Installing Apache web server on XP
This tutorial shows you how to install Apache on any computer running Windows XP / Vista 32 bit.
Prior installing Apache it’s necessary to get its executable from:
On entering the URL into the Browser’s address bar and clicking Go or pressing the Enter key the page as shown in diagram 1 will be rendered in the Browser.
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Diagram 1. |
When Apache’s home page loads take a look at its right hand side and locate the link HTTP Server. On click of the HTTP server link the page as shown in diagram 2 is rendered in the Browser.
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Diagram 2. |
Locate the Download link in the Apache 2.X.X Released as shown in diagram 2. On click of this link the page as shown in diagram 3 is rendered in the Browser.
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Diagram 3. |
From the Win32Source select the Apache binary that you desire. The choices available are expanded briefly in table 1.
Choices available for Apache Binaries:
| Win32 Source | |
| 1 | Win32 Binary without crypto (no mod_ssl) (MSI Installer) |
| 2 | Win32 Binary including OpenSSL 0.9.8h (MSI Installer) |
Table 1.
Any of the above binaries will load successfully on Windows XP. If you want to play only with Apache then the Win 32 source should be just fine, i.e. option 1.
If you want to play with Apache and use SSL then choose Win32 Binary including OpenSSL 0.9.8h (MSI Installer) i.e. option 2
I am using Firefox as my Browser of choice, hence On click of either option 1 or 2 the file download window pops up as shown in diagram 3.
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Diagram 4. |
Click the File Save button and save the Apache binary chosen to an appropriate subdirectory on the hard disk.
For example c:\webserver.
Installing Apache:
Navigate to the previously created folder (c:\webserver) and double click the Apache executable file in that folder. This will start the installation of Apache web server on the computer. Simply follow the instructions shown by the installer:
The first screen that renders in the Browser On click of Apache’s executable is as shown in diagram 5.
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Diagram 5. |
Click Next
Select ‘I accept terms in the license agreement’ radio button as shown in diagram 6. Click Next.
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Diagram 6. |
Click Next.
The screen as shown in diagram 7 renders in the Browser.
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Diagram 7. |
Click Next. The screen as shown in diagram 8 renders in the Browser
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Diagram 8. |
In the Network Domain text box type in localhost
In the Server Name text box type in localhost
In the Administrators Email Address text box type in a legitimate Email address to which Apache can send messages to. We’ve used info@localhost. We have a mail box on the hosting server with the same name. Click Next. The screen as shown in diagram 9 is rendered in the Browser.
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Diagram 9. |
Select Custom and click Next. The screen as shown in diagram 10 is rendered in the Browser
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Diagram 10. |
Because we want our server to be installed in c:\webserver click Change to change inform Apache’s installer where you want Apache’s installation to be done. The screen as shown in diagram 11 is rendered in the Browser.
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Diagram 11. |
Navigate to C:\webserver and then click OK. The screen as shown in diagram 12 is rendered in the Browser. Click Next.
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Diagram 12. |
Apache’s installer has collected all the information it needs to successfully install Apache on the computer. Click Next to begin the Apache’s install process. After the install process completes the screen as shown in diagram 13 is rendered in the Browser indicating that Apache has been successfully installed on the computer.
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Diagram 13. |
Click Finish to complete Apache’s install process. You should notice a small icon in the system tray as shown in diagram 14.
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Diagram 14. |
Testing Apache’s Installation
Type in the URL http://localhost in the Browser’s address bar and press Go or Enter. The screen as shown in diagram 15 should render in the Browser indicating that Apache has been installed correctly.
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Diagram 15. |
Apache has been installed successfully and is running perfectly on your computer
Retaining 20% staff that do 80% of the work
One of the toughest jobs today is retaining staff who are efficient, experienced and have been thoroughly trained in the way the company works.
I think that all employers recognize that a certain amount of turnover is beneficial, for example letting deadwood go, but a high rate of attrition does have a negative impact on the company. Especially on the morale of those employees, who for whatever reason choose to stay.
Sometimes I believe that entrepreneur’s are so involved in ‘growing’ their business that they ignore visible signs of employee unrest. When scaling a business upwards I can actually empathize with this having done exactly this myself. Until one day, much to my surprise (and horror) a small group of my best employees came to me and told me that they were moving on. I learned a valuable lesson about employees that day. Read more
MySQL – My RDBMS of choice for Internet delivered applications
MySQL is my RDBMS of choice for commercial applications delivered via the Internet.
MySQL is an industrial strength RDBMS that is my data store of choice.
Everything that Oracle or SQL Server can do, MySQL can do better and at a fraction of the cost of transaction when compared to either Oracle or SQL Server.
The installation process of MySQL on a Linux (or M.S. Windows) server is a breeze when compared to the installation process of most other RDBMS engines.
Plenty of help is available from people who actually care as compared to people who are paid a salary to help. An amazing difference when experienced.
I recommend MySQL to anyone who wants to build a commercial application, run using a Browser and delivered via an Intranet or the Internet.
Do give MySQL a shot, I’m sure you won’t regret you tried it and then migrated to it as your data store of choice.
Systems Design & Documentation
I’m often left speechless by the way in which a multitude of commercial applications seem to be built today without any kind of documentation of their design. Okay, let’s say the most minimalistic documentation exists, but I always wonder how these systems are maintained after they are released into the wild.
For example, If a bug has to be fixed or some functionality changed, added or deleted how is an impact analysis across application modules done in the absence of or with inadequate application documentation.
Most of the clients I’ve encountered have been documentation averse. The reaction I’ve always got initially is that documentation time is better spent in coding, testing and delivering the application. Somehow it appears that only when the client ‘Sees’ something happening on a computer screen, that is married to their application that the man hour rate they are paying is justifiable.
I have to patiently spend some of my time explaining to clients why application documentation is so important. Often after I’ve done this, the client is still not convinced that the money paid out in man hours consumed in documenting a project is money well spent but most will grudgingly permit me to have my way.
Its only when a sudden, unplanned application change has to be carried out and this is executed almost painlessly because of a thorough impact analysis that the importance of proper application documentation dawns on them.
Regretfully, this is all to often opaque to a client. Hence, after our tech team has carried out such a change, and the change have not given rise to associated bugs or other modules to stop working or work incorrectly, I do a presentation on how the change was done almost effortlessly and correctly.
Do you believe that documentation is really unnecessary ?
Do you document an application prior coding and testing ?
Do you update application documentation prior (or in parallel with) coding changes ?
What documentation tool do you use ?
Please share this information (and anything else) in your comments to this post.
If you would like a simple, effective, M.S. Word template to use for your application do drop me an Email and I’d be happy to send you a M.S. Word template in reply. You are free to use the template exactly as you wish.
Choosing the right employees
Choosing the right employees:
Given the many things that businesses can’t control, I used to think that business owner’s paid careful attention to the one thing that they can control, the quality of the people they hire, especially those who are being chosen to slot into their tech team as a project leader, analyst designer or system architect. These are employees being specifically chosen to be leaders.
To my complete amazement I discovered that business owner’s who claim ‘People are our most important asset’ usually do not think very hard about choosing the right people for the right job. Often I’ve noticed that the selection of employees that will fill the leadership pool is delegated to the HR department with a woefully inadequate definition of their mandatory skills.
Often it is left to the HR department to do some research of mandatory skills that fit a specific job profile and then do their best to find an individual with skills that match.
This approach, while being partially effective, simply does not take into account the direction in which business owner wishes the company go in the foreseeable future. Hence, there are Microsoft specialists hired in leadership positions a few months before the company makes an extended foray into Open Source tools and technologies to sustain its growth.
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