Hosting Site at Home

My target was to learn and host www.iclasslive.com, with as least expenses as possible. I have a regular comcast DSL connection at home.

This worked for me, it should work for you all too. It's not rocket science.

(a) Buy www.iclasslive.com from godaddy.com.
(b) Install apache 2.2 (http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi) on my laptop and test if it works. The Apache windows installer installed an index.html file with text "It Works!". If you see this text in browser for "http://localhost" then you got it right.
(c) Install PHP (http://www.php.net/downloads.php) 5.x stable version available. I extracted the files in "C:\php" folder. I ran the .exe(s) and .bat(s) but not sure if these helped, especially gopear.bat which actually did show some output.
(d) Modified the environment variable "path" appending ";C:\php".
(e) Renamed php.ini-recommended to php.ini
(f) Modified the httpd.conf to have the following lines:
LoadModule php5_module "C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

# Configure the path to php.ini
PHPIniDir "C:/php"


DirectoryIndex index.htm index.html index.php

ServerAdmin admin@iclasslive.com
ServerName www.iclasslive.com:80

Test if the server works right with new configuration and then restart the Apache web server.

(g) made a index.php file with ; see if it shows php information page "http:\\localhost\index.php".
(h) go to http://www.zoneedit.com/ and signup. after they send you your credentials to login, relogin and register the website following the step by step instructions from http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/fr_index.html?/main/step-by-step.html .
You need to give your IP address. I am behind the router, so i used the site whatismyip.com to find my IP address.
(i) zoneedit also gave me the names of 2 nameservers, which i used to replace the nameservers given by godaddy. it takes some time (a few hours) before godaddy really gives up all nameservers to zoneedit.
(j) I set my computer with a static IP address for LAN 192.168.2.6 . Set your preferred DNS server as your default gateway on internet properties.
(k) set up the router with virtual server: inbound port =80, TCP, for the IP Address for the private port 80, to let the internet traffic come in.

godaddy --> zoneedit(www. iclasslive.com ) --> My Router --> my server


It Should work now.

Drives on Windows Explorer

So How about hiding display of Drives on Windows Explorer! though they will still be visible if you do File>Open from some application.

Steps:
(1) Click on Start> Run
(2) Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/software/Microsoft/windows/current version/policies/explorer
If the location doesn't exist, create it.
(3) On the right pane of the RegEdit window, Right click and New>DWORD Value
(4) Rename it as "NoDrives" and give the value 3FFFFFF in Hexadecimals.

Refresh (F5) your registry windows and explorer. You might have to restart your computer to see the changes.

To display the drives again:
(1) Delete the "NoDrives" value created.
(1) Open your Windows Explorer.
(2) View>Folder Options>View tab.
(3) Just change anything so that Apply button is enabled.
(4) Hit Apply and then OK.

and now you have them displayed again.

Vish 

What this BLOG is about !!!

I have a habit of tweaking into the systems/kernels to see what happens if i do this, or that!!! ...
WindowsXP is fun to experiment with, considering their strategy of hiding details ...
These experiments (some found online, some from books and some of my own) will be listed here.

I have had experience Systems Administration for Firms and Labs at the Universities with Windows OS Machines.

Please post if you have tricks to share.

Vish