Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-admin.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-admin.html,v diff -u -r1.38.2.2 -r1.38.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-admin.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.38.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-admin.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.38.2.3 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Part�II.�Administrator's Guide

Administrator's Guide

Table of Contents

2. Installation Overview
Basic Steps
Prerequisite Software
3. Complete Installation
Install a Unix-like system and supporting software
Install Oracle 8.1.7
Install PostgreSQL
Install AOLserver 4
Install OpenACS 5.3.1
OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000
OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X
4. Configuring a new OpenACS Site
Installing OpenACS packages
Mounting OpenACS packages
Configuring an OpenACS package
Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package
How Do I?
5. Upgrading
Overview
Upgrading 4.5 or higher to 4.6.3
Upgrading OpenACS 4.6.3 to 5.0
Upgrading an OpenACS 5.0.0 or greater installation
Upgrading the OpenACS files
Upgrading Platform components
6. Production Environments
Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.
AOLserver keepalive with inittab
Running multiple services on one machine
High Availability/High Performance Configurations
Staged Deployment for Production Networks
Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service
Set up Log Analysis Reports
External uptime validation
Diagnosing Performance Problems
7. Database Management
Running a PostgreSQL database on another server
Deleting a tablespace
Vacuum Postgres nightly
8. Backup and Recovery
Backup Strategy
Manual backup and recovery
Automated Backup
Using CVS for backup-recovery
A. Install Red Hat 8/9
B. Install additional supporting software
Unpack the OpenACS tarball
Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)
Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)
Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)
Install qmail (OPTIONAL)
Install Analog web file analyzer
Install nspam
Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2
Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)
Install nsopenssl
Install tclwebtest.
Install PHP for use in AOLserver
Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS
Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication
Install LDAP for use as external authentication
Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1
C. Credits
Where did this document come from?
Linux Install Guides
Security Information
Resources
View comments on this page at openacs.org
+Part�II.�Administrator's Guide

Part�II.�Administrator's Guide

Table of Contents

2. Installation Overview
Basic Steps
Prerequisite Software
3. Complete Installation
Install a Unix-like system and supporting software
Install Oracle 8.1.7
Install PostgreSQL
Install AOLserver 4
Install OpenACS 5.3.2
OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000
OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X
4. Configuring a new OpenACS Site
Installing OpenACS packages
Mounting OpenACS packages
Configuring an OpenACS package
Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package
How Do I?
5. Upgrading
Overview
Upgrading 4.5 or higher to 4.6.3
Upgrading OpenACS 4.6.3 to 5.0
Upgrading an OpenACS 5.0.0 or greater installation
Upgrading the OpenACS files
Upgrading Platform components
6. Production Environments
Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.
AOLserver keepalive with inittab
Running multiple services on one machine
High Availability/High Performance Configurations
Staged Deployment for Production Networks
Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service
Set up Log Analysis Reports
External uptime validation
Diagnosing Performance Problems
7. Database Management
Running a PostgreSQL database on another server
Deleting a tablespace
Vacuum Postgres nightly
8. Backup and Recovery
Backup Strategy
Manual backup and recovery
Automated Backup
Using CVS for backup-recovery
A. Install Red Hat 8/9
B. Install additional supporting software
Unpack the OpenACS tarball
Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)
Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)
Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)
Install qmail (OPTIONAL)
Install Analog web file analyzer
Install nspam
Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2
Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)
Install nsopenssl
Install tclwebtest.
Install PHP for use in AOLserver
Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS
Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication
Install LDAP for use as external authentication
Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1
C. Credits
Where did this document come from?
Linux Install Guides
Security Information
Resources
View comments on this page at openacs.org
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-package-dev.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-package-dev.html,v diff -u -r1.26.2.1 -r1.26.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-package-dev.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:09 -0000 1.26.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-package-dev.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.26.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Part�III.�For OpenACS Package Developers

For OpenACS Package Developers

Tutorials and reference material for creating new OpenACS packages. -

Table of Contents

9. Development Tutorial
Creating an Application Package
Setting Up Database Objects
Creating Web Pages
Debugging and Automated Testing
10. Advanced Topics
Write the Requirements and Design Specs
Add the new package to CVS
OpenACS Edit This Page Templates
Adding Comments
Admin Pages
Categories
Profile your code
Prepare the package for distribution.
Distributing upgrades of your package
Notifications
Hierarchical data
Using .vuh files for pretty urls
Laying out a page with CSS instead of tables
Sending HTML email from your application
Basic Caching
Scheduled Procedures
Enabling WYSIWYG
Adding in parameters for your package
Writing upgrade scripts
Connect to a second database
Future Topics
11. Development Reference
OpenACS Packages
OpenACS Data Models and the Object System
The Request Processor
The OpenACS Database Access API
Using Templates in OpenACS
Groups, Context, Permissions
Writing OpenACS Application Pages
Parties in OpenACS
OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained
Object Identity
Programming with AOLserver
Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically
12. Engineering Standards
OpenACS Style Guide
+Part�III.�For OpenACS Package Developers

Part�III.�For OpenACS Package Developers

Tutorials and reference material for creating new OpenACS packages. +

Table of Contents

9. Development Tutorial
Creating an Application Package
Setting Up Database Objects
Creating Web Pages
Debugging and Automated Testing
10. Advanced Topics
Write the Requirements and Design Specs
Add the new package to CVS
OpenACS Edit This Page Templates
Adding Comments
Admin Pages
Categories
Profile your code
Prepare the package for distribution.
Distributing upgrades of your package
Notifications
Hierarchical data
Using .vuh files for pretty urls
Laying out a page with CSS instead of tables
Sending HTML email from your application
Basic Caching
Scheduled Procedures
Enabling WYSIWYG
Adding in parameters for your package
Writing upgrade scripts
Connect to a second database
Future Topics
11. Development Reference
OpenACS Packages
OpenACS Data Models and the Object System
The Request Processor
The OpenACS Database Access API
Using Templates in OpenACS
Groups, Context, Permissions
Writing OpenACS Application Pages
Parties in OpenACS
OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained
Object Identity
Programming with AOLserver
Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically
12. Engineering Standards
OpenACS Style Guide
CVS Guidelines -
Release Version Numbering
Constraint naming standard
ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards
PL/SQL Standards
Variables
Automated Testing
13. Documentation Standards
OpenACS Documentation Guide
Using PSGML mode in Emacs
Using nXML mode in Emacs
Detailed Design Documentation Template
System/Application Requirements Template
14. Internationalization
Internationalization and Localization Overview
How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS
How to Internationalize a Package
Design Notes
Translator's Guide
D. Using CVS with an OpenACS Site
View comments on this page at openacs.org
+
Release Version Numbering
Constraint naming standard
ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards
PL/SQL Standards
Variables
Automated Testing
13. Documentation Standards
OpenACS Documentation Guide
Using PSGML mode in Emacs
Using nXML mode in Emacs
Detailed Design Documentation Template
System/Application Requirements Template
14. Internationalization
Internationalization and Localization Overview
How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS
How to Internationalize a Package
Design Notes
Translator's Guide
D. Using CVS with an OpenACS Site
View comments on this page at openacs.org
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-plat-dev.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-plat-dev.html,v diff -u -r1.24.2.1 -r1.24.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-plat-dev.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:09 -0000 1.24.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/acs-plat-dev.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.24.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Part�IV.�For OpenACS Platform Developers

For OpenACS Platform Developers

Table of Contents

15. Kernel Documentation
Overview
Object Model Requirements
Object Model Design
Permissions Requirements
Permissions Design
Groups Requirements
Groups Design
Subsites Requirements
Subsites Design Document
Package Manager Requirements
Package Manager Design
Database Access API
OpenACS Internationalization Requirements
Security Requirements
Security Design
Security Notes
Request Processor Requirements
Request Processor Design
Documenting Tcl Files: Page Contracts and Libraries
Bootstrapping OpenACS
External Authentication Requirements
16. Releasing OpenACS
OpenACS Core and .LRN
How to Update the OpenACS.org repository
How to package and release an OpenACS Package
How to Update the translations
View comments on this page at openacs.org
+Part�IV.�For OpenACS Platform Developers

Part�IV.�For OpenACS Platform Developers

Table of Contents

15. Kernel Documentation
Overview
Object Model Requirements
Object Model Design
Permissions Requirements
Permissions Design
Groups Requirements
Groups Design
Subsites Requirements
Subsites Design Document
Package Manager Requirements
Package Manager Design
Database Access API
OpenACS Internationalization Requirements
Security Requirements
Security Design
Security Notes
Request Processor Requirements
Request Processor Design
Documenting Tcl Files: Page Contracts and Libraries
Bootstrapping OpenACS
External Authentication Requirements
16. Releasing OpenACS
OpenACS Core and .LRN
How to Update the OpenACS.org repository
How to package and release an OpenACS Package
How to Update the translations
View comments on this page at openacs.org
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-install.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-install.html,v diff -u -r1.17.2.1 -r1.17.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-install.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:09 -0000 1.17.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-install.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.17.2.2 @@ -1,21 +1,20 @@ - -Install Analog web file analyzer

Install Analog web file analyzer

Download the Analog source tarball in -/tmp. Unpack, compile, and install analog.

[root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src
-[root src]# tar xzf /tmp/analog-5.32.tar.gz
-[root src]# cd analog-5.32
-[root analog-5.32]# make
+Install Analog web file analyzer

Install Analog web file analyzer

Download the Analog source tarball in +/tmp. Unpack, compile, and install analog.

[root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src
+[root src]# tar xzf /tmp/analog-5.32.tar.gz
+[root src]# cd analog-5.32
+[root analog-5.32]# make
 cd src && make
 make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/analog-5.32/src'
 (many lines omitted)
 ***IMPORTANT: You must read the licence before using analog
 ***
 make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/analog-5.32/src'
-[root analog-5.32]# cd ..
-[root src]# mv analog-5.32 /usr/share/
+[root analog-5.32]# cd ..
+[root src]# mv analog-5.32 /usr/share/
 [root src]#
 cd /usr/local/src
 tar xzf /tmp/analog-5.32.tar.gz
 cd analog-5.32
 make
 cd ..
-mv analog-5.32 /usr/share/

See also Section�, “Set up Log Analysis Reports”

View comments on this page at openacs.org
+mv analog-5.32 /usr/share/

See also the section called “Set up Log Analysis Reports”

View comments on this page at openacs.org
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-setup.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-setup.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-setup.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:09 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/analog-setup.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,32 +1,31 @@ - -Set up Log Analysis Reports

Set up Log Analysis Reports

Analog is a program with processes webserver access logs, +Set up Log Analysis Reports

Set up Log Analysis Reports

Analog is a program with processes webserver access logs, performs DNS lookup, and outputs HTML reports. Analog should already be installed. A modified configuration file is included in - the OpenACS tarball.

  1. [root src]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ mkdir www/log
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cp -r /usr/share/analog-5.32/images www/log/
    +      the OpenACS tarball.

    1. [root src]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ mkdir www/log
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cp -r /usr/share/analog-5.32/images www/log/
       [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ 
       su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       cp /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/analog.cfg.txt etc/analog.cfg
       mkdir www/log
       cp -r /usr/share/analog-5.32/images www/log/

      Edit -/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg and change the variable in HOSTNAME "[my -organisation]" to reflect your website title. If you +/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg and change the variable in HOSTNAME "[my +organisation]" to reflect your website title. If you don't want the traffic log to be publicly visible, change -OUTFILE /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/log/traffic.html to use a private -directory. You'll also need to edit all instances of service0 to your $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.

    2. Run it.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/share/analog-5.32/analog -G -g/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg
      +OUTFILE /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/log/traffic.html to use a private
      +directory. You'll also need to edit all instances of service0 to your $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.

    3. Run it.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/share/analog-5.32/analog -G -g/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg
       /usr/share/analog-5.32/analog: analog version 5.32/Unix
       /usr/share/analog-5.32/analog: Warning F: Failed to open DNS input file
         /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/dnscache: ignoring it
         (For help on all errors and warnings, see docs/errors.html)
       /usr/share/analog-5.32/analog: Warning R: Turning off empty Search Word Report
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$

      Verify that it works by browing to http://yourserver.test:8000/log/traffic.html

    4. Automate this by creating a file in - /etc/cron.daily.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$

      Verify that it works by browing to http://yourserver.test:8000/log/traffic.html

    5. Automate this by creating a file in + /etc/cron.daily.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
       logout
       
      -[root root]# emacs /etc/cron.daily/analog

      Put this into the file:

      #!/bin/sh
      +[root root]# emacs /etc/cron.daily/analog

      Put this into the file:

      #!/bin/sh
       
      -/usr/share/analog-5.32/analog -G -g/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg
      [root root]# chmod 755 /etc/cron.daily/analog

      Test it by running the script.

      [root root]# sh /etc/cron.daily/analog

      Browse to http://yourserver.test/log/traffic.html

View comments on this page at openacs.org
+/usr/share/analog-5.32/analog -G -g/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/analog.cfg
[root root]# chmod 755 /etc/cron.daily/analog

Test it by running the script.

[root root]# sh /etc/cron.daily/analog

Browse to http://yourserver.test/log/traffic.html

View comments on this page at openacs.org
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver.html,v diff -u -r1.45.2.2 -r1.45.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.45.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.45.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1

Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1

by Vinod Kurup

+Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1

Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1

by Vinod Kurup

OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

We recommend the use of AOLserver 4.0.1 or later. These instructions are retained as a resource.

@@ -9,8 +8,8 @@ instead of from source. If you have the time to debug these and submit what you did, that's great, but if not, you should stick to installing from source. -

  1. Unpack the Aolserver tarball.�Download the aolserver tarball and unpack it.

    [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
    -[root src]# wget --passive http://uptime.openacs.org/aolserver-openacs/aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
    +  

    1. Unpack the Aolserver tarball.�Download the aolserver tarball and unpack it.

      [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
      +[root src]# wget --passive http://uptime.openacs.org/aolserver-openacs/aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
       --15:38:08--  http://uptime.openacs.org/aolserver-openacs/aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
                  => `aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz'
       Resolving uptime.openacs.org... done.
      @@ -21,41 +20,41 @@
       100%[====================================>] 3,858,074     66.56K/s    ETA 00:00
       
       15:39:05 (66.56 KB/s) - `aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz' saved [3858074/3858074]
      -[root src]# tar xzf aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
      +[root src]# tar xzf aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
       [root src]#
       cd /usr/local/src
       wget --passive http://uptime.openacs.org/aolserver-openacs/aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz
      -tar xzf aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz

      This section also relies on some OpenACS files, which you can get with Section�, “Unpack the OpenACS tarball”.

    2. Compile AOLserver.�Compile and install AOLserver. First, prepare the installation directory and the source code. The message about BUILD-MODULES can be ignored.

      root@yourserver root]# mkdir -p /usr/local/aolserver
      -[root root]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
      -[root aolserver]# ./conf-clean
      +tar xzf aolserver3.3oacs1.tar.gz

      This section also relies on some OpenACS files, which you can get with the section called “Unpack the OpenACS tarball”.

    3. Compile AOLserver.�Compile and install AOLserver. First, prepare the installation directory and the source code. The message about BUILD-MODULES can be ignored.

      root@yourserver root]# mkdir -p /usr/local/aolserver
      +[root root]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
      +[root aolserver]# ./conf-clean
       cat: BUILD-MODULES: No such file or directory
       Done.
       [root aolserver]#mkdir -p /usr/local/aolserver
       cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
       ./conf-clean

      If you are using Oracle, edit - conf-db and change - postgresql to - oracle, or to the word - both if you want both drivers + conf-db and change + postgresql to + oracle, or to the word + both if you want both drivers installed. In order to get nsoracle to compile, you may need to su - oracle, and then su (without the -) root to set the environment variables properly. -

      conf-inst should contain the +

      conf-inst should contain the location where AOLserver is to be installed. Overwrite the - tarball's default value with our default value, /usr/local/aolserver:

      [root aolserver]# echo "/usr/local/aolserver" > conf-inst
      -[root aolserver]#

      conf-make should contain the + tarball's default value with our default value, /usr/local/aolserver:

      [root aolserver]# echo "/usr/local/aolserver" > conf-inst
      +[root aolserver]#

      conf-make should contain the name of the GNU Make command on your system. It defaults to - gmake. Debian users: ln -s /usr/bin/make /usr/bin/gmake.

      Set an environment variable that the nspostgres driver + gmake. Debian users: ln -s /usr/bin/make /usr/bin/gmake.

      Set an environment variable that the nspostgres driver Makefile needs to compile correctly and run - conf, which compiles + conf, which compiles AOLserver, the default modules, and the database driver, and installs them.

      Debian users, see warning above, but if you do use apt-get for AOLserver 3.3+ad13 and postgresql from apt-get may need to - make these symlinks: ln -s - /usr/include/postgresql/ /usr/include/pgsql - and ln -s /usr/lib/postgresql /usr/local/pgsql)

      [root aolserver]# export POSTGRES=/usr/local/pgsql; ./conf
      +          make these symlinks: ln -s
      +          /usr/include/postgresql/ /usr/include/pgsql
      +          and ln -s /usr/lib/postgresql /usr/local/pgsql)

      [root aolserver]# export POSTGRES=/usr/local/pgsql; ./conf
       Building in /usr/local/aolserver
       with the following modules:
       aolserver
      @@ -77,27 +76,27 @@
       ==================================================================
       Done Building Sat Mar  8 10:31:35 PST 2003
       [root aolserver]# 

      - This takes about 5 minutes. It builds aolserver, several modules, and the database driver. (Upgraders, note that the postgres database driver has changed from postgres.so to nspostgres.so). All of the results are logged to files in /usr/local/src/aolserver/log. If you run into problems running AOLserver, check these files for build errors.

    4. Add a database-specific wrapper script.�This script + This takes about 5 minutes. It builds aolserver, several modules, and the database driver. (Upgraders, note that the postgres database driver has changed from postgres.so to nspostgres.so). All of the results are logged to files in /usr/local/src/aolserver/log. If you run into problems running AOLserver, check these files for build errors.

    5. Add a database-specific wrapper script.�This script sets database environment variables before starting AOLserver; this allows the AOLserver instance can communicate with the database. There is one script each for Oracle and PostgreSQL. They don't conflict, so if you plan - to use both databases, install both.

      • Oracle

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        -[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
        -[root bin]# chmod 750 nsd-oracle
        +	  to use both databases, install both.

        • Oracle

          [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
          +[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
          +[root bin]# chmod 750 nsd-oracle
           [root bin]#
           cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
          -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
          -chmod 750 nsd-oracle
        • PostgreSQL

          [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
          -[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
          -[root bin]# chmod 755 nsd-postgres
          +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
          +chmod 750 nsd-oracle
        • PostgreSQL

          [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
          +[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
          +[root bin]# chmod 755 nsd-postgres
           [root bin]#
           cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
          -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
          +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
           chmod 755 nsd-postgres
      • Install tDOM.�Download the tDOM tarball, unpack it, adjust the configuration file to match our patched - distribution of aolserver, and compile it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# wget --passive http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        +        distribution of aolserver, and compile it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# wget --passive http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
         --16:40:58--  http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
                    => `tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz'
         Resolving www.tdom.org... done.
        @@ -109,35 +108,35 @@
         
         16:41:04 (138.06 KB/s) - `tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz' saved [826613/826613]
         
        -[root src]# tar xzf tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        -[root src]# cd tDOM-0.7.8/unix
        +[root src]# tar xzf tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        +[root src]# cd tDOM-0.7.8/unix
         [root unix]#
         cd /usr/local/src
         wget --passive http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
         tar xzf tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
         cd tDOM-0.7.8/unix 

        Edit the file CONFIG and change this section:

        # ----------------------------------------------------
        -# aolsrc="/usr/src/aolserver-3.4"
        +# aolsrc="/usr/src/aolserver-3.4"
         # ../configure --enable-threads --disable-tdomalloc \
         #   --with-aolserver=$aolsrc \
         #   --with-tcl=$aolsrc/tcl8.3.4/unix 

        to

        # ----------------------------------------------------
        -aolsrc="/usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver"
        +aolsrc="/usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver"
         ../configure --enable-threads --disable-tdomalloc \
           --with-aolserver=$aolsrc \
        -  --with-tcl=$aolsrc/tcl8.3.2/unix

        And configure and compile:

        [root unix]# sh CONFIG
        +  --with-tcl=$aolsrc/tcl8.3.2/unix

        And configure and compile:

        [root unix]# sh CONFIG
         creating cache ./config.cache
         checking for memmove... yes
           (many lines omitted)
         creating Makefile
         creating tdomConfig.sh
        -[root unix]# make
        +[root unix]# make
         gcc -pipe -DHAVE_UNISTD_H=1 -DHAVE_LIMITS_H=1 -DTCL_THREADS=1
         -DHAVE_GETCWD=1 -DHAVE_OPENDIR=1 -DHAVE_STRSTR=1 -DHAVE_STRTOL=1 
           (many lines omitted)
                   -Wl,-rpath,/usr/local/lib -o tcldomsh;\
         fi
        -[root unix]# cp libtdom0.7.8.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
        -[root unix]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
        -[root bin]# ln -s libtdom0.7.8.so libtdom.so
        +[root unix]# cp libtdom0.7.8.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
        +[root unix]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
        +[root bin]# ln -s libtdom0.7.8.so libtdom.so
         [root bin]#
         
         sh CONFIG
        @@ -147,16 +146,16 @@
         ln -s libtdom0.7.8.so libtdom.so
      • Install nsopenssl (OPTIONAL)

      • Install Full Text Search with OpenFTS (OPTIONAL)

      • Install nspam (OPTIONAL)

      • Test AOLserver.�In order to test AOLserver, we'll run it using the sample-config.tcl file provided in the AOLserver distribution, - under the nobody user and web + under the nobody user and web group. The sample-config.tcl configuration writes to the default log locations, so we need to give it permission to do so - or it will fail. Grant the web + or it will fail. Grant the web group permission to write to - /usr/local/aolserver/log and - /usr/local/aolserver/servers.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/aolserver
        -[root aolserver]# chown -R root.web log servers
        -[root aolserver]# chmod -R g+w log servers
        -[root aolserver]# ls -l
        +      /usr/local/aolserver/log and
        +      /usr/local/aolserver/servers.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/aolserver
        +[root aolserver]# chown -R root.web log servers
        +[root aolserver]# chmod -R g+w log servers
        +[root aolserver]# ls -l
         total 32
         drwxr-sr-x    2 root     root         4096 Mar  8 12:57 bin
         drwxr-xr-x    3 root     root         4096 Mar  8 10:34 include
        @@ -171,12 +170,12 @@
         chown -R root.web log servers
         chmod -R g+w log servers
         ls -l

        Note: AOLserver4.x does not include a default start page, so we create one for this test. Type - echo "Welcome to AOLserver" > /usr/local/aolserver40r8/servers/server1/pages/index.html + echo "Welcome to AOLserver" > /usr/local/aolserver40r8/servers/server1/pages/index.html

        Now, we'll run a quick test to ensure AOLserver is running correctly. We'll use the sample config file provided with AOLserver. This file will attempt to guess your IP address and hostname. It will then start up the server at port 8000 of that - IP address.

        [root aolserver]# ./bin/nsd -t sample-config.tcl -u nobody -g web
        +          IP address.

        [root aolserver]# ./bin/nsd -t sample-config.tcl -u nobody -g web
         [root aolserver]# [08/Mar/2003:15:07:18][31175.8192][-main-] Notice: config.tcl: starting to read config file...
         [08/Mar/2003:15:07:18][31175.8192][-main-] Warning: config.tcl: nsssl not loaded -- key/cert files do not exist.
         [08/Mar/2003:15:07:18][31175.8192][-main-] Warning: config.tcl: nscp not loaded
        @@ -185,32 +184,32 @@
         config file.

        The first warning, about nsssl, can be ignored. We won't be using nsssl; we'll be using nsopenssl instead, and we haven't fully configured it yet. The nscp warning refers to the fact that, without a user and password in the config file, the administrative panel of AOLserver won't load. We don't plan to use it and can ignore that error as well. Any other warning or error is unexpected and probably a problem.

        Test to see if AOLserver is working by starting - Mozilla or - Lynx on the same + Mozilla or + Lynx on the same computer and surfing over to your web page. If you browse from another computer and the sample config file didn't guess your hostname or ip correctly, you'll get a false negative test. -

        [root aolserver]# lynx localhost:8000

        +

        [root aolserver]# lynx localhost:8000

        - You should see a "Welcome to AOLserver" page. If this + You should see a "Welcome to AOLserver" page. If this doesn't work, try going to - http://127.0.0.1:8000/. If this + http://127.0.0.1:8000/. If this still doesn't work, check out the Troubleshooting AOLserver section below. Note that you will not be able to browse to the web page from another machine, because AOLserver is only listening to the local address. -

        Shutdown the test server:

        [root aolserver]# killall nsd
        +        

        Shutdown the test server:

        [root aolserver]# killall nsd
         [root aolserver]#

        - The killall command will kill - all processes with the name nsd, + The killall command will kill + all processes with the name nsd, but clearly this is not a good tool to use for managing your services in general. We cover this topic in the Keep AOLserver alive section.

      • Troubleshooting.�If you can't view the welcome page, it's likely there's a problem with your server configuration. Start by viewing your AOLserver log, which is in - /usr/local/aolserver/log/server.log. + /usr/local/aolserver/log/server.log. You should also try to find lines of the form:

         [01/Jun/2000:12:11:20][5914.4051][-nssock-] Notice: nssock: listening on http://localhost.localdomain:8000 (127.0.0.1:8000)
        @@ -219,12 +218,12 @@
               If you can find these lines, try entering the URL the server is
               listening on. If you cannot find these lines, there must be an error
               somewhere in the file. Search for lines beginning with the word
        -      Error instead of
        -      Notice.
        +      Error instead of
        +      Notice.
         
             

        - The sample-config.tcl file grabs + The sample-config.tcl file grabs your address and hostname from your OS settings.

        @@ -234,7 +233,7 @@
               If you get an error that nssock can't get the requested address, you
               can set these manually. If you type 0.0.0.0, AOLserver will try to
               listen on all available addresses.  Note:
        -      ns_info address doesn't appear
        +      ns_info address doesn't appear
               to be supported in current versions of AOLserver.
         
             

        Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver4.html
        ===================================================================
        RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver4.html,v
        diff -u -r1.20.2.2 -r1.20.2.3
        --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver4.html	22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000	1.20.2.2
        +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/aolserver4.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000	1.20.2.3
        @@ -1,54 +1,53 @@
        -
        -Install AOLserver 4

        Install AOLserver 4

        by Malte Sussdorff

        +Install AOLserver 4

        Install AOLserver 4

        by Malte Sussdorff

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -
        1. Check suitability of previously installed TCL.�Start tcl (type tclsh or find it using which tclsh). -

          [root root]% info exists tcl_platform(threaded)
          +        
        1. Check suitability of previously installed TCL.�Start tcl (type tclsh or find it using which tclsh). +

          [root root]% info exists tcl_platform(threaded)
           1
          -[root root]% info patchlevel
          +[root root]% info patchlevel
           8.4.7
           [root root]%
           tclsh
           info exists tcl_platform(threaded)
           info patchlevel
          -

          If the first command returns anything other than 1, +

        If the first command returns anything other than 1, then tcl is not threaded. If tcl is threaded and the version is 8.4 or higher, then installing tcl from source is optional.

        Retrieve TCL 8.4 (or higher).�Download and install TCL 8.4 from source

        Note for Debian users: you can apt-get install tcl8.4-dev if you have the right version (stable users will need to add tcl8.4 to their sources.list file as described on the Install Postgres page). You'll have to use /usr/lib/tcl8.4/ instead of /usr/local/lib when you - try to find the tcl libraries, however.

        If you have not installed TCL already, download the latest TCL version from Sourceforge

        Debian: - apt-get install - tcl8.4 tcl8.4-dev and proceed to + try to find the tcl libraries, however.

        If you have not installed TCL already, download the latest TCL version from Sourceforge

        Debian: + apt-get install + tcl8.4 tcl8.4-dev and proceed to the next step. In that step, replace - --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib/ with - --with-tcl=/usr/lib/tcl8.4.

        Remember that you have to be root if you want to follow these instructions. On Mac OS X type sudo su - to become root.

        Alternatively use curl -L -O instead of wget (especially on Mac OS X).

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# wget http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/tcl/tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
        -[root src]# tar xfz tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
        -[root src]# cd tcl8.4.9/unix
        -[root unix]# ./configure --enable-threads
        -[root unix]# make install
        +      --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib/ with
        +        --with-tcl=/usr/lib/tcl8.4.

        Remember that you have to be root if you want to follow these instructions. On Mac OS X type sudo su - to become root.

        Alternatively use curl -L -O instead of wget (especially on Mac OS X).

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# wget http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/tcl/tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
        +[root src]# tar xfz tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
        +[root src]# cd tcl8.4.9/unix
        +[root unix]# ./configure --enable-threads
        +[root unix]# make install
         [root root]# 
         cd /usr/local/src
         wget http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/tcl/tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
         tar xfz tcl8.4.9-src.tar.gz
         cd tcl8.4.9/unix
         ./configure --enable-threads
         make install
        -      
      • Retrieve AOLserver.�Download the aolserver from CVS.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# mkdir aolserver40r10
        -[root src]# cd aolserver40r10
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver login
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co  -r aolserver_v40_r10 aolserver
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nscache
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nspostgres
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nssha1
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co -r v2_7 nsoracle
        -[root aolserver]# wget http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        -[root aolserver]# tar xvfz tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        -[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/tcllib co -r tcllib-1-8 tcllib
        +      
      • Retrieve AOLserver.�Download the aolserver from CVS.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# mkdir aolserver40r10
        +[root src]# cd aolserver40r10
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver login
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co  -r aolserver_v40_r10 aolserver
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nscache
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nspostgres
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nssha1
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co -r v2_7 nsoracle
        +[root aolserver]# wget http://www.tdom.org/tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        +[root aolserver]# tar xvfz tDOM-0.7.8.tar.gz
        +[root aolserver]# cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/tcllib co -r tcllib-1-8 tcllib
         [root root]# 
         cd /usr/local/src
         mkdir aolserver40r10
        @@ -60,31 +59,31 @@
         cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co -r v2_7 nsoracle
         wget http://www.tdom.org/files/tDOM-0.8.0.tar.gz
         tar xvfz tDOM-0.8.0.tar.gz
        -cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/tcllib co -r tcllib-1-8 tcllib
      • Configure, compile and install AOLserver.�Many people need to run more than one version of AOLserver in parallel. This section accomodates future upgrades by installing AOLserver 4 in /usr/local/aolserver40r9.

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/aolserver
        -[root aolserver]# ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver40r10 --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib/
        -[root aolserver]# make install
        +cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/tcllib co -r tcllib-1-8 tcllib
      • Configure, compile and install AOLserver.�Many people need to run more than one version of AOLserver in parallel. This section accomodates future upgrades by installing AOLserver 4 in /usr/local/aolserver40r9.

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/aolserver
        +[root aolserver]# ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver40r10 --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib/
        +[root aolserver]# make install
         cd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/aolserver
         ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver40r10 --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib/
         make install
        -

        If you are using gcc 4 or later, see http://openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=309814

        If this is the only version of AOLserver in use, or is the default version, create a symlink. If not, then be sure to use /usr/local/aolserver40r10 instead of /usr/local/aolserver in the steps below and check both scripts and makefiles to ensure they use the correct path.

        [root aolserver]# ln -s /usr/local/aolserver40r10 /usr/local/aolserver
      • Configure, compile and install the modules.� -

        1. Install nscache

          [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/nscache
          -[root nscache]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver
        2. Install nsoracle (if you want to use Oracle)

          [root nscache]# cd ../nsoracle
          -[root nsoracle]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver

          OpenACS looks for the Oracle driver at +

    If you are using gcc 4 or later, see http://openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=309814

    If this is the only version of AOLserver in use, or is the default version, create a symlink. If not, then be sure to use /usr/local/aolserver40r10 instead of /usr/local/aolserver in the steps below and check both scripts and makefiles to ensure they use the correct path.

    [root aolserver]# ln -s /usr/local/aolserver40r10 /usr/local/aolserver
  2. Configure, compile and install the modules.� +

    1. Install nscache

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/nscache
      +[root nscache]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver
    2. Install nsoracle (if you want to use Oracle)

      [root nscache]# cd ../nsoracle
      +[root nsoracle]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver

      OpenACS looks for the Oracle driver at /usr/local/aolserver/bin/ora8.so, but some versions of nsoracle may create nsoracle.so instead. In that case, you - can symlink (ln -s nsoracle.so ora8.so) to fix it.

    3. Install nspostgres (if you want to use Postgres)

      [root nscache]# cd ../nspostgres
      -[root nspostgres]# export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib:/usr/local/aolserver/lib
      -[root nspostgres]# make install POSTGRES=LSB ACS=1 INST=/usr/local/aolserver  AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver
      +            can symlink (ln -s nsoracle.so ora8.so) to fix it. 

    4. Install nspostgres (if you want to use Postgres)

      [root nscache]# cd ../nspostgres
      +[root nspostgres]# export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib:/usr/local/aolserver/lib
      +[root nspostgres]# make install POSTGRES=LSB ACS=1 INST=/usr/local/aolserver  AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver
                     

      If you get errors like:

      nspostgres.c: In function `Ns_PgTableList':
      -nspostgres.c:679: warning: passing arg 3 of `Tcl_DStringAppend' as signed due to prototype

      then PostGreSQL is probably not in the standard location. The location of PostGreSQL is very dependent on which method was used to install it. To correct the problem, replace LSB with the path to the path to your PostGreSQL installation. Often this is /usr/local/pgsql.

      You can use the - ldd command to verify +nspostgres.c:679: warning: passing arg 3 of `Tcl_DStringAppend' as signed due to prototype

      then PostGreSQL is probably not in the standard location. The location of PostGreSQL is very dependent on which method was used to install it. To correct the problem, replace LSB with the path to the path to your PostGreSQL installation. Often this is /usr/local/pgsql.

      You can use the + ldd command to verify that all libraries are linked in: - ldd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/nspostgres/nspostgres.so -

      If you run into problems with libpq.a do the following (and repeat the step above)

      [root nspostgres]# ranlib /usr/local/pgsql/lib/libpq.a

      If you run into problems with the linker, edit the Makefile. Add -lnsdb to the MODLIBS var.

      MODLIBS = -L$(PGLIB) -lpq -lnsdb
    5. Install nssha1

      [root nspostgres]# cd ../nssha1

      Now install nssha1:

      [root nssha1]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver

      If the make fails you will have to edit nssha1.c. Comment out the following 2 lines (lines 139-140):

      // typedef unsigned int u_int32_t;
      -// typedef unsigned char u_int8_t;
    6. Install tDOM

      [root nssha1]# cd ../tDOM-0.8.0/unix

      Edit the CONFIG file. Uncomment the instructions meant for AOLserver 4, but edit it to look like this:

      ../configure --enable-threads --disable-tdomalloc
      -          --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib

      Note that the location of the Tcl library may vary on differnt platforms (e.g. for Debian 3.0: --with-tcl=/usr/lib/tcl8.4)

      Now you can compile and configure tDOM

      [root unix]# sh CONFIG
      -[root unix]# make install
    7. Install TCLLIB

      [root nssha1]# cd ../tcllib

      Configure and compile TCLLIB

      [root unix]# ./configure -prefix=/usr/local/aolserver40r10
      -[root unix]# make install

    + ldd /usr/local/src/aolserver40r10/nspostgres/nspostgres.so +

    If you run into problems with libpq.a do the following (and repeat the step above)

    [root nspostgres]# ranlib /usr/local/pgsql/lib/libpq.a

    If you run into problems with the linker, edit the Makefile. Add -lnsdb to the MODLIBS var.

    MODLIBS = -L$(PGLIB) -lpq -lnsdb
  3. Install nssha1

    [root nspostgres]# cd ../nssha1

    Now install nssha1:

    [root nssha1]# make install AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver

    If the make fails you will have to edit nssha1.c. Comment out the following 2 lines (lines 139-140):

    // typedef unsigned int u_int32_t;
    +// typedef unsigned char u_int8_t;
  4. Install tDOM

    [root nssha1]# cd ../tDOM-0.8.0/unix

    Edit the CONFIG file. Uncomment the instructions meant for AOLserver 4, but edit it to look like this:

    ../configure --enable-threads --disable-tdomalloc
    +          --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver --with-tcl=/usr/local/lib

    Note that the location of the Tcl library may vary on differnt platforms (e.g. for Debian 3.0: --with-tcl=/usr/lib/tcl8.4)

    Now you can compile and configure tDOM

    [root unix]# sh CONFIG
    +[root unix]# make install
  5. Install TCLLIB

    [root nssha1]# cd ../tcllib

    Configure and compile TCLLIB

    [root unix]# ./configure -prefix=/usr/local/aolserver40r10
    +[root unix]# make install

  • Add a database-specific wrapper script.�This script sets database environment variables before starting AOLserver; this allows the AOLserver instance to @@ -99,17 +98,17 @@ OpenACS code, but don't forget to come back. (Note to maintainers: this should be moved to the next page and integrated into the text there) -

    • Oracle

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
      -[root bin]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
      -[root bin]# chmod 750 nsd-oracle
      +    

      • Oracle

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        +[root bin]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
        +[root bin]# chmod 750 nsd-oracle
         [root bin]#
         cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
        -chmod 750 nsd-oracle
      • PostgreSQL

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        -[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
        -[root bin]# chmod 755 nsd-postgres
        +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-oracle.txt ./nsd-oracle
        +chmod 750 nsd-oracle
      • PostgreSQL

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        +[root bin]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
        +[root bin]# chmod 755 nsd-postgres
         [root bin]#
         cd /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
        +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/nsd-postgres.txt ./nsd-postgres
         chmod 755 nsd-postgres

      You may need to edit these scripts if you are not using - /usr/local/aolserver as the directory of Aolserver4.

    • Change startup script (optional).�If you want to run AOLserver on a port below 1024 (normally, for a webserver you will use 80), you will have to change the /var/lib/aolserver/service0/etc/daemontools/run script according to the documentation found there (namely: Add the -b yourip:yourport switch)

    • Test AOLserver.

    ($Id$)
  • View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + /usr/local/aolserver as the directory of Aolserver4.

