Last updated: AHD, Saturday 15th March 2008, 8:28 PT
AHD, Saturday 15th March 2008, 8:28 PT
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Over the last 2 weeks I installed Ubuntu Desktop version 7.10 - (aka Gutsy Gibbon) -
on the new Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop -
using a Dell-created image (doc by email) for the same machine.
The iso was burnt with Alcohol 120%.
I also installed cheese and wine (sic) for the webcam and Windows emulation.
I also installed the Ubuntu LAMP Server 6.06.1 (aka Dapper Drake)
on my Dell Dimension 3100 Desktop (doc by email).
The iso was burnt with Alcohol 120%.
The default installation is BASH only,
so I also installed the desktop and webadmin,
setting a static ip address for the server as per instructions
(doc by email). The router was set accordingley (doc by email).
Tested Linux Apache (web server), MySQL and PHP. All OK no probs.
Set up new student users for CSCI165A (Multimedia and the Internet)
web programming (LAMP) part of the course - using XHTML and PHP on live web server.
Working on server DNS to bind ip to annedawson.net.
annedawson.com can stay with the college.
No data to be stored on the server.
The third machine is Dell Dimension 8400 - running XP
and Norton Internet Security 2008 -
and data storage for backup.
XP machine is the ONLY data storage machine
and is regularly virus scanned and backed up.
The Linux server machine is for research - especially on security :-)
and education. The Linux laptop is for research, education and play.
The Windows XP machine is for college work and has daily virus scans
and is backed up regularly (DVD to safe deposit).
Thursday 27th December 2007
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Creating a new Moodle system for Coquitlam College for Spring 2008 semester.
Sunday 30th September 2007:
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DNS problems persist this morning despite attempts to clear the DNS cache.
The problems are - Linux machine slow DNS lookup - Windows machine
can't find some websites known to be up - e.g. my own.
However, Shaw Cable installed a new cable modem (with greater speed capacity) at 11am -
and modem/router/and 2 machines on the network were restarted.
We needed to reset the router using the reset pinhole button on the back
- to get Linux machine connected.
All seems well now (touch wood).
Maybe the DNS problem was a result of router needing resetting...
Saturday 29th September 2007:
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DNS Setup and DNS Issues on Linux and Windows
Windows XP DNS Problems
A Java program that converts text to speech
Wednesday 9th May 2007:
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Joomla
Friday 30th March 2007:
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SEO
Monday 12th February 2007:
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you have to get a zone entry put into your DNS servers
something like:
moodle.annedawson.net. A
<IPADDRESS.CABLEMODEM>
Foward port 80 from your router to your Linux box -> <IPADDRESS.CABLEMODEM>
then a virtual host in apache: edit --- /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
The virtual host config might be in
/etc/httpd/extras/vhostsnnnnn (cant remember the exact name)
It could be
/etc/httpd/conf.d/vhosts.conf
If you are only running moodle then you can just do the port forward and
call it up by the address. eg: http://70.34.234.123
INFO:
[root@brandi ~]# dig ns annedawson.net
; <<>> DiG 9.2.4 <<>> ns annedawson.net
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 9531
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 2
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;annedawson.net. IN NS
;; ANSWER SECTION:
annedawson.net. 170374 IN NS ns1.misk.com.
annedawson.net. 170374 IN NS ns2.misk.com.
;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
ns1.misk.com. 170374 IN A 64.74.251.50
ns2.misk.com. 170374 IN A 64.74.251.100
;; Query time: 22 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(localhost)
;; WHEN: Sun Feb 11 12:34:48 2007
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 108
Sunday 11th February 2007:
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C4 - Quiz short answer (fill-in-the-blank) questions from my existing exam data bank
do not import to C4. However, creating new ones in C4 was easy... Click on:
Add -> Activity -> Quiz
Linux DNS - Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal as Superuser (root)
System -> Administration -> Server Settings -> Domain Name System -> Help -> Manual (not for beginners)
Linux FC4 DNS
Linux Debian DNS
How to configure DNS and Firewall for Apache web server on Linux FC5 for absolute dummies
Saturday 10th February 2007:
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SUMMARY
Online teaching is going well.
I created an online questionnaire and
85 students give C4 (Moodle) an average rating of A-,
which I think is a vote of confidence.
We currently have 475 users on the system.
Even instructors are starting to use it.
I upgraded my home machine:
Dell Dimension XPS, P3,700Hz,20G,256M,CD-RW,floppy,speakers
from operating system Linux Red Hat Fedora Core 3 (FC3)
to Linux Red Hat Fedora Core 5 (FC5). My Dell Dimension 3100
home machine is installed with the same version of Linux
(from the same set of installations CDs).
I relocated the Dell Dimension XPS machine to the teaching room, Room 1.
Thus Room 1 now has 27 Windows machine and one Linux machine on the network.
I now have 3 machines on my home network,
the Dimension 3100 Linux FC5 and two Dell Windows XP machines.
My students using Room 1 are encouraged to play with the new Linux machine.
