A Genius Blog

Setting up localhost – The fun way.

About two days ago, I thought “Hmmm.. lets learn PHP”. Because PHP is a server-side language you have to upload pages to your server before you can test them, this process is annoying and uses a sh1tload of bandwidth if you are working with major code. Alternatively you can set up your localhost to run as a webserver and test the code from there. Sounds cool huh?

Well I had done it once, way-back-when and couldn’t remember all the commands etc. So I had a look on the internet, it was as dry as an 80-year old granny. Nothing. Nada, well nothing that helped me much anyway.

BUT, I did it. This morning, after not sleeping for 2 nights to get this up (yes, I am that dedicated/sad).

Now, there are programs out there which are a sort of one-click done type of thing, if you want that, google it. I only do things the fun way, by manual installation and learning the basics behind the subject.

First of all; lets talk about what software we are going to use:

Windows XP,

Apache 2.2.14 (the HTTP project one, none of their other software)

PHP5.3.1 (binaries not one-click install)

PHPMyAdmin 3.2.5 (english).

LINKS

Apache: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi#apache22 (Win32 Binary including OpenSSL)

PHP: http://windows.php.net/download/    (Thread safe x86 VC6 – look for it on the page)

phpMyAdmin: http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/downloads.php (english vers.)

TUTORIAL!

Download all of the files to your desktop, we will start by doing the easiest first – Apache.

APACHE

This is the only one-click install package we will use, extract and open the .msi file, double click and open.

When you hit the Server Information box enter ‘localhost’, do the same for the Domain Network box and enter what ever e-mail you want in the Administrators E-mail box. “Leave the  All Users, on Port 80, as a Service” check button checked. When it asks if you want to make a bin as well, say yes and continue.

Setup Type = “Typical” and spam next all the way through until the end.

The .msi file assumes that it installs to “C:\Program Files\Apache Group\” so that is where all the files are sitting nicely for you.

You will need to know how to Start/Stop/Restart your server won’t you?:

Go Start>All Programs>Apache HTTP Server 2.2>Control Apache Server then you have Stop, Start, and Restart> Choose restart.

PHP

Extract the binaries to “C:\php”

Inside the extracted folder find a file called “php.ini-recommended” and rename it to php.ini and put it in the “C:\WINDOWS\”

Find libmysql.dll and put it into “C:\WINDOWS\System 32″ <- this means PHP will load the MySQL module.

Right, thats done. Now for phpMyAdmin

PHPMYADMIN

Extract the files and put them into “C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\phpmyadmin”

STRING EDITING:

Open php.ini and find the words “extension=php_mysql.dll” and remove the ; from the front of it.

And that is phpMyAdmin done .

Now you should be able to load up LocalHost on a web browser and it should work.

Now: How do you get files/pages to display? Well, put any file into: “C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs” and they will display through LocalHost. Oh no! You need a MySQL database? That’s what phpMyAdmin is there for; you can use that to mess around with the MySQL databases.

So, there you go

Now this Tutorial was written over the space of 2 months, so there may be glaring errors, PLEASE correct me and I’ll update this post. Also, if you want any help with the technologies I will gladly help to the best of my ability

Thomas – AGeniusBlog.com

Now this Tutorial was written over the space of 2 months, so there may be glaring errors, PLEASE correct me and I’ll update this post. Also, if you want any help with the technologies I will gladly help to the best of my ability

Windows Phone 7? There’s An App For That

Original Article from: www.InformationWeek.com

Microsoft plans to compete head-to-head with Apple in the market for mobile application downloads.

Taking a page from rival Apple’s playbook, Microsoft said it intends to launch an online store through which customers can purchase and download applications for its forthcoming Windows Phone 7 Series mobile device platform.

Microsoft announced the plan Monday at its MIX10 developer conference in Las Vegas. The company did not provide details on pricing or timing, but it has previously said Windows Phone 7 devices should be on the market in time for the 2010 holiday season.

Microsoft has good reason to focus on the downloadable applications market. Apple has seen more than 100 million downloads from its App Store, and Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster recently estimated that iPhone and iPod downloads will grow to become a $1 billion business as early as next year.

To build critical mass for Windows Phone 7 applications, Microsoft is extending tools — including its Silverlight multimedia format and XNA games language — to the new phone environment that developers already use to build apps for the Windows PC and Xbox console platforms.

The SDK for Windows Phone 7 applications was released last week.

Windows Phone 7 “was designed to generate incredible opportunities for developers and designers to quickly and easily deliver compelling applications and games,” said Joe Belfiore, VP for Windows Phone Program Management and a MIX10 keynote presenter.

Microsoft said developers who design applications or games for Windows Phone 7 will be able to leverage built-in support for cameras, microphones, location-based services, hardware-aided video, accelerometers and more.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled Windows Phone 7 last month at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona.

The software features a start screen that rejects static icons in favor of real-time feeds from the Internet’s most popular social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, as well as other applications. It also offers always-on access to e-mail, Xbox games, Bing search, and other tools.

Apple and you.

Yesterday Apple released the 3.1.3 update for iPods and iPhones.

DO NOT UPDATE IF YOU WANT YOUR UNLOCK.

iPhone 3G/3Gs users who don’t care about their unlock can go ahead right now and update and keep their JB using redsn0w from the dev team. 

iPod Touch 1G/old2G can update using redsn0w and still have a JB.

iPod new2G/3G DO NOT update. Period. The iPhone Dev Team is working on the new tool, wait for them to give you the go ahead.

iPhone Unlockers (3G and 3Gs) Don’t update, there is a new baseband update, you WILL lose your jailbreak and MAY NOT be able to unlock your phones for a while

Check with the dev-team, I will be: http://blog.iphone-dev.org

GeoHot doesn’t seem to be doing much now, he might.

Thomas

Free 5 Minute International Calls using Skype

Ever wanted to make a quick international call just to say hi, sick of having to install weird Voip programs that also only let you call for 5 minutes? Well heres a quick tutorial to get 5 minutes free international calling using skype!

• Firstly you need to update to the latest version of skype, if not you can easily download this from skype.com. Then sign into your skype account

• Down the bottom of your skype window you will see a small button down the bottom saying “Call Phones” Click this and the dial pad should appear on your screen, you need to click into the box and dial +118003733411 you do not need credit for this as Skype allows you to call USA free call numbers free via skype.

• For a start once the number answers you will hear a few voice advertisments and then you will be put through to the main menu, It will ask to say a few things and you must say “Free Call” once it mentions it.\

• Sometimes you will get put through to a message saying “Sorry all our free call lines are busy” but if you try a few times you should be able to get through. Once through you need to bring up the dialpad by pressing the Button with nine dots in the shape of a phone keypad up by the volume controls on your call window and enter the calling code and local number

• Once you enter the number and press # your call will be connected and after 5 minutes you will be cut off, but I am sure you can just ring back and call again as many times as you want. At the moment I am unaware of any providers that charge for receiving these calls but I can not verify this as I have only called numbers within the USA.

Thanks for reading,

Tane – AGeniusBlog.com