  • Change startup script (optional).�If you want to run AOLserver on a port below 1024 (normally, for a webserver you will use 80), you will have to change the /var/lib/aolserver/service0/etc/daemontools/run script according to the documentation found there (namely: Add the -b yourip:yourport switch)

  • Test AOLserver.

  • ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-design.html,v diff -u -r1.33.2.1 -r1.33.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.33.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.33.2.2 @@ -1,27 +1,26 @@ - -Package Manager Design

    Package Manager Design

    By Bryan Quinn

    +Package Manager Design

    Package Manager Design

    By Bryan Quinn

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Essentials

  • PL/SQL file

  • Introduction

    +In general terms, a package is a unit of software that serves a single well-defined purpose. That purpose may be to provide a service directly to one or more classes of end-user, (e.g., discussion forums and file storage for community members, user profiling tools for the site publisher), or it may be to act as a building block for other packages (e.g., an application programming interface (API) for storing and querying access control rules, or an API for scheduling email alerts). Thus, packages fall into one of two categories: -

    • OpenACS Applications: a "program or group of programs -designed for end users" (the Webopedia +

      Historical Considerations

      +for each instance, and managing the creation and release of new packages.

      Historical Considerations

      Prior to ACS 3.3, all packages were lumped together into one monolithic distribution without explicit boundaries; the only way to ascertain what comprised a given package was to look at the top of the corresponding @@ -88,21 +87,21 @@ packages for other OpenACS users to download and install.

      For a simple illustration of the difference between ACS without APM (pre-3.3) and ACS with APM (3.3 and beyond), consider a hypothetical ACS installation that uses only two of the thirty-odd modules available circa ACS -3.2 (say, bboard and e-commerce):

      APM itself is part of a package, the OpenACS Kernel, an OpenACS -service that is the only mandatory component of an OpenACS installation.

      Competitive Analysis

      The OpenACS is a platform for web-based application software, and any software +3.2 (say, bboard and e-commerce):

      APM itself is part of a package, the OpenACS Kernel, an OpenACS +service that is the only mandatory component of an OpenACS installation.

      Competitive Analysis

      The OpenACS is a platform for web-based application software, and any software platform has the potential to develop problems like those described above. Fortunately, there are many precedents for systematic solutions, including:

      Borrowing from all of the above, OpenACS 3.3 introduces its own package -management system, the OpenACS Package Manager (APM), which consists of:

      • a standard format for APM packages (also called -"OpenACS packages"), including:

        • version numbering, independent of any other package and the OpenACS as a -whole

        • specification of the package interface

        • specification of dependencies on other packages (if any)

        • attribution (who wrote it) and ownership (who maintains it)

      • web-based tools for package management:

        • obtaining packages from a remote distribution point

        • installing packages, if and only if:

          1. all prerequisite packages are installed

          2. no conflicts will be created by the installation

        • configuring packages (obsoleting the monolithic OpenACS configuration -file)

        • upgrading packages, without clobbering local modifications

        • uninstalling unwanted packages

      • a registry of installed packages, database-backed and +management system, the OpenACS Package Manager (APM), which consists of:

        • a standard format for APM packages (also called +"OpenACS packages"), including:

          • version numbering, independent of any other package and the OpenACS as a +whole

          • specification of the package interface

          • specification of dependencies on other packages (if any)

          • attribution (who wrote it) and ownership (who maintains it)

        • web-based tools for package management:

          • obtaining packages from a remote distribution point

          • installing packages, if and only if:

            1. all prerequisite packages are installed

            2. no conflicts will be created by the installation

          • configuring packages (obsoleting the monolithic OpenACS configuration +file)

          • upgrading packages, without clobbering local modifications

          • uninstalling unwanted packages

        • a registry of installed packages, database-backed and integrated with filesystem-based version control -

        • web-based tools for package development:

          • creating new packages locally

          • releasing new versions of locally-created packages

      Design Tradeoffs

      +

    • web-based tools for package development:

      • creating new packages locally

      • releasing new versions of locally-created packages

    Design Tradeoffs

    The design chosen for APM was meant to satisfy the following constraints:

    • The process of authoring a package must be as simple as possible.

    • Strict conventions must be established that provide a set of canonical locations and names for files and patterns, for OpenACS application @@ -121,9 +120,9 @@ documentation walks the developer through each of these steps. Moreover, from following these steps, the package can be subsite specific, available to subsites across the system, and be available for distribution to other OpenACS -installations without doing a monolithic upgrade or reinstall.

    API

    The APM is composed of systems for accomplishing a set of package-related +installations without doing a monolithic upgrade or reinstall.

    API

    The APM is composed of systems for accomplishing a set of package-related tasks. Each of these tasks comprise a feature area that has an API, data -model, and a UI:

    • Authoring a Package

    • Maintaining Multiple Versions of a Package

    • Creating Instances of the Package

    • Specifying Configuration Parameters for each Instance

    Authoring a Package

    Full instructions on how to prepare an OpenACS package are available in Packages. The API here can be invoked manually by a package's data model +model, and a UI:

    • Authoring a Package

    • Maintaining Multiple Versions of a Package

    • Creating Instances of the Package

    • Specifying Configuration Parameters for each Instance

    Authoring a Package

    Full instructions on how to prepare an OpenACS package are available in Packages. The API here can be invoked manually by a package's data model creation script, but need not to be used. This API is part of the APM PL/SQL package.

     
    @@ -144,9 +143,9 @@
     

    The procedure above registers an OpenACS application in the APM. It creates a new OpenACS object and stores information about the package, such as its name, in the APM data model. There is an analogous procedure for OpenACS services, called -apm.register_service.

    To remove an application from the system, there are the calls -apm.unregister_application and -apm.unregister_service.

    +apm.register_service.

    To remove an application from the system, there are the calls +apm.unregister_application and +apm.unregister_service.

     
     -- Remove the application from the system.  
     procedure unregister_application (
    @@ -155,22 +154,22 @@
         cascade_p       in char default 'f'  
     );
     
    -

    Use the cascade_p only if you want to completely remove the +

    Use the cascade_p only if you want to completely remove the package from the OpenACS.

    In order to determine if a particular package exists in the system, use -the register_p predicate. It returns 1 if the specified -package_key exists in the system, 0 otherwise.

    +the register_p predicate. It returns 1 if the specified
    +package_key exists in the system, 0 otherwise.

     
     function register_p (
         package_key     in apm_package_types.package_key%TYPE
     ) return integer;
     
    -

    Maintaining Multiple Versions of a Package

    While the package authoring API provides a means for registering a +

    Maintaining Multiple Versions of a Package

    While the package authoring API provides a means for registering a package, some information about a package is version dependent. For example, between versions, the owner of a package, its vendor, its URI, and its dependency information may change. The API for package versions allows this information to be specified. All of these APIs are part of the -apm_package_version PL/SQL package.

    To create a new package version, use the -apm_package_version.new constructor function.

    +apm_package_version PL/SQL package.

    To create a new package version, use the +apm_package_version.new constructor function.

     
     function new (
         version_id          in apm_package_versions.version_id%TYPE
    @@ -191,26 +190,26 @@
                             default 'f'
     ) return apm_package_versions.version_id%TYPE;
     
    -

    In order to use this function, an existing package_key must -be specified. The version_name parameter must follow a strict +

    In order to use this function, an existing package_key must +be specified. The version_name parameter must follow a strict convention:

    1. A major version number

    2. at least one minor version number. Although any number of minor version numbers may be included, three minor version numbers is sufficient and is the -convention of software developers.

    3. One of the following:

      • The letter d, indicating a development-only version

      • The letter a, indicating an alpha release

      • The letter b, indicating a beta release

      • No letter at all, indicating a final production release

    In addition, the letters d, a, and -b may be followed by another integer, indicating a version +convention of software developers.

  • One of the following:

    • The letter d, indicating a development-only version

    • The letter a, indicating an alpha release

    • The letter b, indicating a beta release

    • No letter at all, indicating a final production release

  • In addition, the letters d, a, and +b may be followed by another integer, indicating a version within the release.

    For those who like regular expressions:

     
     version_number := ^[0-9]+((\.[0-9]+)+((d|a|b|)[0-9]?)?)$
     
    -

    So the following is a valid progression for version numbers:

    0.9d, 0.9d1, 0.9a1, 0.9b1, 0.9b2, 0.9, 1.0, 1.0.1, 1.1b1, -1.1

    To delete a given version of a package, use the -apm_package_version.delete procedure:

    +

    So the following is a valid progression for version numbers:

    0.9d, 0.9d1, 0.9a1, 0.9b1, 0.9b2, 0.9, 1.0, 1.0.1, 1.1b1, +1.1

    To delete a given version of a package, use the +apm_package_version.delete procedure:

     
     procedure delete (
         package_id      in apm_packages.package_id%TYPE  
     );
     
     

    After creating a version, it is possible to edit the information -associated with it using apm_package_version.edit.

    +associated with it using apm_package_version.edit.

     
     function edit (
           new_version_id        in apm_package_versions.version_id%TYPE
    @@ -244,8 +243,8 @@
     );
     
     

    Files associated with a version can be added and removed. The path is -relative to the package-root which is -acs-server-root/packages/package-key.

    +relative to the package-root which is
    +acs-server-root/packages/package-key.

     -- Add a file to the indicated version. 
     function add_file(
         file_id             in apm_package_files.file_id%TYPE 
    @@ -326,7 +325,7 @@
         version_name_two        in apm_package_versions.version_name%TYPE
     ) return integer;
     
    -

    Creating Instances of a Package

    Once a package is registered in the system, it is possible to create +

    Creating Instances of a Package

    Once a package is registered in the system, it is possible to create instances of it. Each instance can maintain its own content and parameters.

     
    @@ -381,8 +380,8 @@
     show errors
     
     
    -

    Specifying Configuration Parameters for each Instance

    A parameter is a setting that can be changed on a package instance basis. -Parameters are registered on each package_key, and the values +

    Specifying Configuration Parameters for each Instance

    A parameter is a setting that can be changed on a package instance basis. +Parameters are registered on each package_key, and the values are associated with each instance. Parameters can have default values and can be of type 'string' or 'number.' There is support with this API for setting a number of minimum and maximum values for each parameter, @@ -463,65 +462,65 @@ attr_value in apm_parameter_values.attr_value%TYPE ); -

    Data Model Discussion

    The central piece of the data model is the apm_package_types +

    Data Model Discussion

    The central piece of the data model is the apm_package_types table where each package is registered. When a new application or service is installed on an OpenACS instance, a corresponding row in this table is inserted with information about the type of package, e.g. if the forum package is installed on your OpenACS server, a row -in apm_package_types will be created, noting that it's an -application package type.

    The apm_packages table is used to contain information about +in apm_package_types will be created, noting that it's an +application package type.

    The apm_packages table is used to contain information about the instances of packages currently created in the system. The -package_key column references the apm_package_types +package_key column references the apm_package_types table to ensure that no package instance can be created for a type that does -not exist.

    The apm_package_versions table contains information specific +not exist.

    The apm_package_versions table contains information specific to a particular version of a package. Several tables reference this one to -provide further information about the particular version:

    • apm_package_owners +provide further information about the particular version:

      • apm_package_owners Stores information about the owners of a particular version of a package. -

      • apm_package_files +

      • apm_package_files Stores information about the files that are part of a version. -

      • apm_package_dependencies +

      • apm_package_dependencies Stores information about what interfaces the package provides and -requires.

      Parameter information is maintained through two tables:

      • apm_parameters +requires.

      Parameter information is maintained through two tables:

      • apm_parameters This table contains the definition of each of the parameters for a package. -

      • apm_parameter_values +

      • apm_parameter_values This table holds all of the values of parameters for specific package instances.

      A number of views are available for obtaining information about packages -registered in the APM.

      • apm_package_version_info +registered in the APM.

        • apm_package_version_info Provides information about all of the versions in the system with -information available from the apm_package_types table. +information available from the apm_package_types table. -

        • apm_enabled_package_versions +

        • apm_enabled_package_versions A view (subset) of the above table with only enabled versions. -

        • apm_file_info - Provides a public interface for querying file information.

      User Interface

      The APM's user interface is part of the +

    • apm_file_info + Provides a public interface for querying file information.

    User Interface

    The APM's user interface is part of the OpenACS Administration Service. The UI is the primary point of contact with APM by developers and administrators. It is part of OpenACS Administration, because only the site-wide administrator should be able to access it. Thus in order to develop a package, the developer must be granted -site-wide administration.

    Configuration/Parameters

    APM has two parameters for configuring how it interacts with the UNIX +site-wide administration.

    Configuration/Parameters

    APM has two parameters for configuring how it interacts with the UNIX filesystem, accessible via the Site Map admin page. These parameters need not be changed under most circumstances, but may -need to be tweaked for Windows compatibility.

    • GzipExecutableDirectory - This directory points to where the gunzip program can be found -for uncompressing gzip archives. This is needed for the -installation of .apm files which are simply gziped -tarballs. Default is /usr/local/bin +need to be tweaked for Windows compatibility.

      • GzipExecutableDirectory + This directory points to where the gunzip program can be found +for uncompressing gzip archives. This is needed for the +installation of .apm files which are simply gziped +tarballs. Default is /usr/local/bin -

      • InfoFilePermissionsMode +

      • InfoFilePermissionsMode This sets the default UNIX permissions used when creating files using the -APM. Default is 775.

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    APM has been in production since OpenACS 3.3, and as of version 4.0 offers a +APM. Default is 775.

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    APM has been in production since OpenACS 3.3, and as of version 4.0 offers a stable set of features. One major feature planned is integration with the OpenACS Package Repository for automatic dependency satisfaction. When a user tries to install a package that depends on other packages, the APM will contact the @@ -539,6 +538,6 @@ repositories worldwide.

    Another anticipated change is to split the APM UI into separate systems for authoring, maintaining, and installing packages. The current UI presents all of this functionality in one interface and it can be confusing from a -usability perspective.

    Authors

    • System creator: Bryan Quinn, Jon Salz, Michael Yoon, Lars Pind, Todd +usability perspective.

    Authors

    • System creator: Bryan Quinn, Jon Salz, Michael Yoon, Lars Pind, Todd Nightingale.

    • System owner: Bryan Quinn

    • Documentation author: Bryan Quinn, building from earlier versions by Jon -Salz, Michael Yoon, and Lars Pind.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation9/25/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.8Ready for QA9/29/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.9Edited for ACS 4 Beta release10/02/2000Kai Wu
    1.0Edited for OpenACS 4.5 Beta release03/02/2002Roberto Mello
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Salz, Michael Yoon, and Lars Pind.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation9/25/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.8Ready for QA9/29/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.9Edited for ACS 4 Beta release10/02/2000Kai Wu
    1.0Edited for OpenACS 4.5 Beta release03/02/2002Roberto Mello
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.28.2.1 -r1.28.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.28.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/apm-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.28.2.2 @@ -1,18 +1,17 @@ - -Package Manager Requirements

    Package Manager Requirements

    By Bryan Quinn and Todd Nightingale

    +Package Manager Requirements

    Package Manager Requirements

    By Bryan Quinn and Todd Nightingale

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Introduction

    The following is a requirements document for the OpenACS Package Manager +

    Introduction

    The following is a requirements document for the OpenACS Package Manager (APM), version 4.0 (APM4). APM4 offers a superset of APM v3.3 functionality with the following specific enhancements:

    • A public procedural API. (v 3.3 only has web-based UI)

    • Support for dependency checking.

    • Support for compound packages (to support installation chaining).

    • Support for on-line parameter setting.

    • Support for sub-site level configuration (requires revised ad_parameter and /admin pages at sub-site level; deprecation of site-wide parameter file).

    To differentiate these new requirements from the requirements of version 3.3, all requirements new in v4 are prefaced with the number -4.

    We gratefully acknowledge the authors of APM 3 for their original design +4.

    We gratefully acknowledge the authors of APM 3 for their original design documentation which suggested these features, as well as the influence of the design and open-source implementation of the Red Hat Package manager, the Debian packaging system, and PERL's CPAN in the development of the ideas -behind this document.

    Vision Statement

    A typical website will tend to offer its users a number of web-based +behind this document.

    Vision Statement

    A typical website will tend to offer its users a number of web-based services or applications, e.g. a bulletin board, calendaring, classified ads, etc. A website may also have underlying subsystems, such as a permissions system, content management system, etc. For such applications and subsystem @@ -26,38 +25,38 @@ OpenACS sites.

    In general terms, a package is a unit of software that serves a single well-defined purpose. The OpenACS Package Manager (APM) provides a mechanism for packaging, installing, and configuring OpenACS software in a consistent, -user-friendly, and subsite-aware manner.

    System Overview

    +user-friendly, and subsite-aware manner.

    System Overview

    The OpenACS Package Manager (APM) consists of: -

    • A standard format for APM packages including:

      • Version numbering, independent of any other package and the OpenACS as a -whole

      • Specification of the package interface

      • Specification of dependencies on other packages (if any)

      • Attribution (who wrote it) and ownership (who maintains it)

    • Web-based tools for package management:

      • Obtaining packages from a remote distribution point

      • Installing packages, if and only if:

        1. All prerequisite packages are installed

        2. No conflicts will be created by the installation

      • Configuring packages (obsoleting the monolithic OpenACS configuration -file)

      • Upgrading packages, without clobbering local modifications

      • Uninstalling unwanted packages

    • A registry of installed packages, database-backed and +

      • A standard format for APM packages including:

        • Version numbering, independent of any other package and the OpenACS as a +whole

        • Specification of the package interface

        • Specification of dependencies on other packages (if any)

        • Attribution (who wrote it) and ownership (who maintains it)

      • Web-based tools for package management:

        • Obtaining packages from a remote distribution point

        • Installing packages, if and only if:

          1. All prerequisite packages are installed

          2. No conflicts will be created by the installation

        • Configuring packages (obsoleting the monolithic OpenACS configuration +file)

        • Upgrading packages, without clobbering local modifications

        • Uninstalling unwanted packages

      • A registry of installed packages, database-backed and integrated with file system-based version control -

      • Web-based tools for package development:

        • Creating new packages locally

        • Releasing new versions of locally-created packages

        • Uploading packages to a global package repository on the web

        • Use of these tools should be safe, i.e. installing or removing a package -should never break an OpenACS installation

      • Web-based tools for package configuration:

        • The ability to change package parameter values on-line through a simple +

        • Web-based tools for package development:

          • Creating new packages locally

          • Releasing new versions of locally-created packages

          • Uploading packages to a global package repository on the web

          • Use of these tools should be safe, i.e. installing or removing a package +should never break an OpenACS installation

        • Web-based tools for package configuration:

          • The ability to change package parameter values on-line through a simple web interface.

          • A new ad_parameter which does not require a monolithic site-wide parameter's file or server restarts for changes to take effect.

          • The ability to manage multiple package instances at the sub-site -level.

      Use-cases and User-scenarios

      +level.

    Use-cases and User-scenarios

    The APM is intended for the following classes of users, which may or may not -overlap:

    1. Developers (referred to as 'the developer') use +overlap:

      1. Developers (referred to as 'the developer') use the APM to create a software package for distribution and use the procedural -API for direct control of the APM system.

      2. Site-wide administrators (referred to as 'the +API for direct control of the APM system.

      3. Site-wide administrators (referred to as 'the administrator') use the APM to install packages for their OpenACS instance, -and optionally make them available to sub-sites.

      4. Sub-site administrators (referred to as 'the +and optionally make them available to sub-sites.

      5. Sub-site administrators (referred to as 'the sub-admin') use an administration interface to configure and enable -packages for their sub-site.

      Initial Package Development

      David Developer writes a piece of software used to do +packages for their sub-site.

    Initial Package Development

    David Developer writes a piece of software used to do knowledge management (km) for the OpenACS. He distributes his data model, procedure code, UI pages, and his documentation according to the APM specification. He splits the documentation and the code into sub-packages, and creates a KM installation-chain to install both with the APM developer -UI. Noting that his software was built with Patricia -Programmer's Super Widget toolkit, he specifies that as a +UI. Noting that his software was built with Patricia +Programmer's Super Widget toolkit, he specifies that as a dependency. Moreover, since this package is capable of being used at the sub-site level, David configures this option in the package. When the package development is complete, David uses the APM developer UI to construct a distribution file. He assigns it a version number, 1.0, and makes the package -available for download at the OpenACS package repository.

    Initial Package Installation

    Annie Admin learns of David's KM system by browsing +available for download at the OpenACS package repository.

    Initial Package Installation

    Annie Admin learns of David's KM system by browsing the OpenACS package repository. Annie Admin uses the APM administrator UI on her system. She selects to install a package from a URL and types the URL displayed on the system. The APM automatically downloads the package. The @@ -71,16 +70,16 @@ installation was successful, the package is available for use.

    Since the package is available for use, its initialization routines are set to run automatically on server startup. Annie is warned that since there are initialization routines, she must restart the server for the package to -be ready for use. Annie restarts the server.

    Initial Subsite Use of Package

    Annie Admin decides to make the KM module available only to a particular +be ready for use. Annie restarts the server.

    Initial Subsite Use of Package

    Annie Admin decides to make the KM module available only to a particular sub-site type on her OpenACS system, and not others. She specifies this option -using the Sub-site type UI (not part of APM).

    Annie Admin notifies Sally SubAdmin by e-mail that a new +using the Sub-site type UI (not part of APM).

    Annie Admin notifies Sally SubAdmin by e-mail that a new package is now available for use. Sally goes to her sub-site /admin page and sees that a new entry, KM, is available. Sally clicks on it and finds links to the installed KM documentation and to the web based configuration utility. Then, Sally configures the package using an automatically generated web interface and enables KM for use on her sub-site. After some initial use of the package, Sally decides to change some parameters using the SubAdmin UI. -These changes take effect immediately, without any server restarts.

    Upgrade Process

    Sally SubAdmin finds a bug in the KM system and sends a report to David +These changes take effect immediately, without any server restarts.

    Upgrade Process

    Sally SubAdmin finds a bug in the KM system and sends a report to David Developer. David reads the bug report and verifies that the bugs are present in the current version. Because the bugs are present in the shared procedure file, David assigns a watch to the file. David makes the necessary @@ -91,199 +90,199 @@ repository.

    Sally SubAdmin asks Annie Administrator to upgrade the package using the APM UI. This upgrade supersedes the old version of KM at the site-wide level. Once Annie upgrades the package, the new version starts working immediately -in Sally's sub-site.

    Procedural API

    Danielle Developer wants her software to perform +in Sally's sub-site.

    Procedural API

    Danielle Developer wants her software to perform different actions depending on what version of another package is installed. She uses the APM procedural API to check if KM version 1.0 is installed or version 1.1. Based on the results of this procedural call, the software -exhibits different behavior.

    Requirements: Data Model

    • 4.500.0 Package Identification -(All of these items are entered by the developer using the developer UI.)

      4.500.1 A human readable package key that is guaranteed +exhibits different behavior.

    Requirements: Data Model

    • 4.500.0 Package Identification +(All of these items are entered by the developer using the developer UI.)

      4.500.1 A human readable package key that is guaranteed to be unique to the local OpenACS site must be maintained by the APM. For -example, "apm."

      4.500.5 A package id (primary key) that is guaranteed to +example, "apm."

      4.500.5 A package id (primary key) that is guaranteed to be unique to the local site must be maintained by the APM. For example, -"25."

      4.500.10 A package URL that is guaranteed to be unique +"25."

      4.500.10 A package URL that is guaranteed to be unique across all sites must be maintained by the APM. The package URL should point to a server that allows download of the latest version of the package. For -example, "http://openacs.org/software." -

    • 4.505.0 Version Identification - (All of these items are entered by the developer using the developer UI.)

      4.505.1 A version id (primary key) that is guaranteed to -be unique to the local site must be maintained by the APM.

      4.505.5 A version URL that is guaranteed to be unique +example, "http://openacs.org/software." +

    • 4.505.0 Version Identification + (All of these items are entered by the developer using the developer UI.)

      4.505.1 A version id (primary key) that is guaranteed to +be unique to the local site must be maintained by the APM.

      4.505.5 A version URL that is guaranteed to be unique across all sites must be maintained by the APM. The version URL should point to a server that allows download of a specific version of the package. -

    Requirements: API

    The API for APM v3 is explicitly a private API. However, it would be +

    Requirements: API

    The API for APM v3 is explicitly a private API. However, it would be useful to obtain information from the APM through a procedural API. Implementing the API specified below is quite easy given that there are pages -that already do all of the below in raw SQL.

    • 4.400.0 Packages Status Predicates

      4.400.1 Given defining information such as a package URL, +that already do all of the below in raw SQL.

      • 4.400.0 Packages Status Predicates

        4.400.1 Given defining information such as a package URL, the APM API can return the status of the package on the local OpenACS -instance.

      • 4.405.0 Package Information Procedures

        4.405.1 The APM API can return information for any +instance.

      • 4.405.0 Package Information Procedures

        4.405.1 The APM API can return information for any locally installed packages, including the version number, paths and files, -and package key.

      • 4.410.0 Sub-site Procedures

        4.410.1 After a package has been installed at the +and package key.

      • 4.410.0 Sub-site Procedures

        4.410.1 After a package has been installed at the site-wide level, the system API will provide means to check for package -presence, creation, enabling, disabling, and destruction on a subsite.

      • 4.415.0 Parameter Values (replaces ad_parameter)

        4.415.1 The system API shall allow subsite parameters for +presence, creation, enabling, disabling, and destruction on a subsite.

      • 4.415.0 Parameter Values (replaces ad_parameter)

        4.415.1 The system API shall allow subsite parameters for an installed package to be set by either site-wide administrators or sub-site admins. The subsite parameter can be set to be non-persistent (but default is to survive server restarts). The subsite parameter can also be set to only -take effect after a server restart (default is immediate).

        4.415.5 Parameters for a given subsite and package can be -returned by the system API.

    Requirements: Security

    +take effect after a server restart (default is immediate).

    4.415.5 Parameters for a given subsite and package can be +returned by the system API.

    Requirements: Security

    Provisions will be made to assure that packages are securely -identified.

    • 4.600.1 Each package will have a PGP signature and there +identified.

      • 4.600.1 Each package will have a PGP signature and there will be MD5 time stamps for each file within the package. -

      • 4.600.5 The APM will provide a facility to validate both -the PGP signature and MD5 stamps information before a package install.

    Requirements: The User Interface

    The user interface is a set of HTML pages that are used to drive the +

  • 4.600.5 The APM will provide a facility to validate both +the PGP signature and MD5 stamps information before a package install.

  • Requirements: The User Interface

    The user interface is a set of HTML pages that are used to drive the underlying API. It is restricted to site-wide administrators because the -actions taken here can dramatically affect the state of the running OpenACS.

    Requirements: The Developer's Interface

    The intent of the developer's interface is to enable the developer to +actions taken here can dramatically affect the state of the running OpenACS.

    Requirements: The Developer's Interface

    The intent of the developer's interface is to enable the developer to construct and maintain APM packages. It will be possible to disable the developer's interface for production sites to help reduce the chance of site failure; much of the functionality here can have cascading effects -throughout the OpenACS and should not be used on a production site.

    • 10.0 Define a package.

      The developer must be able to create a new package by specifying some +throughout the OpenACS and should not be used on a production site.

      • 10.0 Define a package.

        The developer must be able to create a new package by specifying some identifying information for the package. This includes a package name, a -package key, version information, owner information, and a canonical URL.

        10.1 The APM must maintain the state of all locally -generated packages.

        10.50 If the developer fails to provide the required -information, the package cannot be created.

        10.55 All of the package information should be editable -after creation, except for the package key.

        4.10.60 The package creator must specify whether the +package key, version information, owner information, and a canonical URL.

        10.1 The APM must maintain the state of all locally +generated packages.

        10.50 If the developer fails to provide the required +information, the package cannot be created.

        10.55 All of the package information should be editable +after creation, except for the package key.

        4.10.60 The package creator must specify whether the package is capable of being used in sub-sites, or if only a single, global -instance of the package is permitted.

        4.10.65 If the developer fails to provide unique +instance of the package is permitted.

        4.10.65 If the developer fails to provide unique information for unique fields specified in the data model requirements, the -package cannot be created.

      • 20.0 Add files to a package

        20.1 The developer must be able to add files to the +package cannot be created.

      • 20.0 Add files to a package

        20.1 The developer must be able to add files to the package. This is done by copying the files into the package directory in the host OS's file system. Files can be added at any point after package -creation.

        20.3 Once a package has been versioned and distributed, +creation.

        20.3 Once a package has been versioned and distributed, no new files should be added to the package without incrementing the version -number.

        20.5 The APM's UI should facilitate the process of +number.

        20.5 The APM's UI should facilitate the process of adding new files, by scanning the file system for new files automatically, -and allowing the developer to confirm adding them.

        20.10 The developer cannot add files to a given package -via the UI that do not exist in the file system already.

        20.15 Package file structure must follow a specified +and allowing the developer to confirm adding them.

        20.10 The developer cannot add files to a given package +via the UI that do not exist in the file system already.

        20.15 Package file structure must follow a specified convention. Please see the design -document for what we do currently.

      • 30.0 Remove files from a package

        The developer must be able to remove files from a package. This can be -done in two ways.

        • 30.1 Access the APM UI, browse the file list, and remove -files.

          30.1.1If a file is removed from the package list, but not -from the file system, an error should be generated at package load time.

        • 30.5 Remove the file from file system.

          30.5.1 The APM UI should take note of the fact that the +document for what we do currently.

        • 30.0 Remove files from a package

          The developer must be able to remove files from a package. This can be +done in two ways.

          • 30.1 Access the APM UI, browse the file list, and remove +files.

            30.1.1If a file is removed from the package list, but not +from the file system, an error should be generated at package load time.

          • 30.5 Remove the file from file system.

            30.5.1 The APM UI should take note of the fact that the file is gone and offer the developer an option to confirm the file's deletion. -

        • 40.0 Modify files in a package.

          40.1 The developer should be able to modify files in the -file system. The APM UI should not interfere with this.

          40.5 However, if the developer modifies files containing -procedural definitions, APM UI should allow a means to watch +

      • 40.0 Modify files in a package.

        40.1 The developer should be able to modify files in the +file system. The APM UI should not interfere with this.

        40.5 However, if the developer modifies files containing +procedural definitions, APM UI should allow a means to watch those files and automatically reload them if changed. See requirement 50.0 -for more detail.

        40.10 Also, although a change in files implies that the +for more detail.

        40.10 Also, although a change in files implies that the package distribution file is out of date, it is the developer's -responsibility to update it.

      • 4.45.0 Manage Package Dependency Information.

        4.45.1 The developer should be able to specify which -interfaces the package requires.

        4.45.5 The developer should be able to specify which -interfaces the package provides.

        4.45.10 Circular dependencies are not allowed.

      • 50.0 Watch a file

        4.50.1 The developer should be able to assign a watch to -any Tcl procedure file, whether in /packages or /tcl.

        50.5 If a watched file is locally modified, then it will +responsibility to update it.

      • 4.45.0 Manage Package Dependency Information.

        4.45.1 The developer should be able to specify which +interfaces the package requires.

        4.45.5 The developer should be able to specify which +interfaces the package provides.

        4.45.10 Circular dependencies are not allowed.

      • 50.0 Watch a file

        4.50.1 The developer should be able to assign a watch to +any Tcl procedure file, whether in /packages or /tcl.

        50.5 If a watched file is locally modified, then it will be automatically reloaded, thus allowing for any changes made to take affect -immediately.

        4.50.10 The setting of a watch should be persistent +immediately.

        4.50.10 The setting of a watch should be persistent across server restarts. -

      • 60.0 Display an XML package specification

        60.1 The developer should be able to view the XML package +

      • 60.0 Display an XML package specification

        60.1 The developer should be able to view the XML package specification that encodes all package information. -

      • 70.0 Write an XML package specification to the file -system

        70.1 The developer should be able to write an up-to-date -XML specification to disk.

        70.5 The developer should be able to request the current -XML specification for all installed, locally generated packages.

      • 130.0 Distribution file generation

        130.1 The developer should be able to generate a .APM -distribution file for the package with just one click.

        130.5 Generating a distribution file implies doing an -"up-to-date" check on all of the files. If any of the files have +

      • 70.0 Write an XML package specification to the file +system

        70.1 The developer should be able to write an up-to-date +XML specification to disk.

        70.5 The developer should be able to request the current +XML specification for all installed, locally generated packages.

      • 130.0 Distribution file generation

        130.1 The developer should be able to generate a .APM +distribution file for the package with just one click.

        130.5 Generating a distribution file implies doing an +"up-to-date" check on all of the files. If any of the files have changed since package installation, then a new version of the package is created. -

      • 140.0 Access CVS information

        140.1 The developer should be able to determine the CVS +

      • 140.0 Access CVS information

        140.1 The developer should be able to determine the CVS status of a package, or all packages, with a single click. -

      • 4.400.0 Compound Package Construction

        4.400.1 The developer can include .APM packages +

      • 4.400.0 Compound Package Construction

        4.400.1 The developer can include .APM packages (sub-packages) within a package (the compound package) like any other -file.

        4.400.5 The recommended usage for this feature is to +file.

        4.400.5 The recommended usage for this feature is to allow for separation of optional and required components from the installation as well as better organization of files once installed. For example, all documentation for the community-core can be packages as -community-core-doc.apm. It is legal to include sub-packages with +community-core-doc.apm. It is legal to include sub-packages with dependencies that are not satisfied by the packages in the compound package, but this is discouraged. In such a case, the sub-package should really be a -separate package that is required by the compound package.

        4.400.10 If a sub-package is required for the +separate package that is required by the compound package.

        4.400.10 If a sub-package is required for the installation of the compound package, the compound package should have a -registered dependency on the sub-package.

    Requirements: The Site-Wide Administrator's Interface

    The requirement of the administrator's interface is to enable the +registered dependency on the sub-package.

    Requirements: The Site-Wide Administrator's Interface

    The requirement of the administrator's interface is to enable the administrator to install, enable, upgrade, disable, deinstall, and delete -packages.

    • 80.0 Package Enable/Disable

      4.80.1 The administrator should be able mark an installed +packages.

      • 80.0 Package Enable/Disable

        4.80.1 The administrator should be able mark an installed package as enabled. This means that the package is activated and its functionality is delivered through the Request Processor. As of OpenACS 4, this -is done through the sub-site system.

        4.80.5 Moreover, the administrator must be able to +is done through the sub-site system.

        4.80.5 Moreover, the administrator must be able to disable a package, thereby removing the functionality provided to a sub-site. As of OpenACS 4, this is done through the sub-site system. -

      • 90.0 Package Install

        90.1 The administrator must be able to install new -packages either from locally maintained .APM files or from URLs.

        90.5 In the case of an URL, the APM transparently +

      • 90.0 Package Install

        90.1 The administrator must be able to install new +packages either from locally maintained .APM files or from URLs.

        90.5 In the case of an URL, the APM transparently downloads the APM file off the web, proceeds with a file based installation, -and then optionally removes the .APM file just downloaded.

        90.10.1 If .APM files are present in a package, then it -is considered a compound package (use 4.410.0).

        90.15.0 Installation requires these steps:

        1. 90.15.1The package dependencies are scanned. If some +and then optionally removes the .APM file just downloaded.

          90.10.1 If .APM files are present in a package, then it +is considered a compound package (use 4.410.0).

          90.15.0 Installation requires these steps:

          1. 90.15.1The package dependencies are scanned. If some dependencies are not present, the system warns the administrator that -installation cannot proceed until those packages are installed.

          2. 90.15.2 Assuming all dependencies are present, APM -extracts the contents of the APM file into the /packages directory.

          3. 90.15.3 The administrator is offered the option of -importing directly into CVS.

          4. 90.15.4 The administrator is given a list of data model -scripts found in the package and can select which ones to be executed.

          5. 90.15.5 If no errors are recorded during this process, -the package is enabled.

        2. 4.410.0 Compound package Install

          4.410.1 If .APM files are present in a package, then it -is considered a compound package.

          4.410.5.0 Installation of a compound package proceeds -according to the following sequence:

          1. 4.410.5.1 Identify the set of all sub-packages within -the compound package by scanning for all files with .APM.

          2. 4.410.5.2 Identify which sub-packages are required by +installation cannot proceed until those packages are installed.

          3. 90.15.2 Assuming all dependencies are present, APM +extracts the contents of the APM file into the /packages directory.

          4. 90.15.3 The administrator is offered the option of +importing directly into CVS.

          5. 90.15.4 The administrator is given a list of data model +scripts found in the package and can select which ones to be executed.

          6. 90.15.5 If no errors are recorded during this process, +the package is enabled.

        3. 4.410.0 Compound package Install

          4.410.1 If .APM files are present in a package, then it +is considered a compound package.

          4.410.5.0 Installation of a compound package proceeds +according to the following sequence:

          1. 4.410.5.1 Identify the set of all sub-packages within +the compound package by scanning for all files with .APM.

          2. 4.410.5.2 Identify which sub-packages are required by checking the dependencies of the compound package. If there dependencies not satisfied by the current system or the packages included with the compound package, halt installation and inform user to install these packages -first.

          3. 4.410.5.3 Present Administrator with the ability to +first.

          4. 4.410.5.3 Present Administrator with the ability to choose which sub-packages to install. Required sub-packages must be -installed.

          5. 4.410.5.4 Proceed with the installation of each +installed.

          6. 4.410.5.4 Proceed with the installation of each sub-package, starting with required packages. If the sub-package is already installed, then do nothing. Else, If the sub-package is a normal package, -proceed according to 90.15.0, otherwise if it is a compound -package, proceed according to 4.410.5.0.

          7. 4.410.5.5 If all required sub-packages are installed, +proceed according to 90.15.0, otherwise if it is a compound +package, proceed according to 4.410.5.0.

          8. 4.410.5.5 If all required sub-packages are installed, proceed to install non-required sub-packages. If there was a failure during the installation of a required sub-package, then the installation of the -compound package is also a failure.

          9. 4.410.5.6 Any attempt to install a compound package in +compound package is also a failure.

          10. 4.410.5.6 Any attempt to install a compound package in the future involves a choice presented to the admin of installing any -uninstalled sub-packages.

        4. 4.420.0 Recovering from failed package installation

          4.420.1 If any error is generated during package +uninstalled sub-packages.

      • 4.420.0 Recovering from failed package installation

        4.420.1 If any error is generated during package installation, the package is not considered installed. To recover from this -failure, the package should be selected for installation again.

      • 100.0 Version Upgrade

        100.1 The administrator can upgrade to a new version of a -package. This entails

        1. 100.1.1 Running any necessary and included upgrade -scripts.

