Media-Wiki setup password error

When installing Media-Wiki, a default password for your database is displayed during the initial setup process. If you don't personalize this part of setup, you might encounter:

error: Check username and password

This is MySql waiting for the magic password which will allow mediawiki to access the database.

So, when asked to insert your database password in mediawiki, make sure you use the database password you used when you first installed and setup your MySql.

Why does Php 5.3 need or require Apache VC9?

Pre Php5.3.6

If you are looking to install Php 5.3 with official Apache Http Server 2.2.17 software on a Windows Operating System (XP SP3 or later), you can happily install and use Php version 5.3.5 or earlier. Our install guides cover apache VC6 compatible download and install for Php versions 5.3.3 onwards. You can select the version you wish to install from top or side menu selections. Our 5.3.5 guide carries an updated troubleshooter and other more contemporary data. This includes a discourse on VC6 and VC9 which is further expanded upon in the 5.3.6 guide.

Post Php5.3.5 

The only reason your Php installation would need or require Apache VC9 is if you were determined to install Php 5.3.6 (or a newer version of Php) on a Windows Computer that is serving the web or you plan to use this exact setup to serve your web pages on the internet in the future. The Php-Windows team (for Apache software) is currently using a VC9 Apache compiled resource for their own further development of Php-Apache on Windows software. This is a specific Windows thing and is further covered in our 5.3.6 guide.

What Web Server

So the main question to resolve here is what operating system are you running on your web server? If you have a web host, this information will be detailed in the configuration notes you were given when you signed up for your hosting package. If not, send an email to tech support and ask them what server software configuration you are using to host your website.

My website is run on Unix.. Therefore my server side software is Unix-Apache-Php and suffers from none of the limitations of a Windows-Apache-Php setup.

My work system is MicroSoft. So my website testing software setup is going to remain VC6 simply because this is the only software the Apache Website lists as an approved Windows-Apache download. Would  I ever switch to a MicroSoft as a website server? Never!

What are my options

But some of you might use windows as a website server and so this question might be more dear to you than it is to me. And this raises four potential paths of action for you.

• Do nothing, (use Php 5.3.5 or earlier).
• Change to a Php endorsed VC9 version of Apache software
• Wait for an Apache Software Foundation endorsed VC9 version of software
• Switch to a Unix/Linux or other operating system using the Apache HTTP Server that does not suffer from this ongoing issue.

Of course, in many cases, we can transfer your site and setup a hosting website package for you from as little as $100/yr* on a unix server if you want to look at the last option.

Re-installing MySql 5.1 notes

Using our MySql 5.1 install guide helps to get you up and running fast. We might include a 5.5 / 5.6 update at some point but i thought this note on re-installing might be of use to those who encounter reinstalling issues.

These notes are in reference to installing an established third party software program on apache-windows.

The Most important part of MySql setup is to record your username/passwords when you first setup MySql. Nothing can test or use the database without this (i would still ignore all VC9 versions until after you get it all working, there are still things that are not VC9 compatible and this side-steps any potential issue. Php 5.3.6 for windows is only moderately open source because not all of the files required to compile the windows source code are easily accessible at this time. So, this means not all can easily compile their own VC6 version yet either).

Your error appears to be that you did not include the correct username password for MySql. And because MySql was not removed properly (not your fault), MySql was not re-installed properly, so just having the right user/pass might not have fixed the problem anyway.

Yes, use windows add-remove first and then you will also need to remove the left over files/folders for both 5.5. and/or 5.1 manually. You will find that these folders still exist. Delete them if there is nothing in your database or move them somewhere else for now if there is anything in them you think you might need later. You can also do a full search for my.ini to make sure the ini file is gone or moved. I would probably re-boot after these steps just to be sure there is no lingering configuration data in memory.

When you get rid of MySql completely, it will re-install like a first time installation. Yes, the custom setup guide displays the windows in a different in order. This gives more control to the installation process and is better to use.

You can also ignore extra developer options in fig. 04, no-one needs these for normal database use. Only useful for developers.

HTML5 and target=blank detractors

Notes to page coders from our target=blank article

"...And to your target=blank detractors say only this... Like any program, a website too will only ever be as efficient as the mind that codes it and though they may be unaware of the principles of least astonishment, it doesn't mean you are. And furthermore, like it or not, this domain shall forever be overrun with the literates of any contemporary time. So think freely and code as you wish for you will be damned if you do and damned if you don't. Which only leaves you the guarantee of being damned. But you kinda knew that coming into this game didn't you?..."

