Hi,

I am trying to learn CGI/web database programming. My PC currently has WinXP Pro as the only OS. I know that I can have linux as a dual boot. But the two OS's are on different partitions. What I want is to have a LINUX web server(that I can do my server side coding on) that I can access from Internet exploreron WinXP . Is this possible? Or do I need to do it all fron the LINUX partition using a LINUX-based web browser? Any help on this matter would be much appreciated. I have a good understanding of both OS's and know UNIX shell scripting and program C on UNIX as my job. Also I need to be able to use Perl,PHP,ASP and mySQL.

Thank you,

Chris

You have to have Linux running with a webserver in order to serve out webpages. If you only have one machine with a dual boot, you cannot access your Linux server that is not running per se. You will have to setup a totally different machine.

The only way around this that I know of is to run Linux while in XP using VMWare or something like that.

I would suggest you using virtual pc and run linux under windows without needing any other computer.
download virtual pc @
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/
there is like a 45 days trial version. fully working bla bla.

Yep, learning CGI was what got me into Linux in the first place. It's amazing what a one-credit class in beginning web design can do to a complete neophyte. My solution at the time was to spend $20 on a P133 (you'll need cables and a hub too), but if you get into this at all you're going to want to play with several machines anyway.

You can also choose to run a local webserver on the machine you're developing on, either by running IIS on your XP machine (but then why would you be at this forum) or apache on a linux partition. People seem to like Quanta for web development.

so your saying that you want to test your pages on a windows browser (IE) but run them off a linux web server?

if thats the case you could either run the server from linux and use wine to get IE going (not sure how well that works), or you could get a precompiled apache for windows.

The best option, which I suggested successfully to a friend of mine is to get the Per/CGI/PHP/Apache binary for Windows and install it. Then you can use your fav. browser like IE to test your programs.

I second UltimaGuy's suggestion. Install Apache, Mysql and PHP and Perl or whatever you want on your Windows system. Works like a charm.


Håkan

Go here to see a step-by-step walk through

http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/apache-windows.html

and report back the result...