        2. 100.1.5 Replacing any old files with new versions.

        3. 100.1.10 Marking the old version of the package as -'superseded' and disabling it.

        4. 100.1.15 Assuming no errors from above, the new package -is enabled.

      • 110.0 Package Deinstall

        110.1 The administrator must be able to deinstall a -package that has already been installed. Deinstallation entails:

        1. 110.1.1 Running any data model scripts necessary to drop -the package.

        2. 110.1.5 Moving all of the files into a separate location -in the file system from the installed packages.

        3. 4.110.1.10 If the package is a compound package, then +failure, the package should be selected for installation again.

        4. 100.0 Version Upgrade

          100.1 The administrator can upgrade to a new version of a +package. This entails

          1. 100.1.1 Running any necessary and included upgrade +scripts.

          2. 100.1.5 Replacing any old files with new versions.

          3. 100.1.10 Marking the old version of the package as +'superseded' and disabling it.

          4. 100.1.15 Assuming no errors from above, the new package +is enabled.

        5. 110.0 Package Deinstall

          110.1 The administrator must be able to deinstall a +package that has already been installed. Deinstallation entails:

          1. 110.1.1 Running any data model scripts necessary to drop +the package.

          2. 110.1.5 Moving all of the files into a separate location +in the file system from the installed packages.

          3. 4.110.1.10 If the package is a compound package, then the administrator must confirm removing all sub-packages. Optionally, some -sub-packages can be kept.

          110.5 Deinstalled packages can be re-installed at a later -date.

          4.110.10 If deinstalling a package or any of its +sub-packages can be kept.

        110.5 Deinstalled packages can be re-installed at a later +date.

        4.110.10 If deinstalling a package or any of its sub-packages breaks a dependency, then deinstallation cannot proceed until -the package registering the dependency is removed.

      • 120.0 Package Deletion

        120.1 The administrator should be able to completely +the package registering the dependency is removed.

      • 120.0 Package Deletion

        120.1 The administrator should be able to completely erase all records of the package. This involves removing all instances of the -package, all related database tables and content.

        120.5 This option can only be used if all package +package, all related database tables and content.

        120.5 This option can only be used if all package instances are deleted or marked as disabled. This is purposefully cumbersome because deleting all instances of a package can have far-sweeping -consequences throughout a site and should almost never be done.

      • 150.0 Scan for new or modified packages

        150.1 The administrator should be able to scan the file -system for any changes made in any of the installed package files.

        150.5 The administrator should be able to scan the file +consequences throughout a site and should almost never be done.

      • 150.0 Scan for new or modified packages

        150.1 The administrator should be able to scan the file +system for any changes made in any of the installed package files.

        150.5 The administrator should be able to scan the file system for any newly installed packages. -

    Requirements: The Sub-Site Administrator's Interface

    +

    Requirements: The Sub-Site Administrator's Interface

    If the developer is in charge of creating packages and the administrator for installing them, then the sub-site administrator is responsible for configuring and enabling packages. In order for a package to be available for a sub-site it must be associated with the sub-site's type specification. This interface is part of the sub-site /admin interface. -

    • 4.300 Creating a package instance.

      4.300.1 From the sub-site /admin interface, there should +

      • 4.300 Creating a package instance.

        4.300.1 From the sub-site /admin interface, there should be an option to view all packages available in the system as well as an -option to add a package to the subsite.

        4.300.5 From the "add" option, the sub-admin +option to add a package to the subsite.

        4.300.5 From the "add" option, the sub-admin can select from a list of packages registered as available in the sub-site -type to which the sub-site belongs.

        4.300.19 Once a package instance is added, it is -available on the list of the subsite's available packages.

      • 4.305 Configuring a package instance.

        4.305.1 An automatic web interface that lists all -parameters with current values must be available.

        4.305.5 Changing the values for the parameters is -accomplished simply by submitting an HTML form.

      • 4.310 Enabling a package instance.

        4.310.1 The sub-admin should be able to enable a package +type to which the sub-site belongs.

        4.300.19 Once a package instance is added, it is +available on the list of the subsite's available packages.

      • 4.305 Configuring a package instance.

        4.305.1 An automatic web interface that lists all +parameters with current values must be available.

        4.305.5 Changing the values for the parameters is +accomplished simply by submitting an HTML form.

      • 4.310 Enabling a package instance.

        4.310.1 The sub-admin should be able to enable a package with a single click. Enabling a package means that the OpenACS will serve its URLs properly. -

      • 4.315 Disabling a package instance.

        4.315.1 The sub-admin should be able to disable a package +

      • 4.315 Disabling a package instance.

        4.315.1 The sub-admin should be able to disable a package with a single click. Disabling a package means that the OpenACS will no longer -serve those URLs.

      • 4.320 Deleting a package instance.

        4.320.1 Deleting a package instance involves deleting not +serve those URLs.

      • 4.320 Deleting a package instance.

        4.320.1 Deleting a package instance involves deleting not only the package instance, but any and all content associated with it. It is questionable whether this option should even be available due to its drastic consequences. Reviewer comments appreciated. -

    Implementation notes

    Despite the fact that requirements are meant to be design/implementation +

    Implementation notes

    Despite the fact that requirements are meant to be design/implementation neutral, the following thoughts were in our head when specifying these requirements. You must be familiar with the new object design for this to be comprehensible.

    When a package is installed system-wide, a corresponding acs_object_type @@ -292,4 +291,4 @@ are set using the acs_attribute_values table. The automatic web interface for setting package parameters should be one and the same with the interface for setting acs object attribute values. Consequently, the implementation of -these features should be quite straightforward.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation8/10/2000Bryan Quinn, Todd Nightingale
    Reviewed8/11/2000John Prevost, Mark Thomas, and Pete Su
    0.2Revised and updated8/12/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.3Reviewed, revised, and updated - conforms to requirements template.8/18/2000Kai Wu
    0.4Minor edits before ACS 4 Beta.9/30/2000Kai Wu
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +these features should be quite straightforward.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation8/10/2000Bryan Quinn, Todd Nightingale
    Reviewed8/11/2000John Prevost, Mark Thomas, and Pete Su
    0.2Revised and updated8/12/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.3Reviewed, revised, and updated - conforms to requirements template.8/18/2000Kai Wu
    0.4Minor edits before ACS 4 Beta.9/30/2000Kai Wu
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-backup.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-backup.html,v diff -u -r1.8.2.1 -r1.8.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-backup.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.8.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-backup.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.8.2.2 @@ -1,4 +1,3 @@ - -Automated Backup

    Automated Backup

    The recommended backup strategy for a production sit is to use an automated script which first backs up the database to a file in /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup and then backs up all of /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME to a single zip file, and then copies that zip file to another computer.

    1. Make sure that the manual backup process described above works.

    2. Customize the default backup script. Edit /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/backup.sh with your specific parameters.

    3. +Automated Backup

      Automated Backup

      The recommended backup strategy for a production sit is to use an automated script which first backs up the database to a file in /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup and then backs up all of /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME to a single zip file, and then copies that zip file to another computer.

      1. Make sure that the manual backup process described above works.

      2. Customize the default backup script. Edit /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/backup.sh with your specific parameters.

      3. Make sure the file is executable:

        chmod +x backup.sh
      4. - Set this file to run automatically by adding a line to root's crontab. (Typically, with export EDITOR=emacs; crontab -e.) This example runs the backup script at 1:30 am every day.

        30 1 * * *        sh /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/backup.sh
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      + Set this file to run automatically by adding a line to root's crontab. (Typically, with export EDITOR=emacs; crontab -e.) This example runs the backup script at 1:30 am every day.

      30 1 * * *        sh /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/backup.sh
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-testing-best-practices.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-testing-best-practices.html,v diff -u -r1.21.2.2 -r1.21.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-testing-best-practices.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.21.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/automated-testing-best-practices.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.21.2.3 @@ -1,22 +1,21 @@ - -Automated Testing

    Automated Testing

    By Jeff Davis

    +Automated Testing

    Automated Testing

    By Jeff Davis

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    Best practices in writing OpenACS automated tests

    • Special characters in Tcl.� -Try strings starting with a -Bad and strings containing [BAD], {, \077, and $Bad. For user input, [BAD] should never be evaluated, \077 should not be turned into a ? and $Bad should not be interpolated. The string -Bad [BAD] \077 { $Bad should be valid user input, should pass through the system unaltered, and if it isn't that's a bug. +Try strings starting with a -Bad and strings containing [BAD], {, \077, and $Bad. For user input, [BAD] should never be evaluated, \077 should not be turned into a ? and $Bad should not be interpolated. The string -Bad [BAD] \077 { $Bad should be valid user input, should pass through the system unaltered, and if it isn't that's a bug.

    • Quoting issues.�Put some html in plain text fields and make sure the result is -properly quoted anywhere it shows up (I use "<b>bold</b>" +properly quoted anywhere it shows up (I use "<b>bold</b>" usually). Look out especially for quoting errors in the context bar and in round trips via an edit form. For fields that disallow html -tags you can use &amp; to check that the field is quoted -properly. If it is not displayed as &amp; then the quoting for the field is incorrect. (It's not clear whether this +tags you can use &amp; to check that the field is quoted +properly. If it is not displayed as &amp; then the quoting for the field is incorrect. (It's not clear whether this should be considered an error but given that data for text fields can come from various sources if it's text it should be properly quoted and we should not rely on input validation to prevent XSS security holes.)

    • Whitespace input.�Check that whitespace is not considered valid input for a field if it does not make sense. For example, the subject of a forum post is -used to construct a link and if it is " " it will have a link of -<a href="..."> </a> which would not be clickable if whitespace was allowed as a valid input. +used to construct a link and if it is " " it will have a link of +<a href="..."> </a> which would not be clickable if whitespace was allowed as a valid input.

    • Doubleclick.� Make sure that if you submit a form, use the back button, and submit again that the behavior is reasonable (correct behavior depends on Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backup-recovery.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backup-recovery.html,v diff -u -r1.38.2.2 -r1.38.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backup-recovery.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.38.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backup-recovery.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.38.2.3 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Chapter�8.�Backup and Recovery

      Chapter�8.�Backup and Recovery

      ($Id$)

      By Don Baccus with additions +Chapter�8.�Backup and Recovery

      Chapter�8.�Backup and Recovery

      ($Id$)

      By Don Baccus with additions by Joel Aufrecht

      We will cover some basic backup and recovery strategies. These are intended to be robust but simple enough to set up. For a large scale production site you would probably need to create your own backup strategies (in particular full dumps from oracle, while easy to set up, are far from the best solution).

      There are three basic things which need to be backed up, the database data, the server source tree, and the acs-content-repository (which is in the server source tree).

      -

      Figure�8.1.�Backup and Recovery Strategy

      Backup and Recovery Strategy

      +

      Figure�8.1.�Backup and Recovery Strategy

      Backup and Recovery Strategy


      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backups-with-cvs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backups-with-cvs.html,v diff -u -r1.8.2.1 -r1.8.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backups-with-cvs.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.8.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/backups-with-cvs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.8.2.2 @@ -1,31 +1,30 @@ - -Using CVS for backup-recovery

      Using CVS for backup-recovery

      CVS-only backup is often appropriate for development sites. If you are already using CVS and your data is not important, you probably don't +Using CVS for backup-recovery

      Using CVS for backup-recovery

      CVS-only backup is often appropriate for development sites. If you are already using CVS and your data is not important, you probably don't need to do anything to back up your files. Just make sure that your current work is checked into the system. You can then roll back based on date - note the current system time, down to the minute. For maximum safety, you can apply a tag to your current - files. You will still need to back up your database.

      Note that, if you did the CVS options in this document, the /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc directory is not included in cvs and you may want to add it.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs commit -m "last-minute commits before upgrade to 4.6"
      +      files.  You will still need to back up your database.

      Note that, if you did the CVS options in this document, the /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc directory is not included in cvs and you may want to add it.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs commit -m "last-minute commits before upgrade to 4.6"
       cvs commit: Examining .
       cvs commit: Examining bin
       (many lines omitted)
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs tag before_upgrade_to_4_6
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs tag before_upgrade_to_4_6
       cvs server: Tagging bin
       T bin/acs-4-0-publish.sh
       T bin/ad-context-server.pl
       (many lines omitted)
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
       [root root]# 
       su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -cvs commit -m "last-minute commits before upgrade to 4.6"
      +cvs commit -m "last-minute commits before upgrade to 4.6"
       cvs tag before_upgrade_to_4_6
      -exit

      To restore files from a cvs tag such as the one used above:

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs up -r current
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
      +exit

      To restore files from a cvs tag such as the one used above:

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs up -r current
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
       su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       cvs up -r current
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/bootstrap-acs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/bootstrap-acs.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/bootstrap-acs.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/bootstrap-acs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,89 +1,88 @@ - -Bootstrapping OpenACS

      Bootstrapping OpenACS

      By Jon Salz

      +Bootstrapping OpenACS

      Bootstrapping OpenACS

      By Jon Salz

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.
      • Tcl code: /tcl/0-acs-init.tcl and /packages/acs-kernel/bootstrap.tcl

      This document describes the startup (bootstrapping) process for an AOLserver running OpenACS. -

      The Big Picture

      +

      The Big Picture

      Before OpenACS 3.3, the OpenACS startup process was extremely simple: after AOLserver performed its internal initialization (reading the configuration file, loading shared libraries and module code, etc.) it scanned through the Tcl -library directory (generally /var/lib/aolserver/yourservername/tcl), +library directory (generally /var/lib/aolserver/yourservername/tcl), sourcing each file in sequence.

      While this overall structure for initialization is still intact, package management has thrown a wrench into the works - there are a few extra things to do during initialization, most notably:

      • Examine the OpenACS file tree for files that should not be present in OpenACS (i.e., that were once part of the OpenACS distribution but have since been -removed).

      • Scan the /packages directory for new packages.

      • Initialize enabled packages by sourcing their *-procs.tcl -and *-init.tcl files.

      +removed).

    • Scan the /packages directory for new packages.

    • Initialize enabled packages by sourcing their *-procs.tcl +and *-init.tcl files.

    This document examines in detail each of the steps involved in AOLserver/OpenACS startup. -

    The Startup Process

    -As soon as the nsd daemon is executed by the init +

    The Startup Process

    +As soon as the nsd daemon is executed by the init process (or otherwise), AOLserver reads its configuration file and -chroots itself if necessary. It then loads shared libraries -indicated in the .ini file (e.g., the Oracle driver and -nssock), and sources Tcl module files (generally in -/home/aol30/modules/tcl). This step is, and has always been, the +chroots itself if necessary. It then loads shared libraries +indicated in the .ini file (e.g., the Oracle driver and +nssock), and sources Tcl module files (generally in +/home/aol30/modules/tcl). This step is, and has always been, the same for all AOLservers, regardless of whether they are running OpenACS.

    Next AOLserver sources, in lexicographical order, each file in the -/tcl directory. The first such file is -0-acs-init.tcl, which doesn't do much directly except to -determine the OpenACS path root (e.g., /var/lib/aolserver/yourservername) +/tcl directory. The first such file is +0-acs-init.tcl, which doesn't do much directly except to +determine the OpenACS path root (e.g., /var/lib/aolserver/yourservername) by trimming the final component from the path to the Tcl library directory -(/var/lib/aolserver/yourservername/tcl). But -0-acs-init.tcl's has an important function, namely sourcing -/packages/acs-core/bootstrap.tcl, which does the following:

    1. Initialize some NSVs used by the core. These NSVs are -documented in /packages/acs-core/apm-procs.tcl - no need to +(/var/lib/aolserver/yourservername/tcl). But +0-acs-init.tcl's has an important function, namely sourcing +/packages/acs-core/bootstrap.tcl, which does the following:

      1. Initialize some NSVs used by the core. These NSVs are +documented in /packages/acs-core/apm-procs.tcl - no need to worry about them unless you're an OpenACS core hacker. -

      2. Verify the deletion of obsolete OpenACS files. The -/tcl directory has evolved quite a bit over the months and +

      3. Verify the deletion of obsolete OpenACS files. The +/tcl directory has evolved quite a bit over the months and years, and a few files have come and gone. The -/www/doc/removed-files.txt file contains a list of files which +/www/doc/removed-files.txt file contains a list of files which must be deleted from the AOLserver installation, at the risk of causing weird conflicts, e.g., having several security filters registered. -bootstrap.tcl scans through this list, logging error messages to +bootstrap.tcl scans through this list, logging error messages to the log if any of these files exist. -

      4. Source *-procs.tcl files in the OpenACS core. -We source each file matching the *-procs.tcl glob in the -/packages/acs-kernel directory, in lexicographical order. These +

      5. Source *-procs.tcl files in the OpenACS core. +We source each file matching the *-procs.tcl glob in the +/packages/acs-kernel directory, in lexicographical order. These procedure are needed to perform any of the following steps. -

      6. Ensure that the database is available by grabbing and +

      7. Ensure that the database is available by grabbing and releasing a handle. If we can't obtain a handle, we terminate initialization (since OpenACS couldn't possibly start up the server without access to the database). -

      8. Register any new packages in the /packages -directory. In each directory inside /packages, we look -for a .info file; if we find a package that hasn't yet been +

      9. Register any new packages in the /packages +directory. In each directory inside /packages, we look +for a .info file; if we find a package that hasn't yet been registered with the package manager (i.e., it's been copied there manually), we insert information about it into the database. (The first time OpenACS starts up, no packages will have been registered in the database yet, so this step will registers every single package in the -/packages directory.) Note that packages discovered here are +/packages directory.) Note that packages discovered here are initially disabled; they must be manually enabled in the package manager before they can be used. -

      10. Ensure that the acs-kernel package is -enabled. If the OpenACS core isn't initialized, the server +

      11. Ensure that the acs-kernel package is +enabled. If the OpenACS core isn't initialized, the server couldn't possibly be operational, so if there's no enabled version of the OpenACS core we simply mark the latest installed one as enabled. -

      12. Load *-procs.tcl files for enabled -packages, activating their APIs. +

      13. Load *-procs.tcl files for enabled +packages, activating their APIs. -

      14. Load *-init.tcl files for enabled packages, +

      15. Load *-init.tcl files for enabled packages, giving packages a chance to register filters and procedures, initialize data structures, etc. -

      16. Verify that the core has been properly initialized by +

      17. Verify that the core has been properly initialized by checking for the existence of an NSV created by the request processor initialization code. If it's not present, the server won't be operational, so we log an error.

      -At this point, bootstrap.tcl is done executing. AOLserver -proceeds to source the remaining files in the /tcl directory +At this point, bootstrap.tcl is done executing. AOLserver +proceeds to source the remaining files in the /tcl directory (i.e., unpackaged libraries) and begins listening for connections.

      ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/complete-install.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/complete-install.html,v diff -u -r1.18.2.2 -r1.18.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/complete-install.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.18.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/complete-install.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.18.2.3 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Chapter�3.�Complete Installation
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Chapter�3.�Complete Installation
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-packages.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-packages.html,v diff -u -r1.3.2.2 -r1.3.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-packages.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.3.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-packages.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.3.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Configuring an OpenACS package

    Configuring an OpenACS package

    by Jade Rubick

    +Configuring an OpenACS package

    Configuring an OpenACS package

    by Jade Rubick

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Configuring an OpenACS package

    After you've installed and mounted your package, you can +

    Configuring an OpenACS package

    After you've installed and mounted your package, you can configure each instance to act as you would like.

    This is done from the Applications page. Log in, go to the Admin or Control Panel, click on the subsite the application is in, and click on Applications. If you click on the 'Parameters' Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-permissions.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-permissions.html,v diff -u -r1.3.2.2 -r1.3.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-permissions.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.3.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-configuring-permissions.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.3.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package

    Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package

    by Jade Rubick

    +Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package

    Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package

    by Jade Rubick

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Setting Permission on an OpenACS package

    After you've installed and mounted your package, you can +

    Setting Permission on an OpenACS package

    After you've installed and mounted your package, you can configure each instance to act as you would like.

    This is done from the Applications page. Log in, go to the Admin or Control Panel, click on the subsite the application is in, and click on Applications. If you click on the 'Permissions' Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-install-packages.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-install-packages.html,v diff -u -r1.3.2.2 -r1.3.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-install-packages.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.3.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-install-packages.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.3.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Installing OpenACS packages

    Installing OpenACS packages

    by Jade Rubick

    +Installing OpenACS packages

    Installing OpenACS packages

    by Jade Rubick

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Installing OpenACS packages

    An OpenACS package extends your website and lets it do +

    Installing OpenACS packages

    An OpenACS package extends your website and lets it do things it wasn't able to do before. You can have a weblog, a forums, a calendar, or even do sophisticated project-management via your website.

    After you've installed OpenACS, you can congratulate @@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ you want depends on. If you're installing from Local Files, and you are missing any packages, you may have to add the packages your desired package depends on: - Section�, “Upgrading the OpenACS files” + the section called “Upgrading the OpenACS files”

    If you run into any errors at all, check your /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/error.log file, and post your error on the OpenACS forums

    Once the package has been installed, then you will need to Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-mounting-packages.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-mounting-packages.html,v diff -u -r1.3.2.2 -r1.3.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-mounting-packages.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.3.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-mounting-packages.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.3.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Mounting OpenACS packages

    Mounting OpenACS packages

    by Jade Rubick

    +Mounting OpenACS packages

    Mounting OpenACS packages

    by Jade Rubick

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Mounting OpenACS packages

    After you've installed your packages, you have to 'mount' +

    Mounting OpenACS packages

    After you've installed your packages, you have to 'mount' them in order to make them appear on your website.

    Make sure you are logged in, and then click on the 'Admin' or 'Control Panel' link to get to the Site-Wide Administration page (at /acs-admin). Click on the subsite you'd Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-new-site.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-new-site.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-new-site.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/configuring-new-site.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Chapter�4.�Configuring a new OpenACS Site

    Chapter�4.�Configuring a new OpenACS Site

    by Joel Aufrecht

    +Chapter�4.�Configuring a new OpenACS Site

    Chapter�4.�Configuring a new OpenACS Site

    by Joel Aufrecht

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    In this chapter, Configuring refers to making changes to a new OpenACS site through the web interface. In crude terms, these changes happen in the database, and are upgrade-safe. Customizing refers to changes that touch the file system, and require some planning if easy upgradability is to be maintained.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +

    In this chapter, Configuring refers to making changes to a new OpenACS site through the web interface. In crude terms, these changes happen in the database, and are upgrade-safe. Customizing refers to changes that touch the file system, and require some planning if easy upgradability is to be maintained.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/credits.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/credits.html,v diff -u -r1.41.2.2 -r1.41.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/credits.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.41.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/credits.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.41.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Appendix�C.�Credits

    Appendix�C.�Credits

    By Vinod Kurup

    +Appendix�C.�Credits

    Appendix�C.�Credits

    By Vinod Kurup

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    Vinod Kurup put @@ -31,6 +30,6 @@ Fred Yankowski, Dan Chak, Sebastiano Pilla, Reuven Lerner, Malte Sussdorff, Stan Kaufman and Pascal Scheffers.

    - All questions and comments regarding + All questions and comments regarding this guide should be posted on the OpenACS forums.

    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-guidelines.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-guidelines.html,v diff -u -r1.4.2.2 -r1.4.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-guidelines.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.4.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-guidelines.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.4.2.3 @@ -1,37 +1,34 @@ - - +<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>CVS Guidelines

    CVS Guidelines -

    - CVS Guidelines -

    ($Id$)

    +

    ($Id$)

    By Joel Aufrecht with input from Jeff Davis, Branimir Dolicki, and Jade Rubick.

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Using CVS with OpenACS

    Getting Started

    +

    Using CVS with OpenACS

    Getting Started

    All OpenACS code is available anonymously. To get code anonymously, use the parameter - -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot immediately after cvs in a cvs command to check out or export code. + -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot immediately after cvs in a cvs command to check out or export code.

    If you are an OpenACS developer, you should check out code so that you or any other developer can commit it. To do this, use the parameter - -d:ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot - immediately after cvs in + -d:ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot + immediately after cvs in checkout commands. This will create a local checkout directory that uses cvs.openacs.org but does not specify the user. By default, it will use your local account name as the user, so if - you are logged in as "foobar" it will try to check out and + you are logged in as "foobar" it will try to check out and commit as if you had specified - :ext:foobar@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot. The advantage of not specifying a user in the checkout command is that other users can work in the directory using their own accounts. + :ext:foobar@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot. The advantage of not specifying a user in the checkout command is that other users can work in the directory using their own accounts.

    OpenACS.org supports non-anonymous cvs access only over ssh, so you - must have CVS_RSH=ssh in your + must have CVS_RSH=ssh in your environment. (Typically this is accomplished by putting - export CVS_RSH=ssh into - ~/.bash_profile.). If your local + export CVS_RSH=ssh into + ~/.bash_profile.). If your local account name does not match your cvs.openacs.org account name, create a - file ~/.ssh/config with an entry + file ~/.ssh/config with an entry like:

    Host cvs.openacs.org
         User joel
    @@ -43,17 +40,17 @@
           

    You may want to set some more default actions for CVS usage. To do so, create the file - ~/.cvsrc with the contents: + ~/.cvsrc with the contents:

    cvs -z6
    -cvs -q

    -z6 speeds up cvs access over the network quite a bit by enabling compressed - connection by default. -q suppresses some verbose output from commands. For example, it makes the output of cvs up much easier to read.

    Checkout for Package Development

    If you are actively developing a non-core package, you + User yournamehere

    into your ~/.ssh/config file, then you can use -d :ext:cvs-server:/cvsroot instead of -d :ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot. You can then change the definition of cvs-server by changing one file instead of editing hundreds of CVSROOT/Repository files.

    Checkout for Package Development

    If you are actively developing a non-core package, you should work from the latest core release branch. Currently this is oacs-5-3. This ensures that you are working on top of a stable OpenACS core, but still allows you to commit feature @@ -68,30 +65,30 @@ Inventory and Package maintainers and status for a list of available packages and their current state. -

    Checkout for Core Development

    If you are actively developing packages in the OpenACS +

    Checkout for Core Development

    If you are actively developing packages in the OpenACS Core, work from the HEAD branch. HEAD is used for active development of the next version of core OpenACS. It may be very buggy; it may not even install correctly. Do not use this branch for development of non-core features unless your work depends on some of the HEAD core work. To check out HEAD, omit the - -r tag.

    To check out HEAD for development, which requires an OpenACS developer account:

    cvs -d:ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout acs-core

    To check out HEAD anonymously:

    cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout acs-core

    Checkout .LRN

    + -r tag.

    To check out HEAD for development, which requires an OpenACS developer account:

    cvs -d:ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout acs-core

    To check out HEAD anonymously:

    cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout acs-core

    Checkout .LRN

    .LRN consists of a given version openacs core, plus a set of packages. These are collectively packages together to form a distrubution of .LRN. F .LRN 2.0.0 sits on top of OpenACS 5.0.0. .LRN also uses an OpenACS install.xml file during installation; this file is distributed within the dotlrn package and must be moved. To get a development checkout of .LRN in the subdirectory - dotlrn: + dotlrn:

    cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout -r oacs-5-3 acs-core
     mv openacs-4 dotlrn
     cd dotlrn/packages
     cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout -r oacs-5-3 dotlrn-all
    -mv dotlrn/install.xml ..

    Working with CVS

    +mv dotlrn/install.xml ..

    Working with CVS

    Once you have a checkout you can use some commands to track - what has changed since you checked out your copy. cvs -n update does not change any files, but reports which changes have been updated or locally modified, or are not present in CVS. -

    To update your files, use cvs update. This will merge changes from the repository with your local files. It has no effect on the cvs.openacs.org repository.

    OpenACS CVS Concepts

    Modules

    - All OpenACS code resides within a single CVS module, openacs-4. (The openacs-4 directory contains code for all versions of OpenACS 4 and later, and .LRN 1 and later.) Checking out this module retrieves all openacs code of any type. For convenience, subsets of openacs-4 are repackaged as smaller modules.

    - acs-core contains only critical common + what has changed since you checked out your copy. cvs -n update does not change any files, but reports which changes have been updated or locally modified, or are not present in CVS. +

    To update your files, use cvs update. This will merge changes from the repository with your local files. It has no effect on the cvs.openacs.org repository.

    OpenACS CVS Concepts

    Modules

    + All OpenACS code resides within a single CVS module, openacs-4. (The openacs-4 directory contains code for all versions of OpenACS 4 and later, and .LRN 1 and later.) Checking out this module retrieves all openacs code of any type. For convenience, subsets of openacs-4 are repackaged as smaller modules.

    + acs-core contains only critical common packages. It does not have any user applications, such as forums, bug-tracker, calendar, or ecommerce. These can be added at any time. @@ -112,29 +109,29 @@ acs-tcl acs-templating ref-timezones search

    - dotlrn-all contains the packages required, in combination with acs-core, to run the .LRN system. + dotlrn-all contains the packages required, in combination with acs-core, to run the .LRN system.

    - project-manager-all contains the packages required, in combination with acs-core, to run the project-manager package. + project-manager-all contains the packages required, in combination with acs-core, to run the project-manager package.

    - Each OpenACS package (i.e., directory in openacs-4/packages/) is also aliased as a module of the same name. -

    + Each OpenACS package (i.e., directory in openacs-4/packages/) is also aliased as a module of the same name. +

    Tags and Branches -

    +

    Tags and Branches look similar in commands, but behave differently. A tag is a fixed point on a branch. Check out a tag to get a specific version of OpenACS. Check out a branch to get the most current code for that major-minor version (e.g., 5.0.x or 5.1.x). You can only commit to a branch, not a tag, so check out - a branch if you will be working on the code.

    • openacs-x-y-z-final - tags mark final releases of OpenACS. This tag is applied to the acs-core files for an OpenACS core release, and to the latest released versions of all other packages at the time of release. Example: openacs-5-0-4-final. -

    • dotlrn-x-y-z-final - tags mark final releases of .LRN. These tags apply only to .LRN packages. Example: dotlrn-2-0-1-final -

    • packagename-x-y-z-final - tags apply to releases of individual packages. For example, calendar-2-0-0-final is a tag that will retrieve only the files in the calendar 2.0.0 release. It applies only to the + a branch if you will be working on the code.

      • openacs-x-y-z-final + tags mark final releases of OpenACS. This tag is applied to the acs-core files for an OpenACS core release, and to the latest released versions of all other packages at the time of release. Example: openacs-5-0-4-final. +

      • dotlrn-x-y-z-final + tags mark final releases of .LRN. These tags apply only to .LRN packages. Example: dotlrn-2-0-1-final +

      • packagename-x-y-z-final + tags apply to releases of individual packages. For example, calendar-2-0-0-final is a tag that will retrieve only the files in the calendar 2.0.0 release. It applies only to the calendar package. All non-core, non-dotlrn packages should have a tag of this style, based on the package name. Many packages have not been re-released since the new naming convention was adopted and so don't have a tag of this type. -

      • openacs-x-y-compat tags point to the most recent released version of OpenACS X.Y. +

      • openacs-x-y-compat tags point to the most recent released version of OpenACS X.Y. It is similar to openacs-x-y-z-compat, except that it will always get the most recent dot-release of Core and the most recent compatible, released version of all other @@ -155,9 +152,9 @@ packages, release branches are the recommended location for development. For example, if you are working on calendar, which is compatible with openacs 5.0 but not - 5.1, work on the oacs-5-0 branch.

      • HEAD is a branch used - for development of core packages.

    Contributing code back to OpenACS

    There are three main ways to contribute code to OpenACS:

    1. To contribute a small fix, if you do not have a developer account, submit a patch.

    2. If you are making many changes, or would like to become a direct contributor, send mail to the Core Team asking for commit rights. You can then commit code directly to the repository:

      1. Use one of the checkout methods described above to get files to your system. This takes the place of steps 1 and 2 in Section�, “Installation Option 2: Install from tarball”. Continue setting up the site as described there.

      2. Fix bugs and add features.

      3. - Commit that file (or files):

        cvs commit -m "what I did and why" filename

        + 5.1, work on the oacs-5-0 branch.

      4. HEAD is a branch used + for development of core packages.

    Contributing code back to OpenACS

    There are three main ways to contribute code to OpenACS:

    1. To contribute a small fix, if you do not have a developer account, submit a patch.

    2. If you are making many changes, or would like to become a direct contributor, send mail to the Core Team asking for commit rights. You can then commit code directly to the repository:

      1. Use one of the checkout methods described above to get files to your system. This takes the place of steps 1 and 2 in the section called “Installation Option 2: Install from tarball”. Continue setting up the site as described there.

      2. Fix bugs and add features.

      3. + Commit that file (or files):

        cvs commit -m "what I did and why" filename

        Because this occurs in your personal checkout and not an anonymous one, this commit automagically moves back upstream to the Mother Ship repository at cvs.openacs.org. The names of the changed files, and your comments, are sent to a mailing list for OpenACS developers. A Core Team developer may review or roll back your changes if necessary. @@ -168,18 +165,18 @@

    3. Add a new package. Contact the Core Team to get approval and to get a module alias created.

      1. Check out acs-core on the HEAD branch. (Weird things happen if you add files to a branch but not to HEAD):

        cd /tmp
         cvs -d:ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot checkout acs-core

        Copy your package directory from your working directory to this directory. Make sure not to copy any CVS directories.

        cp -r /var/lib/aolserver/service0/packages/newpackage /tmp/openacs-4/packages

        Import the package into the cvs.openacs.org cvs repository:

        cd /tmp/openacs-4/packages/newpackage
        -cvs import -m "Initial import of newpackage" openacs-4/packages/newpackage myname newpackage-0-1d
      2. Add the new package to the modules file. (An administrator has to do this step.) On any machine, in a temporary directory:

        cvs -d :ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co CVSROOT
        +cvs import -m "Initial import of newpackage" openacs-4/packages/newpackage myname newpackage-0-1d
      3. Add the new package to the modules file. (An administrator has to do this step.) On any machine, in a temporary directory:

        cvs -d :ext:cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co CVSROOT
         cd CVSROOT
        -emacs modules

        Add a line of the form:

        photo-album-portlet openacs-4/packages/photo-album-portlet

        Commit the change:

        cvs commit -m "added alias for package newpackage" modules

        This should print something like:

        cvs�commit:�Examining�.
        +emacs modules

        Add a line of the form:

        photo-album-portlet openacs-4/packages/photo-album-portlet

        Commit the change:

        cvs commit -m "added alias for package newpackage" modules

        This should print something like:

        cvs�commit:�Examining�.
        ****�Access�allowed:�Personal�Karma�exceeds�Environmental�Karma.
        Checking�in�modules;
        /cvsroot/CVSROOT/modules,v��<--��modules
        new�revision:�1.94;�previous�revision:�1.93
        done
        cvs�commit:�Rebuilding�administrative�file�database

      4. Although you should add your package on HEAD, you should do package development on the latest release branch that your code is compatible with. So, after completing the import, you may want to branch your package:

        cd /var/lib/aolserver/service0/packages/newpackage
        -cvs tag -b oacs-5-1
      5. See Section�, “How to package and release an OpenACS Package”

      Note

      Some packages are already in cvs at openacs-4/contrib/packages. Starting with OpenACS 5.1, we have a Maturity mechanism in the APM which makes the contrib directory un-necessary. If you are working on a contrib package, you should move it to /packages. This must be done by an OpenACS administrator. On cvs.openacs.org:

      1. cp -r /cvsroot/openacs-4/contrib/packages/package0 /cvsroot/openacs-4/packages
      2. Update the modules file as described above.

      3. Remove the directory from cvs in the old location using cvs rm. One approach for file in `find | grep -v CVS`; do rm $file; cvs remove $file; done

    Note

    Some packages are already in cvs at openacs-4/contrib/packages. Starting with OpenACS 5.1, we have a Maturity mechanism in the APM which makes the contrib directory un-necessary. If you are working on a contrib package, you should move it to /packages. This must be done by an OpenACS administrator. On cvs.openacs.org:

    1. cp -r /cvsroot/openacs-4/contrib/packages/package0 /cvsroot/openacs-4/packages
    2. Update the modules file as described above.

    3. Remove the directory from cvs in the old location using cvs rm. One approach for file in `find | grep -v CVS`; do rm $file; cvs remove $file; done

    Rules for Committing Code to the OpenACS repository -

    +

    CVS commit procedures are governed by TIP (Technical Improvement Proposal) #61: Guidelines for CVS committers @@ -206,9 +203,9 @@ each dot release.

  • New packages should be created in the - + /packages - + directory and the maturity flag in the .info file should be zero. This is a change from previous policy, where new packages went to /contrib/packages) @@ -244,11 +241,11 @@ versions.

  • CVS commit messages and code comments should refer to - bug, tip, or patch number if appropriate, in the format "resolves - bug 11", "resolves bugs 11, resolves bug 22". "implements tip 42", - "implements tip 42, implements tip 50", "applies patch 456 by User - Name", "applies patch 456 by User Name, applies patch 523 by - ...". + bug, tip, or patch number if appropriate, in the format "resolves + bug 11", "resolves bugs 11, resolves bug 22". "implements tip 42", + "implements tip 42, implements tip 50", "applies patch 456 by User + Name", "applies patch 456 by User Name, applies patch 523 by + ...".

  • When to TIP

    +

  • Informal Guidelines -

    +

    Informal guidelines which may be obsolete in places and should be reviewed:

    • Before committing to cvs you must submit a bug report and @@ -360,12 +357,12 @@

    • Always accompany a commit with a brief but informative comment. If your commit is related to bug number N and/or patch - number P, indicate this in the commit comment by including "bug N" - and/or "patch P". This allows us to link bugs and patches in the + number P, indicate this in the commit comment by including "bug N" + and/or "patch P". This allows us to link bugs and patches in the Bug Tracker with changes to the source code. For example suppose you are committing a patch that closes a missing HTML tag, then an - appropriate comment could be "Fixing bug 321 by applying patch 134. - Added missing h3 HTML close tag". + appropriate comment could be "Fixing bug 321 by applying patch 134. + Added missing h3 HTML close tag".

