Davide Cassenti

Today I decided to install Ubuntu on my laptop, since I need a linux platform for my work; Ubuntu is quite easy and fast to install and use, so I have chosen it. Once inserted the cd, the autoplay (which I hate, but I didn’t remove yet) showed me a window with an interesting choice: Install Ubuntu as Windows application. I heard about this, but I didn’t know it was integrated on the last version of Ubuntu (version 8.04); also, I never tried it, so I decided it was a good moment to do so.

Wubi setup

Once clicked on that option, the wubi windows is shown: pretty simple as installing an application, it asks for the destination hard drive, the size and few other simple question, then the installation begins. If you are using the ubuntu’s cd it checks the files on it without downloading anything else and it install the operating system in few minutes: after the reboot you may choose the O.S. to load. The first time you choose Ubuntu the installation will be completed (~10-15 minutes), then your desktop is ready.

Ubuntu boot screen

I think this is the easiest way to install linux on a machine: no questions, no partition problems, fast and immediatly ready to use. It is not the best way, because it uses a virtual file system which is a bit slower, but it is a good choice for a fast intallation, as I needed.

I have written a linux shell script to automatically backup a website: also, a php script can help to backup the database in case you do not have access to the database machine and cannot use the mysqldump command.

First of all, what will you need: the script uses wget and ncftp; you can download them with your favorite package manager on linux, e.g. on a debian machine:

# apt-get install wget
# apt-get install ncftp

The mysql backup script, instead, is written in PHP and it uses a nice PHP class written by Adam Globus-Hoenich which allows you to export mysql tables. Download the PHP class here. The PHP part should be put on your website, anywhere you like, like in the root directory; create on your site a directory where the backup will be created, let’s call it mysql_backup. Remember to protect this folder so that users cannot read it.

…no, it is not finished: click here to read the rest of the post!