Posts tagged Webmaster Tutorials
All you ever wanted to know about DOS
May 26th
DOS is an acronym that stands for Disk Operating System and was the base for Windows Operating systems until Windows 2000 when Windows NT took over. When you boil any windows os down you get dos eventually. DOS, cmd.exe, or command prompt — three terms that are not all mutually exclusive — is a very powerful tool when combating viruses, formatting your hard drive, or simply copying files and folder from one directory to another.
Please note: directories are different in XP and those examples will be clearly indicated with a line below the Vista and Windows 7 directories. So if you’re a faithful XP user, your command line is below the divider.
Note: All commands used in this tutorial series work on XP, Vista, and Windows 7.
In this tutorial, we will be going over basic DOS navigation commands. So let us begin already!
C:\> is how we often identify CMD from something like Windows Power Shell or a Unix Terminal.
This is an example of Windows Power Shell explaining foreach loops
Why would we use CMD?
There are a number of reasons why we would use CMD. Often, we use CMD to view network statuses, open Windows Utilities like System Configuration, or to delete stubborn files that we cannot delete normally.
Note: if you are using Vista or Windows 7, you will need to open cmd.exe as an administrator. This is called an elevated cmd where you start in the System32 directory and cmd.exe has full admin privileges.
Navigating Through DOS
Navigating through the command prompt is very easy and powered mostly by one simple command: cd.
cd or chdir stands for Change Directory. This allows us to change directories (or folders) in DOS. For example:
Let us assume we just opened the command prompt and we wish to navigate to the root directory of our C: drive. In order to do this we would do the following:
1 | cd C:\ |
This is telling DOS to change the directory to C:\ or the root directory of the Hard Drive.
Using a bit more complex directories, we can navigate to our music folder from the root directory (C:\>)
1 2 | C:\> cd C:\users\dennis\music - VISTA/7 C:\> cd C:\documents and settings\dennis\my documents\my music -XP |
Note: when using CMD, the commands and any text you write are NOT cap-sensitive. There is no difference between CHDIR and chdir, they both will work.
If we got lost in here, fret not. This brings us to our next command which is dir which stands for directory. A directory is any really just any old folder on your hard drive. This could be the Windows directory, the System32 directory, or the Music directory.
The dir commands shows us all of the directories and files within the directory we are in. Let us assume we’re back in the root directory of our C: drive and we want to see all files and folders within the C: directory we would simply type:
1 | C:\> dir |
| VISTA / 7 | XP |
|---|---|
 |
 |
We can see that there are many folder within the root directory of our C: drive. The Windows folder contains our operating system, the user folder contains out user accounts and personal files, and the Program Files contains all of our applications.
Switches
If you are familiar with programming then you are familiar with functions (methods for those java programmers). In DOS we have what are called switches. These switches or arguments, allow us to have a command do something specific or only do part of the command. For example,
1 2 3 4 5 | dir |more dir /4 taskkill /im iexplorer.exe /f erase C:\windows.old /f rd C:\windows.old /q /s |
The forward slash / designates the switch used for the DOS command.
The most important switch of all
By far the most important switch to know is /?. Confused a little? The /? switch allows us to get help with any command. Using this siwtch on a command will show us the syntax, all of the siwtches that can be used, and often it will show examples of the command in use. For example,
1 | dir /? |
Using this switch, we can figure out all other switches and easily determine what we need to do. If, for instance, we wanted to show the directories and files that end with .sys except, we want them in alphabetical order, we would do the following:
1 | dir *.sys /on |
This will find all files that end with .sys and place them in alphabetical order. The switch /on can be separated into two components first.
| /o | /n |
|---|---|
| Enables the sortorder switch. This allows you to sort the order of the directories you are searching through | The subswitch — so to speak — is like an extension of the sortorder switch. Since it’s a subswitch, we can negate the / before the n. |
Wildcard
You may have noticed the asterisk before the .sys. This is called a wildcard. If you’ve ever done programming of any kind of are proficient in CSS, then you may have encountered this wildcard before.
Basically, a wildcard is something that allows you to do something or apply something to multiple things without having to define them all directly. This can be important when navigating through DOS. If, for instance, we’re looking for a .exe file but we don’t know the name of it or even if you know part of the name, then we can use the wildcard to find it. COnsider the following:
1 | C:\users\{username}\documents\pictures> dir n*.jpg |
This will search through the entire picture folder for images that start with n and end in .jpg.
Question Mark Wildcard
The question mark is another form of wildcard with DOS. The difference is the number of character that can be used for each wildcard. The Asterisk (*) will allow up to an eight character substitution and the question mark (?) will allow for a single character substitution. For example,
1 | C:\Windows\System32\> dir x*.e?? /on |
This would search for any files and directories that begin with “x” and end with the file extension that starts with an “e”. These results would also return alphabetically via the switch “/on” as mentioned before.
Creating a Virtual Machine with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
May 14th
The first VM tutorial that we read about was with a paid software created by Parallels. If you didn’t read this tutorial and you are interested then click here.