    • Commit one cohesive bug fix or feature change at a time. Don't put a bunch of unrelated changes into one commit. @@ -391,7 +388,7 @@ time, never stop questioning what you see. The code can always be improved, just make sure you change the code in a careful and systematic fashion. -

    Additional Resources for CVS

    • +

    Additional Resources for CVS

    • The OpenACS cvs web Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-tips.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-tips.html,v diff -u -r1.28.2.2 -r1.28.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-tips.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.28.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/cvs-tips.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.28.2.3 @@ -1,31 +1,30 @@ - -Appendix�D.�Using CVS with an OpenACS Site

      Appendix�D.�Using CVS with an OpenACS Site

      By Joel Aufrecht

      +Appendix�D.�Using CVS with an OpenACS Site

      Appendix�D.�Using CVS with an OpenACS Site

      By Joel Aufrecht

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Add the Service to CVS - OPTIONAL.�These steps take an existing OpenACS directory and add +

      Add the Service to CVS - OPTIONAL.�These steps take an existing OpenACS directory and add it to a CVS - repository.

      1. Create and set permissions on a subdirectory in the local cvs repository.

        [root root]# mkdir /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[root root]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +          repository.

        1. Create and set permissions on a subdirectory in the local cvs repository.

          [root root]# mkdir /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[root root]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           [root root]#
           mkdir /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        2. Add the repository location to the user environment. On some systems, you may get better results with .bash_profile instead of .bashrc.

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ emacs .bashrc

          Put this string into /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/.bashrc:

          export CVSROOT=/cvsroot
          [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
          +chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        3. Add the repository location to the user environment. On some systems, you may get better results with .bash_profile instead of .bashrc.

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ emacs .bashrc

          Put this string into /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/.bashrc:

          export CVSROOT=/cvsroot
          [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
           logout
           
           [root root]#
        4. Import all files into cvs. In order to work on files with source control, the files must be checked out from cvs. So we will import, move aside, and then check out all of the files. In the cvs import command, - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME + $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME refers to the cvs repository to use; it uses the CVSROOT plus this string, i.e. - /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. - "OpenACS" is the vendor tag, and "oacs-5-3-1" is the + /cvsroot/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. + "OpenACS" is the vendor tag, and "oacs-5-3-2-final" is the release tag. These tags will be useful in upgrading and - branching. -m sets the version comment.

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs import -m "initial install" $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME OpenACS oacs-5-3-1
          +            branching.  -m sets the version comment.

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs import -m "initial install" $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME OpenACS oacs-5-3-2-final
           N $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/license.txt
           N $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/readme.txt
           (many lines omitted)
          @@ -37,19 +36,19 @@
           [root root]#
           su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -cvs import -m "initial install" $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME OpenACS oacs-5-3-1
          -exit

          Move the original directory to a temporary location, and check out the cvs repository in its place.

          [root root]# mv /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /var/tmp
          -[root root]# mkdir /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[root root]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ cvs checkout $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +cvs import -m "initial install" $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME OpenACS oacs-5-3-2-final
          +exit

          Move the original directory to a temporary location, and check out the cvs repository in its place.

          [root root]# mv /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /var/tmp
          +[root root]# mkdir /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[root root]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ cvs checkout $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           cvs checkout: Updating $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           U $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/license.txt
           (many lines omitted)
           U $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/SYSTEM/dbtest.tcl
           U $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/SYSTEM/flush-memoized-statement.tcl
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ exit
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ exit
           logout
           
           [root root]#
          Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/database-management.html
          ===================================================================
          RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/database-management.html,v
          diff -u -r1.25.2.1 -r1.25.2.2
          --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/database-management.html	14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000	1.25.2.1
          +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/database-management.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000	1.25.2.2
          @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
          -
          -Chapter�7.�Database Management

          Chapter�7.�Database Management

          By Joel Aufrecht

          +Chapter�7.�Database Management

          Chapter�7.�Database Management

          By Joel Aufrecht

          OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.
          View comments on this page at openacs.org
          Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api-detailed.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api-detailed.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api-detailed.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api-detailed.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,24 +1,23 @@ - -Database Access API

          Database Access API

          By Jon Salz. Revised and expanded by Roberto Mello (rmello at fslc dot usu dot edu), July 2002.

          +Database Access API

          Database Access API

          By Jon Salz. Revised and expanded by Roberto Mello (rmello at fslc dot usu dot edu), July 2002.

          OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -
          • Tcl procedures: /packages/acs-kernel/10-database-procs.tcl

          • Tcl initialization: /packages/acs-kernel/database-init.tcl

          The Big Picture

          +

          • Tcl procedures: /packages/acs-kernel/10-database-procs.tcl

          • Tcl initialization: /packages/acs-kernel/database-init.tcl

          The Big Picture

          One of OpenACS's great strengths is that code written for it is very close to the database. It is very easy to interact with the database from anywhere within OpenACS. Our goal is to develop a coherent API for database access which makes this even easier.

          There were four significant problems with the way OpenACS previously used the -database (i.e., directly through the ns_db interface):

          1. Handle management. We required code to pass database +database (i.e., directly through the ns_db interface):

            1. Handle management. We required code to pass database handles around, and for routines which needed to perform database access but didn't receive a database handle as input, it was difficult to know from -which of the three "magic pools" (main, subquery, and log) to +which of the three "magic pools" (main, subquery, and log) to allocate a new handle. -

            2. Nested transactions. In our Oracle driver, begin -transaction really means "turn auto-commit mode off" and -end transaction means "commit the current transaction and -turn auto-commit mode on." Thus if transactional code needed to call a +

            3. Nested transactions. In our Oracle driver, begin +transaction really means "turn auto-commit mode off" and +end transaction means "commit the current transaction and +turn auto-commit mode on." Thus if transactional code needed to call a routine which needed to operate transactionally, the semantics were non-obvious. Consider:

               
              @@ -29,31 +28,31 @@
               }
               
               db_transaction {
              -db_dml unused "insert into greeble(bork) values(33)"
              +db_dml unused "insert into greeble(bork) values(33)"
               foo $db
              -db_dml unused "insert into greeble(bork) values(50)"
              +db_dml unused "insert into greeble(bork) values(50)"
               }
               
               

              -This would insert greeble #33 and do all the stuff in foo -transactionally, but the end transaction in foo +This would insert greeble #33 and do all the stuff in foo +transactionally, but the end transaction in foo would actually cause a commit, and greeble #50 would later be inserted in auto-commit mode. This could cause subtle bugs: e.g., in the case that the -insert for greeble #50 failed, part of the "transaction" would have +insert for greeble #50 failed, part of the "transaction" would have already have been committed!. This is not a good thing. -

            4. Unorthodox use of variables. The standard mechanism for +

            5. Unorthodox use of variables. The standard mechanism for mapping column values into variables involved the use of the -set_variables_after_query routine, which relies on an uplevel -variable named selection (likewise for -set_variables_after_subquery and subselection). +set_variables_after_query routine, which relies on an uplevel +variable named selection (likewise for +set_variables_after_subquery and subselection). -

            6. Hard-coded reliance on Oracle. It's difficult to +

            7. Hard-coded reliance on Oracle. It's difficult to write code supporting various different databases (dynamically using the appropriate dialect based on the type of database being used, e.g., using -DECODE on Oracle and CASE ... WHEN on +DECODE on Oracle and CASE ... WHEN on Postgres).

            The Database Access API addresses the first three problems by:

            1. making use of database handles transparent

            2. wrapping common database operations (including transaction management) in @@ -62,14 +61,14 @@ SQL statement a logical name. In a future version of the OpenACS Core, this API will translate logical statement names into actual SQL, based on the type of database in use. (To smooth the learning curve, we provide a facility for -writing SQL inline for a "default SQL dialect", which we assume to +writing SQL inline for a "default SQL dialect", which we assume to be Oracle for now.)

              To be clear, SQL abstraction is not fully implemented in OpenACS 3.3.1. The statement names supplied to each call are not used by the API at all. The API's design for SQL abstraction is in fact incomplete; -unresolved issues include:

              • how to add WHERE clause criteria dynamically

              • how to build a dynamic ORDER BY clause (Ben Adida has a +unresolved issues include:

                • how to add WHERE clause criteria dynamically

                • how to build a dynamic ORDER BY clause (Ben Adida has a proposed solution for this)

                • how to define a statement's formal interface (i.e., what bind -variables it expects, what columns its SELECT clause must +variables it expects, what columns its SELECT clause must contain if it's a query) without actually implementing the statement in a specific SQL dialect

                So why is the incremental change of adding statement naming to the API worth @@ -78,81 +77,81 @@ design. Therefore, we know that the effort will not be wasted, and taking advantage of the new support for bind variables will already require code that uses 3.3.0 version of the API to be updated. -

              The Bell Tolls for set_variables_after_query

              -set_variables_after_query is gone! (Well, it's still there, +

              The Bell Tolls for set_variables_after_query

              +set_variables_after_query is gone! (Well, it's still there, but you'll never need to use it.) The new API routines set local variables automatically. For instance:

               
              -db_1row select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where user_id = [ad_get_user_id]"
              -doc_body_append "Hello, $first_names $last_name!"
              +db_1row select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where user_id = [ad_get_user_id]"
              +doc_body_append "Hello, $first_names $last_name!"
               
               

              -Like ns_db 1row, this will bomb if the query doesn't return +Like ns_db 1row, this will bomb if the query doesn't return any rows (no such user exists). If this isn't what you want, you can write:

               
              -if { [db_0or1row select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where user_id = [ad_get_user_id]"] } {
              -    doc_body_append "Hello, $first_names $last_name!"
              +if { [db_0or1row select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where user_id = [ad_get_user_id]"] } {
              +    doc_body_append "Hello, $first_names $last_name!"
               } else {
                   # Executed if the query returns no rows.
              -    doc_body_append "There's no such user!"
              +    doc_body_append "There's no such user!"
               }
               
               

              Selecting a bunch of rows is a lot prettier now:

               
              -db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name from users" {
              -     doc_body_append "Say hi to $first_names $last_name for me!<br>"
              +db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name from users" {
              +     doc_body_append "Say hi to $first_names $last_name for me!<br>"
               }
               
               

              -That's right, db_foreach is now like ns_db -select plus a while loop plus -set_variables_after_query plus an if statement +That's right, db_foreach is now like ns_db +select plus a while loop plus +set_variables_after_query plus an if statement (containing code to be executed if no rows are returned).

               
              -db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where last_name like 'S%'" {
              -     doc_body_append "Say hi to $first_names $last_name for me!<br>"
              +db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name from users where last_name like 'S%'" {
              +     doc_body_append "Say hi to $first_names $last_name for me!<br>"
               } if_no_rows {
              -     doc_body_append "There aren't any users with last names beginnings with S!"
              +     doc_body_append "There aren't any users with last names beginnings with S!"
               }
               
              -

              Handle Management

              +

        Handle Management

        The new API keeps track of which handles are in use, and automatically allocates new handles when they are necessary (e.g., to perform subqueries while a select is active). For example:

         
        -doc_body_append "<ul>"
        -db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name, user_id from users" {
        +doc_body_append "<ul>"
        +db_foreach select_names "select first_names, last_name, user_id from users" {
             # Automatically allocated a database handle from the main pool.
        -    doc_body_append "<li>User $first_names $last_name\n<ul>"
        +    doc_body_append "<li>User $first_names $last_name\n<ul>"
         
        -    db_foreach select_groups "select group_id from user_group_map where user_id = $user_id" {
        +    db_foreach select_groups "select group_id from user_group_map where user_id = $user_id" {
                 # There's a selection in progress, so we allocated a database handle
                 # from the subquery pool for this selection.
        -        doc_body_append "<li>Member of group #$group_id.\n"
        +        doc_body_append "<li>Member of group #$group_id.\n"
             } if_no_rows {
                 # Not a member of any groups.
        -        doc_body_append "<li>Not a member of any group.\n"
        +        doc_body_append "<li>Not a member of any group.\n"
             }
         }
        -doc_body_append "</ul>"
        +doc_body_append "</ul>"
         db_release_unused_handles
         
         

        A new handle isn't actually allocated and released for every selection, of course - as a performance optimization, the API keeps old handles around -until db_release_unused_handles is invoked (or the script +until db_release_unused_handles is invoked (or the script terminates). -

        Note that there is no analogue to ns_db gethandle - the -handle is always automatically allocated the first time it's needed.

        Bind Variables

        Introduction

        +

        Note that there is no analogue to ns_db gethandle - the +handle is always automatically allocated the first time it's needed.

        Bind Variables

        Introduction

        Most SQL statements require that the code invoking the statement pass along data associated with that statement, usually obtained from the user. For instance, in order to delete a WimpyPoint presentation, a Tcl script might @@ -162,10 +161,10 @@ delete from wp_presentations where presentation_id = some_presentation_id

        -where some_presentation_id is a number which is a valid +where some_presentation_id is a number which is a valid presentation ID of the presentation I want to delete. It's easy to write code handling situations like this since SQL statements can include -bind variables, which represent placeholders for actual +bind variables, which represent placeholders for actual data. A bind variable is specified as a colon followed by an identifier, so the statement above can be coded as:

        @@ -176,43 +175,43 @@
         
         

        When this SQL statement is invoked, the value for the bind variable -:some_presentation_id is pulled from the Tcl variable -$some_presentation_id (in the caller's environment). Note +:some_presentation_id is pulled from the Tcl variable +$some_presentation_id (in the caller's environment). Note that bind variables are not limited to one per statement; you can use an arbitrary number, and each will pull from the correspondingly named Tcl -variable. (Alternatively, you can also specify an list or ns_set +variable. (Alternatively, you can also specify an list or ns_set providing bind variables' values; see Usage.)

        The value of a bind variable is taken literally by the database driver, so there is never any need to put single-quotes around the value for a bind -variable, or to use db_quote to escape single-quotes contained +variable, or to use db_quote to escape single-quotes contained in the value. The following works fine, despite the apostrophe:

         
        -set exclamation "That's all, folks!"
        +set exclamation "That's all, folks!"
         db_dml exclamation_insert { insert into exclamations(exclamation) values(:exclamation) }
         
         

        Note that you can use a bind variable in a SQL statement only where you could use a literal (a number or single-quoted string). Bind variables cannot be placeholders for things like SQL keywords, table names, or column names, -so the following will not work, even if $table_name is set +so the following will not work, even if $table_name is set properly:

         
         select * from :table_name
         
        -

        Why Bind Variables Are Useful

        +

        Why Bind Variables Are Useful

        Why bother with bind variables at all - why not just write the Tcl statement above like this:

         
        -db_dml presentation_delete "
        +db_dml presentation_delete "
             delete from wp_presentations where presentation_id = $some_presentation_id
        -"
        +"
         
         

        (Note the use of double-quotes to allow the variable reference to -$some_presentation_id to be interpolated in.) This will work, +$some_presentation_id to be interpolated in.) This will work, but consider the case where some devious user causes -some_presentation_id to be set to something like '3 or -1 = 1', which would result in the following statement being +some_presentation_id to be set to something like '3 or +1 = 1', which would result in the following statement being executed:

         
        @@ -222,24 +221,24 @@
         This deletes every presentation in the database! Using bind variables
         eliminates this gaping security hole: since bind variable values are taken
         literally. Oracle will attempt to delete presentations whose presentation ID
        -is literally '3 or 1 = 1' (i.e., no presentations, since
        -'3 or 1 = 1' can't possibly be a valid integer
        -primary key for wp_presentations. In general, since Oracle
        +is literally '3 or 1 = 1' (i.e., no presentations, since
        +'3 or 1 = 1' can't possibly be a valid integer
        +primary key for wp_presentations. In general, since Oracle
         always considers the values of bind variables to be literals, it becomes more
         difficult for users to perform URL surgery to trick scripts into running
         dangerous queries and DML. 
        -

        Usage

        Every db_* command accepting a SQL command as an argument -supports bind variables. You can either

        • specify the -bind switch to provide a set with bind variable -values, or

        • specify the -bind switch to explicitly provide a list of +

          Usage

          Every db_* command accepting a SQL command as an argument +supports bind variables. You can either

          • specify the -bind switch to provide a set with bind variable +values, or

          • specify the -bind switch to explicitly provide a list of bind variable names and values, or

          • not specify a bind variable list at all, in which case Tcl variables are used as bind variables.

          -The default behavior (i.e., if the -bind switch is omitted) is +The default behavior (i.e., if the -bind switch is omitted) is that these procedures expect to find local variables that correspond in name to the referenced bind variables, e.g.:

           
           set user_id 123456
          -set role "administrator"
          +set role "administrator"
           
           db_foreach user_group_memberships_by_role {
               select g.group_id, g.group_name
          @@ -249,18 +248,18 @@
               and map.role = :role
           } {
               # do something for each group of which user 123456 is in the role
          -    # of "administrator"
          +    # of "administrator"
           }
           
           

          -The value of the local Tcl variable user_id (123456) is bound to -the user_id bind variable. -

          The -bind switch can takes the name of an ns_set +The value of the local Tcl variable user_id (123456) is bound to +the user_id bind variable. +

          The -bind switch can takes the name of an ns_set containing keys for each bind variable named in the query, e.g.:

           
           set bind_vars [ns_set create]
           ns_set put $bind_vars user_id 123456
          -ns_set put $bind_vars role "administrator"
          +ns_set put $bind_vars role "administrator"
           
           db_foreach user_group_memberships_by_role {
               select g.group_id, g.group_name
          @@ -270,11 +269,11 @@
               and map.role = :role
           } -bind $bind_vars {
               # do something for each group in which user 123456 has the role
          -    # of "administrator"
          +    # of "administrator"
           }
           
           

          -Alternatively, as an argument to -bind you can specify a list of +Alternatively, as an argument to -bind you can specify a list of alternating name/value pairs for bind variables:

           
          @@ -284,22 +283,22 @@
               where g.group_id = map.user_id
               and map.user_id = :user_id
               and map.role = :role
          -} -bind [list user_id 123456 role "administrator"] {
          +} -bind [list user_id 123456 role "administrator"] {
               # do something for each group in which user 123456 has the role
          -    # of "administrator"
          +    # of "administrator"
           }
           
          -

          Nulls and Bind Variables

          +

        Nulls and Bind Variables

        When processing a DML statement, Oracle coerces empty strings into -null. (This coercion does not occur in the -WHERE clause of a query, i.e. -col = '' and -col is null are not equivalent.) +null. (This coercion does not occur in the +WHERE clause of a query, i.e. +col = '' and +col is null are not equivalent.)

        As a result, when using bind variables, the only way to make Oracle set a -column value to null is to set the corresponding bind variable +column value to null is to set the corresponding bind variable to the empty string, since a bind variable whose value is the string -"null" will be interpreted as the literal string -"null".

        These Oracle quirks complicate the process of writing clear and abstract +"null" will be interpreted as the literal string +"null".

        These Oracle quirks complicate the process of writing clear and abstract DML difficult. Here is an example that illustrates why:

         
         #
        @@ -311,259 +310,259 @@
         #   );
         #
         
        -set bar ""
        -set baz ""
        +set bar ""
        +set baz ""
         
        -db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
        +db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
         #
        -# the values of the "bar" and "baz" columns in the new row are both
        +# the values of the "bar" and "baz" columns in the new row are both
         # null, because Oracle has coerced the empty string (even for the
        -# numeric column "bar") into null in both cases
        +# numeric column "bar") into null in both cases
         
         

        Since databases other than Oracle do not coerce empty strings into -null, this code has different semantics depending on the +null, this code has different semantics depending on the underlying database (i.e., the row that gets inserted may not have null as its column values), which defeats the purpose of SQL abstraction.

        Therefore, the Database Access API provides a database-independent way to -represent null (instead of the Oracle-specific idiom of the -empty string): db_null.

        Use it instead of the empty string whenever you want to set a column value -explicitly to null, e.g.:

        +represent null (instead of the Oracle-specific idiom of the
        +empty string): db_null.

        Use it instead of the empty string whenever you want to set a column value +explicitly to null, e.g.:

         
         set bar [db_null]
         set baz [db_null]
         
        -db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
        +db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
         #
        -# sets the values for both the "bar" and "baz" columns to null
        +# sets the values for both the "bar" and "baz" columns to null
         
        -

      SQL Abstraction

      +

      SQL Abstraction

      We now require that each SQL statement be assigned a logical name for the statement that is unique to the procedure or page in which it is defined. This is so that (eventually) we can implement logically named statements with alternative SQL for non-Oracle databases (e.g., Postgres). More on this later. -

      Placing Column Values in Arrays and Sets

      -Normally, db_foreach, db_0or1row, and -db_1row places the results of queries in Tcl variables, so you +

      Placing Column Values in Arrays and Sets

      +Normally, db_foreach, db_0or1row, and +db_1row places the results of queries in Tcl variables, so you can say:

       
      -db_foreach users_select "select first_names, last_name from users" {
      -    doc_body_append "<li>$first_names $last_name\n"
      +db_foreach users_select "select first_names, last_name from users" {
      +    doc_body_append "<li>$first_names $last_name\n"
       }
       
       

      However, sometimes this is not sufficient: you may need to examine the rows returned, to dynamically determine the set of columns returned by the query, or to avoid collisions with existing variables. You can use the --column_array and -column_set switches to -db_foreach, db_0or1row, and db_1row to +-column_array and -column_set switches to +db_foreach, db_0or1row, and db_1row to instruct the database routines to place the results in a Tcl array or -ns_set, respectively, where the keys are the column names and +ns_set, respectively, where the keys are the column names and the values are the column values. For example:

       
      -db_foreach users_select "select first_names, last_name from users" -column_set columns {
      +db_foreach users_select "select first_names, last_name from users" -column_set columns {
           # Now $columns is an ns_set.
      -    doc_body_append "<li>"
      +    doc_body_append "<li>"
           for { set i 0 } { $i < [ns_set size $columns] } { incr i } {
      -        doc_body_append "[ns_set key $columns $i] is [ns_set value $columns $i]. \n"
      +        doc_body_append "[ns_set key $columns $i] is [ns_set value $columns $i]. \n"
           }
       }
       
       

      will write something like: -

      • first_names is Jon. last_name is Salz.

      • first_names is Lars. last_name is Pind.

      • first_names is Michael. last_name is Yoon.

      API

      -Note that you never have to use ns_db anymore (including -ns_db gethandle)! Just start doing stuff, and (if you want) call -db_release_unused_handles when you're done as a hint to +

      • first_names is Jon. last_name is Salz.

      • first_names is Lars. last_name is Pind.

      • first_names is Michael. last_name is Yoon.

      API

      +Note that you never have to use ns_db anymore (including +ns_db gethandle)! Just start doing stuff, and (if you want) call +db_release_unused_handles when you're done as a hint to release the database handle. -

      db_null +

      db_null
      -db_null
      +db_null
       

      Returns a value which can be used in a bind variable to represent the SQL -value null. See Nulls and Bind Variables +value null. See Nulls and Bind Variables above.

      -db_foreach +db_foreach
      -db_foreach statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
      +db_foreach statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
           [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ] \
           code_block [ if_no_rows if_no_rows_block ]
      -

      Performs the SQL query sql, executing -code_block once for each row with variables set to -column values (or a set or array populated if -column_array or -column_set is specified). If the query returns no rows, executes -if_no_rows_block (if provided).

      Example:

      +

      Performs the SQL query sql, executing +code_block once for each row with variables set to +column values (or a set or array populated if -column_array or +column_set is specified). If the query returns no rows, executes +if_no_rows_block (if provided).

      Example:

       
      -db_foreach select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble" {
      -    doc_body_append "<li>foo=$foo; bar=$bar\n"
      +db_foreach select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble" {
      +    doc_body_append "<li>foo=$foo; bar=$bar\n"
       } if_no_rows {
      -    doc_body_append "<li>There are no greebles in the database.\n"
      +    doc_body_append "<li>There are no greebles in the database.\n"
       }
       
       

      -The code block may contain break statements (which terminate the -loop and flush the database handle) and continue statements -(which continue to the next row of the loop).

      db_1row
      -db_1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
      +The code block may contain break statements (which terminate the
      +loop and flush the database handle) and continue statements
      +(which continue to the next row of the loop). 

      db_1row
      +db_1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
           [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ]
      -

      Performs the SQL query sql, setting variables to +

      Performs the SQL query sql, setting variables to column values. Raises an error if the query does not return exactly 1 row.

      Example:

       
      -db_1row select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble where greeble_id = $greeble_id"
      +db_1row select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble where greeble_id = $greeble_id"
       # Bombs if there's no such greeble!
       # Now $foo and $bar are set.
       
      -
      db_0or1row
      -db_0or1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
      +
      db_0or1row
      +db_0or1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
           [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ]
      -

      Performs the SQL query sql. If a row is returned, +

      Performs the SQL query sql. If a row is returned, sets variables to column values and returns 1. If no rows are returned, -returns 0. If more than one row is returned, throws an error.

      db_string
      -db_string statement-name sql [ -default default ] [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +returns 0. If more than one row is returned, throws an error. 

      db_string
      +db_string statement-name sql [ -default default ] [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       

      Returns the first column of the result of SQL query -sql. If sql doesn't return a -row, returns default (or throws an error if -default is unspecified). Analogous to -database_to_tcl_string and -database_to_tcl_string_or_null. +sql. If sql doesn't return a +row, returns default (or throws an error if +default is unspecified). Analogous to +database_to_tcl_string and +database_to_tcl_string_or_null. -

      db_nextval
      -db_nextval sequence-name
      +

      db_nextval
      +db_nextval sequence-name
       

      Returns the next value for the sequence sequence-name (using a -SQL statement like SELECT sequence-name.nextval FROM -DUAL). If sequence pooling is enabled for the sequence, transparently +SQL statement like SELECT sequence-name.nextval FROM +DUAL). If sequence pooling is enabled for the sequence, transparently uses a value from the pool if available to save a round-trip to the database. -

      db_list
      -db_list statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +

      db_list
      +db_list statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       

      Returns a Tcl list of the values in the first column of the result of SQL -query sql. If sql doesn't +query sql. If sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. Analogous to -database_to_tcl_list. +database_to_tcl_list. -

      db_list_of_lists
      -db_list_of_lists statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +

      db_list_of_lists
      +db_list_of_lists statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       

      Returns a Tcl list, each element of which is a list of all column values -in a row of the result of SQL query sql. If -sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. -(Analogous to database_to_tcl_list_list.) +in a row of the result of SQL query sql. If +sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. +(Analogous to database_to_tcl_list_list.) -

      db_list_of_ns_sets
      -db_list_of_ns_sets statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +

      db_list_of_ns_sets
      +db_list_of_ns_sets statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       

      Returns a list of ns_sets with the values of each column of each row - returned by the sql query specified. -

      db_dml
      -db_dml statement-name sql \
      +	returned by the sql query specified.
      +  

      db_dml
      +db_dml statement-name sql \
           [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
           [ -blobs blob_list | -clobs clob_list |
             -blob_files blob_file_list | -clob_files clob_file_list ]
      -

      Performs the DML or DDL statement sql.

      If a length-n list of blobs or clobs is provided, then the SQL +

      Performs the DML or DDL statement sql.

      If a length-n list of blobs or clobs is provided, then the SQL should return n blobs or clobs into the bind variables -:1, :2, ... :n. -blobs or clobs, if specified, +:1, :2, ... :n. +blobs or clobs, if specified, should be a list of individual BLOBs or CLOBs to insert; -blob_files or clob_files, if +blob_files or clob_files, if specified, should be a list of paths to files containing the data to -insert. Only one of -blobs, -clobs, --blob_files, and -clob_files may be provided.

      Example:

      +insert. Only one of -blobs, -clobs,
      +-blob_files, and -clob_files may be provided.

      Example:

       
      -db_dml insert_photos "
      +db_dml insert_photos "
               insert photos(photo_id, image, thumbnail_image)
               values(photo_id_seq.nextval, empty_blob(), empty_blob())
               returning image, thumbnail_image into :1, :2
      -    "  -blob_files [list "/var/tmp/the_photo" "/var/tmp/the_thumbnail"] 
      +    "  -blob_files [list "/var/tmp/the_photo" "/var/tmp/the_thumbnail"] 
       
       

      -This inserts a new row into the photos table, with the contents -of the files /var/tmp/the_photo and -/var/tmp/the_thumbnail in the image and -thumbnail columns, respectively. +This inserts a new row into the photos table, with the contents +of the files /var/tmp/the_photo and +/var/tmp/the_thumbnail in the image and +thumbnail columns, respectively.

      -db_write_clob, -db_write_blob, -db_blob_get_file +db_write_clob, +db_write_blob, +db_blob_get_file
      -db_write_clob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +db_write_clob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       
      -db_write_blob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      +db_write_blob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
       
      -db_blob_get_file statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
      -

      Analagous to ns_ora write_clob/write_blob/blob_get_file. +db_blob_get_file statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] +

      Analagous to ns_ora write_clob/write_blob/blob_get_file. -

      db_release_unused_handles
      -db_release_unused_handles
      -

      Releases any allocated, unused database handles.

      db_transaction
      -db_transaction code_block [ on_error { code_block } ]
      -

      Executes code_block transactionally. Nested -transactions are supported (end transaction is transparently -ns_db dml'ed when the outermost transaction completes). The -db_abort_transaction command can be used to abort all levels of -transactions. It is possible to specify an optional on_error +

      db_release_unused_handles
      +db_release_unused_handles
      +

      Releases any allocated, unused database handles.

      db_transaction
      +db_transaction code_block [ on_error { code_block } ]
      +

      Executes code_block transactionally. Nested +transactions are supported (end transaction is transparently +ns_db dml'ed when the outermost transaction completes). The +db_abort_transaction command can be used to abort all levels of +transactions. It is possible to specify an optional on_error code block that will be executed if some code in code_block throws -an exception. The variable errmsg will be bound in that scope. -If there is no on_error code, any errors will be propagated.

      Example:

      +an exception. The variable errmsg will be bound in that scope.
      +If there is no on_error code, any errors will be propagated. 

      Example:

       
       proc replace_the_foo { col } {
           db_transaction {
      -        db_dml "delete from foo"
      -        db_dml "insert into foo(col) values($col)"
      +        db_dml "delete from foo"
      +        db_dml "insert into foo(col) values($col)"
           }
       }
       
       proc print_the_foo {} {
      -    doc_body_append "foo is [db_string "select col from foo"]<br>\n"
      +    doc_body_append "foo is [db_string "select col from foo"]<br>\n"
       }
       
       replace_the_foo 8
      -print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
      +print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
       
       db_transaction {
           replace_the_foo 14
      -    print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 14"
      -    db_dml "insert into some_other_table(col) values(999)"
      +    print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 14"
      +    db_dml "insert into some_other_table(col) values(999)"
           ...
           db_abort_transaction
       } on_error {
      -    doc_body_append "Error in transaction: $errmsg"
      +    doc_body_append "Error in transaction: $errmsg"
       }
           
       
      -print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
      +print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
       
      -
      db_abort_transaction +
      db_abort_transaction
      -db_abort_transaction
      +db_abort_transaction
       

      Aborts all levels of a transaction. That is if this is called within several nested transactions, all of them are terminated. Use this insetead of -db_dml "abort" "abort transaction". +db_dml "abort" "abort transaction". -

      db_multirow
      -db_multirow [ -local ] [ -append ] [ -extend column_list ] \
      +

      db_multirow
      +db_multirow [ -local ] [ -append ] [ -extend column_list ] \
           var-name statement-name sql \
           [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
           code_block [ if_no_rows if_no_rows_block ]
       

      - Performs the SQL query sql, saving results in variables + Performs the SQL query sql, saving results in variables of the form - var_name:1, var_name:2, etc, - setting var_name:rowcount to the total number - of rows, and setting var_name:columns to a + var_name:1, var_name:2, etc, + setting var_name:rowcount to the total number + of rows, and setting var_name:columns to a list of column names.

      Each row also has a column, rownum, automatically added and set to the row number, starting with 1. Note that this will override any column in the SQL statement named 'rownum', also if you're using the Oracle rownum pseudo-column.

      - If the -local is passed, the variables defined + If the -local is passed, the variables defined by db_multirow will be set locally (useful if you're compiling dynamic templates in a function or similar situations).

      @@ -576,19 +575,19 @@ multirow.

      You may also add additional, computed columns to the multirow, using the - -extend { col_1 col_2 ... } switch. This is + -extend { col_1 col_2 ... } switch. This is useful for things like constructing a URL for the object retrieved by the query.

      If you're constructing your multirow through multiple queries with the same set of columns, but with different rows, you can use the - -append switch. This causes the rows returned by this query + -append switch. This causes the rows returned by this query to be appended to the rows already in the multirow, instead of starting a clean multirow, as is the normal behavior. The columns must match the columns in the original multirow, or an error will be thrown.

      - Your code block may call continue in order to skip a row - and not include it in the multirow. Or you can call break + Your code block may call continue in order to skip a row + and not include it in the multirow. Or you can call break to skip this row and quit looping.

      @@ -603,28 +602,28 @@ } { set user_url [acs_community_member_url -user_id $user_id] } -

      db_resultrows
      -db_resultrows
      +    
      db_resultrows
      +db_resultrows
       

      Returns the number of rows affected or returned by the previous statement. -

      db_with_handle
      -db_with_handle var code_block
      -

      Places a database handle into the variable var and -executes code_block. This is useful when you don't -want to have to use the new API (db_foreach, -db_1row, etc.), but need to use database handles explicitly.

      Example:

      +

      db_with_handle
      +db_with_handle var code_block
      +

      Places a database handle into the variable var and +executes code_block. This is useful when you don't +want to have to use the new API (db_foreach, +db_1row, etc.), but need to use database handles explicitly.

      Example:

       
       proc lookup_the_foo { foo } {
           db_with_handle db {
      -        return [db_string unused "select ..."]
      +        return [db_string unused "select ..."]
           }
       }
       
       db_with_handle db {
           # Now there's a database handle in $db.
      -    set selection [ns_db select $db "select foo from bar"]
      +    set selection [ns_db select $db "select foo from bar"]
           while { [ns_db getrow $db $selection] } {
               set_variables_after_query
       
      @@ -633,96 +632,96 @@
       }
       
       
      - - + + db_name - - + +
      -			
      -				db_name
      -			
      +			
      +				db_name
      +			
       		

      Returns the name of the database, as returned by the driver.

      - - + + db_type - - + +
      -			
      -				db_type
      -			
      +			
      +				db_type
      +			
       		

      Returns the RDBMS type (i.e. oracle, postgresql) this OpenACS installation is using. The nsv ad_database_type is set up during the bootstrap process.

      - - + + db_compatible_rdbms_p - - + +
      -			db_compatible_rdbms_p db_type
      +			db_compatible_rdbms_p db_type
       		

      Returns 1 if the given db_type is compatible with the current RDBMS.

      - - + + db_package_supports_rdbms_p - - + +
      -			db_package_supports_rdbms_p db_type_list
      +			db_package_supports_rdbms_p db_type_list
       		

      Returns 1 if db_type_list contains the current RDMBS type. A package intended to run with a given RDBMS must note this in it's package info file regardless of whether or not it actually uses the database.

      - - + + db_legacy_package_p - - + +
      -			db_legacy_package_p db_type_list
      +			db_legacy_package_p db_type_list
       		

      Returns 1 if the package is a legacy package. We can only tell for certain if it explicitly supports Oracle 8.1.6 rather than the OpenACS more general oracle.

      - - + + db_version - - + +
      -			db_version
      +			db_version
       		

      Returns the RDBMS version (i.e. 8.1.6 is a recent Oracle version; 7.1 a recent PostgreSQL version.

      - - + + db_current_rdbms - - + +
      -			db_current_rdbms
      +			db_current_rdbms
       		

      Returns the current rdbms type and version.

      - - + + db_known_database_types - - + +
      -			db_known_database_types
      +			db_known_database_types
       		

      Returns a list of three-element lists describing the database engines known to OpenACS. Each sublist contains the internal database name (used in file - paths, etc), the driver name, and a "pretty name" to be used in selection + paths, etc), the driver name, and a "pretty name" to be used in selection forms displayed to the user.

      The nsv containing the list is initialized by the bootstrap script and should Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api.html,v diff -u -r1.43.2.2 -r1.43.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.43.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/db-api.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.43.2.3 @@ -1,22 +1,21 @@ - -The OpenACS Database Access API

      The OpenACS Database Access API

      +The OpenACS Database Access API

      The OpenACS Database Access API

      By Pete Su and Jon Salz. Modified by Roberto Mello. -

      Overview

      +

      Overview

      One of OpenACS's great strengths is that code written for it is very close to the database. It is very easy to interact with the database from anywhere within OpenACS, and we have a coherent API for database access which makes this even easier.

      More detailed information about the DB api is available at Database Access API. -

      DB API Examples

      +

      DB API Examples

      The OpenACS database API is meant to save developers from making common mistakes and to provide a more structured syntax for specifying database operations, including transactions. Here's an example of the API.

       set count 0
      -set tcl_var "foo"
      +set tcl_var "foo"
       set sql {
             	SELECT foo, bar, baz
              FROM some_table, some_other_table
      @@ -39,17 +38,17 @@
       	    No explicit code for grabbing and releasing handles. Usage of the
       	    Database API implicitly deals with all handle management issues.
       	  

    • - The db_transaction command + The db_transaction command makes the scope of a transaction - clear; db_transaction takes the + clear; db_transaction takes the code block argument and automatically runs it in the context of a transaction. If you use something like db_foreach though, you need to make sure that there are no calls in the code block which would take a second db handle since the transaction is only valid for one handle (thats why we build up a list of returned values and call a second proc outside the db_foreach loop).

    • - The command db_foreach writes + The command db_foreach writes our old while loop for us.

    • Every SQL query has a name, which is used in conjunction with .XQL files @@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ Finally and most importantly, there API implements bind variables, which we will cover next.

    -

    Bind Variables

    +

    Bind Variables

    Bind variables are placeholders for literal values in an SQL query being sent to the server. In the old way, data was generally passed to directly to the DB backend, via Tcl string @@ -129,8 +128,8 @@ query, and Tcl style string interpolation does not happen. So you cannot do something like:

    -set table "baz"
    -set condition "where foo = bar"
    +set table "baz"
    +set condition "where foo = bar"
     
     db_foreach my_query { select :table from some_table where :condition }
         

    @@ -142,24 +141,24 @@ Finally, the DB API has several different styles for passing bind variable values to queries. In general, use the style presented here because it is the most convenient. -

    Usage

    Every db_* command accepting a SQL command as an argument +

    Usage

    Every db_* command accepting a SQL command as an argument supports bind variables. You can either

    • - Specify the -bind switch to provide a set with bind variable + Specify the -bind switch to provide a set with bind variable values, or

    • - Specify the -bind switch to explicitly provide a list of + Specify the -bind switch to explicitly provide a list of bind variable names and values, or

    • Not specify a bind variable list at all, in which case Tcl variables are used as bind variables.

