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<?xml version='1.0' ?> <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [ <!ENTITY % myvars SYSTEM "../variables.ent"> %myvars; ]> <sect1 id="acs-faq" xreflabel="Open Architecture Community System FAQ"> <title>Open Architecture Community System FAQ</title> <para> Updated for OpenACS &version;, March 2002 </para> <sect2 id="acs-faq-free-enhancers" xreflabel="I have a site made of static html pages. How can I add some collaboration features without setting up my own machine?"> <title>I have a site made of static html pages. How can I add some collaboration features without setting up my own machine?</title> <para> Some of the basic Open Architecture Community System modules are available as free services. Just sign up for them by filling out a form. </para> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.greenspun.com/spam/index.tcl">Spam</ulink> will allow you to maintain mailing lists</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/">LUSENET</ulink> will run a discussion group for you</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.greenspun.com/boohoo/index.tcl">BooHoo link manager</ulink> will allow your users to post related links</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.greenspun.com/com/home.html">Loquacious</ulink> will allow your users to post comments</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.greenspun.com/click/">clickthrough.net</ulink> will track how many people follow links from your site to sites that you recommend</para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-infrastructure"> <title>I would like to use the Open Architecture Community System. How do I set up the basic infrastructure?</title> <para>To use the Open Architecture Community System, you need a computer with Unix or Linux, Oracle or PostgreSQL (currently), AOLserver and the Oracle or PostgreSQL driver for AOLserver installed. </para> <para>We have written an <link linkend="unix-install">installation guide</link> to aid you in the process. It takes you through the detailed steps necessary to build a working system from a bare hard drive through a basic OpenACS install. Followed closely on a reasonably fast machine, this document will give you a complete system in 4-5 hours.</para> <para>The Open Architecture Community System can now be run under <link linkend="win2k-installation">Windows</link>. However, we advise the use of Unix, as it is the most well-tested and best documented platform for OpenACS.</para> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-architecture-install"> <title>I have a machine with Unix/Linux, Oracle or PostgreSQL and AOLserver installed. How do I install the Open Architecture Community System?</title> <para>We strongly recommend that you thoroughly examine the <link linkend="unix-install">step-by-step OpenACS installation</link> guide, even if you already have a working Unix and Oracle installation.</para> <para>The guide contains up-to-date information on the default settings that OpenACS developers use to generate properly running sites. Deviations from these defaults are recommended only if you are an expert system administrator.</para> <para>Once you have a working OpenACS installation, there are several utilities written by ArsDigita and the OpenACS community that can be installed to ensure that the server keeps running reliably.</para> <para>The <ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/arsdigita-server-architecture.html">overview of the ArsDigita Server Architecture</ulink> is a good starting point for the development of a reliable service. The following documents will also help you keep your system running properly:</para> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://uptime.openacs.org/uptime/about.adp">Uptime Installation</ulink> </para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://photo.net/wtr/asa-audit">ArsDigita Server Architecture Audit</ulink> (mainly for OpenACS 3.x)</para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-acs-docs"> <title>Where can I find Open Architecture Community System documentation?</title> <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para>The latest documentation and developer/user resources are always available at <ulink url="http://openacs.org/doc/">http://openacs.org/doc/ </ulink> </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-teaching"> <title>What teaching and training is available? How can I sign up?</title> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para>During the exuberance of the dot com boom, training was provided for free at ArsDigita and other locations. But now you'll probably have to pay for some training from one of the companies that do OpenACS work: <ulink url="http://openacs.org/community/">http://openacs.org/community/</ulink> </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>See also: <ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching">Teaching</ulink> </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-resources"> <title>What resources are available for learning and reference?