pdf Archives - WithoutInk

How to Install CUPS-PDF Virtual PDF Printer in Snow Leopard

December 25, 2009 By Matt 14 Comments

CUPS-PDF is a really cool virtual PDF printer. Macs have been able to print to PDF for awhile now, but the process takes more clicks that it should. Enter CUPS-PDF, this is a little backend app, that installs a virtual PDF Printer on your Mac. Why would you want to do this? Well, if you are like me and you print to PDF more than you print to paper – you can save a number of clicks. Another nice thing, is that all the PDFs are saved in a common location.

How to Install CUPS-PDF in Snow Leopard
1. Download CUPS-PDF here [http://www.codepoetry.net/projects/cups-pdf-for-mosx]
2. Install CUPS-PDF
3. Open Terminal run the following command:
sudo chmod 0700 /usr/libexec/cups/backend/cups-pdf

Next we have to setup the Virtual PDF Printer
1. Open up Print & Fax Pref.pane
2. Add a new Printer by clicking the + button
3. Select: Default (The printers should start to propagate)
4. Select: CUPS-PDF
5. Select: Print Using – Generic Postscript Driver
6. Click: Add

Since Snow Leopard arrived there were some enhancements to security, so we have to run some commands to get everything to work…
1. In The finder select: GO > GO TO FOLDER
2. Enter: /etc/cups/
3. Click: GO
4. Open the file: cups-pdf.conf
5. Find: a line that starts with OUT and place a # before it (thus commenting the line out)
6. Find: a line that starts with AnonDirName and place an # before that as well.
7. Save the file, rewriting the original. Your Mac will require you to enter your password to commit the changes.
8. Open Terminal
9. Run the following command:
sudo ln -s /var/spool/cups-pdf/username /Users/username/cups-pdf
(replacing “username” with your username)

Now anytime you print to PDF via the CUPS-PDF Virtual printer, all the PDFs that are generated will be in your Home folder inside a folder called: CUPS-PDF. You can also, set the printed as default so you can just type: ?+P then hit Return to generate a PDF 😉

Matt

Matt is a Systems Development Director for a multinational franchise. Matt has lived and worked in Hawaii, Chicago, South Florida and currently resides outside of Atlanta. He enjoys his hobbies including Technology, Gadgets/EDC, Fountain Pens, Wetshaving, Clocks, Antiques & Coffee. He even roasts his own coffee weekly.

withoutink.com

Top Secret Tools of the SEO Trade – PubCon 2008

November 13, 2008 By Matt Leave a Comment

Up First:

Todd Malicoat
www.stuntdubl.com
www.marketmotive.com

Browser Tools:
1. User agent Switcher – chrispederick.com/work/user-agent-switcher
2. techpatterns.com
3. quirk.biz/searchstatus – show back links

Domain / Server Level Tools:
1. Google “header checker”
2. Espion – looking for true 301 redirects
3. liveheaders.cm
4. siteuptime.com/users/quickcheck.php – free siteuptime
5. domaintools Bookmarklet – whois.sc/yourdomainhere.com
6. domaintools.com
7. domain monitor – domaintools.com
8. ip query – search.live.com/results.aspx?=ipaddy
9. average ping – dns-tools.domaintoos.com/?q=domaingoeshere

Keyword Tools:
1. wordtracker.com
2. wordzy.com
3. tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/index.php – KW Tool

Competitive Info:
1. tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html – seo for firefox
2. spyfu.com – top of the list tool – can learn cpc on competitors will show top organic competitors etc
3. compete.com – add competitors and see who gets the most results / sortable – who has the best marketshare

Ranking Checker Tools:
1. advancedwebranking.com/download.html – paid but awesome – reporting tool can be used to cover your ass

backlinks:
1. linkhounds.com/link-harvester/ – great tool to report on backlinks
2. linkhounds.com/hub-finder/ – see links competitors have in common

Internet Marketing Ninjas:
1. iinternetmarketingninjas.com – fave tool is strongest subpage tool
2. soloseo.com – project management for seo – cool tools to track seo initiative
3. tools.seobook.com/general/link-suggest/

Spidering Tools
1. home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html – great spider tool

Duplicate Content:
1. copyscape.com – will show you where your content appears on the web
2. dupecop.com – internal dupe checker

