Oh, with 700mb just load up regular slack, from expert install trim it down and just have networking, don't use their X unless you want headaches, it never wokred for me but maybe you will have better luck, and then just setup apache and mysql. Try to keep a lot of free space. Never know when you temporarily need an extra 300mb for source project, db backup whatever. Plus, it is easier, it just is. Hope that helps, and I'm glad Ican ifnd other linux users. Talk to you later,


Matt

P.s. If anyone is interested my winamp3 meta string thing doesn't seem to work, it never shows what song I am playing....any help is appreciated.

Can slack be easily installed from floppies? (and _only_ floppies? :)) Actually...I may be getting my hands on a parallel port Zip drive (not to install Zipslack with...just to move data...and hopefully slackware :P)

hmm, not sure no access at all to cd. Lets see, I have an idea but it needs some refining so I'll get back to you. You seem to be anxious about this, such fast replies. Maybe you could get me on aim: ace32456

Ok I checked into it. Slack can be installed via floppies, it is just a matter of breakinbg it up properly. Check out google groups and run a search on slackware floppy install, depending on what need depends on what you copy, you hsouldn't need it all HTH


Matt

P.s. I am almost always on aim at Ace32456 so contact me if you wish :-)

I understand that you don't like micro$soft, but sometimes their products are useful for a little small stuff. Unless you plan to make this a MAJOR thing, you could use ms Access. I use it for our teams scounting. It's a database with nice forms, and reports that format data for printing/ easy viewing. It uses VBA which is good for small, quick programming. I understand that if you want to do this networked on many computers then they each have to run Access, and they are old, so i'm not sure of the reqs. that access has. Yes, you could do it in html w/ a mysql db, but that might me a lot of work. Personally, get a win binary for apache and a mysql db. I don't think that it has really any system reqs.

WASH with SOAP

?!

Well...I'm not doing it to make it easy on myself :) I like challenging myself...especially when it's free to do. I suppose I could run Windows on it with IIS and Access along with Visual Basic but I seem to lack the hundreds of dollars needed to buy the software. (I also forgot to mention that I totally hate Microsoft's business ethics...icky stuff) And why would I want to use a Windows Apache and Mysql when it runs natively in linux (and most likely much faster)? I don't mind work at all especially when it has a use...I have until March to complete this...that should be more than enough time to get me mostly in tune with mysql and possibly show some newbies how to use/manage it. (My alterior motive is also to show the team that stuff can be done _without_ Windows...if the world was made of Windows, we wouldn't be standing here :))

And...uhh...ChrisA...I'm confused?

Hmm, I have an idea. Maybe if you could get a copy of an old pcAnywhere or similar software, then you can connect the lappy to a pc via parallel or serial cable and send the slack files over. Then use a boot disk and run local install. It's either that or spend hours moving the needed files by floppy., even a cheesy qbasic program could send the files, slowly but simple. I think it would be possible for me write the program if you don't know qbasic well enough or at all. Contact me via PM or AIM

Matt

yeah, if you need any help with the php/mysql end im adiquate (not that great but im working on it) and would like something to work on.

I'm awesome when it comes to PHP, and mySQL. But you probably can just install phpMYadmin, and use that for everything you need.

I thought about doing a SLIP/PLIP connection but now I'm thinking it'll be simpler (and cheaper) to use a zip drive. Crossed over parallel cables are freaking expensive! I'd tear mine apart but I don't quite understand which wires are which :P I'll probably end up eBaying a zip drive.

As for the database stuff...I know nothing about PHP. I've looked at some of the code but never even started to learn it. I'm madly in love with Perl :) I think I'll be writing most of the code in that (then once that is working...possibly writing it in C/C++...it'd be nice to learn those languages) And what exactly is phpMyAdmin? I've heard a lot of people talk about that? Is it a frontend? I don't really want to use a frontend...I'm doing this purely as a learning experience for me and want to do as much dirtywork as possible. (No weedie, I'm _not_ doing this for your sanity...for your sanity is long gone :D) As for the mySQL help, some help will most likely be needed...if I get stumped enough, I may set up some SSH accounts on this box and maybe let a few people in to help me. I scanned over the docs that came with mysql and it looks like stuff I can handle...I think I'll have a good idea once I get the DBI API down. *shrug*

Thanks for offering all your help...I may need it in a few months.

Well i was sort of hoping maybe some of you already knew about WASH with SOAP. I guess I'll explain what it is.

WASH = Wildstang Application for Scouting with Handhelds
SOAP = Sigmacat Opponent Analysis Program

Basically WASH gathers data about every robot and puts that into a database. The database is sent to SOAP computers. SOAP then makes the data public along with pictures and video footage. It is a free service that provides scouting information for teams that want it.

So instead of trying to make your one 'crappy' laptop able to hold scouting information I am proposing that you check us out. Visit www.soap108.com for more info.

At any rate I'm sure one of us could answer any questions that you have about trying to set up some sort of database thingy.

Yea, WASH w/ SOAP, blah blah, what Chris said. Sorry, I just don't feel like plugging it much right now, I'm still waiting to get un-burnt out.

phpMyAdmin is a front end using (obviously) PHP for (obviously) a mySQL database. You can get it at http://www.phpmyadmin.net/. It's simple to set up and very powerful - you can create users, change user permissions, create & edit databases, update tables, etc. You'll barely have to use the mySQL command line anymore, if at all.

How would I get that WASH/SOAP data onto my laptop? Would it require an internet connection? I haven't figured out a way to connect it to any other computer. I really don't want to set up PLIP/SLIP either :) Anyways...I may make it compatible with your WASH with SOAP so that I can possibly give you data...or get some from you, but it won't work quite the same.

And frontends are nasty. I'm trying to learn :) I happen to like the command line. Mice are icky. (Plus...if I screw up in a GUI, it makes me look stupid...if I screw up in command prompt, nobody has to know because they wouldn't understand anyways! :D) The only frontend I'll be using is /bin/bash :D

MySQL sounds kinda overkill for what you are suggesting. MySQL is designed for decent sized websites (not huge though). I have a feeling you'd be better off with a light weight DB(MySQL isnt the only open source relational DB). All you really seem to need is basic insert and select commands. Someone probably makes a light weight version of Apache suitable. You might be better off just using CSV's with perl. Perl's excellent string handling and easy report formatting really makes it good for this kinda thing.

edit: Teach me for not reading the whole discussion. The laptop he specs later on is much better then the 486 he mentioned earlier. Most of my advice makes no sense now.

The Perl DBI is quite easy. The hardest part is parsing the results into something useful (the whole cursor thing hurts my head). Makes me wish for C++ structures and classes. Theres probably a way to do that too but I never got that into Perl. Basically you connect to the DB, then you have to prepare the command (I dunno why), then you send the signal to execute. You can get the results from a select in a couple different ways. The easiest is in an array, one record at a time. Its worth noting that php has syntax very similiar to perl, but can be embedded in the page (dodging having to fight with Apache and cgi problems) and has the easiest access to mysql by far.