Software

Question: What is the difference between a static website and a dynamic website? Answer: A static website relies on traditional HTML pages to display content. Typically, a person will create the pages in an offline editor, such as Dreamweaver or even a plain text editor like Notepad, and then upload …

In a previous post, I explained a couple methods of exporting MySQL databases. Today, we will do just the opposite: import a mysql database. As with the previous example, you may use either phpMyAdmin, your web hosting company’s custom control panel interface (if available), or the Linux command line, if …

When it works perfectly, PHP is the best thing since sliced bread. When something goes wrong, however, PHP can be real pain. Many of PHP’s settings may not be apparent to you, especially if you only have a shared hosting account and did not install and configure it. PHPInfo is …

Question: I have a virtual private server (or dedicated server) with lots of files from numerous websites. How can I keep my files indexed and search for them whenever I need them? Answer: There are two tools that make searching for files in Linux easy: locate and slocate. The only …

Question: Something is hogging the CPU cycles on my Linux dedicated server. It has gotten really slow. How can I monitor running programs and processes? Answer: Linux has a handy little tool called “top” that, when run, reveals your top running processes. It also gives you information about your memory …

Most web hosting providers provide statistical analysis software, such as Webalizer or Awstats. In all likelihood, some type of software is gathering data about your website, even if you did not previously know it or configure it. Now that you know about it or even if you already did, you …

Question: How do I export and download a MySQL database? Answer: There are two primary ways to export a MySQL database if you are a website owner. The first is to use phpMyAdmin, a web-based graphical interface for managing databases. The second is to login through SSH and use MySQL …

Question: How do I install scripts and software on my shared hosting account? Answer: A lot of that depends on the type of shared hosting account you have. If you have a Linux account, you should check with your provider to see what packages are available to you. Most will …

Question: What Is .htaccess and How Do I Use It? Answer: Apache HTTP Server by default is controlled by a single configuration file. On many Linux distributions, the file is called httpd.conf or something similar. If you have a shared hosting account, however, you do not have access to an …

Apache HTTP Server is the most widely used web server application and is arguably the best available. Nevertheless, being a good application does not automatically make Apache secure. If your websites are simple html pages with no dynamic web applications or scripts, you probably do not have need for much …