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Filed under: Developer, Internet, Features, Linux, Open Source, How-Tos

Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing

small apache2 install graphicThere was a toss up this week about whether it would be better to dig right in to the Linux HTML editors, or to wax poetic about setting up LAMP so that those choosing to go the content management system (CMS) route could test any changes they made with such editors on their local machines.

We ultimately decided to tackle setting up a LAMP testing ground. This will certainly not be necessary for every single person out there who just wants to put up a web site. If your site is not using PHP-driven content that interacts with or requires a database backend, and you just plan on designing static web pages, there is absolutely no need to do any of this.

If you are perfectly content to upload your site and integrate any supporting elements (once again, things like databases) live and on the web and make changes there, where it is possible that everyone can see your style sheet testing or things may be temporarily broken, you don't need to do this either.

Some people, though, really like to get things on their CMS tweaked to near perfection before releasing their content on the world. Other people need to know exactly what a dynamic site is going to look and act like before it goes live. The combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) makes this possible.

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Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile

Unofficial Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for PPC-6700/XV6700

Apache WM6
Lest you should think Dell Axim users are having all the fun, an industrious hacker has crammed Windows Mobile 6 onto yet another device. If you're using a Sprint PPC-6700 or Verizon XV6700 (which are basically the same device), and don't mind voiding your warranty and possibly killing your machine, have we got news for you!

PPCGeeks forum member helmi_c has managed to get Windows Mobile 6 running on the 6700 series. And he's released ROMs for pretty much any carrier you might have, including Sprint, Alltel, Verizon, Sasktel, Vivo Brazil, Telus, Bell Mobility, Cricket, Cellular South, New Zealand, Midwest, Reliance India, and Qwest.

The ROM inlcudes a lot more than just a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade. Helmi_c has also loaded it with some software to make your phone a bit more usable, including MS OneNote Mobile, MS LiveSearch, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player 7, WM5 Storage, TCPMP, PimBackup, Yahoo Go! 2.0, and a suite of HTC applications:
  • HTC Home Plugin 6tab v1.5.620.722
  • HTC CommManager with 10 Buttons
  • HTC Touch Dialer With working Smartdial and ## Codes
  • HTC Smartdial v2.5
  • HTC Task Manager v1.51.30229.1
  • HTC Voice Recorder v1.10.611711.0
  • HTC Streaming Media v2.20.615718.00
  • HTC Audio.Manager v1.2.614712.q
There are a few bugs, including one that messes up text messaging when you install the Palm SMS threading application. Although this ROM seems to be working for most users, as always, we have to warn you that you'll be solely responsible for killing your phone if anything goes wrong with this "upgrade."

[via Engadget]

Filed under: Developer, Internet, Utilities, Freeware

WAMP5 and EasyPHP, both great local web server options

WAMP5EasyPHP is a great little web server package, as you might expect, it has the usual LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) stack, with phpMyAdmin, and a few other things. The only issue you might have with the EasyPHP 1.8 release is that it uses PHP 4. This may not be a problem unless you really need some of those sweet new features from PHP5. No word yet on when the folks at EasyPHP will be including PHP5, but we hope it will be soon. The more web development you do in PHP, you start to want those new features more and more. If you need a PHP4 based web server for testing or other purposes, EasyPHP is great.

If you just can't get enough of that PHP5 goodness though, you're out of luck, especially for someone who doesn't want to go inserting PHP5 into EasyPHP and bringing the whole shebang down on their heads. There is a web server solution that includes PHP5 in a slim package that is seamless and you could almost say exciting. WAMP5 installs quick and does a kill job of it. It more accurately reflects the fact that this is Windows not Linux we're using, thus the WAMP name. A great part of WAMP is the built in service support and simplified administration panel.

The downside to WAMP is that it is only a desktop installed application, not playing nice with your portable web-serving needs. While not a real drawback, it can be useful to have a portable web server running on a stick for a web developer on the go. EasyPHP does work well on a portable drive, so long as you can live without PHP5 for a bit. For most things either web server package will work just fine. They both are small downloads, easy to install and run without a hitch, and make your life easier. Both packages are also free, which helps with sticker shock.

Remember the days when you had to change each file one by one on FTP and re-upload? Yeah, those days are over.

IIS vs Apache, in pictures

There are very few software products that I abhor. It's a short list, they know who they are, and it hasn't changed in years. At the top? Internet Information Server (IIS), Microsoft's poorly conceived and even more poorly executed web server platform. I don't understand what makes someone choose Microsoft's IIS over the open source Apache and, after seeing this, I don't think I ever will.

Programmers are all too familiar with the phrase "spaghetti code", a derogatory term for what happens when functionality (and thus the number of lines of code and function calls) grows without any thought given to design and simplicity. Complexity is the mortal enemy of security and stability when it comes to software development.

