SUSE Linux Desktop on Virtual PC

Jump from Windows into Linux world right away could be a big challenge. To make this smooth as possible is better to have somewhere Linux environment to play. For this task Virtual PC is a handy tool. Virtual PC 2004 SP1 is a free virtualization suite available for download from Microsoft. It runs on Windows 2000 and XP. Virtual PC 2007 is available for Windows Vista.

First step is to install Virtual PC.

Next step is to grab Linux distribution. Lets go to Novell Downloads and select SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10. It is available as DVD or set of 5 CDs.

"SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is the most interoperable Linux desktop available today. It works seamlessly with Novell GroupWise® and Microsoft Exchange collaboration servers, and it will connect to Lotus Notes and IBM* Notes plug-in for Workplace client technology. It is also fully compatible with Microsoft Active Directory* and other networking and directory standards."

Now is possible to create a virtual machine. Following wizard select “Other” as Operating System, adjust RAM to 256 MB, and create a new virtual hard drive.

Then start this virtual machine. Under CD menu select Capture ISO image and browse for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ISO image.

Complete installation procedure and start using Linux SUSE Desktop. As additional optional step I do recommend to change Display settings and use for monitor 1280x1024 and for resolution 1152x864.

Windows network utilities

tracert

tracert [-d] [-h maximum_hops] [-j host-list] [-w timeout] target_name

Determines the route taken to a destination by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo packets with varying IP Time-To-Live (TTL) values to the destination.

netstat

netstat [-a] [-e][-n][-s] [-p protocol] [-r] [interval]

Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP network connections.

nbtstat

nbtstat [-a RemoteName] [-A IP_address] [-c] [-n] [-R] [-r] [-S] [-s] [interval]
Help troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution problems. Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

ipconfig

ipconfig [/? | /all | /d | /renew [adapter index] | /release [adapter index] ]
Prints out the TCP/IP-related configuration of a host

Create WAMP server with Virtual PC

WAPM is an acronym for Web Server based on Apache, PHP and MySQL installed on Windows. Virtual PC is a free software from Microsoft, that enables you to play with out of box environments. It is assumed that Virtual PC is already installed. Than next is:

1. Install operating system, for me I do prefer of Windows 2000.
2. Simplify interaction and improve performance with Virtual PC by installing Virtual Machine Additions.
3. Absolutely necessary is to install Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
Otherwise latest Apache installation will fail.
4. Install Internet Explorer 6 or latest FireFox. To work with local host environments.
5. Install Apache, and my choice is latest version Apache 2.2
Provide valid email address for administrator, otherwise Apache will fail to start. Create web site folder like "c:\www", and configure Apache to use it by editing httpd.conf file.
6. Install MYSQL 5.0.48, add select check box "add mysql to environment variables"
Create the database from a command line
mysqladmin -u USERNAME -p create DATABASE
Import the backup data
mysql -u USERNAME -p DATABASE < FILENAME.mysql
7. Install GUI for MySQL 1.12
8. Install PHP 5.2.3
Configure to use extentions GD2 and MySQL
9. Install PHP editor Notepad++
A. Optional is to install debugging framework like xdebug 2.0.0

Created virtual machine file could be cloned and reused with multiple development environments.

Using Pointing Device on Dell laptop will make Virtual PC consistently crash.

With MySQL 4.4.8 possible error could be shown on start of Apache - "could not locate libmysql.dll". Simple reboot of virtual system may solve the problem.

Remarks about Virtual Server 2005

There are a few thing that user has to know when running Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1

1. To enable file sharing is required to share folder on Virtual Machine drive. That is different than use of Share Folders in Virtual PC.

2. There is annoying laud beep sound every time when an operating system event occurs in Virtual Machine. To disable this use "How to turn off the beep sound in a virtual machine in Virtual Server 2005" article from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/838671

If Virtual Server is already ON the best choice is to use command prompt and execute next command:
net stop beep

Online Courses

Learn from the best colleges and universities:
Berkeley, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame.

Learn languages:
BBC languages, FSI Language Courses

Learn languages through iTunes:
Chinese, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Greek

Other courses:
Wikiversity, BBC Learning.

Open Source applications

pcworld.com has released list of nice open source applications

Graphics:

• Gimpshop - like Photoshop
• Inkscape - like Freehand or Illustrator

Multimedia:

• Miro - like Media Player with BitTorrent and more
• MediaCoder - convert media files between formats
• Audacity - record or edit audio
• HandBrake - convert DVD into MPEG-4

Utilities:

• RogueScanner -find network intruders
• ClamWin Free Antivirus - Antivirus software
• FileZilla - FTP client
  
• TrueCrypt - encrypt files

Miscellanies:

• AbiWord - aka Microsoft Word
• DOSBox - play old DOS-based games
• eMule - file-sharing
  
• Ares - file-sharing
• FeedReader - RSS reader
• K-Meleon - internet browser
• Stellarium - displays celestial objects
• Pidgin - instant messaging

FreeWare:

• ColorPix - little color picker
• AVG Ant-Rootkit - anti rootkit
• CSS Tab Designer - best CSS menu designer
• Notepad++ - multi-coding tool
• PHP Designer 2005 - PHP designer
• PSPad - multi-coding tool

For other check: http://www.notablinddate.com/kayakman.html

Bug tracking system

Possible solutions:

1. Create one in-house system. As a advantage is flexible and required to support
2. Take service, available on Internet. Sometimes is very costly, sometimes not.
3. Use one of solutions existing for Microsoft Share Point. Problem if database groves more than 4 GB. In this case will be required to by SQL Server licence.

how to troubleshoot a COM+ exception

Guidelines to follow when crash of COM+ package happen on production environment

1. Don't close crash dialog with prompt to send file to Microsoft, therefore dmp file could saved into another location (details will provide file location) or consider to enable dump for COM+ package
2. Use WinDbg to analyze dump file - download symbols for system where crush happen

Problems:

• No symbol files available for msxml dlls
• Debug Diagnostic tools is old and didn't help, gives empty report
• How to debug crash from another operating system (like use XP to debug 2003)

Resources:

INFO: MTS/COM+ Events 4104 and 4194
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=291365

How to use ADPlus to troubleshoot "hangs" and "crashes"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/286350/EN-US/

Windows does not save memory dump file after a crash
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/130536

Debug Diagnostic Tool v1.1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=28bd5941-c458-46f1-b24d-f60151d875a3&DisplayLang=en

hosting solutions

It is possible to have site registered with one company such as NETWORK SOLUTIONS and hosting available with another company for example easycgi.com

To do this is required to set Domain Name Servers information to follow new settings. In this case domain transfer is not required.

Hosting companies provides bundle with domain and hosting together. It have simplified registration process for end user.

References:

Domain name registrar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_registrar

Link to hosting solutions:
http://www.gate.com/promos/index-FreeShirt.htm
http://www.easycgi.com/services/advanced.html
http://startlogic.com/
http://www.1and1.com

Free hosting solutions:
http://www.bravenet.com/
Bravenet free hosting accounts are limited to support of the following file types:
.htm, .html, .gif, .jpg, .png, .txt, .swf, .mid, .rmi, .au, .wav,
.js, .css, .ico, .bmp, .class, .dcr.
No database.