Introducing HTML5  

HTML5 in 10 Minutes

HTML5 for Dummies

Content Genius For Hire

One of the facets of the websiteadministratorcomau website is to have an easy point and click job finder tool for those that are seeking work on websites. I singled out the core countries that were hitting on the site and posted links into various job boards which should return a great resource of jobs that are current in the area.

But i gotta admit, when it comes to content of a website, many techies have no idea. Hint: Brush up on some grammar and have fun with the language. Especially if you would like to offer seo.

And i too enjoy a good play with words now and again and sometimes i will write something that is just way cool and i end up going 'gee, that is way cool', and that above link is an example of some my content genius that is for hire.

I actually pulled my first ever website article from the site because it might have been just a little too much along this same line and a little too confronting, no matter how true it was (is). Occasionally on the site, you'll find these sudden bursts of literary prowess ebbing forth that may very well signal an epiphany in another.

adding adsense to make sense

The scope of the internet has begun an earnest change. And i wanna throw in my two sense on adsense for the honest webmasters. Many of which do not know that there are many that aren't. But you can tell a genuine site from a false site. The real ones are not simply disguised adverts. False pages often have little or have no attempt at providing real and resourceful information.

Now, Adsense is a great way for webmasters to fetch a little return on the hard work they do for providing the rest of us with information and we all love these hard working webmasters for just that reason. And most of the time, there is little that these honest workers ask for in return. Because let's face it, many of these informative sites are not motivated to sell, sell, sell and so they are not found by the keywords that are buy, buy, buy and so they do not attract those that surf the internet through ads. And many are happy just to have been able to enlighten you with some shared data they have gathered in their travels.

But we love many of these free to use sites and tend to overlook that they put in a lot of time to ensure we have access to information when we need it most.

But there is something we can do for them to make their day a little cheerier for their good deeds. And that is to take note of any ads that appear on their web sites and click on some of them now and again that are of interest to you. And i don't mean click and not view the link at the other end. Have a look at what is on offer because some of these sites are by the small struggling business that does hope to get a lead from their ads.

And i am not saying to start clicking ads on this page (especially if they are of no interest to you). I am saying, as you browse through the web, and when you find yourself on these smaller sites with ads from those smaller businesses that can only afford to advertise on these smaller sites, give them both a thought. You might even find something that is a real treat to you.

Official VC9 Apache downloads

An interesting question came up today regarding where on the Apache site does one get the official VC9 build.

Most that ask this question would be new Http Server Setup users looking to install VC9 Php 5.3.6 or VC9 Php 5.3.8 with VC9 Apache 2.2.17 or Apache 2.2.19.

Now that query actually had me stumped because i am pretty sure our latest Php 5.3.6 install guide pretty much answers this question with solutions quite adequately.

But here was this question from a purely apache point of view. And our Apache 2.2.17 install guide or Apache 2.2.19 install guide is pretty darn good too. But yes, it didn't quite answer this fully. So I have made an amendment to the apache install guide which now includes a link so that you can check in case this ever changes, but for now, the only official Apache for Windows downloads are the VC6 version downloads.

You can also download official apache 2.2.17 / apache 2.2.19 through our apache install guide or access non-official Apache VC9 versions through our newer php install guides.

And by official we mean the x86 32 bit binaries as provided by willing Apache Software Foundation community members and are available for download from the official apache website.

And this means that if you want to use official Apache software, you should look to install Php Version 5.3.5 (or earlier) as Php, with malice aforethought, did not release a 5.3.6 VC6 update with this or any other new release. See our newer PHP guides to learn where to download the VC9 Versions which work with the newer PHP releases.

Get Apache HTTP Server 2.2 Docs

Apache HTTP Server 2.2 Official Documentation Volume I
Server Administration

Apache HTTP Server 2.2 Official Documentation Volume II
Security and Server Programs

Apache HTTP Server 2.2 Official Documentation Volume III
Modules A-H

Apache HTTP Server 2.2 Official Documentation Volume IV
Modules I-V

Affiliate Website Support and Commssion Junction

Affiliate Website Support is something that larger affiliate sites should take note of.

Commission Junction is one of those larger affiliate network sites which webmasters can join a link to products and services that are more applicable to your web page rather than leave it to the advertising gods and gurus to randomly select products that compete for your business rather than compliment your business. Ah, but they seem to have lost a bit of marketing nous at the moment.