Brad Fishkin
Seomoz.org

1. Seoautomatic.com/app/ – good automated tool
2. tools.davidnaylor.co.uk/keyworddensity/ – can see keyword density
3. blogpulse.com – subscribes to millions of feeds and will show you any post that links to a keyword or url – can compare trending over time via the blogosphere
4. LinkfromDomain command @MS Live linkfromdomain:seomoz.org – or linkfromdomain:sitepoint.com site:w3.org
5. seomoz.org/toolbox/ – historical page rank lookup & many other great tools – use this tool to see if google devaluate the PR of a domain
6. seomoz.org – linkscape – analyze link based metrics

seomoz.org/dp/pubcon2008

jessie stricchiola – Alchemist Media

1. seoresearchlabs.com – $100 for a comprehensive keyword analysis
2. google “seo link analysis” should be top listing
3. check cache on google but strip down to only text
4. touchgraph.com – visual way of looking at hubs and authorities + good competitive analysis
5. google webmaster central
6. backlinkwatch.com – calcs backlinks / pr / outbound / followed or not
7. semcheck.com – $12 per report – nice automated seo tool checks for a ton of things, outputs to pdf.

Comments from the audience:

1. httrack.com
2. 1password.com
3. attributor.com
4. dnsstuff.com
5. enquiro.com

Matt

withoutink.com

howto autostart xampp mac osx

September 16, 2008 By Matt 12 Comments

when building websites i use a fantastic application called xampp. basically its an application that installs and configures the following:

Apache 2.2.9
MySQL 5.0.51b
PHP 4.4.8
PHP 5.2.6
Perl 5.10.0
ProFTPD 1.3.0a
phpMyAdmin 2.11.7
OpenSSL 0.9.8h
GD 2.0.35
Freetype 2.3.5
libjpeg 6b
libpng 1.2.18
libungif-4.1.4
zlib 1.2.3
expat 2.0.1
Ming 0.3
Webalizer 2.01-10
pdf class 009e
mod_perl 2.0.3
SQLite 3.4.0
phpSQLiteAdmin 0.2
libiconv-1.11
gdbm-1.8.3
libxml-2.6.29
libxslt-1.1.21
openldap-2.3.36
imap-2004g
gettext-0.16.1
libmcrypt-2.5.8
mhash-0.9.9
curl-7.16.4
zziplib-0.10.82
bzip2-1.0.3
freetds-0.64

well, the problem is in the mac os x version there is no easy way to start the application and all the services automatically when you boot up. the windows version has an option to install as a service. but us mac guys/gals are left in the dark. and have to manually start all the services. which sucks because i use a site in xampp as my homepage.

so i found a rather easy way to get xampp to auto start at boot up.

1. open script editor
2. type the following line in script editor:

do shell script "sudo /Applications/xampp/xamppfiles/mampp start" password "YOUR ADMIN PASWORD" with administrator privileges

[obviously replace your admin password with – your actual password.]

3. select File from the menu
4. select save as
5. name it whatever you want i called mine “xampp-autostart”
6. select “application” from the file format drop down
7. click save
8. i put the file in the /applications directory

now we are half way there… next we have to set it as a login item…

1. open system preferences
2. click “accounts”
3. select your user [you might have to authenticate]
4. click “login items”
5. click the plus sign
6. find the application you saved in /applications
7. click add

now every time you boot your mac up. xampp will autostart.
you can confirm by accessing: http://localhost in your browser

Matt

withoutink.com

fujitsu snapscan s510m thoughts and review part one

April 17, 2008 By Matt 3 Comments

i have to say my first couple days with the fujitsu snapscan s510m have been pretty impressive. i was worried that it might fit the bill or live up to my expectations, but so far it has been a champ! i guess before i start elaborating too much i should show off some geek pr0n – so here are some pics.

the fujitsu snapscan s510m arrives home!
[Read more…]

Matt

withoutink.com

remove dot-underscore files

April 10, 2008 By Matt Leave a Comment

last night i had to upload some pdf’s to a website for my wife. i was on my mac, and zipped the pdf’s an ftp’d them over to the site, dropped in a link on the webpage and called it a night. well this morning the wife gets about 50+ calls emails that the files are all messed up on the website and the zip must be corrupt. well, it was those dang dot_ files that caused a panic. most of the people her company deals with don’t have a clue about macs.

well i found this little tip on lifehacker & macworld. its a neat little terminal command that joins the dot_ files with the actual files.

[Read more…]

Matt

withoutink.com