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Filed under: Developer, Linux, Blogging, Freeware

Want a portal? Just add Geeklog

geeklog weblog toolThere's no shortage of CMS or "portal" building tools out there. Drupal is one I've come to trust and its feature set is hard to beat. But many require a certain amount of heavy lifting or at least tweaking to get running. Enter Geeklog-- a so-called "portal in a box," or to hear them say it, "The Ultimate Weblog System." I don't know about ultimate, but I will say the installation and configuration process is pretty darn simple. The most cumbersome aspect will be creating a SQL database (wish I had a nickel for every time I've said that). After you've got your database mojo, it's a straight shot to unpack and install and start working.

Geeklog is no slouch in the added functions, as there are apparently a large number of plugins and add-ons. It's not all sunshine and roses, as there are limited templates and the usual quirks and gotchas. Linux.com has an excellent review, and brief guide to getting started. Geeklog might not be everything you've been looking for, but if you want something quick and dirty (and at some point, don't we all?), it might be a good fit. I should mention they're working to improve the tool by using bounties: a small sum paid to developers (courtesy of sponsor AOE media GmbH) for implementing user-requested features. So with any luck, Geeklog will flourish in the coming months.

[thank Dolores for sending this in!]

Filed under: Developer, Internet, Utilities, Productivity

XAMPP, the new LAMP hotness

XAMPPXAMPP is an easy to install web server distribution containing Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl. It claims to be a snap to use and install. After I got through clicking like 20 times to find the actual file download link on the XAMPP site (hosted at sourceforge), which irritated me a bit, the process got a bit better. You can download three different versions of the file, the installer (32MB), the zip file (86MB), or the self-extracting executable (28MB), all with MD5 checksums. The software package you get with this download includes these fine modules: Apache HTTPD 2.2.3, MySQL 5.0.24a, PHP 5.1.6 + 4.4.4 + PEAR + Switch, MiniPerl 5.8.7, Openssl 0.9.8c, phpMyAdmin 2.8.2.4, XAMPP Control Panel 2.3, Webalizer 2.01-10, Mercury Mail Transport System for Win32 and NetWare Systems v4.01a, FileZilla FTP Server 0.9.18, SQLite 2.8.15, ADODB 4.91, Zend Optimizer 3.0.1, XAMPP Security. The full install on my Windows machine ate up about 218MB of hard disk space, which is quite good for all that software in one shot. I found myself as happy as a kid with a 6LB. box of chocolates and no one else around. Luckily, I didn't have to know anything about the guts of the programs running, and XAMPP even offered to install and run all the services I needed, which it also succeeded at starting, which is a rare thing for all of them to work on the first try. Many times these LAMP-like installs go awry in some way, but XAMPP looks to be in control in this regard. At first I thought, oh great, all I need is one more LAMP to install and put up with, but honestly, it was the easiest install and start-up I have ever done. Most enjoyable indeed. If your LAMP needs an upgrade, XAMPP is a new light bulb.

Filed under: Business, Developer, Utilities, Windows, Linux, Productivity, Web services

Xitami provides an alternative to Apache

XitamiEveryone needs a web server right? Sure they do, at least in my mind. Anyone writing and developing anything for the web at least. Apache is usually the web-server of choice. It is powerful, flexible, free and fairly easy to use. An alternative to Apache is the (also free) Xitami web server. It is more light weight than Apache but is also quite easy to use and configure. Xitami has a nice GUI to help you configure the many settings it has to run your web server. I currently use Xitami as a test-bed web server for my many projects at work. I'm not sure how you pronounce Xitami, but since this blog is only print and not audio at this point, I am going to let you deliberate about that as long as you like. Have fun!

Filed under: Internet, Web services

Automatically generate .htaccess files

ApacheIf you're asking, "WTF is .htaccess," this might not be the post for you, but I'll tell you anyway: .htaccess are little configuration files for the Apache web server that let you apply simple or very complex rules to the way requests are handled. Now, I know people who can write .htaccess files blindfolded, but for me it's always a big headache. Enter .htaccess Generator, that does what it sounds like: it writes .htaccess files for you. It's a simple, though long, web form that helps you do everything from password protect a directory to specify rewrite rules. Of course, it doesn't do everything, but for basic tasks it seems like it could be a lifesaver.

[Via Lifehacker]

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Sushi Cat is one of the cutest Flash games I've ever run across. You play a blue cat with a major talent for eating and, fortunately for you, every level is filled with delicious sushi! The controls are simple: you aim and drop from the top of the screen using the mouse, trying to hit as much sushi as you can on the way down. Eat enough sushi, and you can go on to the next level. Your score depends on how much sushi you eat, and which bucket the cat lands in when it finally reaches the bottom of the screen. The more ...

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