Category Archives: Programming

Networking, Programming

SOLVED: Zpanel 8.0.50727.6195 SideBySide Error – Missing Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Security Update

Before installing Zpanel on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, there are several prerequisites shown in the Zpanel installation instructions.  More precisely, there are several prerequisites to install before using the Zpanel install script to install and configure the WAMP Stack (Apache, MySql, and PHP) on the Windows Server.

FIRST: Install or Enable .Net Framework 3.5.1 which must be done by enabling the “FEATURE” of .Net Framework 3.5.1 rather than downloading it from Microsoft.  Here are the instructions to enable this Feature.  Why is it necessary to enable rather than install this version of .Net Framework? Because the executable installation file will not install.  Version 3.5.1 of .Net is already included as a “Feature” in Server 2008 R2.  To install it, you must merely enable this Feature from the server.

NEXT: The Zpanel installation instructions tell us to download and install the latest Visual Studio C++ 2010 Redistributables for your own particular OS (either x86 32bit or x64 64bit architechture).  This is not necessarily correct, but hold that thought for now. Also, there is an additional installation file that Zpanel Instructions offer, which contains several 2005, 2008 and 2010 Visual Studio C++ Redistributables for both x86 and x64.  Running this file seems to install all the necessary .dll files for those various VS C++ Redistributables. However, there may be a missing version regarding 2005.  Hold that thought too.

It appears that the Zpanel uses one of the 2008 x86 32bit disbributables and corresponding.dll’s for purposes of the PHP version 5.3.20 and/or Apache web server version that is installed by the Zpanel stack script.

After installing Zpanal, when you access the zpanel admin console and select “Server Admin” and select “PHP Info” you will find something like this:

PHP Version 5.3.20

System (Windows Whatever Version)
Build Date (And Whatever Build date it is)
Compiler MSVC9 (Visual C++ 2008)
Architecture x86
Configure Command cscript /nologo configure.js “–enable-snapshot-build” “–disable-isapi” “–enable-debug-pack” “–without-mssql” “–without-pdo-mssql” “–without-pi3web” “–with-pdo-oci=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient10\sdk,shared” “–with-oci8=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient10\sdk,shared” “–with-oci8-11g=C:\php-sdk\oracle\instantclient11\sdk,shared” “–enable-object-out-dir=../obj/” “–enable-com-dotnet=shared” “–with-mcrypt=static” “–disable-static-analyze”
Server API Apache 2.4 Handler Apache Lounge
Virtual Directory Support enabled
Configuration File (php.ini) Path C:\Windows
Loaded Configuration File C:\zpanel\bin\php\php.ini

However, NSLOOKUP from the Windows Command line was not working and the zpanel BIND and DIG were not working properly.

Upon running NSLOOKUP from the windows command line, the error message seemed to indicate a cross dependence error of some sort.

Running NSLOOKUP from the windows command line yielded a SideBySide error in the Event Viewer Application Log, as follows:

Log Name: Application
Source: SideBySide
Date: 2/8/2014 10:12:52 AM
Event ID: 33
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SVR.MYSERVER.COM Description: Activation context generation failed for “C:\zpanel\bin\bind\bin\nslookup.exe”. Dependent Assembly Microsoft.VC80.CRT,processorArchitecture=”x86″,publicKeyToken=”1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b”,type=”win32″,version=”8.0.50727.6195″ could not be found. Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis.

Event
Provider Name=”SideBySide”
EventID Qualifiers=”49409″ 33
Level 2
Task 0
Keywords 0x80000000000000
TimeCreated “2014-02-08T15:12:52.000000000Z” EventRecordID 1084
Channel Application
Computer SVR.MYSERVER.COM

Microsoft.VC80.CRT,processorArchitecture=”x86″,publicKeyToken=”1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b”,type=”win32″,version=”8.0.50727.6195″

C:\zpanel\bin\bind\bin\nslookup.exe

= = = = = = = SOLUTION = = = = = = = =

The win32 version 8.0.50727.6195 of the .DLLs of the 2005 C++ redistributable that must be downloaded, run and installed to fix the problem is located HERE: “Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Service Pack 1 Redistributable MFC Security Update.”

When you click the Download Link, you must choose one of three files to download:

Choose the download you want
File NameSize

  • vcredist_x86.EXE 2.6 MB (CHOOSE THIS ONE TO INSTALL)
  • vcredist_IA64.EXE 6.3 MB
  • vcredist_x64.EXE 3.0 MB

If you lookup Knowledge Base KB2538242 from Google or the Microsoft Support Site, then this will reveal the matching / missing version 8.0.50727.6195 and the link to where to download the correct “vcredist_x86.exe” (NOT vcredist_x64.exe).  You are given a choice of 3 different vcredist.exe files to download and install.  Choose the x86 (32bit) version regardless of whether your Win server’s operating system is x86 (32bit) or x64 (64bit).  Here is why:

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER YOUR WIN OS IS 64-BIT.  IT MATTERS WHAT BUILD OF VISUAL STUDIO WAS USED TO CREATE THE PARTICULAR ZPANEL APPLICATIONS, AND IF THE AUTHOR BUILT 32-BIT APPLICATIONS, THEN TO RUN THAT 32 BIT APPLICATION IT REQUIRES THE PARTICULAR 32-BIT DLL’S SHOWN IN THE VISUAL STUDIO ASSEMBLY MANIFEST.

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Networking, Programming

Installing .Net Framework 3.5.1 on Server 2008

How to install .Net framework 3.5.1 on Server 2008 or Server 2012

NOTE: Installing the .Net framework 3.5.1 on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2012 is a very easy process, but can be difficult to find.

1. Navigate to “Programs and Features” from the Control Panel.
2. Go to the “Featured” section in 2008, or “page” on 2012.
3. Locate and select “.Net Framework 3.5.1” from the list and check the box beside it.
4. Click “Next” and let it install.

Networking, Programming

Installing Zpanel 10.1.0 and Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 R2

Follow this link for the Latest stable release (10.1.0) of Zpanel

Prior to installing ZPanel on a Microsoft Windows based machine you must first ensure you have installed all recent versions of the Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime, ZpanelCP.com has provided all the required runtime installers for both 32 bit machines and 64 bit machines (use the links to download from our site!)

Installers for Microsoft Windows

Pre-Installation Checklist

  1. You MUST have a CLEAN, FRESH install of Windows (any version XP and above)
  2.  You MUST have a domain name registered and pointing to your server computer IP
  3. ZPanel should be installed and setup on a SUB-DOMAIN of your main domain: During installation you will be asked to enter an FQDN. This is the sub-domain zpanel is to be installed on. Examples: zpanel.domain.com, cp.domain.com, panel.domain.com, etc.
  4. You MUST have opened and forwared the requireds ports in your modem or router, and on the server firewall. See the list of required ports here.

Windows server 2012 specifics

  • do a fresh install of windows.
  • if not set automatically (often in datacenter), set your static IP
  • do all windows updates (may need to be launched a few times!)
  • install .NET Framework 3.5 and redo updates
  • go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5555, download and install
  • reboot windows and then install zpanel, as below:

Installing ZPanel 10.1.0 on Windows

It requires 3 steps :

  1. Install Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime libraries:
  1. Install the Application Stack (Apache, PHP, MySQL etc.) Installer for Microsoft® Windows™ -> Download link
  2. Run the ZPanel Installer (installs ZPanel on top of the Application Stack) -> Download link

Each step requires that the previous steps have been completed with success first.

ZPanel does not setup any firewall to leave you the choice to select which you want and because it is far different under Linux and Windows.

You have to open these ports to enable the default configuration of ZPanel to work:

20 & 21 : FTP
25 (TCP) : SMTP
53 (TCP & UDP) : DNS
80 (TCP & UDP) : HTTP
110 : POP3
143 : IMAP
Optional:
If you have already setup (or will setup soon) SSL, you have to open also: 443 : HTTPS

If you use Windows RDP you should open 3389.

Programming

Fix for WordPress Fitness Tracker Plugin — (Solved)

When adding fitness data using the WordPress Fitness Tracker Plugin, you might receive this error message: “You don’t have sufficient privileges to perform this action …”

The fitnesstracker.php file of this WordPress plugin contains two incorrect references to the plugin sub-directory. The plugin directory should be /wp-fitness-tracker/ instead of /fitnesstracker/.

FIX: Use a good text editor like notepad++ to open the php file fitnesstracker.php. First, make a backup of the original fitnesstracker.php file. Edit lines 61 and 84 of original fitnesstracker.php to change these references:

page=fitnesstracker/fitnesstracker.php

should be changed to this:

page=wp-fitness-tracker/fitnesstracker.php

Then, save the file with these changes.  These modifications should eliminate the error message and allow the page of previously input data to properly display.

CalRunnerPluginSettingsWordPress

Give credit to ClaytonJames for this fix.

Programming, Social

NextGen Gallery Plugin Stops If PHP.ini Base64_Decode Function is Disabled

If you disable the base64_decode function in php.ini, then your NextGen Gallery stops working. This will be evident if you try to go to a gallery page and it says ‘Gallery not found. Please check your settings.’ Also, if you try to configure “Gallery Settings” in the dashboard, the Gallery Settings page does not display properly. It merely displays a bunch of code jammed together in the same paragraph as if you opened a php file using Windows notepad instead of an advanced php script editor.

If your self-hosted WordPress websites are being infected by injections of base64 encoded gibberish, then there are a couple remedies. You could install the Suhosin Patch (php extension), or you could simply disable the base64 decode function in the ‘php.ini’ configuration file. On a Windows server, open php.ini with a good editor, like notepad++, and insert a semicolon to comment out this line:

; disable_functions =

Then, insert an additional line as follows:

disable_functions = base64_decode

Save the php.ini file as revised.

Restart your internet information web service as follows:

Open a command line by clicking start, clicking run, and then type:
cmd [enter]

Next, at the command prompt, type:
net stop w3svc [enter]
net start w3svc [enter]

Programming

How to Customize the Footer In WordPress Twenty Thirteen Theme

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/twenty-thirteen-footer-question

SEE: the comment by OGC Member.  He explains how to modify the code in the footer.php file located in the Themes – Twenty Thirteen directory.  Only the second line of his example code needs to be inserted and customized.  Remember to backup the original footer.php file before you make your edits.  I recommend that you install and use the app ‘Notepad++’ as your php files editor.  Windows notepad is rather inadequate.

Example:  You can add your owe copyright notice to replace the phrase Proudly Powered by WordPress.

Programming

How to copy Ubuntu folder contents via Putty SSH

Login to remote Ubuntu install through App ‘Putty’ using ssh using and login with the ‘root’ administrative user.

You can copy the content of a folder /source to another existing folder /dest with the command

cp -a /source/. /dest/
The -a option is an improved recursive option, that preserve all file attributes, and also preserve symlinks.

The . at end of the source path is a specific cp syntax that allow to copy all files and folders, included hidden ones.

If you first need to make a new target directory/folder, then you can use the mkdir command, like this:

mkdir /home/yourusername/newtargetdir

All this is useful if you want to re-install a MySQL server that won’t start, and making backups lessen the risk of loss of database files.

MySQL database files are stored in /var/lib/mysql.  This folder ‘should’ remain untouched when you remove or re-install the MySQL package.

It is also a good idea to make a backup of those database files.  I did so using the copy command above.

 

Networking, Programming

Email forwarding in iRedMail having only Open-Source iRedAdmin Panel

ZPanel has a graphical admin interface which enables email administrators to easily setup email forwarding per user and per domain.  However, the open-source community version of iRedAdmin panel interface does not contain this same capability.  Only the iRedAdmin Pro version enables administrators to setup email forwarding.

iRedMail and ZPanel each utilize the Postfix email service.  Consequently, if both use a MySql database as their back-end to store user email configurations, then each of their MySql database table structures will be quite similar.  Certain fields of the database tables may be a bit dissimilar.

In order to manually configure an email address to forward all received email (and leave a copy of the email on the server) you must use PhpMyAdmin to edit email box records within the ‘goto’ field of the ‘alias’ table of the ‘vmail’ database.

Example — Before Editing the Record:

address field value — user@maildomain.com
goto field value — user@maildomain.com

Example — After Editing the Record to Provide Forwarding:

address field value — user@maildomain.com
goto field value — user@fwd-domain.com,user@maildomain.com

Notice that the email address where you will forward the email is inserted as the first address in the ‘goto’ field, followed by a comma, and followed by the original email box address.  This configuration keeps each received email in the original mailbox (user@maildomain.com) on the server and forwards a copy of it to the forwarding email address (user@fwd-domain.com).