Lo and behold, the websiteadministrator site has been officially forewarned that due to no paying hits over x amount of time, they plan to cancel the affiliate status. This doesn't particularly bother me as what is the point of my promoting someone else's website if it is not returning a commission as planned. Though sometimes it is not about money, but rather support. And i don't use them exclusively, in fact i much rather prefer Share-a-Sale. And you should try and find a products that better compliment your pages so that sales do occur in an orderly manner. There have been many visitors from my site to Commission Junction, so in my view, it is the marketers inability to close the sale, not my inability to provide a warm lead.

But this is not the point, there are two sad sides to marketing reach with his behavior.

One is that if you have a small website that does not get a lot of hits, this is one network you should make sure you do not join. I quite like the idea of smaller websites being able to set up a web page, link in some affiliate products (because of the reasons above) and let the owner go off and do his thing til the cows come home. More than likely, over the next ten years or so, he will sell a product here or there and that is great for all. And the product gets free promotion for years and years. That saves a bundle in advertising costs for the product.

Two is, that if you are a smaller business promoting your products through affiliates, you lose all these prospective clients til the cows come home and all that free advertising that goes along with it. There are more sites have much less hits than our site, so to me, Commission Junction has proven beyond doubt that it is not really interested in supporting small business to become big business. That's just imho.

Perhaps clickbank is the better solution. They also pay much a higher commission with a much greater range of products on offer.

Stuart Townsend to star in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit with Saiorse Ronan

For middle-earth fans...

Stuart Townsend (XIII) to star in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit with Saiorse Ronan (The Lovely Bones). Well, this is what the guys at theonering.net were hoping for a few days ago (link to article: www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/04/01/43183-key-roles-filled-by-stuart-townsend-saiorse-ronan-for-the-hobbit/ ) and so began a little media frenzy, until they posted the corrections in red.

Oh, you want real news on Stuart? Try here: www.stuarttownsend.org

The middle-earth page was originally intended to feature Saiorse Ronan's "The Hobbit" role and is now corrected and posted 2nd 04 2011 (link to article: www.theonering.net/torwp/). Peter Jackson's Part I rendition of The Hobbit is slated for a 2012 release. Also to star is that Melbourne lady who attended Hawthorn's MLC and went onto better things (Blanchette).

Php tip - how to explode time and get rid of the 0s and add an ordinal sufix

When displaying time, i like to have 1, 2, 3 etc. No zeros. Not only that, i like the ordinals. So i want 1st, 2nd, 4th etc.

So i was plying with php again today and figured this to be a simple way out, there may be other ways, but this one works just fine (Here is a live working demo of this with the same code to copy and paste if you prefer to see it in action too.)

First we work out what we want to display eg. this is my favorite:
<?php echo date('l, dS F Y'); ?>

And that takes care of most of it, except for the first nine days of the month where we get 01st, 02nd, 08th etc. and that makes us feel pretty ordinary about our ordinals.

So, second, lets lop off those zeros. Explode and using ltrim on the 2nd variable in our new explode array fixes that if we tell it to expunge any 0s. Then ltrim will go into action and fix our 01st-09th days and so...

<?php
$BlitDate = explode(" ", date('l, dS F Y'));
$BlitDate[1]= ltrim($BlitDate[1], "0");
echo "$BlitDate[0] ";
echo "$BlitDate[1] ";
echo "$BlitDate[2] ";
echo "$BlitDate[3] ";
?>

You can run an if instruction if you want to only run ltrim on the first several days of the month like so..
<?php
$BlitDate = explode(" ", date('l, dS F Y'));
if ( $BlitDate[1] < 10 ) {$BlitDate[1]= ltrim($BlitDate[1], "0");
}
echo "$BlitDate[0] ";
echo "$BlitDate[1] ";
echo "$BlitDate[2] ";
echo "$BlitDate[3] ";
?>

they both smell of roses and you're all fixed up and ready to go again!

Php Code tip. Displaying your server location by exploding time

I was playing with some php code earlier today and wondering if i could write a little piece of lazy code to write the local location of my server instead of having to type the city/town and country each time. And then i remembered the timezone gave almost exactly what i want.

You know, this bit of code:
<?php echo date('e'); ?>


except it is backwards and can have up to three fields all with a pedantic / in the middle, so i thought ok, how about i strip out the slash and reverse the order. Close enough.

<?php
$zones = explode("/", date('e'));
echo "$zones[2] ";
echo "$zones[1] ";
echo "$zones[0] ";
?>

and then i thought, oh yeah, that works. But i can't be bothered with it anymore. Maybe some else is looking for it. And there it is