Replacing Notepad.exe with Notepad2.exe

I do not like notepad.exe... It will not behave the way I think it should so I replaced it with something better: Notepad2.exe
Hare are some of the features:

  - Syntax highlighting: HTML, XML, PHP, ASP (JS, VBS), CSS,
    JavaScript, VBScript, C/C++, C#, Resource Script, Makefiles, Java,
    Visual Basic, Pascal, Assembly, SQL, Perl, Python, Configuration
    Files, Apache Config Files, Batch Files, Diff Files
  - Drag & drop text editing inside and outside Notepad2
  - Basic regular expression search and replace
  - Useful word, line and block editing shortcuts
  - Rectangular selection (Alt+Mouse)
  - Brace matching, auto indent, long line marker, zoom functions
  - Support for Unicode, UTF-8, Unix and Mac text files
  - Open shell links
  - Mostly adjustable

Below is a batch file I found to help speed things up (Wish I could remember where I found it to give credit) in replacing notepad.  You will notice that notepad2 has been renamed and is in the folder c:\notepad.  Also you will need to un-hide all system files. 
To install just copy the batch file below into a txt file and name it whatever.bat and run it.  That's it. Have fun.

@echo off
echo ****You must have Notepad2.exe in c:\notepad and named notepad.exe****
pause
copy /y %WinDir%\System32\dllcache\notepad.exe %WinDir%\System32\dllcache\notepad.exe.orig
copy /y %WinDir%\ServicePackFiles\i386\notepad.exe %WinDir%\ServicePackFiles\i386\notepad.exe.orig
copy /y %WinDir%\System32\notepad.exe %WinDir%\System32\notepad.exe.orig
copy /y %WinDir%\notepad.exe %WinDir%\notepad.exe.orig
copy /y C:\notepad\notepad.exe %WinDir%\System32\dllcache
copy /y C:\notepad\notepad.exe %WinDir%\ServicePackFiles\i386
copy /y C:\notepad\notepad.exe %WinDir%\System32
copy /y C:\notepad\notepad.exe %WinDir%
echo.
echo.
echo Write down the locations after the REG_MULTI_SZ or REG_SZ in case the batch file does not work.  If it does not work, you will need to look in the locations from below to find other copies of notepad.exe that are possibly being used to restore the original notepad.exe
echo.
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup /v "Installation Sources"
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup /v ServicePackSourcePath
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup /v SourcePath

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Posted by email from Musings, Ramblings and Other Assorted Rubbish (posterous)

Ok, I have had it with IIS... Time to install Apache!

I was reluctant to install Apache because I always thought that it would be too hard.  Lot's of fiddly things to install, mucking about with a bunch of text files... the list went on and on, but as it turns out, I was wrong.  Just go to http://httpd.apache.org/  grab apache_2.2.10-win32-x86-openssl-0.9.8i.msi (at the time of this writing) and run the msi file.  The only change I made was to install everything and point the installer to something like x:\apache  (x being any drive you choose) for easy webroot access. 

This install will do everything! Unlike the PHP installer Apache will work as soon as the installer is finished.  Now the fiddly part that I was afraid of: Getting PHP and MySQL to play nice with it...
Add these three lines to your httpd.conf:

LoadModule php5_module "x:/php5/php5apache2_2.dll"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps

Do a search for DirectoryIndex and make it look like this: DirectoryIndex index.php index.html

That's it! You are done.

Ohh almost forgot if you have set anything to the Inetpub\wwwroot folder in the php.ini file (like upload_tmp_dir or session.save_path), you will need to change it to reflect your new webroot folder:x:\Apache\htdocs

Posted by email from Musings, Ramblings and Other Assorted Rubbish (posterous)

PHP+MySQL+IIS Install

Here are the steps that I took to get PHP and MySQL on IIS:

Software Needed:

• IIS: Installed on all Windows Servers and can be added to XP Pro via the Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Add Windows Components.
• PHP: Can be downloaded from http://www.php.net/ (Be cure to get the Windows Binaries Zip Package NOT the installer package)
• MySQL: Can be downloaded from http://www.mysql.com  Choose the Community Server download. Also grab the GUI-Tools Administrator while you are there.
• IZArc: If you do not have an unzip tool this one is one of the best

 

