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Ever tried to ls or rm under Windows?

With just a few minor adjustments the Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) can emulate the behaviour of your favourite *nix shell. Please note, this isn't a full emulation method - the existing Windows commands are being manipulated to appear as their *nix shell counterparts.
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I decided to grab a copy of the official release of PHP 5.3.0 for XAMPP and try it out (replacing my hacked version in an effort to resolve some database compatibility issues).

Unfortunately, this proved to be a BIG MISTAKE!

Moments after installing the software, all my new shell windows reported that mkdir, doskey, ipconfig and even HELP are 'unrecognized' - so began my hour-long search for a resolution to the amnesia that had suddenly afflicted the command-line.

The problem turned out to be two-fold:

1. It would seem the installation script (setup_xampp.bat) or shell script (xampp_shell.bat) had a misunderstanding with some of my custom command-line settings. In fact, it decided my PATH environment variable wasn't up to scratch... so it erased it! This meant that the command-line had no idea where to look for system apps. and as result shut-down a large portion of my system utilities.
2. In addition to the above, the script added to my default shell script (HKEY_USERS\...\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun) a small 'set PATH=' command that each time it was run added the XAMPP directory to PATH and then deformed it with an increasingly long string of semi-colons.

Needless to say, I'm somewhat annoyed that there is no visible warning during installation that it could potentially FUBAR your environment variables. I hope this provides some insight for people who might be experiencing a similar problem.

Having been unable to find a definitive guide to upgrading the XAMPP PHP version to PHP 5.3.0rc2, I decided to improvise on a guide for installing the PHP 5.3 alpha.

My guide will describe how to upgrade the current XAMPP PHP version to the second release candidate of version 5.3. It is expected that this method will also work for the third release candidate when it is released later this month.
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UPDATE: Improved the batch file significantly. Enjoy!

I'm moving into exam / dissertation territory now. My updates probably won't be too frequent until they're finished in May. Recently I've started using LaTeX (or to be more exact, MiKTeX, since I'm a Windows user) and have found it to be most useful as a complete replacement for writing scientific reports using Word.

To simplify the process of compiling a pdf using the MiKTeX package, I've written a small batch file that links together all the preparatory processes with ps2pdf. Just download it and then drag and drop the .tex file onto it to get started!

Download make.bat here.

(NOTE - I haven't tested it extensively, so it may not work as expected - make backups!)

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After an incredibly busy Christmas period and New Year, I've finally found a spare moment. This is a quick heads up on plans for the the coming year:

• Fyrwerks is still in development. Roll on PHP 5.3!
  After a dozen iterations, I couldn't settle on a workflow model that met my expectations. In answer to this, I've decided to redesign the Fyrwerks concept to match up with the changes we can expect to see in PHP 5.3 - most notably with the addition of Namespace Support.
• Web 2.0 Projects
  I've had quite a few ideas brewing for some time - plan is to unleash them later this year and get some community development going.
• New Tools & Services
  Do what they say on the tin! Interested in managing your online resources and traffic? I might have a few toys to keep you ahead of the game ... stay tuned!

... and last but not least ...
Greetings to all my subscribers and best wishes for 2009 :-)

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EDIT: Damn you iPhone! :-)

I'm experiencing an 'outside the box' moment. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Kojima intends this image to be shuffled around a bit.

Another possibility: interpret this equation literally ...

i + ! = (!)
i (as in 'I, Hideo Kojima') + NOT (! is a logic symbol) = In Power

Perhaps this is a sign that Hideo is handing over the reigns to someone else? (boo hiss!) In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of this interesting teaser!

ADD: Try putting the 'power sign' on the top and use the cross as the body. Looks a tiny bit like the cyborg ninja, no?

While trying to use my 16GB USB flash drive as a raw-disk for VMware, I managed to corrupt the partition table. This rendered the drive useless for data storage. As none of the information contained on the drive was useful, it seemed that the best solution was a straightforward partition table wipe and rebuild. This can be difficult on Windows as Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Disk Management does not allow the deletion of the primary partition.

Many Googl'd solutions involved rebooting with one repair/installation disk or another, however I've found a quicker way...
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This project is still very much in early development. Many alterations and additions have been integrated into the final plans; accommodating these will push back a release until early 2009.

More information will be provided once I've modified the framework core to adopt some of the most important changes. The Fyrwerks development site will be uploaded when I get around to finishing it (I am hoping to use the first developmental release to power it!).

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When installing Ubuntu on to a USB stick it will overwrite your system disk MBR. This is a significant problem for those with multi-boot or a Windows installation (as the system disk can no longer boot without putting in the USB stick each time!). The following is the account of my little adventure in to repairing my laptop disk MBR...
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I am pleased to announce that I am in the process of developing and (at some stage) releasing my personal PHP development framework - Fyrwerks. This has been an ongoing project for some time, it is only recently that I have decided to consider releasing it publicly.

While I can't give away too many details just yet, the following are some of the features you can expect to see in the first release:

• A structured framework for installing and maintaining custom PHP web apps.
• Libraries dedicated to simplifying and object orientating repetitive or complex tasks
• Fast script execution and reliable communication channels between different services.
• Compact and easy to set-up.
• Fully GoPHP5 compliant.

The development site is located at http://fyrwerks.com, some early demos should be available from next month.

Check back soon for updates!

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