... WRONG! Let me say it's not Red Hat's fault really, it's just a slightly different setup. The major problems were due to the fact the PDC I was upgrading was Samba 2, and LDAP 2. We were moving to Samba 3, and LDAP 3. That proved to be not all that much fun.

Of course there are going to be changes. The samba schemas have changed ... but changed in a big, big way. Oh yeah ... those new things called SIDs? So it was not as simple as an export / import. Thank goodness that the samba group has update scripts to take your LDIF dump and create a new better one. I thought that was going to be easy, but after 4 hours of tweaking the system to install the needed CPAN modules, export the data from the RH8 box, and see if an import worked was more than I bargained for.

After some slight testing, and getting the new PDC working in a test environmment it was ready. So last Tuesady was the day to switch the office over. Too bad it was not a full bore switch, but rather splitting users to the new PDC, and leaving some on the old. Well my sleep schedule is all messed up, I haven't slept the night before, already been at one clients. The new PDC should be as easy as switch the windows domains right? WRONG!

So users with 3GB of MP3s on their desktop, incorrect profiles, LDAP records that do not work, and all sorts of other problems made the night fun, and long. We did not even leave the office until after midnight. Manually copying data into profiles, discovering laptops that have local profiles only, and then joining the new domain the system decides to never ever create and use the network profile. Startup scripts seem to half work, user accounts half work. It seems to be all glued together ... I've only been awake for 40 hours now. The very last thing we discover is that the mail server handling all accounts that have now been split between people is LDAP tied in ... aw crap! So users who we changed to the new PDC, and had to create new accounts for, no longer had email, since their passwords were changed, and the Mail authed against the old LDAP ... so back into the office in the morning ... all seems to be fixed now

In between some of that noise, we have been launching the toolkit web system at another client. I was involved with the user training, and key personnel meetings. It seemed to go rather well. As a developer, I am finally getting feedback from the user base need to make this system move along. I had a few more sleepless nights, but they have a pro rata calculator, global contact books, way better search functionality, reparenting of folder in the DMS, document uploads in the commercial system, and a ton of other smaller cool features and fixes.

AJ and I were talking about how it has gone over much better than we ever expected. There was of course some resistance from certain people which is to be expected, but there was also reall enthusiasm from a large protion of the staff. I've been hearing lots of good comments, and general appreciation for all of the efforts we have put in.

During this time, I wasn't sleeping much, and it was blistering hot for a few days. I got home late one night and stripped down and sat in front of the computer to read email, and unwind. After a few minutes I heard the zzzt zzzt of something baning into the light above me. I figured there was a fly in the house. To my shock when I looked above I saw the BIGGEST bee I have ever seen in my life.

I am deathly afraid of bees / wasps. I am not allergic, but had an incident as a child. You want to see a 400 lb man scream like a girl ... bees. I jumped up and ran into my room and closed the door. After staring at the door for a minute ... completely frozen I thought to myself "what the hell are you doing?". I ventured out into my apartment again. I heard nothing So I sat back down and a couple of minutes later the jumbo jet airplane with a stinger was back. I froze again and try to follow him around the apartment. After a few minutes, realizing I was naked and it would hurt being stung on any portion of my exposed flesh, I went to put some clothes on. So now wearing a hat, sweater, and heavy jeans in 30 degree plus heat I was ready to do battle.

I rolled up a pad of paper in half and decided that would suffice as a weapon. So I began the hunt of the little yellow zebra with wings. So now there is the 400 lb man creeping up inches at a time to the bee crawling around on my ceiling close to the light. Finally I had my chance as he was far enough away from the light as to not shatter glass all over myself. I swung ... hit the bastard and pulled my club away. To my surprise this flying tanker truck now started to head directly at me. HOLY SHIT! Now I've made him mad ... so off I retreat into my room again. Heart pounding ... sweat dripping down ... terrified!

Alright ... one last time to venture into battle. I was not to be defeated this time. I stalked, and watched my arch rival until I had my chance. WHAM! I struck the blow for all mankind once again. And once again he came flying right towards me. In a muppet like flailing I smashed him mid air which knocked him senseless to the kitchen floor. I seized my opportunity and repeatedly smashed the terror of Andy's apartment to death. There was no bug explosion, no mess ... just simply the carcass of the stining winged creature lying on my kitchen floor.

It took my heart about 3 hours to get back to normal. And I was simply to drained to deal with the remains of the deceased. He lay there for a day, until I finally scooped him up into the trash, and tossed the bag into the dumpster. I really, really don't like bees.  ¶ 1:50:00 AM