    - The default behavior (i.e., if the -bind switch is omitted) is + The default behavior (i.e., if the -bind switch is omitted) is that these procedures expect to find local variables that correspond in name to the referenced bind variables, e.g.:

     
     set user_id 123456
    -set role "administrator"
    +set role "administrator"
     
     db_foreach user_group_memberships_by_role {
         select g.group_id, g.group_name
    @@ -169,18 +168,18 @@
         and map.role = :role
     } {
         # do something for each group of which user 123456 is in the role
    -    # of "administrator"
    +    # of "administrator"
     }
     
           

    - The value of the local Tcl variable user_id (123456) is bound to - the user_id bind variable. -

    The -bind switch can takes the name of an ns_set + The value of the local Tcl variable user_id (123456) is bound to + the user_id bind variable. +

    The -bind switch can takes the name of an ns_set containing keys for each bind variable named in the query, e.g.:

     
     set bind_vars [ns_set create]
     ns_set put $bind_vars user_id 123456
    -ns_set put $bind_vars role "administrator"
    +ns_set put $bind_vars role "administrator"
     
     db_foreach user_group_memberships_by_role {
         select g.group_id, g.group_name
    @@ -190,11 +189,11 @@
         and map.role = :role
     } -bind $bind_vars {
         # do something for each group in which user 123456 has the role
    -    # of "administrator"
    +    # of "administrator"
     }
     
           

    - Alternatively, as an argument to -bind you can specify a list of + Alternatively, as an argument to -bind you can specify a list of alternating name/value pairs for bind variables:

     	
    @@ -204,22 +203,22 @@
         where g.group_id = map.user_id
         and map.user_id = :user_id
         and map.role = :role
    -} -bind [list user_id 123456 role "administrator"] {
    +} -bind [list user_id 123456 role "administrator"] {
         # do something for each group in which user 123456 has the role
    -    # of "administrator"
    +    # of "administrator"
     }
     
    -      

    Nulls and Bind Variables

    +

    Nulls and Bind Variables

    When processing a DML statement, Oracle coerces empty strings into - null. (This coercion does not occur in the - WHERE clause of a query, i.e. - col = '' and - col is null are not equivalent.) + null. (This coercion does not occur in the + WHERE clause of a query, i.e. + col = '' and + col is null are not equivalent.)

    As a result, when using bind variables, the only way to make Oracle set a - column value to null is to set the corresponding bind variable + column value to null is to set the corresponding bind variable to the empty string, since a bind variable whose value is the string - "null" will be interpreted as the literal string - "null".

    These Oracle quirks complicate the process of writing clear and abstract + "null" will be interpreted as the literal string + "null".

    These Oracle quirks complicate the process of writing clear and abstract DML difficult. Here is an example that illustrates why:

     
     #
    @@ -231,43 +230,43 @@
     #   );
     #
     
    -set bar ""
    -set baz ""
    +set bar ""
    +set baz ""
     
    -db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
    +db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
     #
    -# the values of the "bar" and "baz" columns in the new row are both
    +# the values of the "bar" and "baz" columns in the new row are both
     # null, because Oracle has coerced the empty string (even for the
    -# numeric column "bar") into null in both cases
    +# numeric column "bar") into null in both cases
     
           

    Since databases other than Oracle do not coerce empty strings into - null, this code has different semantics depending on the + null, this code has different semantics depending on the underlying database (i.e., the row that gets inserted may not have null as its column values), which defeats the purpose of SQL abstraction.

    Therefore, the Database Access API provides a database-independent way to - represent null (instead of the Oracle-specific idiom of the - empty string): db_null.

    Use it instead of the empty string whenever you want to set a column value - explicitly to null, e.g.:

    set bar [db_null]
    +	represent null (instead of the Oracle-specific idiom of the
    +	empty string): db_null.

    Use it instead of the empty string whenever you want to set a column value + explicitly to null, e.g.:

    set bar [db_null]
     set baz [db_null]
     
    -db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
    +db_dml foo_create "insert into foo(bar, baz) values(:bar, :baz)"
     #
    -# sets the values for both the "bar" and "baz" columns to null

    Sequence Pooling

    +# sets the values for both the "bar" and "baz" columns to null

    Sequence Pooling

    The database library can transparently maintain pools of sequence values, so - that each request for a new sequence value (using db_nextval) + that each request for a new sequence value (using db_nextval) does not incur a roundtrip to the server. For instance, this functionality is very useful in the security/sessions library, which very frequently allocates - values from the sec_id_seq sequence. To utilize this + values from the sec_id_seq sequence. To utilize this functionality for a particular sequence, register the sequence to be pooled, - either using the db_register_pooled_sequence procedure at server + either using the db_register_pooled_sequence procedure at server startup time, or by including a configuration parameter of the form

     
     PoolSequence.sequence_name_seq=count
     
         

    - in any configuration section in the yourservername.ini + in any configuration section in the yourservername.ini file, e.g.,

     
    @@ -279,49 +278,49 @@
           startup. It will periodically scan pools and allocate new values for
           sequences which are less than half-full. (This normally occurs every 60
           seconds, and is configurable via the
    -      PooledSequenceUpdateInterval parameter in the
    -      [ns/server/
    -      yourservername
    -      /acs/database] configuration
    +      PooledSequenceUpdateInterval parameter in the
    +      [ns/server/
    +      yourservername
    +      /acs/database] configuration
           section.) 
    -    

    Basic API

    +

    Basic API

    The Database API has several functions that wrap familiar parts of the AOLserver database API.

    - Note that you never have to use ns_db anymore (including - ns_db gethandle)! Just start doing stuff, and (if you want) call - db_release_unused_handles when you're done as a hint to + Note that you never have to use ns_db anymore (including + ns_db gethandle)! Just start doing stuff, and (if you want) call + db_release_unused_handles when you're done as a hint to release the database handle.

    - + db_abort_transaction - +
     db_abort_transaction
     	  

    Aborts all levels of a transaction. That is if this is called within several nested transactions, all of them are terminated. Use this insetead of - db_dml "abort" "abort transaction". + db_dml "abort" "abort transaction". -

    db_multirow
    -db_multirow [ -local ] [ -append ] [ -extend column_list ] \
    +	  

    db_multirow
    +db_multirow [ -local ] [ -append ] [ -extend column_list ] \
         var-name statement-name sql \
         [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
         code_block [ if_no_rows if_no_rows_block ]
     	

    - Performs the SQL query sql, saving results in variables + Performs the SQL query sql, saving results in variables of the form - var_name:1, var_name:2, etc, - setting var_name:rowcount to the total number - of rows, and setting var_name:columns to a + var_name:1, var_name:2, etc, + setting var_name:rowcount to the total number + of rows, and setting var_name:columns to a list of column names.

    Each row also has a column, rownum, automatically added and set to the row number, starting with 1. Note that this will override any column in the SQL statement named 'rownum', also if you're using the Oracle rownum pseudo-column.

    - If the -local is passed, the variables defined + If the -local is passed, the variables defined by db_multirow will be set locally (useful if you're compiling dynamic templates in a function or similar situations).

    @@ -334,19 +333,19 @@ multirow.

    You may also add additional, computed columns to the multirow, using the - -extend { col_1 col_2 ... } switch. This is + -extend { col_1 col_2 ... } switch. This is useful for things like constructing a URL for the object retrieved by the query.

    If you're constructing your multirow through multiple queries with the same set of columns, but with different rows, you can use the - -append switch. This causes the rows returned by this query + -append switch. This causes the rows returned by this query to be appended to the rows already in the multirow, instead of starting a clean multirow, as is the normal behavior. The columns must match the columns in the original multirow, or an error will be thrown.

    - Your code block may call continue in order to skip a row - and not include it in the multirow. Or you can call break + Your code block may call continue in order to skip a row + and not include it in the multirow. Or you can call break to skip this row and quit looping.

    Notice the nonstandard numbering (everything @@ -380,240 +379,240 @@

    Technically it's equivalent to using a code block on the end of your db_multirow.

    - + db_null - +
    -db_null
    +db_null
     	  

    Returns a value which can be used in a bind variable to represent the SQL value - null. + null. See Nulls and Bind Variables above.

    - + db_foreach - +
     db_foreach statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
         [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ] \
         code_block [ if_no_rows if_no_rows_block ]
     	  

    Performs the SQL query - sql + sql , executing - code_block - once for each row + code_block + once for each row with variables set to column values (or a set or array populated if - -column_array or - column_set is + -column_array or + column_set is specified). If the query returns no rows, executes - if_no_rows_block - (if provided). + if_no_rows_block + (if provided).

    Example:

     
    -db_foreach select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble" {
    -    doc_body_append "<li>foo=$foo; bar=$bar\n"
    +db_foreach select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble" {
    +    doc_body_append "<li>foo=$foo; bar=$bar\n"
     } if_no_rows {
    -    doc_body_append "<li>There are no greebles in the database.\n"
    +    doc_body_append "<li>There are no greebles in the database.\n"
     }
     
     	  

    - The code block may contain break statements (which terminate the - loop and flush the database handle) and continue statements + The code block may contain break statements (which terminate the + loop and flush the database handle) and continue statements (which continue to the next row of the loop).

    - + db_1row - +
     db_1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
         [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ]
     	  

    Performs the SQL query - sql, + sql, setting variables to column values. Raises an error if the query does not return exactly 1 row.

    Example:

     
    -db_1row select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble where greeble_id = $greeble_id"
    +db_1row select_foo "select foo, bar from greeble where greeble_id = $greeble_id"
     # Bombs if there's no such greeble!
     # Now $foo and $bar are set.
     
     	  
    - + db_0or1row - +
     db_0or1row statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
         [ -column_array array_name | -column_set set_name ]
     	  

    Performs the SQL query - sql. + sql. If a row is returned, sets variables to column values and returns 1. If no rows are returned, returns 0. If more than one row is returned, throws an error. -

    db_nextval
    +	  

    db_nextval
     db_nextval sequence-name
     	  

    Returns the next value for the sequence sequence-name (using a - SQL statement like SELECT - sequence-name.nextval FROM - DUAL). If sequence pooling is enabled for the sequence, transparently + SQL statement like SELECT + sequence-name.nextval FROM + DUAL). If sequence pooling is enabled for the sequence, transparently uses a value from the pool if available to save a round-trip to the database (see Sequence Pooling).

    - + db_register_pooled_sequence - +
     db_register_pooled_sequence sequence-name pool-size
     	  

    Registers the sequence sequence-name to be pooled, with a pool size of pool-size sequence values (see Sequence Pooling). -

    db_string
    +	  

    db_string
     db_string statement-name sql [ -default default ] [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
     	  

    Returns the first column of the result of SQL query - sql. - If sql doesn't return a + sql. + If sql doesn't return a row, returns - default + default (or throws an error if - default is unspecified). Analogous to - database_to_tcl_string and - database_to_tcl_string_or_null. + default is unspecified). Analogous to + database_to_tcl_string and + database_to_tcl_string_or_null. -

    db_list
    +	  

    db_list
     db_list statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
     	  

    Returns a Tcl list of the values in the first column of the result of SQL query - sql. - If sql doesn't + sql. + If sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. Analogous to - database_to_tcl_list. + database_to_tcl_list. -

    db_list_of_lists
    +	  

    db_list_of_lists
     db_list_of_lists statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
     	  

    Returns a Tcl list, each element of which is a list of all column values - in a row of the result of SQL query sql. If - sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. - (Analogous to database_to_tcl_list_list.) + in a row of the result of SQL query sql. If + sql doesn't return any rows, returns an empty list. + (Analogous to database_to_tcl_list_list.) -

    db_dml
    +	  

    db_dml
     db_dml statement-name sql \
         [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ] \
         [ -blobs blob_list | -clobs clob_list |
           -blob_files blob_file_list | -clob_files clob_file_list ]
    -	  

    Performs the DML or DDL statement sql.

    If a length-n list of blobs or clobs is provided, then the SQL +

    Performs the DML or DDL statement sql.

    If a length-n list of blobs or clobs is provided, then the SQL should return n blobs or clobs into the bind variables - :1, :2, ... :n. - blobs or clobs, if specified, + :1, :2, ... :n. + blobs or clobs, if specified, should be a list of individual BLOBs or CLOBs to insert; - blob_files or clob_files, if + blob_files or clob_files, if specified, should be a list of paths to files containing the data to - insert. Only one of -blobs, -clobs, - -blob_files, and -clob_files may be provided.

    Example:

    +	    insert. Only one of -blobs, -clobs,
    +	    -blob_files, and -clob_files may be provided.

    Example:

     
    -db_dml insert_photos "
    +db_dml insert_photos "
             insert photos(photo_id, image, thumbnail_image)
             values(photo_id_seq.nextval, empty_blob(), empty_blob())
             returning image, thumbnail_image into :1, :2
    -    "  -blob_files [list "/var/tmp/the_photo" "/var/tmp/the_thumbnail"] 
    +    "  -blob_files [list "/var/tmp/the_photo" "/var/tmp/the_thumbnail"] 
     
     	  

    - This inserts a new row into the photos table, with the contents - of the files /var/tmp/the_photo and - /var/tmp/the_thumbnail in the image and - thumbnail columns, respectively. + This inserts a new row into the photos table, with the contents + of the files /var/tmp/the_photo and + /var/tmp/the_thumbnail in the image and + thumbnail columns, respectively.

    - db_write_clob, - db_write_blob, - db_blob_get_file + db_write_clob, + db_write_blob, + db_blob_get_file
     db_write_clob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
     
     db_write_blob statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
     
     db_blob_get_file statement-name sql [ -bind bind_set_id | -bind bind_value_list ]
    -	  

    Analagous to ns_ora write_clob/write_blob/blob_get_file. +

    Analagous to ns_ora write_clob/write_blob/blob_get_file. -

    db_release_unused_handles
    +	  

    db_release_unused_handles
     	    db_release_unused_handles
    -	  

    Releases any allocated, unused database handles.

    db_transaction
    +	  

    Releases any allocated, unused database handles.

    db_transaction
     db_transaction code_block [ on_error { code_block } ]
    -	  

    Executes code_block transactionally. Nested - transactions are supported (end transaction is transparently - ns_db dml'ed when the outermost transaction completes). The - db_abort_transaction command can be used to abort all levels of - transactions. It is possible to specify an optional on_error +

    Executes code_block transactionally. Nested + transactions are supported (end transaction is transparently + ns_db dml'ed when the outermost transaction completes). The + db_abort_transaction command can be used to abort all levels of + transactions. It is possible to specify an optional on_error code block that will be executed if some code in code_block throws - an exception. The variable errmsg will be bound in that scope. - If there is no on_error code, any errors will be propagated.

    Example:

    +	    an exception. The variable errmsg will be bound in that scope.
    +	    If there is no on_error code, any errors will be propagated. 

    Example:

     
     proc replace_the_foo { col } {
         db_transaction {
    -        db_dml "delete from foo"
    -        db_dml "insert into foo(col) values($col)"
    +        db_dml "delete from foo"
    +        db_dml "insert into foo(col) values($col)"
         }
     }
     
     proc print_the_foo {} {
    -    doc_body_append "foo is [db_string "select col from foo"]<br>\n"
    +    doc_body_append "foo is [db_string "select col from foo"]<br>\n"
     }
     
     replace_the_foo 8
    -print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
    +print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
     
     db_transaction {
         replace_the_foo 14
    -    print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 14"
    -    db_dml "insert into some_other_table(col) values(999)"
    +    print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 14"
    +    db_dml "insert into some_other_table(col) values(999)"
         ...
         db_abort_transaction
     } on_error {
    -    doc_body_append "Error in transaction: $errmsg"
    +    doc_body_append "Error in transaction: $errmsg"
     }
         
     
    -print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
    +print_the_foo ; # Writes out "foo is 8"
     
    -	  
    db_resultrows
    +	  
    db_resultrows
     db_resultrows
     	  

    Returns the number of rows affected or returned by the previous statement. -

    db_with_handle
    +	  

    db_with_handle
     db_with_handle var code_block
    -	  

    Places a database handle into the variable var and - executes code_block. This is useful when you don't - want to have to use the new API (db_foreach, - db_1row, etc.), but need to use database handles explicitly.

    Example:

    +	  

    Places a database handle into the variable var and + executes code_block. This is useful when you don't + want to have to use the new API (db_foreach, + db_1row, etc.), but need to use database handles explicitly.

    Example:

     
     proc lookup_the_foo { foo } {
         db_with_handle db {
    -        return [db_string unused "select ..."]
    +        return [db_string unused "select ..."]
         }
     }
     
     db_with_handle db {
         # Now there's a database handle in $db.
    -    set selection [ns_db select $db "select foo from bar"]
    +    set selection [ns_db select $db "select foo from bar"]
         while { [ns_db getrow $db $selection] } {
             set_variables_after_query
     
    @@ -623,37 +622,37 @@
     
     	  
    - + db_nullify_empty_string - +
     db_nullify_empty_string string
     	  

    For true SQL purists, we provide the convenience function - db_nullify_empty_string, which returns - [db_null] if its string argument is the empty string + db_nullify_empty_string, which returns + [db_null] if its string argument is the empty string and can be used to encapsulate another Oracle quirk:

     
    -set baz ""
    +set baz ""
     
     # Clean out the foo table
     #
    -db_dml unused "delete from foo"
    +db_dml unused "delete from foo"
     
    -db_dml unused "insert into foo(baz) values('$baz')"
    +db_dml unused "insert into foo(baz) values('$baz')"
     
    -set n_rows [db_string unused "select count(*) from foo where baz is null"]
    +set n_rows [db_string unused "select count(*) from foo where baz is null"]
     #
    -# $n_rows is 1; in effect, the "baz is null" criterion is matching
    +# $n_rows is 1; in effect, the "baz is null" criterion is matching
     # the empty string we just inserted (because of Oracle's coercion
     # quirk)
     
     	  

    - To balance out this asymmetry, you can explicitly set baz to - null by writing: + To balance out this asymmetry, you can explicitly set baz to + null by writing:

     
    -db_dml foo_insert "insert into foo(baz) values(:1)" {[db_nullify_empty_string $baz]}
    +db_dml foo_insert "insert into foo(baz) values(:1)" {[db_nullify_empty_string $baz]}
     
     	  

    ($Id$)

    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/dev-guide.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/dev-guide.html,v diff -u -r1.29.2.1 -r1.29.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/dev-guide.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.29.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/dev-guide.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.29.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Chapter�11.�Development Reference

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Chapter�11.�Development Reference
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/doc-standards.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/doc-standards.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/doc-standards.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/doc-standards.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Chapter�13.�Documentation Standards
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Chapter�13.�Documentation Standards
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/docbook-primer.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/docbook-primer.html,v diff -u -r1.45.2.2 -r1.45.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/docbook-primer.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.45.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/docbook-primer.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.45.2.3 @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@ - -OpenACS Documentation Guide

    OpenACS Documentation Guide

    +OpenACS Documentation Guide

    OpenACS Documentation Guide

    By Claus Rasmussen, with additions by Roberto Mello, Vinod Kurup, and the OpenACS Community -

    Overview of OpenACS Documentation

    +

    Overview of OpenACS Documentation

    OpenACS™ is a powerful system with incredible possibilities and applications, but this power comes with some complexity and a steep learning curve @@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ This document attempts to shape ongoing documentation efforts by using principles of continual improvement to re-engineer documentation production. -

    Managing OpenACS Documentation

    +

    Managing OpenACS Documentation

    Documentation production shares many of the challenges of software development, such as managing contributions, revisions and the (editorial) release cycle. This is yet another @@ -50,31 +49,31 @@ efforts. These processes are outlined as project management phases:

    1. - Requirements phase is about setting goals and + Requirements phase is about setting goals and specifications, and includes exploration of scenarios, use cases etc. As an example, see the OpenACS Documentation Requirements Template which focuses on systems requirements for developers.

    2. - Strategy phase is about creating an approach + Strategy phase is about creating an approach to doing work. It sets behavioral guidelines and boundaries that help keep perspective on how efforts are directed. OpenACS developers discuss strategy when coordinating efforts such as code revisioning and new features.

    3. - Planning phase is about explicitly stating + Planning phase is about explicitly stating the way to implement the strategy as a set of methods. OpenACS system design requires planning. For example, see OpenACS documentation template planning relating to package design.

    4. - Implementation phase is about performing the + Implementation phase is about performing the work according to the plan, where decisions on how to handle unforseen circumstances are guided by the strategy and requirements.

    5. - Verification phase measures how well the plan + Verification phase measures how well the plan was implemented. Success is measured by A) verifying if the project has met the established goals, and B) reviewing for ongoing problem areas etc. OpenACS follows verification @@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ phases are mainly organized and fulfilled by a designated documentation maintainer. Hopefully the following sections will help spur greater direct participation by the OpenACS community. -

    OpenACS General Documentation Requirements

    +

    OpenACS General Documentation Requirements

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003. @@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ significance has been given to the order presented, topic breadth or depth here.

    • clarity in presentation. Life with - qmail is a recommended example of "rated high" online + qmail is a recommended example of "rated high" online documentation.

    • Avoid requirements that significantly increase the labor @@ -129,14 +128,14 @@

    • Do not make informal exclamations about difficulty/ease for users to complete tasks or understand... for - example, "Simply...". Readers come from many different + example, "Simply...". Readers come from many different backgrounds --remember that the greater audience is likely as varied as the readers on the internet--- If important, state pre-conditions or knowledge requirements etc. if different than the rest of the - context of the document. For example, "requires basic + context of the document. For example, "requires basic competency with a text-based editor such as vi or emacs - via telnet" + via telnet"

  • Show where to find current information instead of writing about current info that becomes obsolete. If the information @@ -194,10 +193,10 @@

  • Use generic DocBook syntax to maximize reader familiarity with the documents.

    -                <book><title><part label="Part 1"><etc...>
    +                <book><title><part label="Part 1"><etc...>
                   

  • -

    OpenACS Documentation Requirements for End-users

    +

    OpenACS Documentation Requirements for End-users

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003. @@ -225,10 +224,10 @@ solution, customer cost, convenience, value). A comprehensive community communications system; How this system is valuable to users; Reasons others use OpenACS - (with quotes in their own words) "...the most important + (with quotes in their own words) "...the most important thing that the ACS does is manage users, i.e. provide a way to group, view and manipulate members of the web community. - -- Talli Somekh, September 19, 2001" using it to + -- Talli Somekh, September 19, 2001" using it to communicate, cooperate, collaborate... OpenACS offers directed content functionality with the OpenACS templating system. ... OpenACS is more than a data collection and @@ -248,14 +247,14 @@

  • From a marketing perspective,

    • - differentiate "product" by highlighting features, + differentiate "product" by highlighting features, performance quality, conformance to standards, durability (handling of technological obsolescence), reliability, repairability, style of use, design (strategy in design, specifications, integrated, well-matched systems etc).

    • - differentiate "service" by highlighting software + differentiate "service" by highlighting software availability (licensing and completeness from mature to early adopters or development versions), community incident support, project collaborative opportunities, and @@ -339,7 +338,7 @@ development document templates: a Requirements Template and Detailed Design Document. -

  • OpenACS Documentation Requirements for Site and Administrators

    +

    OpenACS Documentation Requirements for Site and Administrators

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003. @@ -351,7 +350,7 @@ and other documentation for more detail.

  • Describe a structural overview of a working system and how - the components work together. "The Layered Cake view" a + the components work together. "The Layered Cake view" a general network view of system; a table showing system levels versus roles to help with understanding how the subsystems are interconnected. @@ -377,15 +376,15 @@ subsystems, work/group communication skills et cetera

  • Describe how to set up typical site moderation and - administration including parameters, permissions, "Hello - World" page + administration including parameters, permissions, "Hello + World" page

  • Show directory structure of a typical package, explanation of the various file types in a package (tcl,adp,xql) and how those relate to the previously described subsystems, when they get refreshed etc.

  • - Ways to build a "Hello World" page + Ways to build a "Hello World" page

  • Show examples of how the OpenACS templating system is used, including portal sections of pages. For example, create a @@ -404,30 +403,30 @@

  • FAQs: Administration tasks commonly discussed on boards: admin page flow, how to change the looks of a subsite with a - new master.adp, options on "user pages" , a quick + new master.adp, options on "user pages" , a quick introduction to the functions and processes. info about the user variables, file locations -

  • OpenACS Installation Documentation Requirements

    +

    OpenACS Installation Documentation Requirements

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003.

    OpenACS installation documentation should meet the following requirements. No significance has been given to the order presented, topic breadth or depth here.

    • - state installation prerequisites. For example: "You should + state installation prerequisites. For example: "You should read through the installation process to familiarize yourself with the installation process, before beginning an - installation." + installation."

    • list critical decisions (perhaps as questions) that need to be made before starting: which OS, which DB, which aolserver version, system name, dependencies et cetera. Maybe summarize - options as tables or decision-trees. For example, "As you + options as tables or decision-trees. For example, "As you proceed throughout the installation, you will be acting on decisions that have an impact on how the remaining part of the system is installed. Here is a list of questions you - should answer before beginning." + should answer before beginning."

    • list pre-installation assumptions

    • @@ -437,7 +436,7 @@ for OpenACS, RDBMS(s) install and configure, Webserver install and configure, OpenACS install and configure, post-install work -

    OpenACS Developer Tutorial Documentation Requirements

    +

    OpenACS Developer Tutorial Documentation Requirements

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003. @@ -473,7 +472,7 @@ that meets current recommended coding styles of OpenACS package development, by referring to developer resources.

  • - Use the ArsDigita problem sets and "what Lars produced for ACS Java" as inspiration for a + Use the ArsDigita problem sets and "what Lars produced for ACS Java" as inspiration for a PostgreSQL equivalent tutorial about developing a new OpenACS package including discussion of the significance of the package documentation templates @@ -482,7 +481,7 @@

  • Note any deprecated tools and methods by linking to prior versions instead of describing them in current docs -

  • OpenACS Developer Documentation Requirements

    +

    OpenACS Developer Documentation Requirements

    By the OpenACS Community. This section is a collection of documentation requirements that have been expressed in the OpenACS forums to 4th July 2003. @@ -521,7 +520,7 @@ including planning, core functions, testing, usability, and creating case studies

  • - Standard package conventions, where to see "model" code, and + Standard package conventions, where to see "model" code, and guidelines (or where to find them) for:

    • programming tcl/sql @@ -554,10 +553,10 @@ Document kernel coding requirements, strategy and guidelines to help code changers make decisions that meet kernel designers' criteria -

  • OpenACS Documentation Strategy

    +

    OpenACS Documentation Strategy

    OpenACS documentation development is subject to the constraints of the software project development and release - methods and cycles (Section�, “Using CVS with OpenACS”). + methods and cycles (the section called “Using CVS with OpenACS”). Essentially, all phases of work may be active to accommodate the asynchronous nature of multiple subprojects evolving by the efforts of a global base of participants with culturally @@ -567,7 +566,7 @@ involve others by collaborating or obtaining guidance or feedback (peer review) to distribute the workload and increase the overall value of output for the OpenACS project. -

    OpenACS Documentation Strategy: Why DocBook?

    +

    OpenACS Documentation Strategy: Why DocBook?

    OpenACS documentation is taking a dual approach to publishing. Documentation that is subject to rapid change and participation by the OpenACS community is managed through the OpenACS @@ -578,7 +577,7 @@ DTD. The remaining discussion is about publishing using Docbook.

    - + is a publishing standard based on XML with similar goals to the OpenACS Documentation project. Some specific reasons why we are using DocBook:

    • @@ -629,9 +628,9 @@ should be able to extract details of a specific reference from a bibliographic (table) and present a footnote at the point where referenced. DocBook 4.4 allows for this with - bibliocoverage, - bibliorelation, and - bibliosource. DocBook: + bibliocoverage, + bibliorelation, and + bibliosource. DocBook: The Definitive Guide is a good start for learning how to represent paper-based books online.

      @@ -640,16 +639,16 @@ list of elements and use more exotic features in your documents. The list is made up of SGML-elements but basically - the same elements are valid in the XML DTD as long as you remember to: - + the same elements are valid in the XML DTD as long as you remember to: +

      • Always close your tags with corresponding end-tags and to - not use other tag minimization + not use other tag minimization

      • Write all elements and attributes in lowercase

      • Quote all attributes -

    Tools

    +

    Tools

    You are going to need the following to work with the OpenACS Docbook XML documentation:

    • @@ -663,7 +662,7 @@ to HTML. We have been using a stylesheet based upon NWalsh's chunk.xsl.

    • - xsltproc - The processor that + xsltproc - The processor that will take an XML document and, given a xsl stylesheet, convert it to HTML. It needs libxml2 and libxslt (available in RPM and DEB formats or from xmlsoft.org. @@ -672,7 +671,7 @@ modes. The LDP Author Guide and DocBook Wiki list some alternates. -

    Writing New Docs

    +

    Writing New Docs

    After you have the tools mentioned above, you need to define a title for your document. Then start thinking about the possible sections and subsections you will have in your document. Make @@ -686,196 +685,196 @@ for acs-core-docs, especially the Detailed Design Documentation Template and the System/Application Requirements Template. -

    Document Structure

    - The documentation for each package will make up a little "book" that is structured like this +

    Document Structure

    + The documentation for each package will make up a little "book" that is structured like this - examples are emphasized: - +

    -    book                        : Docs for one package - templating
    +    book                        : Docs for one package - templating
          |
    -     +--chapter                 : One section - for developers
    +     +--chapter                 : One section - for developers
              |
     ---------+------------------------------------------------------
              |
    -         +--sect1               : Single document - requirements
    +         +--sect1               : Single document - requirements
                  |
    -             +--sect2           : Sections - functional requirements
    +             +--sect2           : Sections - functional requirements
                      |
    -                 +--sect3       : Subsections - Programmer's API
    +                 +--sect3       : Subsections - Programmer's API
                          |
    -                    ...         : ...
    +                    ...         : ...
         

    The actual content is split up into documents that start at a - sect1-level. These are then tied together in a top-level document that + sect1-level. These are then tied together in a top-level document that contains all the information above the line. This will be explained in more detail in a later document, and we will provide a set of templates for documenting an entire package.

    For now you can take a look at the sources of these DocBook documents to get an idea of how they are tied together. -

    Headlines, Sections

    - - Given that your job starts at the sect1-level, all your documents should open with a - <sect1>-tag and end - with the corresponding </sect1>. +

    Headlines, Sections

    + + Given that your job starts at the sect1-level, all your documents should open with a + <sect1>-tag and end + with the corresponding </sect1>.

    - - You need to feed every <sect1> two attributes. The first attribute, - id, is standard and can be used with all elements. It comes in very - handy when interlinking between documents (more about this when talking about links in Section�, “Links”). - The value of id has to be unique - throughout the book you're making since the id's in your - sect1's will turn into filenames when the book is parsed into HTML. + + You need to feed every <sect1> two attributes. The first attribute, + id, is standard and can be used with all elements. It comes in very + handy when interlinking between documents (more about this when talking about links in the section called “Links”). + The value of id has to be unique + throughout the book you're making since the id's in your + sect1's will turn into filenames when the book is parsed into HTML.

    - - The other attribute is xreflabel. The value of this is the text that will appear - as the link when referring to this sect1. + + The other attribute is xreflabel. The value of this is the text that will appear + as the link when referring to this sect1.

    Right after the opening tag you put the title of the document - this is usually the same as - xreflabel-attribute. E.g. the top level of the document you're + xreflabel-attribute. E.g. the top level of the document you're reading right now looks like this:

    -<sect1 id="docbook-primer" xreflabel="DocBook Primer">
    +<sect1 id="docbook-primer" xreflabel="DocBook Primer">
       <title>DocBook Primer</title>
     
     ...
     
     </sect1>
     

    - + Inside this container your document will be split up into - <sect2>'s, - each with the same requirements - id and xreflabel - attributes, and a <title>-tag inside. Actually, the xreflabel is never required in sections, but it makes linking to that section a lot easier. + <sect2>'s, + each with the same requirements - id and xreflabel + attributes, and a <title>-tag inside. Actually, the xreflabel is never required in sections, but it makes linking to that section a lot easier.

    When it comes to naming your - sect2's and below, prefix them with some abbreviation of the id in the sect1 such as requirements-overview. -

    Code

    - + sect2's and below, prefix them with some abbreviation of the id in the sect1 such as requirements-overview. +

    Code

    + For displaying a snippet of code, a filename or anything else you just want to appear as a part of a sentence, we use - <computeroutput> - and <code><code></code> + <computeroutput> + and <code> tags. - These replace the HTML-tag <code><code></code> tag, + These replace the HTML-tag <code> tag, depending on whether the tag is describing computer output or computer code.

    For bigger chunks of code such as SQL-blocks, the tag - <programlisting> is used. Just wrap your code block in it; mono-spacing, indents and all that stuff is taken care of + <programlisting> is used. Just wrap your code block in it; mono-spacing, indents and all that stuff is taken care of automatically.

    For expressing user interaction via a terminal window, we wrap - the <screen> - tag around text that has been wrapped by combinations of <computeroutput> - and <userinput> -

    Links

    - + the <screen> + tag around text that has been wrapped by combinations of <computeroutput> + and <userinput> +

    Links

    + Linking falls into two different categories: inside the book you're making and outside: -

    1. Inside linking, cross-referencing other parts of your book

    - By having unique id's you can cross-reference any part of your book +

    1. Inside linking, cross-referencing other parts of your book

    + By having unique id's you can cross-reference any part of your book with a simple tag, regardless of where that part is. -

    Check out how I link to a subsection of the Developer's Guide:

    Put this in your XML:

    +      

    Check out how I link to a subsection of the Developer's Guide:

    Put this in your XML:

     - Find information about creating a package in
    -<xref linkend="packages-making-a-package"></xref>.
    +<xref linkend="packages-making-a-package"></xref>.
     

    And the output is:

     - Find information about creating a package in 
     Making a Package.
     

    Note that even though this is an empty tag, you have to either:

    1. - Provide the end-tag, </xref>, or + Provide the end-tag, </xref>, or

    2. - Put a slash before the ending-bracket: <xref linkend="blahblah"/> -

    If the section you link to hasn't a specified xreflabel-attribute, + Put a slash before the ending-bracket: <xref linkend="blahblah"/> +

    If the section you link to hasn't a specified xreflabel-attribute, the link is going to look like this:

    Put this in your XML:

     -Find information about what a package looks like in 
    -<xref linkend="packages-looks"></xref>.
    +<xref linkend="packages-looks"></xref>.
     

    And the output is:

     - Find information about what a package looks like in 
    -Section�, “What a Package Looks Like”.
    +the section called “What a Package Looks Like”.
     

    - Note that since I haven't provided an xreflabel for the subsection, - packages-looks, the + Note that since I haven't provided an xreflabel for the subsection, + packages-looks, the parser will try its best to explain where the link takes you. -

    2. Linking outside the documentation

    - +

    2. Linking outside the documentation

    + If you're hyper-linking out of the documentation, it works almost the same way as HTML - the tag is just a little different - (<ulink>): + (<ulink>): -

    <ulink url="http://www.oracle.com/">Oracle Corporation</ulink>

    +

    <ulink url="http://www.oracle.com/">Oracle Corporation</ulink>

    ....will create a hyper-link to Oracle in the HTML-version of the documentation. -

    NOTE: Do NOT use +

    NOTE: Do NOT use ampersands in your hyperlinks. These are reserved for referencing entities. - To create an ampersand, use the entity <code>&amp;</code> + To create an ampersand, use the entity &amp; -

    Graphics

    +

    Graphics

    - Note: The graphics guidelines + Note: The graphics guidelines are not written in stone. Use another valid approach if it works better for you.

    - + To insert a graphic we use the elements - <mediaobject>, - <imageobject>, - <imagedata>, + <mediaobject>, + <imageobject>, + <imagedata>, and - <textobject>. + <textobject>. Two versions of all graphics are required. One for the Web (usually a JPEG or GIF), and a brief text description. The description becomes the ALT text. You can also supply a version for print (EPS).

     <mediaobject>
       <imageobject>
    -    <imagedata fileref="../images/rp-flow.gif" format="GIF" align="center"/>
    +    <imagedata fileref="../images/rp-flow.gif" format="GIF" align="center"/>
       </imageobject>
       <imageobject>
    -    <imagedata fileref="../images/rp-flow.eps" format="EPS" align="center"/>
    +    <imagedata fileref="../images/rp-flow.eps" format="EPS" align="center"/>
       </imageobject>
       <textobject>
         <phrase>This is an image of the flow in the Request Processor</phrase>
       </textobject>
     </mediaobject>
     

    - Put your graphics in a separate directory ("images") and link to them + Put your graphics in a separate directory ("images") and link to them only with relative paths. -

    Lists

    - +

    Lists

    + Here's how you make the DocBook equivalent of the three usual HTML-lists: -

    1. How to make an <ul>

    - Making an unordered list is pretty much like doing the same thing in HTML - if you close your <li>, that is. The only differences are that each list item has to be wrapped in something more, such as - <para>, and that the tags are called - <itemizedlist> +

    1. How to make an <ul>

    + Making an unordered list is pretty much like doing the same thing in HTML - if you close your <li>, that is. The only differences are that each list item has to be wrapped in something more, such as + <para>, and that the tags are called + <itemizedlist> and - <listitem>: + <listitem>:

     <itemizedlist>
     
       <listitem><para>Stuff goes here</para></listitem>
       <listitem><para>More stuff goes here</para></listitem>
     
     </itemizedlist>
    -
    2. How to make an <ol>

    +

    2. How to make an <ol>

    The ordered list is like the preceding, except that you use - <orderedlist> instead:

    +        <orderedlist> instead:

     <orderedlist>
     
       <listitem><para>Stuff goes here</para></listitem>
       <listitem><para>More stuff goes here</para></listitem>
     
     </orderedlist>
    -
    3. How to make a <dl>

    - This kind of list is called a variablelist and these are the tags you'll need to +

    3. How to make a <dl>

    + This kind of list is called a variablelist and these are the tags you'll need to make it happen: - <variablelist>, - <varlistentry>, - <term> and - <listitem>:

    +        <variablelist>,
    +        <varlistentry>, 
    +        <term> and
    +        <listitem>:

     <variablelist>
     
       <varlistentry>
    @@ -889,14 +888,14 @@
       </varlistentry>
     
     </variablelist>
    -

    Tables

    - +

    Tables

    + DocBook supports several types of tables, but in most cases, the - <informaltable> + <informaltable> is enough:

    -<informaltable frame="all">
    -  <tgroup cols="3">
    +<informaltable frame="all">
    +  <tgroup cols="3">
         <tbody>
     
           <row>
    @@ -924,25 +923,25 @@
           With our current XSL-style-sheet, the output of the markup above will be a simple HTML-table:
         

    a1b1c1
    a2b2c2
    a3b3c3

    If you want cells to span more than one row or column, it gets a bit more complicated - check out - <table> + <table> for an example. -

    Emphasis

    - +

    Emphasis

    + Our documentation uses two flavors of emphasis - italics and bold type. DocBook uses one - - <emphasis>. + <emphasis>.

