Long time no see
Long since I posted something. Past few months have been quite hectic. The rigors of IIMs 
.
Note to self.. keep the dying blog alive.
In the mean time enjoy my google reader links: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/ABurad
Latex on wordpress blog
Some time back I came to know that wordpress blogs hosted at wordpress.com supports latex. But no such default functionality for self hosted wordpress blogs. But there are plugins (latexrender, wp-latex) which can facilitate similar things.
But for these to work you will need to install latex on your hosting account. (I have intalled latex on my hostmonster account some time back.).
For installing latexrender wordpress plugin you can find guidelines here
One more thing to remember while setting $latexrender_path_http in latex.php give full http path to latexrender folder like $latexrender_path_http = "http://your blog addr/latexrender";
Now you are set to go. To include [tex]\LaTeX[/tex] in your posting, use the following:
[tex] your latex code here [/tex] For example:
[tex] (a+b)^3 = (a+b)^2(a+b) [/tex]
produces :
[tex](a+b)^3 = (a+b)^2(a+b)[/tex]
But after setting up latexrender plugin, the png image was still not generated. Error that I got was:
I can’t find the format file ‘latex.fmt’!
But when I tried similar command (latex sample.tex) from shell prompt, It was working fine.
So I thought that problem is in calling latex from php file using exec. So when I copied the latex.fmt file to directory containing .tex file it started working fine. May be some problem in setting environment variable.
You can look for latex.fmt file using :
find -name latex.fmt
For latexrender you can copy latex.fmt file to latexrender/tmp/ folder inside your wordpress installation.
I’m still working on how to set environment variable in php so that I don’t have to copy latex.fmt again and again.
But for now I gave got working latex on my blog . Now I can write math equations in my blog posts.
You can try latex formulas in comment too.
And if you want to publish LaTeX equation in WordPress blog without installing any software, try jsTeXrender: http://yourequations.com/. Thanks Doug for the tip.
Related Posts:
Latex Beamer
Installing latex on hostmonster
WordPress plugins you should install
Few months back I have shifted my blog to self hosted wordpress blog at this location. I have passed few months trying new things on this blog like themes, plugins and its been fun playing with it. During this time I have tried several plugins, so wanted to share some of the plugins that I liked the most:
- Aksimet: filters spam comments and tracksbacks. You don’t want your post to be filled with useless comments.
- WordPress.com Stats: Its a light weight plugin but still provides detailed representation of important statistics
- Google Sitemap Generator: Generates sitemap for your wordpress blog which is by Ask.com, Google, YAHOO and MSN Search.
- Get Recent Comments: Display the most recent comments or trackbacks with your own formatting in the sidebar.
- FeedBurner FeedSmith: It redirects your wordpress feeds to feedburner so that you can easily track your subscribers.
- Plugin Central: Automatically installs and updates WordPress plugins.
- WordPress Data backup: Its a necessary plugin to backup your blog. I still haven’t restoring posts from backup though.
For some specific users plugins like wp-latex, are also useful. It generates PNG images from inline $\LaTeX$ code in your posts and comments. I have installed latex on my hosting service( hostmonster) and still working on making simliar plugins(LatexRender) to work.
You can find many more such list on web if you do a google search. But Lorelle has a nice compilation of list of favorite wordpress plugins.
Evolution of a blogger
It has been almost 3 year, When I started blogging. Looking back to see how my blogging style has changed, change in content of blog post or change in my motivation for blogging to sum up how I am evolved as a blogger. First I’ll tell you how my reasoning behind blogging has changed:
Why do I Blog ?
- Because I wanted to blog, seeing so many on internet.
- Then as catalog of stuff I’m doing, for me and may be for others to know.
- And with time it changed to showcasing what I like, what I’m doing, sharing tips and then taking readers opinion, discussing with them. (at leasts thats the aim)
In all above cases common things can be to pass time and share experience plus along with we are (I am) also always looking for recognition and admiration.
And about change in my blog content:
- May 2005, Posted some pictures, wanted to avoid much writing.
