Hi,

I have banged my head on this problem and I can get it resolved. I'm trying to bridge the divide that exists between my windows knowledge and my Linux knowledge because it quite dated because i won't go higher then 2000 and so I'm on fedora 7 and the college that I went to taught only windows. I have tried the man pages but they are far too detailed because I have trouble finding the answers I want because my attention span doesn't last; i can describe what I'm trying to do in windows terms but I equate access to postgre sql to sql server to mySql and ASP to PHP but its more detailed because it has some features of C and CPP but I just want to make some server side code. Also, I would like to know how to discriminate between the packages I need for PHP, mySQL and Apache...

I would like to do simple things like:

~simple SQL statements (Insert, Delete, Join and Select)
~Simple ASP statements like opening a database and use simple structures like EOF/DO/WHILE, If's, case select, passing variables, programming cookies, the replacement for constant char but I hate the .NET structure because its so weird and its evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary
~I wish I could say that I'm good at C and CPP but I have a hard time with it because the structure is so sensitive; and the same with Java
~So in the broad scheme of things I am a programmer lite

I'm on a static IP (96.51.147.83) because its required by my ISP and a domain of instead of localhost (www.MParanoral.com); if this was a mistake I didn't realize it at the time but I wanted DNS to work; but every time I use the shell (the prompt is [albertahocking@www ~]$ ) or edit a file it blows up in my face.

I have tried to make a turn my server on but I'm use to GUI's like PWS and I have read the closest thing on the Internet and thats "how to make the perfect server" but it goes too far off the reservation. It told me to how to punch holes in the first firewall but skip samba because it creates too many problems.

I need some code that won't fail to turn my server because I receive errors on and some resources to backup my information and explain what I'm missing because you guy have been into this far longer than me. I will warn you that I have ADD really bad and have had a stroke so I may misinterpret what your typing, In essence I'm looking for an idiot proof what to make this work; cut and paste code would work...

But I'm sick of Microsoft that is so worried about someone ripping them off that its bordering on paranoid schizophrenia but they have no problem stiffing you for money with an arrogant smile and selling out the industry to the lowest bidder. and frankly I'm tired of being dictated to and I have used Linux for 6 months but I'm no better then an operator but in windows I was a VB and ASP Programmer so now I'm after the PHP experience because I'm tired of being treated like I'm stupid like an AOL user.

So where do I turn.....

Thanx

Hi BeerSlinger!

What are you trying to accomplish? Is it just for learning purposes? Is it for some sort of business site (like a page where you can buy/sell stuff with a shopping cart?) or perhaps you just feel like creating a Blog to express your ideas? Maybe you want to create a forum like this one to help others?

If all you want to do is to learn, then you may need to buy some books. Copy & Paste is not the way to learn anything. Now, if you answered yes for any of the other questions, you may want to start looking for already finished platforms, such as WordPress or phpBB. It is far easier to modify these applications (look and feel, usually through skins or even the PHP-source) and it will save you a lot of time, trouble securing your application and a lot more. And you will actually get to learn a lot by tweaking those. More than you would by coping and pasting stuff.

Choosing PHP is a good thing. For the first, you will find an infinity amount of examples, books and frameworks/platforms to integrate to your applications. That and the fact that nearly every company hosting sites will give you support for PHP and MySQL (at least).

I myself develop Web applications with Java and it is no easy task to create a robust application, which looks good, is secure and performs well. This is really enterprise level stuff and if you don't really want to get deep into it (by that, I mean reading an infinity number of books and keep yourself up-to-date with the latest technologies and if it is a good idea to upgrade everything once a new framework is updated), you may consider some of my suggestions. WordPress installation, for example, is dead simple and the product works great.

Just an idea. Now, if you want to read books, I always recommend O'Reilly. Especially the "Head First" series. Exceptionally well written, fun and right to the point. I am still trying to read any other book where I can actually laugh and learn at the same time. If only school was this fun back in the days...

I would say all the above, I'm trying to make a paranormal page and pass my knowledge if to help someone else out, its for my self education, no its not for a business, its for my own charity, and it will be a bit of a blog...but most of all I wanted to use my skillset because the paranormal is very tech heavy...

You got a suggested title on www.bookpool.com. Google was my friend and now it is my adversary because it goes with the majority, and the majority is windows, the Linux stuff is terribly disorganized.

Very good, I was trying to go with the most popular and redhat, php and mysql seems a perfect marriage.

I would like to do that, but I'd be more likely to get into C++ before java but there are so many hours in a day, plus that there are no jobs here so I just need to look out for myself...

I will look that up...

You mean http://www.bookpool.com/ss?qs=Head+First&x=0&y=0

~Design patterns seems to be a wast of time
~software development has some promise
~what is specifically behind serverlets and JSP.....My rust is showing
~C#, skip that unless that is a version for Linux now
~Object oriented design, how fun
~head first design patterns poster.....what the hell....
~SQL, Hell yes
~Javascript = window dressing + waist of time
~PMP seems like a wast since there are no jobs
~EJB, Wow. if there are enough hours in the day

The only bad book I have encountered is WROX, I got a job in access programming and I couldn't make heads or tales of that....and they took really odd examples to prove a point.....

I get it, JSP and serverlets have to do with web pages...