    - The <emphasis> tag defaults to italics when parsed. If you're looking for - emphasizing with bold type, use <emphasis role="strong">. -

    Indexing Your DocBook Documents

    + The <emphasis> tag defaults to italics when parsed. If you're looking for + emphasizing with bold type, use <emphasis role="strong">. +

    Indexing Your DocBook Documents

    Words that are marked as index-words are referenced in an index in the final, parsed document.

    Use - <indexterm>, - <primary> and - <secondary> + <indexterm>, + <primary> and + <secondary> for this. See these links for an explanation. -

    Converting to HTML

    Note

    This section is quoted almost verbatim from the LDP Author Guide.

    +

    Converting to HTML

    Note

    This section is quoted almost verbatim from the LDP Author Guide.

    Once you have the Docbook Tools installed, you can convert your xml documents to HTML or other formats. @@ -955,9 +954,9 @@ To generate a single HTML file from your DocBook XML file, use the command:

    -bash$ xsltproc -o outputfilename.xml /usr/share/sgml/docbook/stylesheet/xsl/nwalsh/html/html.xsl filename.xml
    +bash$ xsltproc -o outputfilename.xml /usr/share/sgml/docbook/stylesheet/xsl/nwalsh/html/html.xsl filename.xml
     

    Note

    - This example uses Daniel Veillard's xsltproc command available + This example uses Daniel Veillard's xsltproc command available as part of libxslt from http://www.xmlsoft.org/XSLT/. If you are using other XML processors such as Xalan or Saxon, you will need to change the command line appropriately. @@ -966,14 +965,14 @@ for each <chapter>, <sect1> or <appendix> tag, use the following command:

    -bash$ xsltproc /usr/share/sgml/docbook/stylesheet/xsl/nwalsh/html/chunk.xsl filename.xml
    +bash$ xsltproc /usr/share/sgml/docbook/stylesheet/xsl/nwalsh/html/chunk.xsl filename.xml
     

    You could also look at the acs-core-docs Makefile for examples of how these documents are generated. -

    Further Reading

    Further Reading

    • Using Xinclude

    • The LDP Author Guide has a lot of good information, a table of - docbook elements and their "look" in HTML and lots of good links + docbook elements and their "look" in HTML and lots of good links for tools.

    • James Clark @@ -997,7 +996,7 @@

    • In the process of transforming your HTML into XML, HTML tidy - can be a handy tool to make your HTML "regexp'able". + can be a handy tool to make your HTML "regexp'able". Brandoch Calef has made a Perl script with directions (now via archive.org) Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-constraint-naming.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-constraint-naming.html,v diff -u -r1.41.2.2 -r1.41.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-constraint-naming.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.41.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-constraint-naming.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.41.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Constraint naming standard

      Constraint naming standard

      By Michael Bryzek

      +Constraint naming standard

      Constraint naming standard

      By Michael Bryzek

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      The Big Picture

      +

      The Big Picture

      Constraint naming standard is important for one reason: The SYS_* name oracle assigns to unnamed constraints is not very understandable. By correctly naming all contraints, we can quickly associate a particular constraint @@ -11,14 +10,14 @@

      Why do we need a naming convention?

      Oracle limits names, in general, to 30 characters, which is hardly enough for a human readable constraint name. -

      Abbreviations

      +

      Abbreviations

      We propose the following naming convention for all constraints, with the following abbreviations taken from Oracle Docs at http://oradoc.photo.net/ora81/DOC/server.815/a67779/ch4e.htm#8953. Note that we shortened all of the constraint abbrevations to two characters to save room. -

      Constraint typeAbbreviation
      references (foreign key)fk
      uniqueun
      primary keypk
      checkck
      not nullnn

      Format of constraint name

      +

      Constraint typeAbbreviation
      references (foreign key)fk
      uniqueun
      primary keypk
      checkck
      not nullnn

      Format of constraint name

      <table name>_<column_name>_<constraint abbreviation>

      In reality, this won't be possible because of the character limitation on @@ -28,7 +27,7 @@

    • Truncate the column name until it fits.

    If the constraint name is still too long, you should consider rewriting your entire data model :) -

    Notes:

    • If you have to abbreviate the table name for one of the constraints, abbreviate it for all the constraints

    • If you are defining a multi column constraint, try to truncate the two column names evenly

    Example

    +

    Notes:

    • If you have to abbreviate the table name for one of the constraints, abbreviate it for all the constraints

    • If you are defining a multi column constraint, try to truncate the two column names evenly

    Example

     create table example_topics (
            topic_id    integer
     		   constraint example_topics_topic_id_pk
    @@ -52,7 +51,7 @@
            constraint cne_example_id_one_line_unq unique(example_id, one_line_description)
     );
     
    -

    Why it's good to name primary keys

    +

    Why it's good to name primary keys

    Naming primary keys might not have any obvious advantages. However, here's an example where naming the primary key really helps (and this is by no means a rare case! @@ -71,18 +70,18 @@ 3 1 INDEX (UNIQUE SCAN) OF 'EXAMPLE_TOPICS_TOPIC_ID_PK' (UNI QUE)

    -Isn't it nice to see "EXAMPLE_TOPICS_TOPIC_ID_PK" in the trace +Isn't it nice to see "EXAMPLE_TOPICS_TOPIC_ID_PK" in the trace and know exactly which table oracle is using at each step? -

    Naming not null constraints is optional...

    +

    Naming not null constraints is optional...

    People disagree on whether or not we should be naming not null constraints. So, if you want to name them, please do so and follow the above naming standard. But, naming not null constraints is not a requirement.

    About Naming the not null constraints

    -Though naming "not null" constraints doesn't help immeditately in error +Though naming "not null" constraints doesn't help immeditately in error debugging (e.g. the error will say something like -"Cannot insert null value into column"), we recommend naming not null +"Cannot insert null value into column"), we recommend naming not null constraints to be consistent in our naming of all constraints.

    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-filenaming.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-filenaming.html,v diff -u -r1.41.2.2 -r1.41.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-filenaming.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.41.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-filenaming.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.41.2.3 @@ -1,83 +1,82 @@ - -ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards

    ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards

    By Michael Yoon and Aurelius Prochazka

    +ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards

    ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards

    By Michael Yoon and Aurelius Prochazka

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    To ensure consistency (and its collateral benefit, maintainability), we define and adhere to standards in the following areas: -

    File Nomenclature

    +

    File Nomenclature

    Usually we organize our files so that they mainly serve one of the following three purposes:

    • displaying objects and their properties

    • manipulating or acting on objects in some way (by creating, editing, linking, etc)

    • housing procedures, packages, data models and other prerequisite code Essentially, we want our files named in a fashion that reflects their purpose.

    Under the page root (and the template root if using the Style package):

    • For naming files that enable a specific action on an object, use this format:

      -object-verb.extension +object-verb.extension

      For example, the page to erase a user's portrait from the database is -/admin/users/portrait-erase.tcl. +/admin/users/portrait-erase.tcl.

    • However, modules typically deal with only one primary type of object - e.g., the Bookmarks module deals mainly with bookmarks - and so action-type files in modules don't need to be specified by the object they act on. Example: the user pages -for the Bookmarks module live in the /bookmarks/ -directory, and so there is no need to name the bookmark editing page with a redundant url: /bookmarks/bookmark-edit.tcl. Instead, we omit the object type, and use this convention: +for the Bookmarks module live in the /bookmarks/ +directory, and so there is no need to name the bookmark editing page with a redundant url: /bookmarks/bookmark-edit.tcl. Instead, we omit the object type, and use this convention:

      -verb.extension +verb.extension

      -Thus, the page to edit a bookmark is /bookmarks/edit.tcl. +Thus, the page to edit a bookmark is /bookmarks/edit.tcl.

    • For naming files that display the properties of a primary object - such as the bookmark object within the bookmark module - use this convention:

      -one.extension +one.extension

      For example, the page to view one bookmark is -/bookmarks/one.tcl. Note that no verb is necessary for display-type files. +/bookmarks/one.tcl. Note that no verb is necessary for display-type files.

    • Otherwise, if the object to be displayed is not the primary feature of a module, simply omit the verb and use the object name:

      -object.extension +object.extension

      For example, the page to view the properties of an ecommerce product is -/ecommerce/product.tcl. -

    • For naming files in a page flow, use the convention:

      • foobar.extension (Step 1)

      • foobar-2.extension (Step 2)

      • ...

      • foobar-N.extension (Step N)

      -where foobar is determined by the above +/ecommerce/product.tcl. +

    • For naming files in a page flow, use the convention:

      • foobar.extension (Step 1)

      • foobar-2.extension (Step 2)

      • ...

      • foobar-N.extension (Step N)

      +where foobar is determined by the above rules.

      Typically, we use a three-step page flow when taking user information: -

      1. Present a form to the user

      2. Present a confirmation page to the user

      3. Perform the database transaction, then redirect

    • Put data model files in /www/doc/sql, and name them +

      1. Present a form to the user

      2. Present a confirmation page to the user

      3. Perform the database transaction, then redirect

    • Put data model files in /www/doc/sql, and name them for the modules towards which they are used:

      -module.sql +module.sql

    In the Tcl library directory:

    • For files that contain module-specific procedures, use the convention:

      -module-procs.tcl +module-procs.tcl

    • For files that contain procedures that are part of the core ACS, use the convention:

      -ad-description-procs.tcl -

    URLs

    +ad-description-procs.tcl +

    URLs

    File names also appear within pages, as linked URLs and form targets. When they do, always use abstract -URLs (e.g., user-delete instead of -user-delete.tcl), because they enhance maintainability. +URLs (e.g., user-delete instead of +user-delete.tcl), because they enhance maintainability.

    Similarly, when linking to the index page of a directory, do not -explicitly name the index file (index.tcl, -index.adp, index.html, etc.). Instead, use +explicitly name the index file (index.tcl, +index.adp, index.html, etc.). Instead, use just the directory name, for both relative links -(subdir/) and absolute links -(/top-level-dir/). If linking to the directory in which -the page is located, use the empty string (""), which +(subdir/) and absolute links +(/top-level-dir/). If linking to the directory in which +the page is located, use the empty string (""), which browsers will resolve correctly. -

    File Headers and Page Input

    +

    File Headers and Page Input

    Include the appropriate standard header in all scripts. The first line should be a comment specifying the file path relative to the ACS root directory. e.g. -

    +

    # /www/index.tcl -

    +

    or -

    +

    # /tcl/module-defs.tcl -

    +

    For static content files (html or adp), include a CVS identification tag as a comment at the top of the file, e.g.

    @@ -95,7 +94,7 @@
     This can be at the top or bottom of the file.
     

    Using ad_page_contract

    For non-library Tcl files (those not in the private Tcl directory), -use ad_page_contract +use ad_page_contract after the file path comment (this supersedes set_the_usual_form_variables and ad_return_complaint). Here is an example of using ad_page_contract, which serves both documentation and page input @@ -119,32 +118,32 @@ {persistent_cookie_p f} }

    -Salient features of ad_page_contract: +Salient features of ad_page_contract:

    • A mandatory documentation string is the first argument. This has the standard form with javadoc-style @author, @cvs-id, etc, and should contain a short description of the recieved variables and any necessary explanations.

    • The second argument specifies the page inputs. The syntax for switches/flags (e.g. multiple-list, array, etc.) uses a colon (:) followed by any number of flags separated by commas (,), -e.g. foo:integer,multiple,trim. In particular, multiple and -array are the flags that correspond to the old -ad_page_variables flags.

    • There are new flags: trim, notnull and -optional. They do what you'd expect; values will not be +e.g. foo:integer,multiple,trim. In particular, multiple and +array are the flags that correspond to the old +ad_page_variables flags.

    • There are new flags: trim, notnull and +optional. They do what you'd expect; values will not be trimmed, unless you mark them for it; empty strings are valid input, unless you specify notnull; and a specified variable will be considered required, -unless you declare it optional.

    • ad_page_contract can do validation for you: the flags integer -and sql_identifier will make sure that the values -supplied are integers/sql_identifiers. The integer flag +unless you declare it optional.

    • ad_page_contract can do validation for you: the flags integer +and sql_identifier will make sure that the values +supplied are integers/sql_identifiers. The integer flag will also trim leading zeros. Note that unless you specify -notnull, both will accept the empty string. -

    • Note that ad_page_contract does not generate +notnull, both will accept the empty string. +

    • Note that ad_page_contract does not generate QQvariables, which were automatically created by ad_page_variables and set_the_usual_form_variables. The use of bind variables makes such previous variable syntax obsolete.

    Using ad_library

    -For shared Tcl library files, use ad_library after +For shared Tcl library files, use ad_library after the file path comment. Its only argument is a doc_string in the standard (javadoc-style) format, like -ad_page_contract. Don't forget to put the @cvs-id in +ad_page_contract. Don't forget to put the @cvs-id in there. Here is an example of using ad_library:

     # tcl/wp-defs.tcl
    @@ -167,54 +166,54 @@
     --
     -- $Id$
     

    -Of course, replace "--" with the comment delimiter +Of course, replace "--" with the comment delimiter appropriate for the language in which you are programming. -

    Page Construction

    +

    Page Construction

    Construct the page as one Tcl variable (name it -page_content), and then send it back to the browser with -one call to doc_return, which will call +page_content), and then send it back to the browser with +one call to doc_return, which will call db_release_unused_handles prior to executing ns_return, effectively combining the two operations.

    For example:

    -set page_content "[ad_header "Page Title"]
    +set page_content "[ad_header "Page Title"]
     
     <h2>Page Title</h2>
     
     <hr>
     
     <ul>
    -"
    +"
     
     db_foreach get_row_info {
         select row_information 
         from bar
     } {
    -    append page_content "<li>row_information\n"
    +    append page_content "<li>row_information\n"
     }
     
    -append page_content "</ul>
    +append page_content "</ul>
     
    -[ad_footer]"
    +[ad_footer]"
     
     doc_return 200 text/html $page_content
     

    -The old convention was to call ReturnHeaders and -then ns_write for each distinct chunk of the page. This +The old convention was to call ReturnHeaders and +then ns_write for each distinct chunk of the page. This approach has the disadvantage of tying up a scarce and valuable resource (namely, a database handle) for an unpredictable amount of time while sending packets back to the browser, and so it should be avoided in most cases. (On the other hand, for a page that requires an expensive database query, it's better to call -ad_return_top_of_page +ad_return_top_of_page first, so that the user is not left to stare at an empty page while the query is running.)

    Local procedures (i.e., procedures defined and used only within one -page) should be prefixed with "module_" and +page) should be prefixed with "module_" and should be used rarely, only when they are exceedingly useful.

    All files that prepare HTML to display should end with [ad_footer] or @@ -225,7 +224,7 @@ edit ad_header (which quite possibly can start a <table>) and ad_footer (which may need to end the table started in ad_footer) to customize the look and feel of the entire site. -

    Tcl Library Files

    +

    Tcl Library Files

    Further standards for Tcl library files are under discussion; we plan to include naming conventions for procs.

    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-plsql.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-plsql.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-plsql.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-plsql.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -PL/SQL Standards

    PL/SQL Standards

    +PL/SQL Standards

    PL/SQL Standards

    By Richard Li and Yon Feldman

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited @@ -11,19 +10,19 @@ our product will be useful long after the current people building and maintaining it are around. Following are some standards and guidelines that will help us achieve this goal: -

    General

    1. +

      General

      1. All PL/SQL code must be well documented. We must write code that is maintainable by others, this is especially true in our case because we are building an open source toolkit than anyone can download and browse the source code. So document like you are - trying to impress your "Introduction to Programming" professor or + trying to impress your "Introduction to Programming" professor or TA.

      2. It is important to be consistent throughout an application as much as is possible given the nature of team development. This means carrying style and other conventions suchs as naming within an application, not just within one file. -

      Code

      1. +

      Code

      1. Encapsulation of related fuctionality is key to maintainability and upgradeability of our software. Try to bundle your code into packages @@ -54,16 +53,16 @@ show errors

      2. - Always use create or replace procedure|function - <proc_or_func_name>. It makes reloading packages much + Always use create or replace procedure|function + <proc_or_func_name>. It makes reloading packages much easier and painless to someone who is upgrading or fixing a bug.

      3. - Always qualify end statements, i.e., the - end statement for a package should be end - <package_name>;, not just end;; same + Always qualify end statements, i.e., the + end statement for a package should be end + <package_name>;, not just end;; same goes for procedures, functions, package bodies, and triggers.

      4. - Always use the "show errors" SQL*Plus command after each PL/SQL + Always use the "show errors" SQL*Plus command after each PL/SQL block. It will help you debug when there are compilation errors in your PL/SQL code.

      5. @@ -72,13 +71,13 @@ the v_* and *_in syntax in favor of named parameters notation:

         
        -      
        +      
                 acs_user.create(first_names => 'Jane', last_name => 'Doe', etc.)
        -      
        +      
                 instead of
        -      
        +      
                 acs_user.create(first_names_in => 'Jane', last_name_in => 'Doe', etc.)
        -      
        +      
              
         

        To achieve this we must fully qualify arguements passed into @@ -108,22 +107,22 @@ show errors

      6. - Explicitly designate each parameter as "in," "out," or "inout." + Explicitly designate each parameter as "in," "out," or "inout."

      7. Each parameter should be on its own line, with a tab after the parameter name, then in/out/inout, then a space, and finally the datatype.

      8. Use %TYPE and %ROWTYPE whenever possible.

      9. - Use 't' and 'f' for booleans, not the PL/SQL "boolean" datatype + Use 't' and 'f' for booleans, not the PL/SQL "boolean" datatype because it can't be used in SQL queries.

      10. - All new functions (e.g., acs_object.new, - party.new, etc.) should optionally accept an ID: + All new functions (e.g., acs_object.new, + party.new, etc.) should optionally accept an ID:

         
        -      
        +      
                 create or replace package acs_object
                 as
                     function new (
        @@ -134,15 +133,15 @@
                         creation_ip     in acs_objects.creation_ip%TYPE default null,
                         context_id      in acs_objects.context_id%TYPE default null
                    ) return acs_objects.object_id%TYPE;
        -     
        +     
             
         

        - takes the optional argument object_id. Do this to + takes the optional argument object_id. Do this to allow people to use the same API call when they are doing double click protection, that is, tehy have already gotten an - object_id and now they want to create the object with - that object_id. -

      Style

      + object_id and now they want to create the object with + that object_id. +

    Style

    Some general style guidelines to follow for the purpose of consistency across applications.

    1. Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-versioning.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-versioning.html,v diff -u -r1.44.2.2 -r1.44.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-versioning.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.44.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards-versioning.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.44.2.3 @@ -1,14 +1,11 @@ - -Release Version Numbering

      Release Version Numbering

      ($Id$)

      By Ron Henderson, Revised by Joel Aufrecht

      +Release Version Numbering

      Release Version Numbering

      ($Id$)

      By Ron Henderson, Revised by Joel Aufrecht

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

      OpenACS version numbers help identify at a high-level what is in a particular release and what has changed since the last release. -

      A "version number" is really just a string of the form: +

      A "version number" is really just a string of the form:

      major.minor.dot[ milestone ]

      • A major number change indicates a fundamental change in the architecture of the system, e.g. OpenACS 3 to ACS 4. A major change is required if core backwards compatibility is broken, if upgrade is non-trivial, or if the platform changes substantially.

      • A minor change represents the addition of new functionality or changed UI.

      • A dot holds only bug fixes and security patches. Dot releases are always recommended and safe.

      • A milestone marker indicates the state of the release:

        • d, for development, means the release is in active development and is not in its intended released form.

        • a, for alpha, means new development is complete and code checkins are frozen. Alpha builds should work well enough to be testable.

        • b, for beta, means most severe bugs are fixed and end users can start trying the release.

        • Release Candidate builds (rc) are believed to meet all of the criteria for release and can be installed on test instances of production systems.

        • Final releases have no milestone marker. (Exception: In CVS, they are tagged with -final to differentiate them from branch tags.)

        Milestone markers are numbered: d1, d2, ..., a1, b1, rc1, etc.

      A complete sequence of milestones between two releases:

      5.0.0
      @@ -24,7 +21,7 @@
       Version numbers are also recorded in the CVS repository so that the
       code tree can be restored to the exact state it was in for a
       particular release.  To translate between a distribution tar file
      -(acs-3.2.2.tar.gz) and a CVS tag, just swap '.' for '-'.The entire release history of the toolkit is recorded in the tags for the top-level readme.txt file:
      +(acs-3.2.2.tar.gz) and a CVS tag, just swap '.' for '-'.The entire release history of the toolkit is recorded in the tags for the top-level readme.txt file:
       

       > cvs log readme.txt
       RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/acs/readme.txt,v
      @@ -60,10 +57,10 @@
       

      In the future, OpenACS packages should follow this same convention on version numbers. -

      Transition Rules

      So what distinguishes an alpha release from a beta +

      Transition Rules

      So what distinguishes an alpha release from a beta release? Or from a production release? We follow a specific set of rules for how OpenACS makes the transition from one state of maturity to -the next. These rules are fine-tuned with each release; an example is 5.0.0 Milestones and Milestone Criteria

      Package Maturity

      +the next. These rules are fine-tuned with each release; an example is 5.0.0 Milestones and Milestone Criteria

      Package Maturity

      Each package has a maturity level. Maturity level is recorded in the .info file for each major-minor release of OpenACS, and is set to the appropriate value for that release of the package.

      @@ -74,23 +71,23 @@
               <callbacks>
                   ...
           
      • - Level -1: Incompatible. This package is not supported for this platform and should not be expected to work. + Level -1: Incompatible. This package is not supported for this platform and should not be expected to work.

      • - Level 0: New Submission. This is the default for packages that do not have maturity explicitly set, + Level 0: New Submission. This is the default for packages that do not have maturity explicitly set, and for new contributions. The only criterion for level 0 is that at least one person asserts that it works on a given platform.

      • - Level 1: Immature. Has no open priority 1 or priority 2 bugs. Has been installed by at least + Level 1: Immature. Has no open priority 1 or priority 2 bugs. Has been installed by at least 10? different people, including 1 core developer. Has been available in a stable release for at least 1 month. Has API documentation.

      • - Level 2: Mature. Same as Level 1, plus has install guide and user documentation; + Level 2: Mature. Same as Level 1, plus has install guide and user documentation; no serious deviations from general coding practices; no namespace conflicts with existing level 2 packages.

      • - Level 3: Mature and Standard. Same as level 2, plus meets published coding standards; + Level 3: Mature and Standard. Same as level 2, plus meets published coding standards; is fully internationalized; available on both supported databases. -

      Naming Database Upgrade Scripts

      Database upgrade scripts must be named very precisely in order for the Package Manager to run the correct script at the correct time.

      1. Upgrade scripts should be named /packages/myfirstpackage/sql/postgresql/upgrade/upgrade-OLDVERSION-NEWVERSION.sql

      2. If the version you are working on is a later version than the current released version, OLDVERSION should be the current version. The current version is package version in the APM and in /packages/myfirstpackage/myfirstpackage.info. So if forums is at 2.0.1, OLDVERSION should be 2.0.1d1. Note that this means that new version development that includes an upgrade must start at d2, not d1. -

      3. If you are working on a pre-release version of a package, use the current package version as OLDVERSION. Increment the package version as appropriate (see above) and use the new version as NEWVERSION. For example, if you are working on 2.0.1d3, make it 2.0.1d4 and use upgrade-2.0.1d3-2.0.1d4.sql.

      4. Database upgrades should be confined to development releases, not alpha or beta releases.

      5. +

      Naming Database Upgrade Scripts

      Database upgrade scripts must be named very precisely in order for the Package Manager to run the correct script at the correct time.

      1. Upgrade scripts should be named /packages/myfirstpackage/sql/postgresql/upgrade/upgrade-OLDVERSION-NEWVERSION.sql

      2. If the version you are working on is a later version than the current released version, OLDVERSION should be the current version. The current version is package version in the APM and in /packages/myfirstpackage/myfirstpackage.info. So if forums is at 2.0.1, OLDVERSION should be 2.0.1d1. Note that this means that new version development that includes an upgrade must start at d2, not d1. +

      3. If you are working on a pre-release version of a package, use the current package version as OLDVERSION. Increment the package version as appropriate (see above) and use the new version as NEWVERSION. For example, if you are working on 2.0.1d3, make it 2.0.1d4 and use upgrade-2.0.1d3-2.0.1d4.sql.

      4. Database upgrades should be confined to development releases, not alpha or beta releases.

      5. Never use a final release number as a NEWVERSION. If you do, then it is impossible to add any more database upgrades without incrementing the overall package version.

      6. Use only the d, a, and b letters in OLDVERSION and NEWVERSION. rc is not supported by OpenACS APM.

      7. The distance from OLDVERSION to NEWVERSION should never span a release. For example if we had a bug fix in -acs-kernel on 5.1.0 you wouldn't want a file upgrade-5.0.4-5.1.0d1.sql since if you subsequently need to provide a 5.0.4-5.0.5 upgrade you will have to rename the 5.0.4-5.1.0 upgrade since you can't have upgrades which overlap like that. Instead, use upgrade-5.1.0d1-5.1.0d2.sql +acs-kernel on 5.1.0 you wouldn't want a file upgrade-5.0.4-5.1.0d1.sql since if you subsequently need to provide a 5.0.4-5.0.5 upgrade you will have to rename the 5.0.4-5.1.0 upgrade since you can't have upgrades which overlap like that. Instead, use upgrade-5.1.0d1-5.1.0d2.sql

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards.html,v diff -u -r1.25.2.1 -r1.25.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.25.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/eng-standards.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.25.2.2 @@ -1,4 +1,3 @@ - -Chapter�12.�Engineering Standards
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/ext-auth-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/ext-auth-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.33.2.2 -r1.33.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/ext-auth-requirements.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.33.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/ext-auth-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.33.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -External Authentication Requirements

      External Authentication Requirements

      Vision

      People have plenty of usernames and passwords already, we +External Authentication Requirements

      External Authentication Requirements

      Vision

      People have plenty of usernames and passwords already, we don't want them to have yet another. We want people to be able to log in to OpenACS with the same password they use to log in to any other system.

      Besides, administrators have better things to do than create @@ -8,7 +7,7 @@ log on to OpenACS, an account will automatically be created for them here.

      Finally, security is increased with fewer passwords, since users generally can't remember all those passwords, so they tend to -keep them all the same and never change them.

      Design Goals

      • Transparent: Users don't have to do anything special to +keep them all the same and never change them.

      Design Goals

      • Transparent: Users don't have to do anything special to get an account on the local OpenACS system, if they already have an account on the external authentication server.

      • Fall-back: Users who don't have an account on the external authentication server are still allowed to create a local @@ -36,19 +35,19 @@ the other hand very modular to enable a start with minimal requirements (driver implementations) as soon as possible.

      The problem can be split into several logically separate -parts. Each has a section below.

      Terminology

      • Authority: The name of an authority trusted to authenticate +parts. Each has a section below.

      Terminology

      • Authority: The name of an authority trusted to authenticate users.

      • Authentication Driver: An implementation of the authentication service contract, which talks to an authentication of a certain type, e.g. PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, or Active Directory.

      • Authentication API: The API through which login pages and applications talk to the authentication service. There's one and only one implementation of the authentication API, namly the one included in OpenACS Core.

      • Authentication Driver API: The service contract which - authentication drivers implement.

      Conceptual Pictures

      Authentication:

      -

      Account Management (NO PICTURE YET)

      Batch Synchronization (NO PICTURE YET)

      Requirements

      New API

      FeatureStatusDescription
      New API
      EXT-AUTH-01AExtend Authentication/Acct Status API
      EXT-AUTH-03AAccount Creation API
      EXT-AUTH-05APassword Management API
      EXT-AUTH-30AAuthority Management API

      Login

      FeatureStatusDescription
      Login
      EXT-AUTH-04ARewrite login, register, and admin pages to use APIs
      EXT-AUTH-38Aad_form complain feature
      EXT-AUTH-19ARewrite password recovery to use API
      EXT-AUTH-21ARewrite email verification with API
      EXT-AUTH-28AUsername is email switch

      Users will log in using a username, a authority, and a + authentication drivers implement.

    Conceptual Pictures

    Authentication:

    +

    Account Management (NO PICTURE YET)

    Batch Synchronization (NO PICTURE YET)

    Requirements

    New API

    FeatureStatusDescription
    New API
    EXT-AUTH-01AExtend Authentication/Acct Status API
    EXT-AUTH-03AAccount Creation API
    EXT-AUTH-05APassword Management API
    EXT-AUTH-30AAuthority Management API

    Login

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Login
    EXT-AUTH-04ARewrite login, register, and admin pages to use APIs
    EXT-AUTH-38Aad_form complain feature
    EXT-AUTH-19ARewrite password recovery to use API
    EXT-AUTH-21ARewrite email verification with API
    EXT-AUTH-28AUsername is email switch

    Users will log in using a username, a authority, and a password. The authority is the source for user/password verification. OpenACS can be an authority itself.

    Each user in OpenACS will belong to exactly one authority, which -can either be the "local" OpenACS users table, in which case the +can either be the "local" OpenACS users table, in which case the password column is used, or it can be some external authority, which will be communicated with using some protocol, as implemented by an authentication driver.

    Username will be separate from email address. It can be an @@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ [Forgot my password] [New user registration]

    If there's only one active authority, we don't display the -authority drop-down element at all.

    Configuration

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Configuration
    EXT-AUTH-07AAdmin pages to control Ext-Auth parameters

    The site-wide systems administrator can configure the +authority drop-down element at all.

    Configuration

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Configuration
    EXT-AUTH-07AAdmin pages to control Ext-Auth parameters

    The site-wide systems administrator can configure the authentication process from a page linked under /acs-admin.

    • Authorities - ordered list of authorities defined

    • Account Registration Allowed: Yes/No. Account registration can be disabled altogether.

    • Registration authority - the authority in which accounts should be created, using the relevant driver, if account registration is @@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ other drivers call external functions. The possible functions for each authority are split into several drivers for convenience. One driver handles authentication, one account creation, and one - changing passwords.

      FeatureStatusDescription
      create service contract
      EXT-AUTH-16ACreate service contract for Authentication
      EXT-AUTH-17ACreate service contract for Acct. Creation
      EXT-AUTH-29ACreate service contract for Passwd Management
      FeatureStatusDescription
      EXT-AUTH-18AAuthority configuration data model

      Each authority is defined like this:

      • Authority pretty-name, e.g. "URZ"

      • Authentication Driver, e.g. "RADIUS". In practice, this + changing passwords.

        FeatureStatusDescription
        create service contract
        EXT-AUTH-16ACreate service contract for Authentication
        EXT-AUTH-17ACreate service contract for Acct. Creation
        EXT-AUTH-29ACreate service contract for Passwd Management
        FeatureStatusDescription
        EXT-AUTH-18AAuthority configuration data model

        Each authority is defined like this:

        • Authority pretty-name, e.g. "URZ"

        • Authentication Driver, e.g. "RADIUS". In practice, this would be a reference to a service contract implementation.

        • Authentication Driver configuration settings, e.g. host name, port, etc., as required by the particular driver. Note that @@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ trying to use the authentication driver's password management features.

        • ChangePasswordUrl - a URL to redirect to instead of trying to use the authentication driver's password management - features.

        • Account Creation Driver, e.g. "RADIUS". In practice, this + features.

        • Account Creation Driver, e.g. "RADIUS". In practice, this would be a reference to a service contract implementation. The reason we have separate drivers for authentication and account creation is that organizations are likely to have a home-grown @@ -114,10 +113,10 @@ find a mechanism for the driver to tell us which configuration options are available, a way to set these, and a way for the driver to access these settings.

          OpenACS will come pre-configured with one authority, which is -the "local" authority, meaning we'll authenticate as normal using the +the "local" authority, meaning we'll authenticate as normal using the local users table. This will, just like any other authority, be implemetned using a service contract.

        Synchronizing -and Linking Users

        FeatureStatusDescription
        Synchronizing and linking users
        EXT-AUTH-28ACreate service contract for Batch Sync.
        EXT-AUTH-38ABatch User Synchronization API
        EXT-AUTH-38AIMS Synchronization driver
        EXT-AUTH-08AAutomation of batch Synchronization
        EXT-AUTH-15BOn-demand syncronization

        Regardless of the login method, the user needs to have a row +and Linking Users

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Synchronizing and linking users
    EXT-AUTH-28ACreate service contract for Batch Sync.
    EXT-AUTH-38ABatch User Synchronization API
    EXT-AUTH-38AIMS Synchronization driver
    EXT-AUTH-08AAutomation of batch Synchronization
    EXT-AUTH-15BOn-demand syncronization

    Regardless of the login method, the user needs to have a row in the OpenACS users table. This can happen through a batch job, in real-time, or both in combination. We use the IMS Enterprise 1.1 specification.

    Batch job means that we do a synchronization (import new users, modify changed, purge deleted) on a regular interval, e.g. @@ -130,23 +129,23 @@ be remedied by using the real-time solution. The batch job will also require error logging and an admin interface to view logs.

    If an email already belongs to some other user, we log it as an error.

    A user will always belong to exactly one authority, which can be -either the "local" authority or some other. Thus, the OpenACS user's +either the "local" authority or some other. Thus, the OpenACS user's table will have to be augmented with the following columns:

    • Authority. Reference to the site-wide authorities list. The authority which can authenticate this user.

    • Authority-specific username.

    Real-time means that the first time the user logs into OpenACS, we'll query the authority that authenticated him for information about this user. That authentication authority will then give us at least first names, last name and email. The pros and cons are the opposite of batch jobs. Using both in combination -is ideal.

    Note: One solution to the "two users from different authorities -have the same email" problem above would be to allow users to +is ideal.

    Note: One solution to the "two users from different authorities +have the same email" problem above would be to allow users to belong to multiple authorities. Then we would notice that the email already exists, ask the user if he thinks he's the same person, and if so, ask him to prove so by authenticating using the other authority. Thus he'll have just authenticated in two different authorities, and we can record that this is the same person. We'd still have a problem if there was an email conflict between two accounts on the same authority. Hm. I don't think it's worth spending too much -time trying to solve this problem through software.

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-31
    EXT-AUTH-31AUpgrade user data model for ext-auth

    After having authenticated using the relevant authority driver, +time trying to solve this problem through software.

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-31
    EXT-AUTH-31AUpgrade user data model for ext-auth

    After having authenticated using the relevant authority driver, we'll look for the username/authority pair in the users table.

    If we don't find any, that means that we're either not doing batch synchronizing, or that the user has been added since the last sync. In that case, we'll try to do a real-time synchronization, if @@ -155,9 +154,9 @@ create a row in the local users table using that information.

    If that doesn't work, we'll tell the user that their account isn't yet available, and the driver will supply a message for us, -which could say "The account should be available tomorrow. If not, -contact X."

    Account -Registration

    If a user doesn't have an account, the site-wide +which could say "The account should be available tomorrow. If not, +contact X."

    Account +Registration

    If a user doesn't have an account, the site-wide configuration can allow the user to register for one, as defined in the configuration discussed above. This section is about normal account registration through a authority driver.

    The account creation service contract implementation will @@ -167,45 +166,45 @@ message.

  • Account status: Is the account ready for use?

  • User information: first_names, last_name, email, url, password, password_hash, secret_question, secret_answer. The driver only needs to return the columns which were changed or added - through the registration process. Typically, only the "local" + through the registration process. Typically, only the "local" driver will return password and secret question/answer.

  • After creating the remote account, a local account is created with the information gathered through the form/returned by the driver.

    By default, a local account creation implementation is provided, which will create a new OpenACS user, and, in addition to the default local account creation above, also store the password in hashed form.

    Password -Management

    Password management is about changing password, retrieving +Management

    Password management is about changing password, retrieving password, and resetting password.

    It's up to the authority driver implementation to decide whether to support any or all of these features, and to say so using the CanXXX methods (see driver API below).

    Additionally, the authority can be configured with a URL to redirect to in the case of forgotten passwords, or when the user desires to change password.

    Login Pages Over -HTTPS

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-20
    EXT-AUTH-20ALogin over HTTPS

    Login pages must be able to be sent over a secure connection +HTTPS

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-20
    EXT-AUTH-20ALogin over HTTPS

    Login pages must be able to be sent over a secure connection (https), so your password won't get sent over the wire in cleartext, while leaving the rest of the site non-secure (http). I believe that this requires some (minor) changes to the current session handling code.

    Email -Verification

    Email verification needs to be handled both at registration +Verification

    Email verification needs to be handled both at registration and at login.

    In both cases, it'll be handled by the driver sending automatically sending the email containing a link for the user to verify his account. Then the driver will return an account status -of "closed,temporary", and a message that says "Check your inbox -and click the link in the email".

    OpenACS will have a page which receives the email +of "closed,temporary", and a message that says "Check your inbox +and click the link in the email".

    OpenACS will have a page which receives the email verification, for use by local accounts. Other authorities will have to implement their own page, most likely on the authority's -own server.

    Other Items

    There are a number of items which touch on external +own server.

    Other Items

    There are a number of items which touch on external authentication and session management. And even though they're not directly linked to external authentication, I would recommend that we handle a number of them, either because they're important for security, or because it makes sense to fix them while we're messing with this part of the codebase anyway.

    Recommended: -Untrusted Logins and Login Levels

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-33
    EXT-AUTH-33AUntrusted Logins

    I like the idea of having multiple login levels:

    1. Not logged in

    2. Untrusted login: We'll show you un-sensitive personal +Untrusted Logins and Login Levels

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-33
    EXT-AUTH-33AUntrusted Logins

    I like the idea of having multiple login levels:

    1. Not logged in

    2. Untrusted login: We'll show you un-sensitive personal content, but won't let you modify anything or see personal data. A normal login becomes untrusted after a certain amount of time, and the user will have to re-enter his/her password in order to gain access to personal data. Untrusted login never expires, unless explicitly done so through either changing password or clicking a - special "expire all logins" link.

    3. Normal login: The user is logged, and has type his + special "expire all logins" link.

    4. Normal login: The user is logged, and has type his password sufficiently recently that we trust the login. All normal operations are allowed. Will degrade to untrusted login after a specified amount of time.

    5. Secure login: The user is logged in over a secure @@ -224,19 +223,19 @@ example, we could let you browse publically available forums, and only when you want to post do you need to log in. This makes it even more feasible to have a more secure login expiration -setting.

      By default, auth::require_login would +setting.

      By default, auth::require_login would bounce to the login page if the user is only logged in at the untrusted level. Only if you explicitly say -auth::require_login -untrusted will we give you +auth::require_login -untrusted will we give you the user_id of a user who's only logged in in untrusted -mode.

      Similarly, ad_conn user_id will continue +mode.

      Similarly, ad_conn user_id will continue to return 0 (not logged in) when the user is only logged in -untrusted, and we'll supply another variable, ad_conn -untrusted_user_id, which wlll be set to the user_id for +untrusted, and we'll supply another variable, ad_conn +untrusted_user_id, which wlll be set to the user_id for all login levels.

      This should ensure that we get full access to the new feature, while leaving all current code just as secure as it was before.

    Recommended: -Make Non-Persistent Login Work

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-34
    EXT-AUTH-34AExpire Logins

    Currently, OpenACS is unusable in practice without persistent +Make Non-Persistent Login Work

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-34
    EXT-AUTH-34AExpire Logins

    Currently, OpenACS is unusable in practice without persistent login. The login will expire after just a few minutes of inactivity, and you'll get bounced to the login page where you have to enter both email and password again. Unacceptable in @@ -248,14 +247,14 @@ should be configurable and default to something reasonable like an hour or so.

    This will require looking into and changing the design of the current session handling code.

    Recommended: -Single-Sign-On

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-23
    EXT-AUTH-23Single sign-on

    Instead of redirecting to the login page, auth::require_login +Single-Sign-On

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-23
    EXT-AUTH-23Single sign-on

    Instead of redirecting to the login page, auth::require_login can redirect to an authentication server, which can redirect back to a page that logs the user in. This should be very easy to implement.

    Alternatively, if you want to combine this with fallback to OpenACS accounts, we would instead present the normal login screen, -but put a button which says "Login using X", where X is the +but put a button which says "Login using X", where X is the redirection-based external authority.

    Recommended: -Expire All Logins

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-22
    EXT-AUTH-22Brewrite cookie handling

    Currently, if you've ever left a permanent login cookie on +Expire All Logins

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-22
    EXT-AUTH-22Brewrite cookie handling

    Currently, if you've ever left a permanent login cookie on someone elses machine, that person will be forever logged in until he/she explicitly logs out. You can change your password, you can do anything you want, but unless a logout is requested from that @@ -271,28 +270,28 @@ so we'll need to cache the secret token, or only check it when refreshing the session cookie, which, I believe, normally happens every 10 minutes or so.

    Recommended: -Email account owner on password change

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-24
    EXT-AUTH-24AEmail on password change

    As an additional security measure, we should email the +Email account owner on password change

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-24
    EXT-AUTH-24AEmail on password change

    As an additional security measure, we should email the account's email address whenever the password is changed, so that he/she is at least alerted to the fact.

    Optional: -Password policy

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-25
    EXT-AUTH-25AImplement password policy

    Again, to increase security, we should add password policies, +Password policy

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-25
    EXT-AUTH-25AImplement password policy

    Again, to increase security, we should add password policies, such as passwords needing to be changed after a certain number of days, change on next login (after a new random password has been generated), or requiring that the password satisfies certain complexity rules, i.e. both upper and lowercase characters, numbers, special chars, etc.

    It would good to extend the current maximum password length from 10 to at least 32 characters.

    Optional: -Login Without Explicit Authority

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-26
    EXT-AUTH-26BLogin without explicit domain

    In order to make it easier for people, we've been toying with -the idea of a functionality like this:

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-26
    EXT-AUTH-26BLogin without explicit domain

    In order to make it easier for people, we've been toying with +the idea of a functionality like this:

    If this is deemed desirable, a way to implement this would be + username = "foo@bar.com", authority = "local".

    If this is deemed desirable, a way to implement this would be through these settings:

    Optional: Who's Online

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-27
    EXT-AUTH-27BWho's online list

    While we're touching the session handling code, anyway, it +

    Optional: Who's Online

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-27
    EXT-AUTH-27BWho's online list

    While we're touching the session handling code, anyway, it would be nice to add a feature to show who's currently online, a nice real-time collaboration feature frequently requested by members of the community. This is particularly interesting when @@ -314,16 +313,16 @@ which authenticated users have requested pags on the site in the last x minutes (typically about 5), and thus are considered to be currently online. There's nothing more to it. This lets us display -a list of "active users" somewhere on the site, and make their name +a list of "active users" somewhere on the site, and make their name a link to a real-time chat service like Jabber.

    We've already made the changes necessary to security-procs.tcl to do this on an earlier project, but haven't quite finished the work and put it back into the tree.

    Optional: -Subsite-level configuration

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-28
    EXT-AUTH-28implement subsite-level config

    If we want to, we could let subsite administrators configure +Subsite-level configuration

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-28
    EXT-AUTH-28implement subsite-level config

    If we want to, we could let subsite administrators configure the login process for that particular subsite. This would probably only entail letting the subsite admin leave out certain authorities defined site-wide, and change the sort order.

    I think we should leave this out until we have a use case for it, someone who'd need it.

    Future: -Making the Authentication API itself a service contract

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-32
    EXT-AUTH-32AParameters for Service Contract Implementation
    EXT-AUTH-35AMake the Authentication API a service contract

    For completely free-form authentication logic and mechanisms, +Making the Authentication API itself a service contract

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-32
    EXT-AUTH-32AParameters for Service Contract Implementation
    EXT-AUTH-35AMake the Authentication API a service contract

    For completely free-form authentication logic and mechanisms, something like Andrew Grumet's Pluggable Authentication for OACS Draft is interesting. He's @@ -334,10 +333,10 @@ people are going to want to use a username/password-based scheme, and having easy configuration through a web UI is more important than total flexibility at this point.

    Besides, we can always do this in the future, by letting the -public Authentication API (auth::require_login -and auth::authenticate) be implemented through a +public Authentication API (auth::require_login +and auth::authenticate) be implemented through a service contract.

    Future: -Authenticating against multiple servers simultaneously

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-36
    EXT-AUTH-36AAuthenticate against multiple servers

    Both OKI and OpenACS supports a form of stacking, where you +Authenticating against multiple servers simultaneously

    FeatureStatusDescription
    EXT-AUTH-36
    EXT-AUTH-36AAuthenticate against multiple servers

    Both OKI and OpenACS supports a form of stacking, where you can be logged into multiple authorities at the same time. This is useful if, for example, you need to get login tokens such as Kerberos tickets for access to shared resources.

    I can see the value in this, but for simplicity's sake, I'm @@ -351,15 +350,15 @@ etc. But at the moment, we don't have any users of such things that are ready. We have some who are on the steps, but let's wait till they're there.

    Implement -Specific Drivers

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Implement specific drivers
    EXT-AUTH-09ACreate Auth. drivers for Local Authority
    EXT-AUTH-10ACreate Acct. Creation driver for Local Authority
    EXT-AUTH-11ACreate Auth. driver for PAM
    EXT-AUTH-12XCreate Acct. Creation driver for PAM - this - functionality is explicitly excluded from PAM
    EXT-AUTH-13ACreate Acct. Creation driver for LDAP
    EXT-AUTH-14ACreate Auth. driver for LDAP

    We'll need drivers for:

    FeatureStatusDescription
    Implement specific drivers
    EXT-AUTH-09ACreate Auth. drivers for Local Authority
    EXT-AUTH-10ACreate Acct. Creation driver for Local Authority
    EXT-AUTH-11ACreate Auth. driver for PAM
    EXT-AUTH-12XCreate Acct. Creation driver for PAM - this + functionality is explicitly excluded from PAM
    EXT-AUTH-13ACreate Acct. Creation driver for LDAP
    EXT-AUTH-14ACreate Auth. driver for LDAP

    We'll need drivers for:

    RADIUS

    RADIUS is a simple username/password-type authentication + supported).

  • RADIUS

  • LDAP

  • RADIUS

    RADIUS is a simple username/password-type authentication server.

    It also supports sending a challenge to which the user must respond with the proper answer (e.g. mother's maiden name, or could be additional password), but we will not support this @@ -368,12 +367,12 @@ in Python can be found in the exUserFolder module for Zope -(documentation).

    Feedback

    We'd really appreciate feedback on this proposal. Please +(documentation).

    Feedback

    We'd really appreciate feedback on this proposal. Please follow up at this -openacs.org forums thread.

    References

    References

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    1Updated work-in-progress for consortium-sponsored ext-auth work at Collaboraid.20 Aug 2003Joel Aufrecht
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + Passport.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    1Updated work-in-progress for consortium-sponsored ext-auth work at Collaboraid.20 Aug 2003Joel Aufrecht
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/filename.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/filename.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/filename.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/filename.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Detailed Design Documentation Template

    Detailed Design Documentation Template

    By You

    Start Note

    +Detailed Design Documentation Template

    Detailed Design Documentation Template

    By You

    Start Note

    NOTE: Some of the sections of this template may not apply to your package, e.g. there may be no user-visible UI elements for a component of the OpenACS Core. Furthermore, it may be easier in some circumstances @@ -11,19 +10,19 @@ your own judgment, consult with peers when possible, and adapt intelligently.

    - Also, bear in mind the audience for detailed design: fellow + Also, bear in mind the audience for detailed design: fellow programmers who want to maintain/extend the software, AND parties interested in evaluating software quality. -

    Essentials

    +

    Essentials

    When applicable, each of the following items should receive its own link: -

    • User directory

    • OpenACS administrator directory

    • Subsite administrator directory

    • Tcl script directory (link to the API browser page for the package)

    • PL/SQL file (link to the API browser page for the package)

    • Data model

    • Requirements document

    • ER diagram

    • Transaction flow diagram

    Introduction

    +

    • User directory

    • OpenACS administrator directory

    • Subsite administrator directory

    • Tcl script directory (link to the API browser page for the package)

    • PL/SQL file (link to the API browser page for the package)

    • Data model

    • Requirements document

    • ER diagram

    • Transaction flow diagram

    Introduction

    This section should provide an overview of the package and address at least the following issues:

    • What this package is intended to allow the user (or different classes of users) to accomplish.

    • Within reasonable bounds, what this package is not intended to allow users to accomplish.

    • The application domains where this package is most likely to be of use.

    • A high-level overview of how the package meets its requirements (which should have been documented elsewhere). This - is to include relevant material from the "features" section of the + is to include relevant material from the "features" section of the cover sheet (the cover sheet is a wrapper doc with links to all other package docs).

    Also worthy of treatment in this section: @@ -33,15 +32,15 @@ Note: it's entirely possible that a discussion of what a package is not intended to do differs from a discussion of future improvements for the package. -

    Historical Considerations

    +

    Historical Considerations

    For a given set of requirements, typically many possible implementations and solutions exist. Although eventually only one solution is implemented, a discussion of the alternative solutions canvassed - noting why they were rejected - proves helpful to both current and future developers. All readers would be reminded as to why and how the particular solution developed over time, avoiding re-analysis of problems already solved. -

    Competitive Analysis

    +

    Competitive Analysis

    Although currently only a few package documentation pages contain a discussion of competing software, (e.g. chat, portals), this section should be present whenever such competition exists. @@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ lacks.

    Note that such a discussion may differ from a discussion of a package's potential future improvements. -

    Design Tradeoffs

    +

    Design Tradeoffs

    No single design solution can optimize every desirable software attribute. For example, an increase in the security of a system will likely entail a decrease in its ease-of-use, and an increase in the @@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ should include a discussion of the tradeoffs involved with the design chosen, and the reasons for your choices. Some areas of importance to keep in mind are: -

    Areas of interest to users:

    • Performance: availability and efficiency

    • Flexibility

    • Interoperability

    • Reliability and robustness

    • Usability

    Areas of interest to developers:

    • Maintainability

    • Portability

    • Reusability

    • Testability

    API

    +

    Areas of interest to users:

    • Performance: availability and efficiency

    • Flexibility

    • Interoperability

    • Reliability and robustness

    • Usability

    Areas of interest to developers:

    • Maintainability

    • Portability

    • Reusability

    • Testability

    API

    Here's where you discuss the abstractions used by your package, such as the procedures encapsulating the legal transactions on the data model. Explain the organization of procedures and their @@ -80,10 +79,10 @@ handle transactions, instead of encapsulating them via procedures). Experience has taught us that we need to focus on the API for maintainability of our systems in the face of constant change. -

    Data Model Discussion

    +

    Data Model Discussion

    The data model discussion should do more than merely display the SQL code, since this information is already be available via a link in the - "essentials" section above. Instead, there should be a high-level + "essentials" section above. Instead, there should be a high-level discussion of how your data model meets your solution requirements: why the database entities were defined as they are, and what transactions you expect to occur. (There may be some overlap with the @@ -94,10 +93,10 @@ itself.

  • If a core service or other subsystem is being used (e.g., the new parties and groups, permissions, etc.) this should also be mentioned.

  • Any default permissions should be identified herein.

  • Discuss any data model extensions which tie into other - packages.

  • Transactions

    Discuss modifications which the database may undergo from + packages.

  • Transactions

    Discuss modifications which the database may undergo from your package. Consider grouping legal transactions according to the invoking user class, i.e. transactions by an OpenACS-admin, by - subsite-admin, by a user, by a developer, etc.

  • User Interface

    + subsite-admin, by a user, by a developer, etc.

    User Interface

    In this section, discuss user interface issues and pages to be built; you can organize by the expected classes of users. These may include:

    • Developers

    • OpenACS administrators (previously known as site-wide administrators)

    • Subsite administrators

    • End users

    @@ -108,32 +107,32 @@

    Note: In order that developer documentation be uniform across different system documents, these users should herein be designated as - "the developer," "the OpenACS-admin," "the sub-admin," and "the user," + "the developer," "the OpenACS-admin," "the sub-admin," and "the user," respectively.

    Finally, note that as our templating system becomes more entrenched within the OpenACS, this section's details are likely to shift from UI specifics to template interface specifics. -

    Configuration/Parameters

    - Under OpenACS 5.3.1, parameters are set at two levels: at the global level by +

    Configuration/Parameters

    + Under OpenACS 5.3.2, parameters are set at two levels: at the global level by the OpenACS-admin, and at the subsite level by a sub-admin. In this section, list and discuss both levels of parameters. -

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    +

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    If the system presently lacks useful/desirable features, note details here. You could also comment on non-functional improvements to the package, such as usability.

    - Note that a careful treatment of the earlier "competitive analysis" + Note that a careful treatment of the earlier "competitive analysis" section can greatly facilitate the documenting of this section. -

    Authors

    +

    Authors

    Although a system's data model file often contains this information, this isn't always the case. Furthermore, data model files often undergo substantial revision, making it difficult to track down the system creator. An additional complication: package documentation may be authored by people not directly involved in coding. Thus to avoid unnecessary confusion, include email links to the following roles as they may apply: -

    • System creator

    • System owner

    • Documentation author

    Revision History

    +

    • System creator

    • System owner

    • Documentation author

    Revision History

    The revision history table below is for this template - modify it as needed for your actual design document.

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.3Edited further, incorporated feedback from Michael Yoon9/05/2000Kai Wu
    0.2Edited8/22/2000Kai Wu
    0.1Creation8/21/2000Josh Finkler, Audrey McLoghlin
    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/for-everyone.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/for-everyone.html,v diff -u -r1.22.2.1 -r1.22.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/for-everyone.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.22.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/for-everyone.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.22.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Part�I.�OpenACS For Everyone
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Part�I.�OpenACS For Everyone

    Part�I.�OpenACS For Everyone

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/form-builder.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/form-builder.html,v diff -u -r1.23.2.2 -r1.23.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/form-builder.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.23.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/form-builder.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.23.2.3 @@ -1,30 +1,29 @@ - -Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically

    Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically

    Overview

    ($Id$)
    +Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically

    Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically

    Overview

    ($Id$)
    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    OpenACS has a form manager called ad_form. Ad_form has an adaptable UI. Error handling includes inline error reporting, and is customizable. However, ad_form can be tricky to use. In addition to this document, the ad_form api - documentation is helpful.

    Multi-part Elements

    Some elements have more than one choice, or can submit more than one value.

    SELECT elements

    1. Creating the form element.�Populate a list of lists with values for the option list.

      set foo_options [db_list_of_lists foo_option_list "
      + documentation is helpful.

    Multi-part Elements

    Some elements have more than one choice, or can submit more than one value.

    SELECT elements

    1. Creating the form element.�Populate a list of lists with values for the option list.

      set foo_options [db_list_of_lists foo_option_list "
           select foo,
                  foo_id
             from foos
      -"]
      -

      The variable foo_options should resemble {{first foo} 1234} {{second foo} 1235} -

      Within ad_form, set up the element to use this list:

      {foo:text(select)
      -        {label "Which Foo"}
      +"]
      +

      The variable foo_options should resemble {{first foo} 1234} {{second foo} 1235} +

      Within ad_form, set up the element to use this list:

      {foo:text(select)
      +        {label "Which Foo"}
               {options $foo_options}
      -    }

      This will result in a single name/value pair coming back in the submitted form. Handle this within the same ad_form structure, in the -new_data and -edit_data. In the example, it is available as $foo

    See also the - W3C spec for "The SELECT, OPTGROUP, and OPTION elements". + }

    This will result in a single name/value pair coming back in the submitted form. Handle this within the same ad_form structure, in the -new_data and -edit_data. In the example, it is available as $foo

    See also the + W3C spec for "The SELECT, OPTGROUP, and OPTION elements".

    Using refreshes to pull additional information from the - database

    A situation you may run into often is where you want to pull + database

    A situation you may run into often is where you want to pull in form items from a sub-category when the first category is selected. Ad_form makes this fairly easy to do. In the definition of your form element, include an html section

        {pm_task_id:integer(select),optional
    -        {label "Subject"}
    +        {label "Subject"}
             {options {$task_options}}
    -        {html {onChange "document.form_name.__refreshing_p.value='1';submit()"}}
    +        {html {onChange "document.form_name.__refreshing_p.value='1';submit()"}}
             {value $pm_task_id}
         }
         

    What this will do is set the value for pm_task_id and all the @@ -39,17 +38,17 @@ -on_refresh section of your ad_form. In that section, you'll get the values from the database, and set the values as so:

        db_1row get_task_values { }
         template::element set_value form_name estimated_hours_work $estimated_hours_work
    -    

    Troubleshooting

    A good way to troubleshoot when you're using ad_form is to +

    Troubleshooting

    A good way to troubleshoot when you're using ad_form is to add the following code at the top of the .tcl page (thanks Jerry Asher):

     ns_log notice it's my page!
     set mypage [ns_getform]
    -if {[string equal "" $mypage]} {
    +if {[string equal "" $mypage]} {
         ns_log notice no form was submitted on my page
     } else {
         ns_log notice the following form was submitted on my page
         ns_set print $mypage
     }
    -    

    Tips for form widgets

    Here are some tips for dealing with some of the form widgets:

    Current widget

    Common Errors

    Here are some common errors and what to do when you - encounter them:

    Error when selecting values

    This generally happens when there is an error in your +

    Tips for form widgets

    Here are some tips for dealing with some of the form widgets:

    Current widget

    Common Errors

    Here are some common errors and what to do when you + encounter them:

    Error when selecting values

    This generally happens when there is an error in your query.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/general-documents.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/general-documents.html,v diff -u -r1.22.2.1 -r1.22.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/general-documents.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.22.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/general-documents.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.22.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Chapter�1.�High level information: What is OpenACS?

    Chapter�1.�High level information: What is OpenACS?

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Chapter�1.�High level information: What is OpenACS?

    Chapter�1.�High level information: What is OpenACS?

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-design.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,32 +1,31 @@ - -Groups Design

    Groups Design

    By Rafael H. Schloming and Mark Thomas

    +Groups Design

    Groups Design

    By Rafael H. Schloming and Mark Thomas

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Essentials

    Introduction

    Almost all database-backed websites have users, and need to model the +

    Essentials

    Introduction

    Almost all database-backed websites have users, and need to model the grouping of users. The OpenACS 4 Parties and Groups system is intended to provide the flexibility needed to model complex real-world organizational structures, particularly to support powerful subsite services; that is, where one OpenACS installation can support what appears to the user as distinct web services -for different user communities.

    Historical Considerations

    The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it -restricts the application developer to representing a "flat group" -that contains only users: The user_groups table may contain the -group_id of a parent group, but parent-child relationship +for different user communities.

    Historical Considerations

    The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it +restricts the application developer to representing a "flat group" +that contains only users: The user_groups table may contain the +group_id of a parent group, but parent-child relationship support is limited because it only allows one kind of relationship between groups to be represented. Moreover, the Oracle database's limited support for tree-like structures makes the queries over these relationships expensive.

    In addition, the Module Scoping design in OpenACS 3.0 introduced a party abstraction - a thing that is a person or a group of people - though not in the form of an explicit table. Rather, the triple of -scope, user_id, and group_id columns +scope, user_id, and group_id columns was used to identify the party. One disadvantage of this design convention is that it increases a data model's complexity by requiring the programmer -to:

    • add these three columns to each "scoped" table

    • define a multi-column check constraint to protect against data corruption -(e.g., a row with a scope value of "group" but a null -group_id)

    • perform extra checks in Tcl and PL/SQL -functions and procedures to check both the user_id and -group_id values

    Competitive Analysis

    ...

    Design Tradeoffs

    The core of the Group Systems data model is quite simple, but it was -designed in the hopes of modeling "real world" organizations which +to:

    • add these three columns to each "scoped" table

    • define a multi-column check constraint to protect against data corruption +(e.g., a row with a scope value of "group" but a null +group_id)

    • perform extra checks in Tcl and PL/SQL +functions and procedures to check both the user_id and +group_id values

    Competitive Analysis

    ...

    Design Tradeoffs

    The core of the Group Systems data model is quite simple, but it was +designed in the hopes of modeling "real world" organizations which can be complex graph structures. The Groups System only considers groups that can be modeled using directed acyclic graphs, but queries over these structures are still complex enough to slow the system down. Since almost @@ -38,44 +37,44 @@ without making the system too complex or too slow. The added triggers, views, and tables and will increase storage requirements and the insert and delete times in an effort to speed access time. The limited flexibility (no updates -on membership) trades against the complexity of the code.

    Data Model Discussion

    The Group System data model consists of the following tables:

    parties +on membership) trades against the complexity of the code.

    Data Model Discussion

    The Group System data model consists of the following tables:

    parties

    The set of all defined parties: any person, user, or -group must have a corresponding row in this table.

    persons +group must have a corresponding row in this table.

    persons

    The set of all defined persons. To allow easy sorting of persons, the name requirement 30.10 is met by -splitting the person's name into two columns: first_names and -last_name.

    users +splitting the person's name into two columns: first_names and +last_name.

    users

    The set of all registered users; this table includes information about -the user's email address and the user's visits to the site.

    user_preferences +the user's email address and the user's visits to the site.

    user_preferences -

    Preferences for the user.

    groups +

    Preferences for the user.

    groups -

    The set of all defined groups.

    group_types +

    The set of all defined groups.

    group_types

    When a new type of group is created, this table holds additional -knowledge level attributes for the group and its subtypes.

    membership_rels +knowledge level attributes for the group and its subtypes.

    membership_rels

    The set of direct membership relationships between a group and a -party.

    group_member_index +party.

    group_member_index -

    A mapping of a party P to the groups -{Gi}the party is a member of; this mapping -includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id -from the membership_rels table.

    composition_rels +

    A mapping of a party P to the groups +{Gi}the party is a member of; this mapping +includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id +from the membership_rels table.

    composition_rels

    The set of direct component relationships between a group and another -group.

    group_component_index +group.

    group_component_index -

    A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups -{Gi} that G is a component of; +

    A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups +{Gi} that G is a component of; this mapping includes the type of relationship by including the -appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.

    New groups are created through the group.new constructor. +appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.

    New groups are created through the group.new constructor. When a specialized type of group is required, the group type can be extended by an application developer. Membership constraints can be specified at -creation time by passing a parent group to the constructor.

    The membership_rels and composition_rels tables indicate +creation time by passing a parent group to the constructor.

    The membership_rels and composition_rels tables indicate a group's direct members and direct components; these tables do not provide a record of the members or components that are in the group by virtue of being a member or component of one of the group's component groups. @@ -85,60 +84,60 @@ queries responsive, the data model includes triggers (described in the next paragraph) which watch for changes in membership or composition and update tables that maintain the group party mappings, i.e., -group_member_index and group_component_index. One can think -of these tables as a manually maintained index.

    The following triggers keep the group_*_index tables up to -date:

    membership_rels_in_tr +group_member_index and group_component_index. One can think +of these tables as a manually maintained index.

    The following triggers keep the group_*_index tables up to +date:

    membership_rels_in_tr

    Is executed when a new group/member relationship is created (an insert on -membership_rels)

    membership_rels_del_tr +membership_rels)

    membership_rels_del_tr

    Is executed when a group/member relationship is deleted (a delete on -membership_rels)

    composition_rels_in_tr +membership_rels)

    composition_rels_in_tr

    Is executed when a new group/component relationship is created (an insert -on composition_rels)

    composition_rels_del_tr +on composition_rels)

    composition_rels_del_tr

    Is executed when a group/component relationship is deleted (a delete on -composition_rels)

    The data model provides the following views onto the -group_member_index and group_component_index tables. No -code outside of Groups System should modify the group_*_index -tables.

    group_member_map +composition_rels)

    The data model provides the following views onto the +group_member_index and group_component_index tables. No +code outside of Groups System should modify the group_*_index +tables.

    group_member_map

    A mapping of a party to the groups the party is a member of; this mapping -includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id -from the membership_rels table.

    group_approved_member_map +includes the type of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id +from the membership_rels table.

    group_approved_member_map

    A mapping of a party to the groups the party is an approved member of -(member_state is 'approved'); this mapping includes the type -of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id from the -membership_rels table.

    group_distinct_member_map +(member_state is 'approved'); this mapping includes the type +of relationship by including the appropriaterel_id from the +membership_rels table.

    group_distinct_member_map

    A person may appear in the group member map multiple times, for example, by being a member of two different groups that are both components of a third -group. This view is strictly a mapping of approved members -to groups.

    group_component_map +group. This view is strictly a mapping of approved members +to groups.

    group_component_map -

    A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups -{Gi} group G is a component of; +

    A mapping of a group Gto the set of groups +{Gi} group G is a component of; this mapping includes the type of relationship by including the -appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.

    party_member_map +appropriaterel_id from the composition_rels table.

    party_member_map -

    A mapping of a party P to the set of parties -{Pi} party P is a member -of.

    party_approved_member_map +

    A mapping of a party P to the set of parties +{Pi} party P is a member +of.

    party_approved_member_map -

    A mapping of a party P to the set of parties -{Pi} party P is an -approved member of.

    API

    +

    A mapping of a party P to the set of parties +{Pi} party P is an +approved member of.

    API

    The API consists of tables and views and PL/SQL functions. -

    Tables and Views

    The group_types table is used to create new types of groups.

    The group_member_map, group_approved_member_map, -group_distinct_member_map, group_component_map, -party_member_map, and party_approved_member_map views are -used to query group membership and composition.

    PL/SQL API

    Person

    person.new creates a new person and returns the -person_id. The function must be given the full name of the person in -two pieces: first_names and last_name. All other fields are -optional and default to null except for object_type which defaults -to person and creation_date which defaults to sysdate. The +

    Tables and Views

    The group_types table is used to create new types of groups.

    The group_member_map, group_approved_member_map, +group_distinct_member_map, group_component_map, +party_member_map, and party_approved_member_map views are +used to query group membership and composition.

    PL/SQL API

    Person

    person.new creates a new person and returns the +person_id. The function must be given the full name of the person in +two pieces: first_names and last_name. All other fields are +optional and default to null except for object_type which defaults +to person and creation_date which defaults to sysdate. The interface for this function is:

     function person.new (
       person_id          persons.person_id%TYPE,
    @@ -151,19 +150,19 @@
       first_names        persons.first_names%TYPE,
       last_name          persons.last_name%TYPE
     ) return persons.person_id%TYPE;
    -

    person.delete deletes the person whose person_id is +

    person.delete deletes the person whose person_id is passed to it. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure person.delete (
       person_id     persons.person_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    person.name returns the name of the person whose -person_id is passed to it. The interface for this function is:

    +

    person.name returns the name of the person whose +person_id is passed to it. The interface for this function is:

     function person.name (
       person_id     persons.person_id%TYPE
     ) return varchar;
    -

    User

    acs_user.new creates a new user and returns the user_id. +

    User

    acs_user.new creates a new user and returns the user_id. The function must be given the user's email address and the full name of -the user in two pieces: first_names and last_name. All +the user in two pieces: first_names and last_name. All other fields are optional. The interface for this function is:

     function acs_user.new (
       user_id            users.user_id%TYPE,
    @@ -182,19 +181,19 @@
       screen_name        users.screen_name%TYPE,
       email_verified_p   users.email_verified_p%TYPE
     ) return users.user_id%TYPE;
    -

    acs_user.delete deletes the user whose user_id is passed +

    acs_user.delete deletes the user whose user_id is passed to it. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure acs_user.delete (
       user_id       users.user_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    acs_user.receives_alerts_p returns 't' if the user should +

    acs_user.receives_alerts_p returns 't' if the user should receive email alerts and 'f' otherwise. The interface for this function is:

     function acs_user.receives_alerts_p (
       user_id       users.user_id%TYPE
     ) return varchar;
    -

    Use the procedures acs_user.approve_email and -acs_user.unapprove_email to specify whether the user's email +

    Use the procedures acs_user.approve_email and +acs_user.unapprove_email to specify whether the user's email address is valid. The interface for these procedures are:

     procedure acs_user.approve_email (
       user_id       users.user_id%TYPE
    @@ -203,11 +202,11 @@
     procedure acs_user.unapprove_email (
       user_id       users.user_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    Group

    acs_group.new creates a new group and returns the -group_id. All fields are optional and default to null except for -object_type which defaults to 'group', -creation_date which defaults to sysdate, and -group_name which is required. The interface for +

    Group

    acs_group.new creates a new group and returns the +group_id. All fields are optional and default to null except for +object_type which defaults to 'group', +creation_date which defaults to sysdate, and +group_name which is required. The interface for this function is:

     function acs_group.new (
       group_id           groups.group_id%TYPE,
    @@ -219,21 +218,21 @@
       url                parties.url%TYPE,
       group_name         groups.group_name%TYPE
     ) return groups.group_id%TYPE;
    -

    acs_group.name returns the name of the group whose -group_id is passed to it. The interface for this function is:

    +

    acs_group.name returns the name of the group whose +group_id is passed to it. The interface for this function is:

     function acs_group.name (
       group_id      groups.group_id%TYPE
     ) return varchar;
    -

    acs_group.member_p returns 't' if the specified party is +

    acs_group.member_p returns 't' if the specified party is a member of the specified group. Returns 'f' otherwise. The interface for this function is:

     function acs_group.member_p (
       group_id      groups.group_id%TYPE,
       party_id      parties.party_id%TYPE,
     ) return char;
    -

    Membership Relationship

    membership_rel.new creates a new membership relationship type -between two parties and returns the relationship type's rel_id. -All fields are optional and default to null except for rel_type +

    Membership Relationship

    membership_rel.new creates a new membership relationship type +between two parties and returns the relationship type's rel_id. +All fields are optional and default to null except for rel_type which defaults to membership_rel. The interface for this function is:

     function membership_rel.new (
       rel_id             membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE,
    @@ -244,42 +243,42 @@
       creation_user      acs_objects.creation_user%TYPE,
       creation_ip        acs_objects.creation_ip%TYPE,
     ) return membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE;
    -

    membership_rel.ban sets the member_state of the given -rel_id to 'banned'. The interface for this procedure is:

    +

    membership_rel.ban sets the member_state of the given +rel_id to 'banned'. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.ban (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    membership_rel.approve sets the member_state of the -given rel_id to 'approved'. The interface for this procedure +

    membership_rel.approve sets the member_state of the +given rel_id to 'approved'. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.approve (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    membership_rel.reject sets the member_state of the given -rel_id to 'rejected. The interface for this procedure is:

    +

    membership_rel.reject sets the member_state of the given +rel_id to 'rejected. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.reject (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    membership_rel.unapprove sets the member_state of the -given rel_id to an empty string ''. The interface for this +

    membership_rel.unapprove sets the member_state of the +given rel_id to an empty string ''. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.unapprove (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    membership_rel.deleted sets the member_state of the -given rel_id to 'deleted'. The interface for this procedure +

    membership_rel.deleted sets the member_state of the +given rel_id to 'deleted'. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.deleted (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    membership_rel.delete deletes the given rel_id. The +

    membership_rel.delete deletes the given rel_id. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.delete (
       rel_id           membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    Composition Relationship

    composition_rel.new creates a new composition relationship type -and returns the relationship's rel_id. All fields are optional -and default to null except for rel_type which defaults to +

    Composition Relationship

    composition_rel.new creates a new composition relationship type +and returns the relationship's rel_id. All fields are optional +and default to null except for rel_type which defaults to composition_rel. The interface for this function is:

     function membership_rel.new (
       rel_id             composition_rels.rel_id%TYPE,
    @@ -289,18 +288,18 @@
       creation_user      acs_objects.creation_user%TYPE,
       creation_ip        acs_objects.creation_ip%TYPE,
     ) return composition_rels.rel_id%TYPE;
    -

    composition_rel.delete deletes the given rel_id. The +

    composition_rel.delete deletes the given rel_id. The interface for this procedure is:

     procedure membership_rel.delete (
       rel_id           composition_rels.rel_id%TYPE
     );
    -

    User Interface

    Describe the admin pages.

    Configuration/Parameters

    ...

    Acceptance Tests

    ...

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    ...

    Authors

    System creator +

    User Interface

    Describe the admin pages.

    Configuration/Parameters

    ...

    Acceptance Tests

    ...

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    ...

    Authors

    System creator

    Rafael H. Schloming

    System owner

    Rafael H. Schloming

    Documentation author -

    Mark Thomas

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/22/2000Rafael H. Schloming
    0.2Initial Revision08/30/2000 +

    Mark Thomas

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/22/2000Rafael H. Schloming
    0.2Initial Revision08/30/2000 Mark Thomas
    0.3Additional revisions; tried to clarify membership/compostion09/08/2000 Mark Thomas Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/groups-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:46 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,60 +1,59 @@ - -Groups Requirements

    Groups Requirements

    By Rafael H. Schloming, Mark Thomas

    +Groups Requirements

    Groups Requirements

    By Rafael H. Schloming, Mark Thomas

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Introduction

    Almost all database-backed websites have users, and need to model the +

    Introduction

    Almost all database-backed websites have users, and need to model the grouping of users. The OpenACS 4 Parties and Groups system is intended to provide the flexibility needed to model complex real-world organizational structures, particularly to support powerful subsite services; that is, where one OpenACS installation can support what appears to the user as distinct web services - for different user communities.

    Vision Statement

    A powerful web service that can meet the needs of large enterprises must + for different user communities.

    Vision Statement

    A powerful web service that can meet the needs of large enterprises must be able to model the the real world's very rich organizational structures and many ways of decomposing the same organization. For example, a corporation can be broken into structures (the corporation, its divisions, and their departments) or regions (the Boston office, the LA office); a person who is employed by (is a member of) a specific department is also a member of the division and the corporation, and works at (is a member of, but in a different sense) a particular office. OpenACS's Parties and Groups - system will support such complex relations faithfully.

    Historical Motivations

    The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it - restricts the application developer to representing a "flat group" - that contains only users: The user_groups table may contain the - group_id of a parent group, but parent-child relationship + system will support such complex relations faithfully.

    Historical Motivations

    The primary limitation of the OpenACS 3.x user group system is that it + restricts the application developer to representing a "flat group" + that contains only users: The user_groups table may contain the + group_id of a parent group, but parent-child relationship support is limited because it only allows one kind of relationship between groups to be represented. Moreover, the Oracle database's limited support for tree-like structures makes the queries over these relationships expensive.

    In addition, the Module Scoping design in OpenACS 3.0 introduced a party abstraction - a thing that is a person or a group of people - though not in the form of an explicit table. Rather, the triple of - scope, user_id, and group_id columns + scope, user_id, and group_id columns was used to identify the party. One disadvantage of this design convention is that it increases a data model's complexity by requiring the programmer - to:

    • add these three columns to each "scoped" table

    • define a multi-column check constraint to protect against data corruption - (e.g., a row with a scope value of "group" but a null - group_id)

    • perform extra checks in Tcl and PL/SQL - functions and procedures to check both the user_id and - group_id values

    In sum, the goal of the Parties and Groups system is to + to:

    • add these three columns to each "scoped" table

    • define a multi-column check constraint to protect against data corruption + (e.g., a row with a scope value of "group" but a null + group_id)

    • perform extra checks in Tcl and PL/SQL + functions and procedures to check both the user_id and + group_id values

    In sum, the goal of the Parties and Groups system is to provide OpenACS programmers and site administrators with simple tools that fully describe the complex relationships that exist among groups in the real - world.

    User Scenarios

    Pat Developer has a client project and wants to model the company, its + world.

    User Scenarios

    Pat Developer has a client project and wants to model the company, its offices, its divisions, and its departments as groups and the employees as - users.

    System Overview

    We start with Groups, which contain members; the - member can be either a person or another group (i.e. a + users.

    System Overview

    We start with Groups, which contain members; the + member can be either a person or another group (i.e. a member is a party).

    In addition to membership, the party and groups system defines a - composition relationship that may exist between groups: A - group can be a component of another group. The child group + composition relationship that may exist between groups: A + group can be a component of another group. The child group is called a component group; the parent group is called a - composite group.