PHP Install

Unzip the PHP binaries package (php-5.x.x-Win32.zip) to C:\PHP5 and do the following:

• Copy php.ini-recommended to C:\windows\ and rename to php.ini.
• Copy php5ts.dll to C:\windows\System32

 

Let IIS know you have PHP

 You have to tell IIS where PHP is and add the extensions:

• Open IIS control panel and expand the computer name to reveal "Web Sites" right click to properties.
• Click on the Home Directories tab and look for and click on the Configuration button
• On the Mappings tab click Add button, browse to C:\php5 and select php5isapi.dll.  Then type .PHP in the extension field (Yes, type the period first)
• Next go to the Documents tab and add index.php as a new document and move it up to the top of the list.
• Add C:\PHP5 to your system Path
• In a cmd windows type PATH C:\PHP5; %PATH%

 

Testing PHP

• Go to your webroot folder (C:\Insetpub\wwwroot) and copy the following into a newly created text file phpinfo.php:

<?PHP phpinfo(); ?>

• Open a web browser and point it to http://localhost/phpinfo.php You should see the PHP information page.  It contains all config variables that are loaded from the php.ini file.  If you see this page, PHP is installed and configured.

 

MySQL Install

Unzip the MySQL file that you downloaded earlier and runSetup.exe

• Choose Compete Install and click NEXT till starts to copy files
• Choose Configure the MySQL Server now
• Pick Detailed Configuration
• Select Server Machine
• Choose Multifunctional Database
• Leave the Default settings for InnoDB Tablespace
• Pick Online Transaction Processing
• Leave the networking options at the default settings
• Choose Standard character set
• Check Install as a service and include in to Path
• Modify Security settings and choose a new root password
• Click Execute to begin the configuration process
• Press Finnish

 

Add a user to test with:

Open the SQL Administrator CommandLine and type the next commands (hit enter after each line)

CREATE USER 'test'@'localhost'IDENTIFIED BY 'test';

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

This will create a user called testwith a password of test

 

Bringing It All Together

Now we have to let PHP know thatMySQL has been install:

 Open the php.ini file (Start ->Run -> php.ini) and either uncomment or add the following:

 extension=php_mbstring.dll

extension=php_mysql.dll

extension=php_mysqli.dll

 Save the php.ini file and restartIIS

 

 Testing PHP & MySQL Together

 Type the following in a text file and name it test.php

 <?php

// Let's connect and select adatabase

$link = mysql_connect('localhost','test', 'test')

 or die('Couldn't connect to the MySQL Server:' . mysql_error());

mysql_select_db('mysql') ordie('Couldn't Select the Database.<br><br>

The error returned by MySQL says:<br>' . mysql_error());

// See Ya!

mysql_close($link);

?>

 

This page will comeback with the errors:

 Couldn't Select the Database.
The error returned by MySQL says:
Access denied for user 'test'@'localhost' to database 'mysql'

 This was just to see if PHP could see the MySQL Server.  If you see this error it is install andworking. 

Posted by email from Musings, Ramblings and Other Assorted Rubbish (posterous)

...I'm a page designer..Who Knew?

Recently I started going to a new church in town. They are just getting started and were already looking for a web designer. I offered my services to "help out" with who ever they found. UMMM... turns out they found me. I work with hardware not so much with the software side of things, so when I realized what they had in mind I started playing around with some ideas. Turns out that they liked it and I am having a ball. There is not much verbage there yet but we are working on it.

If I am going to do it, I figured this will be the perfect time to find some really good Open Source web tools that are also portable (no install). So far I have used nothing but free programs to create this site. Below is what I have been using:

• KompoZer: A HTML editor that replaced NUV. So far the only thing I had trouble with was making the frames page (easy enough with a text editor though)
• GIMP: A wonderfully powerful image editor.
• FileZilla: A great FTP client.
• Audacity: For my audio editing needs.
  
• XAMPP: Local web server to test my pages.
• NotePad2: One of the best text editor replacements I have found.
• FireFox: The greatest browser on the planet! (ever notice it takes you 3Xs longer to a make page look as good in IE as it does in FF?)
  

Also, I would be a fool not to mention the wonderful folks at Dynamic Drive for all the cool scripts and stuff

I will try to keep you posted on the more interesting stuff.