[Wed Oct 06 16:27:53 2010] [crit] (13)Permission denied: FastCGI: can’t create server “/opt/ai/core/gui/bin/start_aigui_fastcgi.sh”: bind() failed [/etc/httpd/logs/fastcgi/d6b459611d6278dea13062a91e78bbbb]

Mental note, if you see this error in /var/log/httpd/error_log …

Know that /etc/httpd/logs is a symlink to /var/log/httpd/ and this error is either permissions problem having to do with “apache” user trying to write following this symlink, OR SELinux is getting in the way.

At least in my case I disabled SELinux and fastcgi can now start up. Stuff like this drives me nuts…

Developing the AI-GUI currently represents 50% of my time at work. I am the sole engineer on this project putting a front-end to our test Automation Infrastructure. The AI is a test harness that manages/deploys a pool of hardware, runs automated tests, collects and archives results.

Up until building this user interface it was entirely command line and file based. Now web based, with a MySQL database back-end for results archiving and mining.

The web app was built around the desktop feature in ExtJs, with separate applets providing functionality. It has the concept of user roles built in, and stores session data for efficiency and saving state like windows and preferences.

Testers use it to submit and run tests, developers use it to do “smoke” and “check-in” tests, managers use it to track results and get reports.

Technology: ExtJs web framework, CSS, Javascript / Apache, Perl, Catalyst, MySQL

Tools: Eclipse + Aptana, Firefox + firebug, Subversion, Bugzilla

Screenshots:

• User Log-In
• User Registration
• User Roles / Management
• Desktop Shot
• Submit Test Wizard – Build Selection
• Submit Test Wizard – Test Selection
• Job Monitor Applet
• Results Reporting Applet

“HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) enables professionals to work together in real-time with more secure access to rich multimedia resources, applications, and data—helping to eliminate the distance barriers that can impede global organizations.”

The core RGS developers were Windows developers. I was plucked from the Linux team for a 1-year project with a goal of enabling the Linux components for the product.

I built the Linux streaming audio component using C++ and the ALSA API. The toughest part was reverse-engineering all the pin-outs on HP’s version of the audio chip.

I had enough time left that I took on a re-vamp of the original user interface. This was done using QT, so it would work on all platforms and was a lot of fun to do. We practically copied MS RDP – not my idea or recommendation, but a fun project regardless. Its still in use today! I think they have only changed the icons and logo if anything.

Screenshots: