DEV Community: Carl Angelo Nievarez

🚀 Installing Git on an Old RHEL 5.1 System: Three Simple Methods! 🛠️

Carl Angelo Nievarez — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:36:15 +0000

If you're dealing with an ancient RHEL 5.1 system and need Git, you're in for a challenge! This guide explores three different ways to install Git on older Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions. Whether you prefer a hands-on approach or an automated script, there's an option for you! ✅

🏗️ Option 1: Manual Installation via Tarball

If you want full control over the installation process, this is the way to go.

📌 Steps:

Download the tarball on your local Windows PC from: 👉 Git Tarball Download
Download git-2.9.5.tar.gz from the provided link.
Transfer the downloaded file to your RHEL PC using FTP tools like WinSCP or FileZilla.
Run the following commands to install Git:

tar -xvzf git-2.9.5.tar.gz  # Extract the tarball
cd git-2.9.5  # Navigate into the extracted folder
make prefix=/usr/local all  # Compile Git
make prefix=/usr/local install  # Install Git
git --version  # Verify installation

⚡ Option 2: One-Line Command Installation

If you want a faster, no-nonsense approach, use this single command! 🚀

📌 Steps:

Open the terminal and run the following command as a root user:

cd /tmp && wget https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/git-2.9.5.tar.gz && tar -xvzf git-2.9.5.tar.gz && cd git-2.9.5 && make prefix=/usr/local all && sudo make prefix=/usr/local install && git --version

This command downloads, extracts, compiles, and installs Git all in one go! 🏎️

🔥 Option 3: Automated Script Installation

For the easiest and most hands-free installation, use this pre-written script. 📜

📌 Steps:

Open the terminal and run the following command as a root user:

cd /tmp; wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aice09/scripts-thing/refs/heads/main/install_git.sh; chmod +x install_git.sh; ./install_git.sh

Let the script handle everything while you relax. ☕

🎯 Conclusion

Installing Git on RHEL 5.1 may not be straightforward, but it's definitely possible. Choose the method that works best for you:

✅ Manual installation (for full control) 🛠️

✅ One-liner command (for quick setup) ⚡

✅ Automated script (for hands-free installation) 🔥

Now, you're ready to use Git on your legacy RHEL system! 🎉 Happy coding! 💻🚀

💬 Got questions? Let me know in the comments! 👇

🐳 Setting Up SSH in an Ubuntu Docker Container Using Portainer

Carl Angelo Nievarez — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:18:43 +0000

In this guide, you'll learn how to set up an Ubuntu Docker container with SSH access, managed through Portainer. This allows you to SSH into your container just like a regular server.

📋 Prerequisites

Docker and Portainer installed on your host machine.
Basic knowledge of Docker and SSH.

🛠️ 1. Update Docker Compose to Include SSH Server

Create or edit your docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'

services:
  ubuntu-container:
    image: ubuntu:latest
    container_name: ubuntu-container
    tty: true
    stdin_open: true
    command: /usr/sbin/sshd -D  # Start SSH daemon
    ports:
      - "2222:22"  # Host port 2222 maps to container's SSH port
    volumes:
      - /srv/ubuntu-data:/data  # Persistent storage
    networks:
      - ubuntu_network
    restart: unless-stopped

networks:
  ubuntu_network:
    driver: bridge

📥 2. Deploy or Update the Stack in Portainer

In Portainer, go to Stacks → Add/Edit Stack.
Paste your updated docker-compose.yml and Deploy the Stack.

🔧 3. Configure SSH Inside the Container

🖥️ Access the Container Console

In Portainer, go to Containers → ubuntu-container → Console → /bin/bash .

⚡ Install SSH Server & Nano

apt update
apt install -y openssh-server nano

📝 Edit SSH Config

nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Ensure these lines are set:

PermitRootLogin yes
PasswordAuthentication yes

Save and exit (Ctrl + O, then Ctrl + X).

🔄 Restart SSH Service

service ssh restart

🔑 Set Root Password

passwd

Enter a strong password when prompted.

✅ 4. Verify SSH Setup

📡 Check if SSH is Running

netstat -tulnp | grep ssh

You should see it listening on port 22.

🔗 SSH into the Container

From your host or remote machine:

ssh root@<host_ip> -p 2222

Replace with your Docker host's IP and use the password you set earlier.