</title> <para> ArsDigita offers a variety of free teaching material: </para> <para> <emphasis>NOTE: This material was provided by ArsDigita Corporation. As ArsDigita has ceased their operations, we don't know for how long the following URLs will be operational, and we could not simply mirror them before asking permission from the authors. If arsdigita.com goes dead, you can find these documents under <ulink url="http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://arsdigita.com">http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://arsdigita.com</ulink>. </emphasis> </para> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/">Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/sql/">SQL for Web Nerds</ulink> (tutorial for the SQL language; links into online Oracle docs for completeness)</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/tcl/">Tcl for Web Nerds</ulink> (tutorial for the Tcl language; in rough shape right now and you might consider using the Welch book (below))</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/doc/common-errors">Common errors</ulink> made by database backed web developers</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://eveander.com/arsdigita/asj/oracle-tips">Tips for using Oracle</ulink> </para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/psets/ps1/ps1">Problem Set 1</ulink> (basic db-backed Web sites; AOLserver, Tcl, SQL) <ulink url="http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic=Problem%20Set%201">Question and answer forum</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/psets/ps2/ps2">Problem Set 2</ulink> (extending the Open Architecture Community System, Web sites to support collaboration) <ulink url="http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic=Problem%20Set%202">Question and answer forum</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/psets/ps3/ps3">Problem Set 3</ulink> (content management) <ulink url="http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic=Problem%20Set%203">Question and answer forum</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/psets/ps4/ps4">Problem Set 4</ulink> (all about metadata) <ulink url="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic_id=24&topic=6916">Question and answer forum</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/psets/ps5/ps5">Problem Set 5</ulink> (how to build collaborative authoring environment, Oracle full text indexing system) </para></listitem> </itemizedlist> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.aolserver.com/">AOLserver Documentation</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://aolserver.com/docs/devel/tcl/">AOLserver Tcl Reference Manual</ulink></para></listitem> </itemizedlist> <para>Recommended purchases</para> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565922603/">Unix Power Tools</ulink> (helps students with the mechanics of the Unix shell and Emacs)</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=007882396X/">Oracle 8: The Complete Reference</ulink> (more concise than the online Oracle docs)</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0130385603">Practical Programming in Tcl and Tk</ulink> (Brent Welch 1997; Prentice-Hall;)</para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0961392126/">Visual Explanations : Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative</ulink> (<ulink url="http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/">Edward Tufte</ulink> 1997; Graphics Press; order directly by calling (800) 822-2454) - general design principles</para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-bboard"> <title>I am stuck. Where can I ask a question?</title> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://openacs.org/forums/">OpenACS Forums</ulink></para></listitem> <listitem><para><ulink url="http://openacs.org/irc/">#openacs IRC</ulink></para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-ticket"> <title>Where do I make feature suggestions, report bugs, and look for code patches?</title> <para>Go to the <ulink url="http://openacs.org/developer/">OpenACS developer site</ulink> for the latest details on how to contribute.</para> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-isps"> <title>What ISPs and independent developers support the Open Architecture Community System? How can I let it be known that i'm an OpenACS developer?</title> <para>The most current list of outside firms and people who implement and host OpenACS-based systems is available on the <ulink url="http://openacs.org/community/">OpenACS Community</ulink> site.</para> </sect2> <sect2 id="acs-faq-contribute"> <title>How can I contribute to the development of the Open Architecture Community System</title> <para> Please go to the <ulink url="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic_id=21&topic=web%2fdb"> online discussion forum</ulink> if you would like to contribute. We need: </para> <itemizedlist> <listitem><para>OpenACS buddies: Many interested users need a little help with the first installation and initial questions.</para></listitem> <listitem><para>Module experts: We need experts for both existing and modules in development to suggest extensions, test new releases, write documentation and answer questions.</para></listitem> <listitem><para>Teachers: Use our <link linkend="acs-faq-teaching">teaching materials</link> to teach your company, friends, or at a University.</para></listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> <para><phrase role="cvstag">($Id: acs-faq.xml,v 1.9.2.4 2023/07/10 08:36:09 gustafn Exp $)</phrase></para> </sect1>