Windows SharePoint Services with Service Pack 1

It's here! It's here! It's finally, finally here.

After being released and then pulled for more work, Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 with Service Pack 1 has become available for download.

This version of WSS 3.0 is the only one able to be installed on Server 2008 Rc1 and higher. And can also be installed, of course, of server 2003 service pack 1 or higher.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ef93e453-75f1-45df-8c6f-4565e8549c2a&DisplayLang=en

Here's the standalone service pack for existing WSS 3.0 installs:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4191A531-A2E9-45E4-B71E-5B0B17108BD2&displaylang=en#filelist (remember to choose the right architecture).

More on what actually happens when it is installed when I get it installed...

Edited to add: The page describing what SP1 does is up:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=936988

...And it is very interesting, particularly note all the things fixed that weren't even mentioned in any other KB article or addressed with any previous hotfix.

Another thing that seems interesting is that there are only three changes, three programmatic improvements that I can see so far:

(note newly published content for Dec. 3, 2007)
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/WSS/en/library/700c3d60-f394-4ca9-a6d8-ab597fc3c31b1033.mspx?mfr=true

which specifically points out that there are three new STSADM commands:

• mergecontentdbs-- let's you (finally) specify what content database a site collection will be in among content databases attached to a web application.
• renamesite-- let's you rename ONLY Host Headered site collections. However, at least you can now rename them programmatically, because we know you were holding your breath for that one, weren't you? You cannot rename path addressed site collections, only host headered ones, and you can't change a host headered site collection URL to a path or vice versa....
• tzmove-- An interesting command that I will have to work with but here's the scoop; do you remember last spring when the new daylight savings time change occurred, post Bush's changes? Remember that there were all kinds of problems with timer jobs, time stamps, and versions? Well, tzmove is supposed to allow you to "update data that is affected by a change in the start and/or end of daylight saving time (DST)." Basically it lets you specify the date values for all things that occur in the future to reflect the change in the daylight savings time, without having to manually edit the Timezone.xml file (which is what we had to edit manually last spring). See KB939809 for more about it (and tzmove too).

That last command makes me think that DST is never actually going to work right-- and what worries me is that it doesn't really address the problems we had with one time timer jobs, like backup or restore sessions.

As of now I have successfully installed the standalone service pack 1 onto a working WSS 3.0 installation on server 2008 RC0. Worked fine. However, I could not install the slipstreamed, WSS 3.0 with SP1 onto a fresh 2008 RC1 server. It failed at the end with a "failed to register windows sharepoint services" error...

...I'll be applying the service pack to an existing 2003 installation as soon as possible.

More to follow...

Here goes-- first test podcast on this blog

Here it is-- my first mp3 podcast.

I created it using Audacity, exported it as an mp3 using the lame encoder. I uploaded it (it's about 2MB and about 4.5 minutes long) first to box.net but that turned out to require you to leave this site and log into their's, which I don't want, so I put it on my hosted site (not a permanent solution, btw).

I added the file's address to the "Link" field for this article. I am also going to link it within the body of this post, just in case.

I am going to test it to see if it works, then I might add it to feedburner, just to test.

This podcast is a test podcast, so please be kind. I need to know if it is good enough quality.

Testcast 1
By the way, I am not going to be streaming the podcast at this time, so it is download only.


EDITED-- Okay, it seemed to not allow me to download the file whole hog, but instead triggered quicktime to play it in my browser... interesting. This means that to stream or not to stream is a function of the client not the server. Nice to know.

Also, that link field that I entered the URL to the file in made the title of this entry the link to the podcast.

So this worked pretty well and only storing my podcasts (and later, videocasts) is an ongoing problem... That leads me to believe this just might work out... what do you think?

-callahan

I've been thinking about podcasting

So I've been considering podcasting, or more precisely, videocasting, some of my complicated stuff for this blog.

I have a friend, who is a busy, busy MCT, who would like some good, foundational knowledge about WSS 3.0. And as my book is still (don't get me started about that...) not out, I thought I'd give him a head start with some audio and audio/video podcasts.

I've done some research for podcasting from blogger, and I think it might be doable.

Here are some hurdles to overcome:

• Where to store the podcast/videocast files?
• What software (and, in my case, what OS) to use to create the audio podcasts?
• What software (and, in my case, what OS) to use to create the video podcasts?
• What hardware is required, and what can I make do with until I decide whether or not its worth it?

Also, is Blogger the best place to even host podcasts?

In order to explore these issues I am first going to install Audacity, a free audio recording product-- http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.

Using it, on my Macbook pro with a logitech headset, I am going to create an introductory broadcast.

Then I plan to try a few hosting possibilities, such as google video, youtube, archive.org, or just hosting the file on a static server, no steaming software installed...

Then, when I pick the one I like, I will use feedburner (http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/home) to create a good feed for it, and even try to add it to itunes...

During the whole process I'll keep you posted. The whole point of this is to give my buddy some good WSS 3.0 info in an easy to understand, portable format. We'll see how I do.