Open Architecture Community System FAQ
Updated for OpenACS &version;, March 2002
I have a site made of static html pages. How can I add some collaboration
features without setting up my own machine?
Some of the basic Open Architecture Community System modules are
available as free services. Just sign up for them by filling out a form.
Spam will allow you to
maintain mailing listsLUSENET will run a discussion
group for youBooHoo link manager will
allow your users to post related linksLoquacious will allow your
users to post commentsclickthrough.net will track how
many people follow links from your site to sites that you recommend
See also: Adding collaboration to a
Web Site without buying or maintaining an RDBMS and Free Services For Web
PublishersI would like to use the Open Architecture Community System. How do I set up the
basic infrastructure?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. We have written an installation guide 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.The Open Architecture Community System can now be run under Windows.
However we advise the use of Unix, as it is the most well-tested and best
documented platform for OpenACS.I have a machine with Unix/Linux, Oracle or PostgreSQL and AOLServer installed. How do
I install the Open Architecture Community System and the ArsDigita Server
Architecture?We strongly recommend that you thoroughly examine the step-by-step OpenACS
installation guide, even if you already have a working Unix and Oracle
installtion.The guide contains up-to-date information on the default settings that
ArsDigita uses to generate properly running sites. Deviations from these
defaults are recommended only if you are an expert system administrator.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.The overview of
the ArsDigita Server Architecture is a good starting point for the
development of a reliable service. The following documents will also help you
keep your system running properly:Keepalive
InstallationUptime
InstallationReporte InstallationArsDigita
Server Architecture Audit (mainly for OpenACS 3.x)Where can I find Open Architecture Community System documentation?The latest documentation and developer/user resources
are always available at http://openacs.org/doc/
What teaching and training is available? How can I sign up?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: http://openacs.org/community/See also: TeachingWhat resources are available for learning and reference?
ArsDigita offers a variety of free teaching material:
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 th
authors. If arsdigita.com goes dead, you can find these
documents under http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://arsdigita.com.
Philip and Alex's Guide to
Web PublishingSQL for Web Nerds
(tutorial for the SQL language; links into online Oracle docs for
completeness)Tcl
for Web Nerds (tutorial for the Tcl language; in rough shape right now
and you might consider using the Welch book (below))Common errors made by
database backed web developersTips for using OracleProblem Set 1
(basic db-backed Web sites; AOLserver, Tcl, SQL) Question and
answer forumProblem Set 2
(extending the Open Architecture Community System, Web sites to support
collaboration) Question and
answer forumProblem Set 3
(content management) Question and
answer forumProblem Set
4 (all about metadata) Question
and answer forumProblem Set
5 (how to build collaborative authoring environment, Oracle full text
indexing system) Question
and answer forumAOLServer
DocumentationOracle
DocumentationAOLserver Tcl
Reference ManualRecommended purchasesUnix
Power Tools (helps students with the mechanics of the Unix shell and
Emacs)Oracle 8:
The Complete Reference (more concise than the online Oracle docs)Practical
Programming in Tcl and Tk (Brent Welch 1997; Prentice-Hall;)Visual
Explanations : Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative (Edward
Tufte 1997; Graphics Press; order directly by calling (800) 822-2454) -
general design principlesI am stuck. Where can a ask a question?Problem set 1
questionsProblem set 2
questionsProblem set 3
questionsDatabase backed web
site discussion forumWhere do I make feature suggestions, report bugs, and look for code
patches?Go to the OpenACS developer
site for the latest details on how to contribute.What ISPs and independent developers support the Open Architecture Community
System? How can I let it be known that i'm
an OpenACS developer?The most current list of outside firms and people who implement and host
OpenACS-based systems is available on the OpenACS Community site.How can I contribute to the development of the Open Architecture Community
System
Please go to the
online discussion forum if you would like to contribute. We need:
OpenACS buddies: Many interested users need a little help with the first
installation and initial questions.Module experts: We need experts for both existing and modules in
development to suggest extensions, test new releases, write documentation and
answer questions.Module creators: individuals and firms have created and publicized new
modules.Teachers: Use our teaching materials
to teach your company, friends, or at a University.Where can I learn about ArsDigita, the company?
See arsdigita.comHow can I work at ArsDigita?See Job Openings.($Id: acs-faq.xml,v 1.1 2002/07/09 17:34:57 rmello Exp $)