How to Find
This may seem silly to some out there but this little bit of software isn’t easy to find actually. If you use your preferred search engine and simply type Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 you’ll get a link like the following: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/ this is NOT. Why? Because they also want you to download obnoxious software with it as well.
The URL you really want only has the software you actually need from Microsoft and can be easily found and downloaded here.
Installing Windows XP as a VM
In this tutorial we’ll be installing Windows XP Professional X86 on our VM. This could be helpful if you have software or hardware that is not yet supported on Windows Vista/7 and perhaps might never be supported. You can, of course, install any OS you wish on your PC and run it as the VM.
Step 1
Just press next
Step 2
We need to either create a new Virtual Machine with our own custom settings, create a vm using the typical settings as determined by Microsoft, or add an existing VM.
We want to create a new VM using our own custom settings (the first option).
Step 3
Name the Virtual Machine something that can be easily remembered and lets you identify your VM instantly by the OS it uses. XP or Windows XP will suite for this VM.
As for the physical location of the VM, it will be saved in the following places:
For XP: C:\documents and settings\My Virtual Machines
For Vista and 7: C:\users\{username}\Documents\My Virtual Machines
Step 5
Next we need to set our OS that we are installing.
For this tutorial we’ll be installing Windows XP Professional X86 but we have multiple options that we can choose from.
Step 6
Next we’ll want to set our own custom amount of RAM for the VM to use. This is very contingent on the amount of available RAM you have on your host system. If you are unsure how much RAM you have go to run by pressing windows key+r and typing msinfo32 you are looking for the Installed Physical RAM and the Total RAM. If your total RAM exceeds 1.5GB then you should allocate more RAM to the XP VM. 400MB-512MB for 2GB of RAM is acceptable.
Step 7
Next we want to create a new disk for our VM and then we want to allocate the necessary space for the VM.
Step 8
Now we need to add some less or more space (depending on what we want) to the Virtual Disk which the OS will be installed on. For some strange reason Microsoft uses a default number of 65536MB or 6.55 GB of space for XP to be installed on. I lessened the number to 40000MB or 4GB of space because I’ll just be installing the OS and that’s it. You can always modify the settings for the RAM and HDD space later on once the OS is installed.
Step 9
Once everything is setup the way we want it, press finish and you’ll notice that in the Virtual PC Console our newly created VM is in there.
Step 10
Insert the Windows XP or your OS CD/DVD that you will be installing and when you launch the VM click on the CD option and select boot from CD drive.
Installing Windows XP
See Installing Windows XP at the top there will be a link that explains all of the critical information that you need to know about installing XP on a VM.
Once we’re done installing XP we now can run applications and an OS through the free software available through Microsoft.
Running a Virtual Machine on a PC with Parallels
May 10th
Virtual Machines, what in the world are they? What purpose do they serve? How do they benefit the average computer user?
These are all common questions that you might have running through your ear right now. A virtual machine is an emulation software that executes as a physical machine. We’re specifically discussing system virtual machines in this tutorial.
Virtual Machines can run a separate OS alongside your current OS that is running. For example, let us assume that we’re all running Windows XP Professional and we use Linux Ubuntu quite often as well. Since we’re tech savvy we partition our hard drive and install Ubuntu on the second partition so we can dual boot. Using a virtual machine there is no need to partition our hard drive or even to dual boot. We can use the emulation software to run XP and Ubuntu at the same time.
These virtual machines allows users to run two different operating system at the same time on the same computer. If you are someone that can benefit with the use of a virtual machine since you switch back and forth between operating systems then this is a solution for you!
Note: you can comfortably run a Virtual Machine (VM) on 1GB of RAM and on a 80GB Hard Drive. The more RAM and HDD space the better, however.
Setting up your VM
The first thing we need to do is to go to the BIOS and change one critical setting. Before the OS begins to boot up press the proper function key to get into your BIOS. Find the Virtual Machine setting and change it to “Enabled”. Reboot the computer and now the fun begins!
Parallels
Parallels is a company that creates some of the best virtualization software available. This software, however, comes at a cost. There is a full 30 day free trial of the software and you will need to provide information for a new user account. http://www.parallels.com/computing/ and we would want to try or buy the Parallels Desktop ® 4 for Windows & Linux.
Once we obtain the program and the trial license, install the program and then reboot once it finishes installing or when it prompts you to do so.
Step 1
Whichever OS you choose to have as your VM, take the image of the OS you wish to install on your VM and put it in Documents and Settings > My Parallels.
Note: Disc Images are merely files that have the extension .iso and is one big file that contains all of the information from a disc such as a DVD or a CD. You can use iso programs like Alcohol 120%, PowerIso, MagicIso, UltraIso, and Dameon Tools.
Pass the Intro Screen and then select the OS you wish to install on your VM. For this tutorial we’ll be installing Linux Ubuntu 10.04.
Step 2
We want to do a custom instillation of our VM because the typical settings might be a little much or not enough for our taste.
If we have a multi-core processor then select the number of cores you wish the VM to be able to use and then select the amount of RAM you wish to allocate to the VM (What is the max amount of RAM you wish to grant to the VM?).
