Install APC on Xampp

This is how I installed APC on Xampp on Windows 7

1. Download php_apc-3.1-svn20101116-5.3-vc6-x86.zip (Direct link : http://downloads.php.net/pierre/php_apc-3.1-svn20101116-5.3-vc6-x86.zip)
2. Copy php_apc.dll to C:\xampp\php\ext
3. Open php.ini (C:\xampp\php\php.ini) and add extension=php_apc.dll

I also needed to change a couple of settings inside apache.

1. Go to the directory of installation\apache\conf
2. Open and edit httpd.conf in a text editor
3. Find all occurrences of

   AllowOverride None

   and change to

   AllowOverride All

4. I think it appears 2 or 3 times on the configuration file.
5. Reset Apache

Should work for you as well.

Sagepay Test Card Details

Whenever I need to test Sagepay (ex Protx) payment gateway integration I have to try and retrieve the test card numbers I can never find the correct pdf. This means trying to find them on Google (which I never can) or loggin into sagepay and downloading about 3 pdfs before I find the right one. So to save me and others time here see below:

Card Type          - Card Number      - Issue - CV2 - Address - PostCode
Visa Credit        - 4929000000006    - 123   - 88  - 412
MasterCard Credit  - 5404000000000001 - 123   - 88  - 412
Visa Debit / Delta - 4462000000000003 - 123   - 88  - 412
Solo               - 6334900000000005 - 1     - 123 - 88      - 412
UK Maestro         - 5641820000000005 - 01    - 123 - 88      - 412
American Express   - 374200000000004  - 123   - 88  - 412
Visa Electron      - 4917300000000008 - 123   - 88  - 412
JCB                - 3569990000000009 - 123   - 88  - 412
Diner’s Club       - 36000000000008   - 123   - 88  - 412
Laser (LASER)      - 6304990000000000044 - 123 - 88 - 412

Any cardholder name and start/expiry dates will be accepted for these cards so long as the dates are valid and the card not expired. If you have 3D-Secure set up on your test account, you can use the My Sage Pay Admin interface to switch on the checks at this stage to test 3D-Secure.

Share Folders on Unbuntu VBox with Windows

These instructions assure you are using Windows as your host and Ubuntu as the client machine. I am using vbox 4 and Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. I had loads of issues getting this to work with other tutorials and forum posts. I kept getting errors like:

/sbin/mount.vboxsf: mounting failed with the error: Protocol error
/sbin/mount.vboxsf: mounting failed with error: No such device

Here is my method which worked for me and hopefully for you as well.

Stage 1. Install Guest Additions. If you have done this already skip this stage.

1. Start Ubuntu and click devices in the vbox window, the select install Guest Additions
2. This should put a cd icon on the Unbuntu desktop, double clicking should open a folder.
3. Click “Open Autorun Prompt” then wait for it to install.
4. Shut down Ubuntu from within the client.

Stage 2. Add the shared folder

1. Open up VirtualBox control panel.
2. Right hand click on the box you want to share a folder with
3. Go to share folder, add a folder and tick Auto-Mount and Make Permanent
4. Click OK and start your Ubuntu vbox

Stage 3. Give Your User Permission

1. You need to add your user to the vboxsf group.
2. Click system->administration->Users and Groups
3. Click Manage Group -> scroll down, scroll down and click vboxsf. Then click properties.
4. There should be a list of Group Memebers, make sure your user is clicked (by default your user will be called Ubuntu).
5. Close everything and restart from within Ubuntu, not vbox control panel.

Stage 4. Done

Paypoint Cannot find tid for this merchant no

Cannot find tid for this merchant no basically means you need to ring paypoint and get them to activate your account as you are still in test mode!

How to delete a book from kindle library

I think a lot of other people on the web have bought kindle books they wish they could delete from the kindle library. I know that I have bought books I will never read again (because it was a rubbish book) and more than a couple of times I’ve clicked “buy” simply because it was free.

It is also rather annoying that all the books Kindle recommend aren’t good recommendations because of all the bad choices in Kindle library. After a bit of research I found you can delete books from the kindle library, here’s how:

1. Log into amazon
2. Go to “manage you kindle” under “kindle” on the left hand navigation
3. This will list all your books inside your library
4. Click on the action button next to the book you want to delete
5. Select “delete from library”