- June 2005, Just write about your projects, so that you don’t have to dwell for blog content.
- November 2005, You try to write some good posts(Solving Rubik’s Cube, Speed up firefox) but you end with posts like Unnatural laws whose content is generally a email forward or similar.
- February 2006, You try your best looking for good content to post but most of post were result of “submit to blog” button on digg.
- July 2006, Most of blog post consists of linking to stories of others blogs or quoting parts of posts from other blogs.
- September 2006, Now blog posts are mixture of posts from above categories.
- January 2007, Now You are improving with some good posts (sharing knowledge firefox: about pages). Also tried covering some events in IITB (Techfest 2007: Feeding the Fish, Creative Commons, India launched on 26th Jan at IIT Bombay)
- Then there is also a time when you stop blogging for some time (for me this hibernation period was from May 2007 to Nov 2007)
- Decemeber 2008, January 2008: You are trying to get back in form and you want to write good posts now)
- February 2008, Some good posts which includes what new you tried Adobe AIR: Web to Desktop, Trying hands on Google gadgets) or tips you want to share(Google movie search tricks).
- Now I feel, I have a good enough blog which people (atleast some) want to read. And I’m always ready to try, explore new things and share with my viewers and always waiting for there feedback. (Check my posts for this month)
In all these time periods you will always have some good posts and some just blog posts.
Share with your motivation behind blogging and how you pick up content for your blog. I’m not a good writer (I try to share mostly technical, geeky stuff through my blog) so any suggestion/feedback to writing style are always welcome.
How to share notes across multiple machines
Throughout the day, I am working on multiple machines. And sometimes I need to a way to note down some ideas, links, articles in whome I’ll be looking later on, and at that time I could be on different machine. Its also important that its an OS independent solution.
Earlier I used backpackit to write down notes, links etc. But It was cumbersome, I had to go to my backpackit page and than add the required thing still It allowed you to add notes, check lists, links etc.
Now a days I’m using Google Notebook. It allows you to add text clippings, images and links to your notebook. And you can access it on any machines. It becomes more useful and productive with the help of firefox extension for google notebook where you just select the text (or link, image) and right click and Note this! (Or Clip it) And you are done. Now you can access the notes on any other machines.
It also allows you to comment, tag your ideas along with providing the functionality of sharing the notebook and many new improvements.
Tell me how do you share notes when working across multiple machines.
Power of RSS reader
I saw this on Kshitij’s blog and later on Amit’s blog: How Do You Subscribe to Blog Feeds ?
RSS in plain English: Watch video
You may need a flv player to view it.
Double century of posts : A comic break
I found this Best of Blaugh through webyantra. So enjoy…
Here are the other webcomics that i love:
- Dilbert
- xkcd.com
- .pOINT_bLANK: Cartoons, India
- Explosm.net
- gapingvoid: “cartoons drawn on the back of business cards”
- bLaugh – The (un)Official Comic of the Blogosphere
- We Blog Cartoons
My collection of dilbert comics: Dilbert, IIT and Linux
Related Posts:
Great Amul Ads !
Damned funny Unix humor
2000 Blogger list
Tino Buntic is trying to compile a list 2000 bloggers with linked mugshots. I’m in there somewhere too. You can try and get on the list too….
Blogger in beta
Try it at : beta.blogger.com
With the beta you can:
- Categorize your posts with labels
- Control who can read your blog
- Change the appearance and content of your blog with your mouse instead of HTML
Read more : Techcrunch
buzz.blogger
Source : Techcrunch
State of the Blogosphere
David Sifry posted Sifry’s Alerts: State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth at technorati weblog:
The State of the Blogosphere is strong. The blogosphere is over 60 times bigger than it was only 3 years ago.
The Facts:
- Technorati now tracks over 35.3 Million blogs
- The blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months
- It is now over 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
- On average, a new weblog is created every second of every day
- 19.4 million bloggers (55%) are still posting 3 months after their blogs are created
- Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour
The blogosphere tracked by technorati is doubling about every 6 months, as the chart below shows:
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