🔐 5. (Optional) Enable Password-less SSH (Using SSH Keys)

Generate SSH keys (if you haven't already):

ssh-keygen

Copy your public key to the container:

ssh-copy-id -p 2222 root@<host_ip>

Now, you can SSH without a password. 🎉

⚡ 6. Additional Tips

🧭 Verify Port Mapping

Run:

docker ps

You should see:

0.0.0.0:2222->22/tcp

If not, stop and recreate the container with:

docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name ubuntu-container ubuntu

📊 7. Check Ubuntu Version Inside the Container

➤ Without Entering Bash:

docker exec -it ubuntu-container lsb_release -a

Or, if lsb_release is missing:

docker exec -it ubuntu-container cat /etc/os-release

➤ By Entering the Container:

docker exec -it ubuntu-container /bin/bash
lsb_release -a
# or
cat /etc/os-release

Expected output:

NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="22.04.3 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS"
VERSION_ID="22.04"

💡 If lsb_release is missing, install it:

apt update && apt install -y lsb-release

🎉 Done!

You now have an Ubuntu Docker container with SSH access, managed via Portainer. 🚀

💬 Got questions or suggestions? Drop them in the comments below!

🚀 Setting Up XAMPP for Development

Carl Angelo Nievarez — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 07:28:21 +0000

🎥 Watch on YouTube: XAMPP Configuration Video

XAMPP is one of the most useful tools for developers—it's my go-to starter kit for setting up local development environments. Here's how I configure it! 👇

🛠 Installing XAMPP

Download XAMPP for your OS (I'm using Windows in this guide).
Install the application—ignore the UAC prompt for now.
Choose your installation directory (I avoid Drive C: and use a dedicated development drive instead).
Start the XAMPP Control Panel.

⚙ Configuring Apache, PHP, and MySQL

🔹 Accessing phpMyAdmin Over a Network

By default, you’ll see this error when trying to access phpMyAdmin over a network:

Access forbidden!
New XAMPP security concept:
Access to the requested directory is only available from the local network.

Fix:

Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Click on the Apache config button and open httpd-xampp.conf.
Find Require local and change it to Require all granted.
Restart Apache from the XAMPP Control Panel.

🔹 Setting phpMyAdmin Credentials

Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Click on the Apache config button and open config.inc.php.
Add a Blowfish secret key:

   $cfg['blowfish_secret'] = 'yourblowfishkeyhere12345';

Update authentication settings:

   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';
   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'root';
   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'yourpasswordhere';
   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowNoPassword'] = false;

Restart Apache.

🔹 Granting MySQL Access Over the Network

By default, MySQL’s root account is only accessible locally. To enable network access:

Open phpMyAdmin or log in via CLI.
Run:

   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword' WITH GRANT OPTION;
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

🔹 Configuring Timezone in PHP

By default, PHP’s timezone is Europe/Berlin. To change it:

Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Click on Apache config and open php.ini.
Find date.timezone and update it to your timezone:

   date.timezone=Asia/Manila

Save and restart Apache.

🔹 Changing Apache Ports

If port 80 is occupied (e.g., by IIS or Nginx), change it:

Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Click Config > Service and Port Settings > Apache.
Open httpd.conf, find Listen 80, and replace it with your desired port.
Restart Apache.

📂 Configuring FileZilla FTP Server

XAMPP includes a built-in FileZilla Server for secure file transfers. Here’s how to set it up:

Start FileZilla Server from XAMPP.
Click Admin (default login: 127.0.0.1, port 14147, no password).
Go to Edit > Settings to change the admin password.
Create an FTP group:
- Click Group Icon > Add Group > Set name.
- Under Shared Folders, add your project directory.
Create an FTP user:
- Click User Icon > Add User > Set username and password.
- Assign the user to a group.
Test the setup by accessing ftp://yourhostserver in a browser or Windows Explorer.

📧 Overview of Mercury Mail Server

Mercury is a built-in mail server for managing email accounts within your organization.

https://youtu.be/7dcaUUlsMOg

🎥 Credits: Parag Dhali

🏗 Configuring Tomcat for Java Applications

Tomcat provides a Java-based web server environment. By default, it runs on port 8080, and user roles need to be configured.

🔹 Configuring Tomcat Users

Add this to tomcat-users.xml:

<tomcat-users>
  <role rolename="admin-gui"/>
  <role rolename="manager-gui"/>
  <user username="username" password="yourpasswordhere" roles="admin-gui,manager-gui"/>
</tomcat-users>

Open XAMPP Control Panel.
Click Config > tomcat-users.xml.
Paste the above XML snippet inside the file.
Restart the Tomcat service.

🎉 All Set for Development!

That’s it! Your XAMPP environment is now fully configured for local development.

💬 Got questions or suggestions? Drop them in the comments below!

How I Started My Dev Journey

Carl Angelo Nievarez — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 19:35:11 +0000

💡 How I Started My Dev Journey

Today, I found myself diving deep into dev articles written by my fellow developers. Then, a simple question popped into my head: "When did I actually start this path?"

I smiled, got up from my bed, and here I am—writing my very first dev post.

