VirtualBox is now my defacto development environment for websites. I came across the VirtualBox feature Shared Folders and thought I would give it a try, and see if it was any better or different from using Samba or just plain old FTP for file copies.
Easier said than done…….
Everytime I tried to install the GuestAdditions from the VirtualBox ISO file I got the following message from the install script:
Building the VirtualBox Guest Additions kernel modules ...fail!
Heres how I resolved the problem. Remember however that this solution is for Ubuntu Server 8.04 LTS and that your system may be configured differently.
First update your system using:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
Guest additions needs some dev tools to help build the Kernel which I found were missing from my server install (namely dkms gcc and make):-
sudo apt-get install dkms gcc make
Once I installed these and restarted the system everything built perfectly.
Another thing you might have a problem with is not having the build and kernel headers installed, so you might want to try updating them:-
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
If you get totally stuck a good place to start is the install log which is at /var/log/vboxadd-install.log
Happy virtualising!!
I was trying out a new Image Gallery for Joomla today (Simple Image Gallery from www.joomlaworks.gr – a great product, and free) when I came across a small problem. I primarily use Ubuntu Server 8.04 for my server side web development, and I discovered that the standard LAMP install within Ubuntu Server doesn’t install the GD image library.
As Simple Image Gallery uses this to produce it’s image thumbnails, I had to do a bit of digging to find the solution.
To install the required package use:-
sudo apt-get install php5-gd
Then restart your Apache server:-
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
I’m always going on about how fantastic Open Source applications are, so here is my top list of applications that I feel people should not be without. There are also a couple of applications here which are not Open Source, but are still free and are worthwhile considering.
All of these products are free, but consider donating either a little bit of time or money to enable these fantastic applications to continue to be supported.
1. UBUNTU SERVER – (http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/serveredition)
Linux, or in my particular case, Ubuntu Server is a fantastic product, is well supported, has a huge range of easy to install applications and is the foundation of many other Open Source applications.
2. PHP – (http://www.php.net)
PHP is the backbone of many web-applications, and although not really an application in itself, it is really a programming language that plays really well with HTML and has become the backbone of many web applications. Chances are if you use a web based application it probably utilises PHP somewhere.
3. MYSQL – (http://www.mysql.com)
The Open Source database for Linux, but also available for Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, HPUX and others. Like PHP this is not a standalone application, but used to provide functionality to other applications.
4. APACHE – (http://www.apache.org)
Used by millions of organisations, companies and web-hosts the world over, the definitive Open Source webserver. A very powerful piece of software.
5. JOOMLA! – (http://www.joomla.org)
Joomla is a Content Management System, think of it as a design tool for people that do not like deisgning websites conventionally (i.e. HTML/CSS). It is extremely powerful, and although a little more involved that some other CMS’s it is worth the effort. Like most successful open source applications, Joomla is really well supported, has a very active community and the last time I looked, had 3000+ extensions to enhance its functionality.
I use this in my web design business for clients who want to control their own website content, but dont want to get involved in the technicalities of HTML . You can visit my website www.zimt.co.uk for more information.
6. ASTERISK/PBX IN A FLASH (http://www.asterisk.org and http://www.pbxinaflash.net)
One of my favourite applications. PBX in a Flash builds on the functionality of Asterisk, a leading open source IP Telephony PBX and enables you to build an enterprise telephone system on a shoestring. Hold music, call diversion, follow me, voice mail and conference calls barely scratch the surface of an incredible product. Incorporating the easy to use FreePBX web interface together with script based updates and extension installs makes incorporating features a breeze. If you have ever considered IP telephony this is the software to go for.
7. PFSENSE (http://www.pfsense.org)
An open source router and firewall with VPN, proxy and proxy content capabilities. It is powered by FreeBSD which makes it fast, reliable and it utilises few system resources. Although not as flashy as some it gets the job done quietly and without fuss.
8. WORDPRESS (http://www.wordpress.org)
Well, it had to be here didn’t it? Full of blogging goodness and everyones favourite blog software. WordPress is open source and is not just used for blogging but for increasingly capable websites, indeed some are now using it as a Content Management System. Whilst it doesn’t have the functionality of say Joomla! in this role, it is still a great solution and shows how flexible WordPress can be.
9. VMWARE ESXI (http://www.vmare.com)
Although not open source, this software is free, and is a cut down version of its big brother (now part of VMware vSphere). That said it has plenty to recommend it, and is plenty powerful by itself. Many companies and individuals utilise ESXi to consolidate their applications and servers and to provide a central repository to enable easy backup, migration and disaster recovery.
ESXi has a very small footprint, less than 32MB, making hardware utilisation much more efficient than say Microsofts Hyper-V technology or VMware server as it does not run on top of any operating system, instead it has its own small footprint loader which all your virtualised applications and servers run on.
VMware also have another free piece of software called VMware Player. This enables you to take a virtualised server (these are called Virtual Machines or VM for short and are just files) and take it with you on the road. I can therefore take development systems with me on my laptop when I am travelling, can still continue my work and can just copy my VM files back to my ESXi server when I get home. It is like taking a physical server with you on your travels, but with none of the hassle of a really long network cable!
If you really dont want to use a non open source product then Xen (http://www.xen.org) is another alternative.
10. Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009 (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/accountingexpress/FX101729681033.aspx)
What is this? A Microsoft application in an open source list? Well, yes; although obviously not open source it is free, and in these tough economic times that matters to a lot of people. More importantly Microsoft Office Accounting Express is a good piece of accounting software, and does what it says on the tin. It doesnt have all the features of the Professional version, but you can upgrade if you really have to.
Microsoft are just doing what many open source vendors have been doing for a while, releasing a version of their product with the majority of the commercial features implemented, and leaving it up to the customer to decide if it is worthwhile paying the extra to upgrade.
The hook being that you have invested time and effort to get to know the software, so you are much more likely to upgrade than go to a competitive product. Relax, it’s only marketing!!