Last week I gave them a mandatory homework comparing Linux FC5 with Vista.
Personally, I would recommend people hold off using Vista for 2 years
while the hardware catches up. Personally I wouldn't recommend the general user to
install Linux, but I would recommend computer science students
to add a Ubuntu Linux machine to their home networks.
A low spec machine will be fine.
CURRENT PROJECTS
WCCCE
C4 - fill-in-the-blank questions in quizzes (multiple choice and T/F I've cracked)
Ubuntu
Fedora Core
FC5 Linux security
Putty
FC5 Linux DNS
Also, from the Linux system, go to:
System -> Administration -> Server Settings -> Domain Name System -> Help -> Manual
NFTRA
American Sign Language
Sunday 28th January 2007:
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The Moodle online teaching system (C4) is running smoothly.
There are currently over 25 active courses offered on the system,
with 444 registered users.
Saturday 27th January 2007:
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I did a fresh install of Fedora Core 5 (overwriting Fedora Core 3) on my home PIII machine:
Dell Dimension XPS T series, PIII at 700HZ, Turtle Beach Montego II A3D 320V sound card.
There were no problems during installation. Sound tests ok. I'm giving this PIII Linux machine
to Coquitlam College on permanent loan. It will be situated in Room 1.
Saturday 6th January 2007:
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The Moodle online teaching system (C4)
has been up and down over the holidays due to outages.
I'm currently preparing for teaching the Spring 2007 courses on annedawson.com
until C4 is available.
My current project is to host the website annedawson.com and the C4 system
from two different locations - on Linux/Apache machines eventually with a
UPS (uninterruptible power supply) -
to ensure that my students have reliable access to online resources.
Thursday September 7th 2006:
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College Moodle Installation Running
Note: resources will be added to the Moodle setup as time permits
i.e. between teaching committments. Initially, resources will be added
for the CSCI165A course (Multimedia and the Internet),
with other course to be added later.
It is intended that once material for the CSCI165A course is up and running
on Moodle and has been instructor and student-tested, a seminar for instructors
will be offered - hopefully during the Fall 2006 semester.
Fedora Core 5 Installation
Linux / Moodle Installation
E-Learning and Online Assessments
Library System (MyLib) and Examination System (MyExam)
After successfully loading the Koha library system on my home Linux system
(see below), I decided Koha is probably too detailed for the college library needs.
So, I suggested a very simple system created using LAMP
, where the P stands for PHP. Read on...
The college server is loaded with
Red Hat Fedora Core 3 (RH FC3) Linux, running Apache, MySQL and PHP. Using the
knowledge I gained from my Koha project, and my experience with XHTML Strict, I
decided to create my own very simple library system (MyLib), given that I have
limited time to devote to the system maintenance.
I've also created an online
examination system (MyExam), which uses Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP with XHTML
Strict. MyExam was first classroom tested (under supervision) on Wednesday 22nd
February with CSCI165A students, and again on Thursday 23rd February (a
different quiz) with BUSI237 students. I haven't thoroughly tested it yet, but
so far it has coped very nicely. Students liked the instant feedback. I liked
that, the graphic analysis, instant data storage, no photocopying and no
marking. For security reasons the code for this project remains under lock and
key.
Completed so far:
(most current at the top of the list)
Fedora Core 5 Installation
Linux / Moodle Installation
MyExam (see above)
MyLib
Process Library Form PHP script
MySQL Tutorial
MySQL My Notes
SQL Tutorial
PHP and MySQL
Example XHTML forms and PHP
A Form
PHP script
Web Programming - PHP and HTML forms
Web Programming - PHP
Multimedia and the Internet Notes CSCI165
My Hint Sheets
vi hints
bash hints
MySQL hints
The Koha Library System
On Thursday 3rd Feb 2005 AD successfully
installed Red Hat Fedora Core 3 (RH FC3) on her home system, and the same on a
college machine, for details see Linux / Moodle
Installation. The home system is a Dell P3, 700 MHz, 20G, 256M, NVidia video
card system. Both home and college systems will act as web servers - the
college system will host a koha library
system for the college library.
Please note that a full install of RH FC3 was performed, which means
that it included MySQL (v3.23.58), Apache (v2.0.52), Python and Perl. I should
add that I'm using a Linksys Firewall router (with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint -
Model BEFSX41 ver 2) to share my Internet cable connection between my Linux box
and my Dell XP box. It's very useful having the two machines side by side. I
use the XP machine to research and document everything I'm doing on the Linux
machine. I've documented my successes (and failures) at each stage in the
following text files. They are in chronological order, and will be added to as
the project continues...
To date, Sunday 17th April 2005, Koha and all dependencies are installed and running on
my local Linux box. I am currently adding test data to the Koha library database,
to be documented under Koha admin below.
Setting up MySQL
Setting up Apache
Setting up Koha
Koha admin
vi hints
bash hints
Good reference:
Installing Koha 2.2 on Fedora 1,2,3