Step 3
Next we want to create a new disk image to be used on the VM. Create a new image means that the software will create the VM partition it needs to run the OS.
Select the capacity that we want to allocate for the VM to use. By default the number will probably be quite substantial so we might want to reduce it.
You’ll notice some options under the HDD allocation option. There are two radio buttons and one check box. The check box is for legacy FAT (File Allocation Tables) or older file systems.
Expanding Disk does not grant the VM the entire space all at once. As more and more space is used the software will grant the VM the necessary space it needs. This can help us save HDD space by only giving the VM the space when it needs it.
Plain Disk grants the VM the entire amount of space all at once.
Step 4
Setting up the network is a critical part of setting up VM. Sometimes you don’t want to allow the VM to be able access the internet for security reasons. Sometimes you want the VM to be able to access the internet under the same connection as your current machine.
- Shared Network Allows the VM to connect to the exist network connection. This means that the OS installed on the VM will not have its own unique connection.
- Bridge Network allows for the OS installed on the VM to have its own unique connection.
- Host-Only Network keeps the VM as a local only network. This means the OS installed on the VM has access to the host computer and other VM’s on the same computer or within that local network.
- No Networking this means that the VM literally has no networking privileges.
Step 5
This step has multiple options and is probably best to leave the default adapter unless you have two separate adapters on a laptop or desktop. For example, your desktop came with a build in wifi receiver and you installed a PCI card that receives wifi and instead of using the PCI Card (which you set as the default adapter) you decide to use the built in wifi receiver.
Step 6
We can choose how we want to order the performance of our system. If we want to allocate more resources to the VM then select Virtual Machine and if we want to keep the VM secondary then allocate more resources to the host computer. This all, of course, is when the VM is running.
Step 7
This is where we name and specify our VM. The OS we wish to install on the VM will be in .iso file format and should be placed in C:\documents and settings\my parallels (XP) or C:\users\{username}\documents\my parallels (Vista and 7).
Step 8
This is where we actually “install” the OS on the VM. We can install the OS from a CD/DVD or from the image of the OS. For this example, we’ll be using the disc image of Ubuntu 10.04. Select where the disc image is and press continue.
Step 9
Now that we’re all done setting up our VM using Parallels, we start our VM and we might see an error like this:
This is because we need to get into the BIOS and allow Virtual Machines to be used on our system. If you’re unsure how to get into your BIOS consult the manufacture’s website or documentation. If you are using a custom built system then check the motherboards documentation or website.
Step 10
Now that our system allows Virtual Machines we can commence with the process. Open parallels and wait for Ubuntu to boot up. You’ll see the following screen:
Once it has finished loading you’ll notice that we need to physically install the OS on the VM. Ubuntu will give us options like the following:
Which is asking us where we want to install Ubuntu on. Select the option with the allocated space that we chose for the VM to have earlier in the setup process.
Once we choose everything we need to, the OS will begin to install.
Step 11
Once it is done installing we can finish setting up the OS.
Once everything is done, check the resources to make sure everything is working property for example:
If all of the settings are in order then you now have a virtual machine using Linux Ubuntu!
Dark Code View for Dreamweaver
Nov 28th
If you stare at dreamweaver for hours upon hours each day, as I do, the default color scheme with the white background can get hard on the eyes. In the past I tried change the background color to black to give my eyes a break, but the code colors were then hard to see so I ended up switching back.
That was until last weekend when I came across this dark code view for Dreamweaver. I’ve now installed it on three of my computers and I am really liking it. I recommend checking it out.
Setting up your cPanel email in gmail
Nov 26th
cPanel accounts come with webmail clients like RoundCube, Horde, and Squirrel Mail. But you also have another free option, gmail. It takes a bit of setting up, but it’s well worth it for all the great features that gmail provides. Here are the steps to get it all set up:
- Create a Gmail Account. If you don’t already have a google/gmail account, create one here. Your gmail account name does not matter in this case. It will only be used by you, for logging in. The people to whom you send emails to will only see your cPanel address.
- Auto forward your emails to Gmail. Login to your cPanel email account at www.yoursite.com/webmail. Go to “Email Forwarding” and click “Add Forwarder”. You will need to forward your emails to your gmail address.
- Set up sending from your cPanel Address. Now login to your gmail account. Click “Settings” in the upper right hand corner. Then go the “Accounts and Settings” tab. Next to where it says “Send Mail as” click the “Send mail from another address” button.
- A new window will pop up. Enter your name and your cPanel email address. Go to the next step.
- Select “Send through Gmail (easier to set up).” Go to the next step.
- Click the “Send Verification” button.
- Go back to your gmail inbox. You will have a new email from gmail. Open the email and click the link.
- Head back to gmail and again click “Settings” in the upper right hand corner. Then go the “Accounts and Settings” tab. You should now see your cPanel email address listed. Next to your newly added email address click the “Make Default” button.
You’re done! Now you can test sending emails to your cPanel email address. If everything was setup correctly, they will immediately show up in your gmail account. When you click reply it will automatically reply from your cPanel address. ENJOY!