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Lecture 2, Download, install, and test a server. February 26..

This week, we will firstly and briefly recap the software we are recommending, and discuss the results of other choices mentioned last week. By this time, we'll have an idea of what everyone is going to be using, if it is different from the norm.

For those of us using the packages recommended here, your lecturer will then install the web server software onto a clean system, to show you exactly how installation is going to work. You'll learn:

where to get the server from,
exactly which file you need to download,
how to install it onto your system,
how to enable or disable the server when you want to use it,
How to test the server is active and ready for us to use it,
and what else is included in the server package and what it's used for.

We will also discuss a lighter server option for those with limited space or bandwidth and discuss the features of each so people can choose wich they want to use long term.

We will discuss text editors in more depth, and the implications of programming with speech or Braille and various techniques and methods to make things easy on the VI coder. This lecture will end with everybody having the facility to set up and test their own local server. Which leads us to ...

Assignment for lecture 2.

Your assignment for this week has two parts.

First, Arrive at next week's lecture with a web server installed and ready for use. To do this, follow the step-by-step server setup guide, which your lecturer ran through during the lecture to show you that the procedure does work. There is a written guide here
Second, show your server setup is working to specification by creating,running, then emailing a copy of the PHPInfo script to the instructors. This file does contain some information about your computer system, but none of it is personal to you and it will only be used to ensure you are set up appropriately for this course. To email the output of the file rather than the file itself, open it in your browser so you can see it, then save it as "html Only", "web page Single", or "plain text", whichever you prefer or can find. Email that file to submit-php@ciscovision.org.

Issues that appeared after class

Skype can be set to use the ports the web server wants to use.

This should be turned off inside Skype before you try to run the server. Instructions from one of our excellent students follow:

While trying to solve my XAMPP connection problem I discovered that Skype is using the same listening ports that are required for a PHP server to run. They are 80 and 443. To prevent this from happening do the following:

1. Open Skype

2. Press alt and arrow left or right to tools

3. In the tools menu arrow up to options and press enter

4. In the next dialogue arrow down to "connection"

5. Press tab several times and uncheck the box called "Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incoming connections ".

6. Tab to "save" button and press enter

Hope this helps

Regards Kseniya

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