🎓 College Days: The Struggle Was Real

I still remember those days in college. During my first two years studying IT, programming wasn't my thing. C++? Didn’t get it. Visual Basic? Hated it. MS Access? Completely lost. 😅

I used to doze off during database classes. Every time the command line interface popped up and the instructor started typing commands, I zoned out. I had zero energy to participate—I simply didn’t understand what was happening.

💾 Chapter 2: The Turning Point

Fast forward to my third year. Another database subject, another command line interface—but this time with a new instructor, Mr. Galang. He introduced us to MySQL, and somehow, things started to click. SELECT, WHERE, UPDATE, and DELETE—those four commands became my best friends.

He also introduced us to HTML and CSS, and I remember watching a video tutorial on creating a shopping cart. That was the moment I actually enjoyed coding.

We then moved on to PHP and learned how to connect it to MySQL. I was amazed the first time I saw data from that black command prompt appear on a browser. It felt like magic! ✨

🎵 I Got Rhythm — My First Big Project

For one of our major projects, our group of four (2 girls, 2 boys) had to create an app using PHP and MySQL. I pitched the idea of a web-based music player called I Got Rhythm—this was back in 2014, and I had no clue what Spotify was.

I had the concept, the name, and a simple UI in mind. But there was a problem—I only knew four SQL commands, and integrating them into PHP was a nightmare. Even basic things like login with sessions were a struggle. To make things worse, we had no internet for research—just a saved copy of W3Schools.

After three grueling days, we realized we needed help.

We called a friend—the best in our batch—to assist us. We cooked food as a thank you and handled the documentation while he worked his magic. I explained my vision, and he brought it to life: user login, music uploads, downloads, likes, and even a like counter. It all worked perfectly. 🎉

The day we presented it, we won 1st place. The crowd clapped, my friend clapped, and we even got a prize. But deep down, I felt disappointed—I designed the project, but I barely coded it. Despite the recognition, I felt like I hadn’t truly earned it.

💻 The Real Start of My Dev Life

That disappointment became my drive. I dived into PHP, MySQL, HTML, and CSS. By my fourth year, a friend introduced me to Bootstrap (version 2 or 3.2 back then), and I was hooked. I explored templates, plugins, and really got into frontend design.

💼 Internship: Leveling Up

During my internship at the Information and Communication Technology Office of our main campus, I got introduced to Yii2—a PHP framework. That opened a whole new world for me. I learned about:

📧 PHPMailer for emails
🔑 Login with email verification & password recovery
📊 Generating reports with MPDF & FPDF
🗺️ Integrating Google Maps (lat/long)
📁 CSV import/export
🏛️ Government website standards (iGov for the Philippines)
🖼️ Foundation framework

But even with all this knowledge, my thesis project didn’t win any awards. As the team leader, it felt like a personal failure. Another heavy hit. 💔

🧭 Post-College: Finding My Way

After graduation, I stopped coding out of disappointment. I focused on graphic design and networking instead. I applied for graphic designer and tech support roles in Manila but ended up jobless for 7 months.

Then, just as I was about to give up and go home, I landed a job. And guess what? It was as a Web Developer. Life has a funny way of bringing you back to what you’re meant to do.

The company had everything I loved—graphic design, CAD, networking, and programming—all in one place. Destiny? Maybe.

⚡️ The Developer Grind

In my first year as a web developer, I was introduced to technologies I once hated:

💾 ASP.NET, C#, VB
📊 MS Access, MySQL
🖥️ IIS configuration
🗄️ Oracle DB

But this time, I embraced them. I even introduced PHP and suggested using CodeIgniter as our framework. I learned database tools like Navicat and HeidiSQL and expanded my skills in hosting, domain settings, and site deployment.

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

— Pablo Picasso

Over the next two years, I pushed myself further:

🌐 Joined communities like Stack Overflow, GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
💾 Explored NoSQL databases: MongoDB, Neo4J, CouchDB, Redis
🐘 Worked with PostgreSQL and SQLite
🤖 Played around with Android Studio, Python, and Ruby
📡 Set up Gitea & Gogs
🐧 Used Linux OS and even experimented with Hackintosh
💡 Learned frontend tricks with JSFiddle & CodePen

Somewhere along the way, I unknowingly mastered JavaScript, AJAX, JSON, and even fell in love with VueJS. 😍

📚 Educate Yourself

When a question on a certain topics pops up, google it. Watch movies and documentaries. When something sparks your interest, read about it. Read read read. Study, learn, stimulate your brain. Don't just rely on the school system, educate that beautiful mind of yours. 💡

(Found this advice on Pinterest and it stuck with me.)

Looking back, every struggle, every failure, and every success led me here—to being a dev today. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. 🚀