    A group Gc can be a member and/or a component - of another group Gp; the difference is in the way - the members of Gc are related to - Gp:

    • If a party P is a member (or a component) of - Gc and if Gc is a - component of Gp, then P is also - a member (or a component) of Gp

    • If a party P is a member (or a component) of - Gc and if Gc is a - member of Gp, then no - relationship between P and - Gp exists as a result of the relationship between - Gp and Gp.

    Consider an example to make this less abstract: Pretend that the Sierra + composite group.

    A group Gc can be a member and/or a component + of another group Gp; the difference is in the way + the members of Gc are related to + Gp:

    • If a party P is a member (or a component) of + Gc and if Gc is a + component of Gp, then P is also + a member (or a component) of Gp

    • If a party P is a member (or a component) of + Gc and if Gc is a + member of Gp, then no + relationship between P and + Gp exists as a result of the relationship between + Gp and Gp.

    Consider an example to make this less abstract: Pretend that the Sierra Club is a member of Greenpeace. The Sierra Club has chapters; each chapter is a component of the Sierra Club. If Eddie Environmentalist is a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club, Eddie is @@ -67,158 +66,158 @@ Massachusetts chapter), and between the Sierra Club and Greenpeace.

    Membership requirements can vary from group to group. The parties and groups system must provide a base type that specifies the bare minimum necessary to join a group.

    The parties and groups system must support constraints between a composite - group GP and any of its component groups, - GC. For example, the system should be able to - enforce a rule like: Do not allow a party P to become a - member of GC unless P is already - a member of GP.

    Requirements: Data Model

    The data model for the parties and groups system must provide support for - the following types of entities:

    10.0 Parties + group GP and any of its component groups, + GC. For example, the system should be able to + enforce a rule like: Do not allow a party P to become a + member of GC unless P is already + a member of GP.

    Requirements: Data Model

    The data model for the parties and groups system must provide support for + the following types of entities:

    10.0 Parties -

    A party is an entity used to represent either a - group or a person.

    The data model should enforce these constraints:

    10.10 A party has an email address, which can be - empty.

    10.20 A party may have multiple email addresses - associated with it.

    10.30 The email address of a party must be unique within - an OpenACS system.

    20.0 Groups +

    A party is an entity used to represent either a + group or a person.

    The data model should enforce these constraints:

    10.10 A party has an email address, which can be + empty.

    10.20 A party may have multiple email addresses + associated with it.

    10.30 The email address of a party must be unique within + an OpenACS system.

    20.0 Groups -

    A group is a collection of zero or more parties.

    20.10 The data model should support the subclassing of - groups via OpenACS Objects.

    30.0 Persons +

    A group is a collection of zero or more parties.

    20.10 The data model should support the subclassing of + groups via OpenACS Objects.

    30.0 Persons -

    A person represents an actual human being, past or - present.

    30.10. A person must have - an associated name.

    40.0 Users +

    A person represents an actual human being, past or + present.

    30.10. A person must have + an associated name.

    40.0 Users -

    A user is a person who has registered with an OpenACS site. A - user may have additional attributes, such as a screen name.

    The data model should enforce these constraints:

    40.10 A user must have a non-empty email address.

    40.20 Two different users may not have the same email +

    A user is a person who has registered with an OpenACS site. A + user may have additional attributes, such as a screen name.

    The data model should enforce these constraints:

    40.10 A user must have a non-empty email address.

    40.20 Two different users may not have the same email address on a single OpenACS installation; i.e., an email address identifies a - single user on the system.

    40.30 A user may have multiple email addresses; for - example, two or more email addresses may identify a single user.

    40.40 A user must have password field which can be + single user on the system.

    40.30 A user may have multiple email addresses; for + example, two or more email addresses may identify a single user.

    40.40 A user must have password field which can be empty.

    The data model for the parties and groups system must provide support for - the following types of relationships between entities:

    50.0 Membership + the following types of relationships between entities:

    50.0 Membership

    - A party P is considered a member of a - group G

    • when a direct membership relationship exists between P - and G

    • or when there exists a direct membership relationship between - P and some group GC and - GC has a composition relationship (c.f., 60.0) with G.

    50.10 A party may be a member of multiple groups.

    50.20 A party may be a member of the same group multiple + A party P is considered a member of a + group G

    • when a direct membership relationship exists between P + and G

    • or when there exists a direct membership relationship between + P and some group GC and + GC has a composition relationship (c.f., 60.0) with G.

    50.10 A party may be a member of multiple groups.

    50.20 A party may be a member of the same group multiple times only when all the memberships have different types; for example, Jane may be a member of The Company by being both an Employee and an - Executive.

    50.30 A party as a member of itself is not supported.

    50.40 The data model must support membership - constraints.

    50.50The data model should support the subclassing of + Executive.

    50.30 A party as a member of itself is not supported.

    50.40 The data model must support membership + constraints.

    50.50The data model should support the subclassing of membership via OpenACS Relationships.

    - 60.0 Composition -

    A group GC is considered a - component of a second group - GP

    • when a direct composition relationship exists between - GC and GP

    • or when there exists a direct composition relationship between - GC and some group Gi - and Gi has a composition relationship with - GP.

    60.10A group may be a component of multiple groups.

    60.20A group as a component of itself is not - supported.

    60.30The data model must support component - constraints.

    60.40The data model should support the subclassing of - composition via OpenACS Relationships.

    Requirements: API

    The API should let programmers accomplish the following tasks:

    70.10 Create a group + 60.0 Composition +

    A group GC is considered a + component of a second group + GP

    • when a direct composition relationship exists between + GC and GP

    • or when there exists a direct composition relationship between + GC and some group Gi + and Gi has a composition relationship with + GP.

    60.10A group may be a component of multiple groups.

    60.20A group as a component of itself is not + supported.

    60.30The data model must support component + constraints.

    60.40The data model should support the subclassing of + composition via OpenACS Relationships.

    Requirements: API

    The API should let programmers accomplish the following tasks:

    70.10 Create a group

    The parties and groups system provides a well defined API call that creates a new group by running the appropriate transactions on the parties and groups system data model. This API is subject to the constraints laid out - in the data model.

    70.20 Create a person + in the data model.

    70.20 Create a person

    The parties and groups system provides a well defined API call that creates a new person by running the appropriate transactions on the parties and groups system data model. This API is subject to the constraints laid out - in the data model.

    70.30 Create a user + in the data model.

    70.30 Create a user

    The parties and groups system provides a well defined API call that creates a new user by running the appropriate transactions on the parties and groups system data model. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in - the data model.

    80.10 Refine a person to a user + the data model.

    80.10 Refine a person to a user

    The parties and groups system provides a well defined API call that creates a new user by running the appropriate transactions on an existing person entity. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data - model.

    80.30 Demote a user to a person + model.

    80.30 Demote a user to a person

    The parties and groups system provides a well defined API call that demotes an existing user entity to a person entity by running the appropriate transactions on the existing user. This API is subject to the constraints - laid out in the data model.

    90.10 Update a party + laid out in the data model.

    90.10 Update a party

    The programmer should be able to modify, add, and delete attributes on any - party. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    95.10 Get the attributes of a party + party. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    95.10 Get the attributes of a party

    The programmer should be able to view the attributes on any party. This - API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    100.10 Delete a party + API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    100.10 Delete a party

    The system provides an API for deleting a party. This API is subject to - the constraints laid out in the data model.

    100.30 The system may provide a single API call to remove - the party from all groups and then delete the party.

    100.40 In the case of a group, the system may provide a + the constraints laid out in the data model.

    100.30 The system may provide a single API call to remove + the party from all groups and then delete the party.

    100.40 In the case of a group, the system may provide a single API call to remove all parties from a group and then delete the - group.

    110.0 Add a party as a member of a group + group.

    110.0 Add a party as a member of a group

    The parties and groups system provides an API for adding a party as a member of a group. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the - data model.

    115.0 Add a group as a component of a second group + data model.

    115.0 Add a group as a component of a second group

    The parties and groups system provides an API for adding a group as a component of a second group. This API is subject to the constraints laid out - in the data model.

    120.0 Remove a party as a member of a group + in the data model.

    120.0 Remove a party as a member of a group

    The parties and groups system provides an API for deleting a party's membership in a group. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the - data model.

    125.0 Remove a group as a component of a second - group + data model.

    125.0 Remove a group as a component of a second + group

    The parties and groups system provides an API for deleting a group's composition in a second group. This API is subject to the constraints laid - out in the data model.

    130.0 Membership check + out in the data model.

    130.0 Membership check

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Is party P a member of group - G?"

    135.0 Composition check + "Is party P a member of group + G?"

    135.0 Composition check

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Is group GC a component of group - GP?"

    140.0 Get members query + "Is group GC a component of group + GP?"

    140.0 Get members query

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Which parties are members of group G?"

    145.0 Get components query + "Which parties are members of group G?"

    145.0 Get components query

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Which groups are components of group G?"

    150.0 Member-of-groups query + "Which groups are components of group G?"

    150.0 Member-of-groups query

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Of which groups is party P a member?"

    155.0 Component-of-groups query + "Of which groups is party P a member?"

    155.0 Component-of-groups query

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Of which groups is group G a component?"

    160.0 Allowed membership check + "Of which groups is group G a component?"

    160.0 Allowed membership check

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Is party P allowed to become a member of group - G?"

    165.0 Allowed composition check + "Is party P allowed to become a member of group + G?"

    165.0 Allowed composition check

    The parties and groups system provides an API for answering the question: - "Is group GC allowed to become a component - of group GP?"

    170.0 Efficiency + "Is group GC allowed to become a component + of group GP?"

    170.0 Efficiency

    Since many pages at a site may check membership in a group before serving a page (e.g., as part of a general permissions check), the data model must support the efficient storage and retrieval of party attributes and - membership.

    180.0 Ease of Use + membership.

    180.0 Ease of Use

    Since many SQL queries will check membership in a group as part of the - where clause, whatever mechanism is used to check membership in SQL - should be fairly small and simple.

    Requirements: User Interface

    The user interface is a set of HTML pages that are used to drive the - underlying API. The user interface may provide the following functions:

    • 200.0 Create a party

    • 210.0 View the attributes of a party

    • 220.0 Update the attributes of a party

    • 240.0 Delete a party

    • 250.0 Add a party to a group

    • 260.0 Remove a party from a group

    • 270.0 Perform the membership and composition checks - outlined in 130.x to 165.x

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/16/2000Rafael Schloming
    0.2Initial revision08/19/2000Mark Thomas
    0.3Edited and reviewed, conforms to requirements template08/23/2000Kai Wu
    0.4Further revised, added UI requirements08/24/2000Mark Thomas
    0.5Final edits, pending freeze08/24/2000Kai Wu
    0.6More revisions, added composition requirements08/30/2000Mark Thomas
    0.7More revisions, added composition requirements09/08/2000Mark Thomas
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + where clause, whatever mechanism is used to check membership in SQL + should be fairly small and simple.

    Requirements: User Interface

    The user interface is a set of HTML pages that are used to drive the + underlying API. The user interface may provide the following functions:

    • 200.0 Create a party

    • 210.0 View the attributes of a party

    • 220.0 Update the attributes of a party

    • 240.0 Delete a party

    • 250.0 Add a party to a group

    • 260.0 Remove a party from a group

    • 270.0 Perform the membership and composition checks + outlined in 130.x to 165.x

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/16/2000Rafael Schloming
    0.2Initial revision08/19/2000Mark Thomas
    0.3Edited and reviewed, conforms to requirements template08/23/2000Kai Wu
    0.4Further revised, added UI requirements08/24/2000Mark Thomas
    0.5Final edits, pending freeze08/24/2000Kai Wu
    0.6More revisions, added composition requirements08/30/2000Mark Thomas
    0.7More revisions, added composition requirements09/08/2000Mark Thomas
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/high-avail.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/high-avail.html,v diff -u -r1.17.2.2 -r1.17.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/high-avail.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.17.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/high-avail.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.17.2.3 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -High Availability/High Performance Configurations

    High Availability/High Performance Configurations

    See also Section�, “Running a PostgreSQL database on another server”.

    Figure�6.1.�Multiple-server configuration

    Multiple-server configuration
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +High Availability/High Performance Configurations

    High Availability/High Performance Configurations

    See also the section called “Running a PostgreSQL database on another server”.

    Figure�6.1.�Multiple-server configuration

    Multiple-server configuration

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/how-do-I.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/how-do-I.html,v diff -u -r1.20.2.2 -r1.20.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/how-do-I.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.20.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/how-do-I.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.20.2.3 @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@ - -How Do I?

    How Do I?

    How do I edit the front page of a new site through a web interface?

    The easiest way is to install the Edit-This-Page package.

    1. Log in to the web site as an administrator.

    2. Click on Admin > Install Software > Install from OpenACS Repository / Install new application

    3. Choose Edit This Page and install

    4. Follow the instructions within Edit This Page (the link will only work after Edit This Page is installed).

    How do I let anybody who registers post to a weblog?

    Go to /admin/permissions and grant Create to Registered Users

    How do I replace the front page of a new site with the front page of an application on that site

    Suppose you install a new site and install Weblogger, and you want all visitors to see weblogger automatically.

    1. On the front page, click the Admin button.

    2. On the administration page, click Parameters link.

    3. Change the parameter IndexRedirectUrl to be the URI of the desired application. For a default weblogger installation, this would be weblogger/. Note the trailing slash.

    How do I put custom functionality on front page of a new site?

    Every page within an OpenACS site is part of a subsite More information). The home page of the entire site is the front page is a special, default instance of a subsite, served from /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www. If an index page is not found there, the default index page for all subsites is used. To customize the code on the front page, copy the default index page from the Subsite package to the Main site and edit it:

    1. cp /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-subsite/www/index* /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www
    2. Edit the new index.adp to change the text; you shouldn't need to edit index.tcl unless you are adding new functionality.

    How do I change the site-wide style?

    Almost all pages on an OpenACS site use ACS Templating, and so their appearance is driven by a layer of different files. Let's examine how this works:

    • +How Do I?

      How Do I?

      How do I edit the front page of a new site through a web interface?

      The easiest way is to install the Edit-This-Page package.

      1. Log in to the web site as an administrator.

      2. Click on Admin > Install Software > Install from OpenACS Repository / Install new application

      3. Choose Edit This Page and install

      4. Follow the instructions within Edit This Page (the link will only work after Edit This Page is installed).

      How do I let anybody who registers post to a weblog?

      Go to /admin/permissions and grant Create to Registered Users

      How do I replace the front page of a new site with the front page of an application on that site

      Suppose you install a new site and install Weblogger, and you want all visitors to see weblogger automatically.

      1. On the front page, click the Admin button.

      2. On the administration page, click Parameters link.

      3. Change the parameter IndexRedirectUrl to be the URI of the desired application. For a default weblogger installation, this would be weblogger/. Note the trailing slash.

      How do I put custom functionality on front page of a new site?

      Every page within an OpenACS site is part of a subsite More information). The home page of the entire site is the front page is a special, default instance of a subsite, served from /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www. If an index page is not found there, the default index page for all subsites is used. To customize the code on the front page, copy the default index page from the Subsite package to the Main site and edit it:

      1. cp /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-subsite/www/index* /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www
      2. Edit the new index.adp to change the text; you shouldn't need to edit index.tcl unless you are adding new functionality.

      How do I change the site-wide style?

      Almost all pages on an OpenACS site use ACS Templating, and so their appearance is driven by a layer of different files. Let's examine how this works:

      • A templated page uses an ADP/TCL pair. The first line in the ADP file is usually: -

        <master>

        If it appears exactly like this, without any arguments, the template processer uses default-master for that subsite. For pages in /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www, this is /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/default-master.adp and the associated .tcl file. -

      • The default-master is itself a normal ADP page. It draws the subsite navigation elements and invokes site-master (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/site-master.adp and .tcl)

      • The site-master draws site-wide navigation elements and invokes blank-master (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/blank-master.adp and .tcl).

      • Blank-master does HTML housekeeping and provides a framework for special sitewide navigation "meta" elements such as Translator widgets and Admin widgets.

      Figure�4.1.�Site Templates

      Site Templates

      How do I diagnose a permissions problem?

      • Steps to Reproduce.�The events package does not allow users to register for new events.

        1. Go to the http://yourserver.net/events as a visitor (ie, log out and, if necessary, clear cookies). This in on a 4.6.3 site with events version 0.1d3.

        2. Select an available event

        3. A link such as Registration: Deadline is 03/15/2004 10:00am. -� Login or sign up to register for this event. is visible. Click on "Login or sign up" -

        4. Complete a new registration. Afterwards, you should be redirected back to the same page.

        Actual Results: The page says "You do not have permission to register for this event."

        Expected results: A link or form to sign up for the event is shown.

      • Finding the problem.�We start with the page that has the error. In the URL it's http://myserver.net/events/event-info.tcl, so open the file /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/events/www/event-info.tcl. It contains this line:

        set can_register_p [events::security::can_register_for_event_p -event_id $event_id]

        We need to know what that procedure does, so go to /api-doc, paste events::security::can_register_for_event_p into the ACS Tcl API Search box, and click Feeling Lucky. The next pages shows the proc, and we click "show source" to see more information. The body of the proc is simply

        return [permission::permission_p -party_id $user_id -object_id $event_id -privilege write]

        This means that a given user must have the write privilige on the event in order to register. Let's assume that the priviliges inherit, so that if a user has the write privilige on the whole package, they will have the write privilege on the event.

      • Setting Permissions.�A permission has three parts: the privilige, the object of the privilige, and the subject being granted the privilige. In this case the privilige is "write," the object is the Events package, and the subject is all Registered Users.

        1. To grant permissions on a package, start at the site map. Find the event package and click "Set permissions".

        2. Click "Grant Permission"

        3. Grant the write permission to Registered Users.

          Figure�4.2.�Granting Permissions

          Granting Permissions

        OpenACS 5.0 offers a prettier version at /admin/applications.

        Figure�4.3.�Granting Permissions in 5.0

        Granting Permissions in 5.0
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +

      <master>

      If it appears exactly like this, without any arguments, the template processer uses default-master for that subsite. For pages in /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www, this is /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/default-master.adp and the associated .tcl file. +

    • The default-master is itself a normal ADP page. It draws the subsite navigation elements and invokes site-master (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/site-master.adp and .tcl)

    • The site-master draws site-wide navigation elements and invokes blank-master (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/www/blank-master.adp and .tcl).

    • Blank-master does HTML housekeeping and provides a framework for special sitewide navigation "meta" elements such as Translator widgets and Admin widgets.

    Figure�4.1.�Site Templates

    Site Templates

    How do I diagnose a permissions problem?

    • Steps to Reproduce.�The events package does not allow users to register for new events.

      1. Go to the http://yourserver.net/events as a visitor (ie, log out and, if necessary, clear cookies). This in on a 4.6.3 site with events version 0.1d3.

      2. Select an available event

      3. A link such as Registration: Deadline is 03/15/2004 10:00am. +� Login or sign up to register for this event. is visible. Click on "Login or sign up" +

      4. Complete a new registration. Afterwards, you should be redirected back to the same page.

      Actual Results: The page says "You do not have permission to register for this event."

      Expected results: A link or form to sign up for the event is shown.

    • Finding the problem.�We start with the page that has the error. In the URL it's http://myserver.net/events/event-info.tcl, so open the file /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/events/www/event-info.tcl. It contains this line:

      set can_register_p [events::security::can_register_for_event_p -event_id $event_id]

      We need to know what that procedure does, so go to /api-doc, paste events::security::can_register_for_event_p into the ACS Tcl API Search box, and click Feeling Lucky. The next pages shows the proc, and we click "show source" to see more information. The body of the proc is simply

      return [permission::permission_p -party_id $user_id -object_id $event_id -privilege write]

      This means that a given user must have the write privilige on the event in order to register. Let's assume that the priviliges inherit, so that if a user has the write privilige on the whole package, they will have the write privilege on the event.

    • Setting Permissions.�A permission has three parts: the privilige, the object of the privilige, and the subject being granted the privilige. In this case the privilige is "write," the object is the Events package, and the subject is all Registered Users.

      1. To grant permissions on a package, start at the site map. Find the event package and click "Set permissions".

      2. Click "Grant Permission"

      3. Grant the write permission to Registered Users.

        Figure�4.2.�Granting Permissions

        Granting Permissions

      OpenACS 5.0 offers a prettier version at /admin/applications.

      Figure�4.3.�Granting Permissions in 5.0

      Granting Permissions in 5.0

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-convert.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-convert.html,v diff -u -r1.19.2.2 -r1.19.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-convert.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:55 -0000 1.19.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-convert.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.19.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -How to Internationalize a Package

    How to Internationalize a Package

    Tip

    +How to Internationalize a Package

    How to Internationalize a Package

    Tip

    For multilingual websites we recommend using the UTF8 charset. In order for AOLserver to use utf8 you need to set the config parameters OutputCharset and @@ -9,23 +8,23 @@ variable set to .UTF8. You should set this variable in the nsd-oracle run script (use the acs-core-docs/www/files/nds-oracle.txt template file). -

    1. Replace all text with temporary message tags.�From/acs-admin/apm/, select a +

    1. Replace all text with temporary message tags.�From/acs-admin/apm/, select a package and then click on - Internationalization, then - Convert ADP, Tcl, and SQL files to using the - message catalog.. This pass only changes the adp files; it does not affect catalog files or the catalog in the database.

      You will now be walked through all of the selected adp pages. The UI shows you the intended changes and lets you edit or cancel them key by key.

    2. Replace the temporary message tags in ADP files.�From the same Convert ADP ... page in /acs-admin/apm as in the last step, repeat the process but deselect Find human language text ... and select Replace <# ... #> tags ... and click OK. This step replaces all of the temporary tags with "short" message lookups, inserts the message keys into the database message catalog, and then writes that catalog out to an xml file.

    3. Replace human-readable text in TCL files with temporary tags.�Examine all of the tcl files in the packages for human-readable text and replace it with temporary tags. The temporary tags in TCL are slightly different from those in ADP. If the first character in the temporary tag is an underscore (_), then the message keys will be auto-generated from the original message text. Here is an unmodified tcl file:

      -set title "Messages for $a(name) in $b(label)"
      -set context [list [list . "SimPlay"] \
      +        Internationalization, then
      +        Convert ADP, Tcl, and SQL files to using the
      +        message catalog..  This pass only changes the adp files; it does not affect catalog files or the catalog in the database.

      You will now be walked through all of the selected adp pages. The UI shows you the intended changes and lets you edit or cancel them key by key.

    4. Replace the temporary message tags in ADP files.�From the same Convert ADP ... page in /acs-admin/apm as in the last step, repeat the process but deselect Find human language text ... and select Replace <# ... #> tags ... and click OK. This step replaces all of the temporary tags with "short" message lookups, inserts the message keys into the database message catalog, and then writes that catalog out to an xml file.

    5. Replace human-readable text in TCL files with temporary tags.�Examine all of the tcl files in the packages for human-readable text and replace it with temporary tags. The temporary tags in TCL are slightly different from those in ADP. If the first character in the temporary tag is an underscore (_), then the message keys will be auto-generated from the original message text. Here is an unmodified tcl file:

      +set title "Messages for $a(name) in $b(label)"
      +set context [list [list . "SimPlay"] \
                         [list [export_vars -base case-admin { case_id }] \ 
      -                    "Administer $a(name)"] \
      -                  "Messages for $a(name)"]
      +                    "Administer $a(name)"] \
      +                  "Messages for $a(name)"]
       

      ... and here is the same file after temporary message tags have been manually added:

       set title <#admin_title Messages for %a.name% in %b.label%#>
       set context [list [list . <#_ SimPlay#>] \
                         [list [export_vars -base case-admin { case_id }] \
                           <#_ Administer %a.name%#>] \
                         <#_ Messages for %a.name%#>]
      -

      Note that the message key case_admin_page_title was manually selected, because an autogenerated key for this text, with its substitute variables, would have been very confusing +

      Note that the message key case_admin_page_title was manually selected, because an autogenerated key for this text, with its substitute variables, would have been very confusing

    6. Replace the temporary message tags in TCL files.�Repeat step 2 for tcl files. Here is the example TCL file after conversion:

       set title [_ simulation.admin_title]
       set context [list [list . [_ simulation.SimPlay]] \
      @@ -34,12 +33,12 @@
                         [_ simulation.lt_Messages_for_role_pre]]
       
    7. Internationalize SQL Code.�If there is any user-visible TCL code in the .sql or .xql files, internationalize that the same way as for the TCL files.

    8. Internationalize Package Parameters.� See Multilingual APM Parameters -

    9. Internationalize Date and Time queries.�

      1. Find datetime in .xql files. Use command line tools to find suspect SQL code:

        grep -r "to_char.*H" *
        -grep -r "to_date.*H" *
        -
      2. In SQL statements, replace the format string with the ANSI standard format, YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS and change the field name to *_ansi so that it cannot be confused with previous, improperly formatting fields. For example,

        to_char(timestamp,'MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS') as foo_date_pretty

        becomes

        to_char(timestamp,'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') as foo_date_ansi
      3. In TCL files where the date fields are used, convert the datetime from local server timezone, which is how it's stored in the database, to the user's timezone for display. Do this with the localizing function lc_time_system_to_conn:

        -set foo_date_ansi [lc_time_system_to_conn $foo_date_ansi]

        When a datetime will be written to the database, first convert it from the user's local time to the server's timezone with lc_time_conn_to_system. -

      4. When a datetime field will be displayed, format it using the localizing function lc_time_fmt. lc_time_fmt takes two parameters, datetime and format code. Several format codes are usable for localization; they are placeholders that format dates with the appropriate codes for the user's locale. These codes are: %x, %X, %q, %Q, and %c.

        set foo_date_pretty [lc_time_fmt $foo_date_ansi "%x %X"]

        - Use the _pretty version in your ADP page. +

      5. Internationalize Date and Time queries.�

        1. Find datetime in .xql files. Use command line tools to find suspect SQL code:

          grep -r "to_char.*H" *
          +grep -r "to_date.*H" *
          +
        2. In SQL statements, replace the format string with the ANSI standard format, YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS and change the field name to *_ansi so that it cannot be confused with previous, improperly formatting fields. For example,

          to_char(timestamp,'MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS') as foo_date_pretty

          becomes

          to_char(timestamp,'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') as foo_date_ansi
        3. In TCL files where the date fields are used, convert the datetime from local server timezone, which is how it's stored in the database, to the user's timezone for display. Do this with the localizing function lc_time_system_to_conn:

          +set foo_date_ansi [lc_time_system_to_conn $foo_date_ansi]

          When a datetime will be written to the database, first convert it from the user's local time to the server's timezone with lc_time_conn_to_system. +

        4. When a datetime field will be displayed, format it using the localizing function lc_time_fmt. lc_time_fmt takes two parameters, datetime and format code. Several format codes are usable for localization; they are placeholders that format dates with the appropriate codes for the user's locale. These codes are: %x, %X, %q, %Q, and %c.

          set foo_date_pretty [lc_time_fmt $foo_date_ansi "%x %X"]

          + Use the _pretty version in your ADP page.

          • %c: Long date and time (Mon November 18, 2002 12:00 AM)

          • @@ -51,10 +50,10 @@

          • %Q: Long date with weekday (Monday November 18, 2002)

          - The "q" format strings are OpenACS additions; the rest follow unix standards (see man - strftime). + The "q" format strings are OpenACS additions; the rest follow unix standards (see man + strftime).

      6. Internationalize Numbers.� - To internationalize numbers, use lc_numeric $value, which formats the number using the appropriate decimal point and thousand separator for the locale. + To internationalize numbers, use lc_numeric $value, which formats the number using the appropriate decimal point and thousand separator for the locale.

      7. Internationalizing Forms.�When coding forms, remember to use message keys for each piece of text that is user-visible, including form option labels and button labels.

      8. Checking the Consistency of Catalog Files.� This section describes how to check that the set of keys used in message lookups in tcl, adp, and info files and the set of keys in @@ -64,23 +63,23 @@ are always is done with one of the valid lookups described above. The script further assumes that you have perl installed and in your path. Run the script like this: - + acs-lang/bin/check-catalog.sh package_key - +

        where package_key is the key of the package that you want to test. If you don't provide the package_key argument then all packages with catalog files will be checked. The script will run its checks primarily on en_US xml catalog files. -

      Avoiding common i18n mistakes

      • Replace complicated keys with longer, simpler keys.�When writing in one language, it is possible to create clever code to make correct text. In English, for example, you can put an if command at the end of a word which adds "s" if a count is anything but 1. This pluralizes nouns correctly based on the data. However, it is confusing to read and, when internationalized, may result in message keys that are both confusing and impossible to set correctly in some languages. While internationalizing, watch out that the automate converter does not create such keys. Also, refactor compound text as you encounter it.

        The automated system can easily get confused by tags within message texts, so that it tries to create two or three message keys for one long string with a tag in the middle. In these cases, uncheck those keys during the conversion and then edit the files directly. For example, this code:

          <p class="form-help-text"><b>Invitations</b> are sent,
        -          when this wizard is completed and casting begins.</p>

        has a bold tag which confuses the converter into thinking there are two message keys for the text beginning "Invitations ..." where there should be one:

        Instead, we cancel those keys, edit the file manually, and put in a single temporary message tag:

          <p class="form-help-text"> <#Invitations_are_sent <b>Invitations</b> are sent, 
        +      

    Avoiding common i18n mistakes

    • Replace complicated keys with longer, simpler keys.�When writing in one language, it is possible to create clever code to make correct text. In English, for example, you can put an if command at the end of a word which adds "s" if a count is anything but 1. This pluralizes nouns correctly based on the data. However, it is confusing to read and, when internationalized, may result in message keys that are both confusing and impossible to set correctly in some languages. While internationalizing, watch out that the automate converter does not create such keys. Also, refactor compound text as you encounter it.

      The automated system can easily get confused by tags within message texts, so that it tries to create two or three message keys for one long string with a tag in the middle. In these cases, uncheck those keys during the conversion and then edit the files directly. For example, this code:

        <p class="form-help-text"><b>Invitations</b> are sent,
      +          when this wizard is completed and casting begins.</p>

      has a bold tag which confuses the converter into thinking there are two message keys for the text beginning "Invitations ..." where there should be one:

      Instead, we cancel those keys, edit the file manually, and put in a single temporary message tag:

        <p class="form-help-text"> <#Invitations_are_sent <b>Invitations</b> are sent, 
       when this wizard is completed and casting begins.#>
      -  </p>

      Complex if statements may produce convoluted message keys that are very hard to localize. Rewrite these if statements. For example:

      Select which case <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and
      +  </p>

      Complex if statements may produce convoluted message keys that are very hard to localize. Rewrite these if statements. For example:

      Select which case <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and
       role</if> to join, or create a new case for yourself.  If you do not
      -select a case <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and role</if>
      +select a case <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and role</if>
       to join, you will be automatically assigned to a case <if
      -@simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and role</if> when the
      -simulation begins.

      ... can be rewritten:

      <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">
      +@simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">and role</if> when the
      +simulation begins.

      ... can be rewritten:

      <if @simulation.casting_type@ eq "open">
       
       Select which case and role to join, or create a new case for
       yourself.  If you do not select a case and role to join, you will
      @@ -96,7 +95,7 @@
       begins.
       
       </else>

      Another example, where bugs are concatenated with a number:

      <if @components.view_bugs_url@ not nil>
      -  <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="View the @pretty_names.bugs@ for this component">
      +  <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="View the @pretty_names.bugs@ for this component">
         </if>
         @components.num_bugs@ 
         <if @components.num_bugs@ eq 1>
      @@ -110,7 +109,7 @@
         </if>
       
       <if @components.view_bugs_url@ not nil>
      -<a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">
      +<a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">
       </if>
       @components.num_bugs@ 
       <if @components.num_bugs@ eq 1>
      @@ -124,39 +123,39 @@
       </if>
       

      It would probably be better to do this as something like:

      <if @components.view_bugs_url@ not nil>
         <if @components.num_bugs@ eq 1>
      -    <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">#bug-tracker.one_bug#</a>
      +    <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">#bug-tracker.one_bug#</a>
         </if><else>
      -    <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">#bug-tracker.N_bugs#</a>
      +    <a href="@components.view_bugs_url@" title="#bug-tracker.View_the_bug_fo_component#">#bug-tracker.N_bugs#</a>
         </else>
      -</if>
    • Don't combine keys in display text.�Converting a phrase from one language to another is usually more complicated than simply replacing each word with an equivalent. When several keys are concatenated, the resulting word order will not be correct for every language. Different languages may use expressions or idioms that don't match the phrase key-for-key. Create complete, distinct keys instead of building text from several keys. For example:

      Original code:

      multirow append links "New [bug_tracker::conn Bug]" 

      Problematic conversion:

      multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New] [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"

      Better conversion:

      set bug_label [bug_tracker::conn Bug]
      -multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New_Bug]" "${url_prefix}bug-add"

      ... and include the variable in the key: "New %bug_label%". This gives translators more control over the phrase.

      In this example of bad i18n, full name is created by concatenating first and last name (admittedly this is pervasive in the toolkit):

      <a href="@past_version.maintainer_url@" title="#bug-tracker.Email# @past_version.maintainer_email@">
      +</if>
    • Don't combine keys in display text.�Converting a phrase from one language to another is usually more complicated than simply replacing each word with an equivalent. When several keys are concatenated, the resulting word order will not be correct for every language. Different languages may use expressions or idioms that don't match the phrase key-for-key. Create complete, distinct keys instead of building text from several keys. For example:

      Original code:

      multirow append links "New [bug_tracker::conn Bug]" 

      Problematic conversion:

      multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New] [bug_tracker::conn Bug]"

      Better conversion:

      set bug_label [bug_tracker::conn Bug]
      +multirow append links "[_ bug-tracker.New_Bug]" "${url_prefix}bug-add"

      ... and include the variable in the key: "New %bug_label%". This gives translators more control over the phrase.

      In this example of bad i18n, full name is created by concatenating first and last name (admittedly this is pervasive in the toolkit):

      <a href="@past_version.maintainer_url@" title="#bug-tracker.Email# @past_version.maintainer_email@">
       @past_version.maintainer_first_names@ @past_version.maintainer_last_name@</a>
    • Avoid unnecessary duplicate keys.�When phrases are exactly the same in several places, use a single key.

      For common words such as Yes and No, you can use a library of keys at acs-kernel. For example, instead of using - myfirstpackage.Yes, you - can use acs-kernel.Yes. + myfirstpackage.Yes, you + can use acs-kernel.Yes. You can also use the Message Key Search facility to find duplicates. Be careful, however, building up sentences from keys because grammar and other elements may not be consistent across different locales.

      Additional discussion: Re: - Bug 961 ("Control Panel" displayed instead of - "Administer"), Translation - server upgraded, and Localization questions.

    • Don't internationalize internal code words.�Many packages use code words or key words, such as "open" and "closed", which will never be shown to the user. They may match key values in the database, or be used in a switch or if statement. Don't change these.

      For example, the original code is

      workflow::case::add_log_data \ 	    
      +            Bug 961 ("Control Panel" displayed instead of
      +            "Administer"), Translation
      +            server upgraded, and Localization questions.

    • Don't internationalize internal code words.�Many packages use code words or key words, such as "open" and "closed", which will never be shown to the user. They may match key values in the database, or be used in a switch or if statement. Don't change these.

      For example, the original code is

      workflow::case::add_log_data \ 	    
              -entry_id $entry_id \ 	    
      -       -key "resolution" \ 	    
      +       -key "resolution" \ 	    
              -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]

      This is incorrectly internationalized to

        workflow::case::add_log_data \ 	    
              -entry_id $entry_id \
      -       -key "[_ bug-tracker.resolution]" \
      -       -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]

      But resolution is a keyword in a table and in the code, so this breaks the code. It should not have been internationalized at all. Here's another example of text that should not have been internationalized:

      {show_patch_status "open"}

      It is broken if changed to

      {show_patch_status "[_ bug-tracker.open]"}
    • Fix automatic truncated message keys.�The automatic converter may create unique but crytic message keys. Watch out for these and replace them with more descriptive keys. For example:

      -<msg key="You">You can filter by this %component_name% by viisting %filter_url_string%</msg>
      -<msg key="You_1">You do not have permission to map this patch to a bug. Only the submitter of the patch 
      +       -key "[_ bug-tracker.resolution]" \
      +       -value [db_string select_resolution_code {}]

      But resolution is a keyword in a table and in the code, so this breaks the code. It should not have been internationalized at all. Here's another example of text that should not have been internationalized:

      {show_patch_status "open"}

      It is broken if changed to

      {show_patch_status "[_ bug-tracker.open]"}
    • Fix automatic truncated message keys.�The automatic converter may create unique but crytic message keys. Watch out for these and replace them with more descriptive keys. For example:

      +<msg key="You">You can filter by this %component_name% by viisting %filter_url_string%</msg>
      +<msg key="You_1">You do not have permission to map this patch to a bug. Only the submitter of the patch 
       and users with write permission on this Bug Tracker project (package instance) may do so.</msg>
      -<msg key="You_2">You do not have permission to edit this patch. Only the submitter of the patch 
      -and users with write permission on the Bug Tracker project (package instance) may do so.</msg>

      These would be more useful if they were, "you_can_filter", "you_do_not_have_permission_to_map_this_patch", and "you_do_not_have_permission_to_edit_this_patch". Don't worry about exactly matching the english text, because that might change; instead try to capture the meaning of the phrase. Ask yourself, if I was a translator and didn't know how this application worked, would this key and text make translation easy for me? -

      Sometimes the automatic converter creates keys that don't semantically match their text. Fix these:

      <msg key="Fix">for version</msg>
      -<msg key="Fix_1">for</msg>
      -<msg key="Fix_2">for Bugs</msg>

      Another example: Bug-tracker component maintainer" was converted to "[_ bug-tracker.Bug-tracker]". Instead, it should be bug_tracker_component_maintainer.

    • Translations in Avoid "clever" message reuse.�Translations may need to differ depending on the context in which +<msg key="You_2">You do not have permission to edit this patch. Only the submitter of the patch +and users with write permission on the Bug Tracker project (package instance) may do so.</msg>

      These would be more useful if they were, "you_can_filter", "you_do_not_have_permission_to_map_this_patch", and "you_do_not_have_permission_to_edit_this_patch". Don't worry about exactly matching the english text, because that might change; instead try to capture the meaning of the phrase. Ask yourself, if I was a translator and didn't know how this application worked, would this key and text make translation easy for me? +

      Sometimes the automatic converter creates keys that don't semantically match their text. Fix these:

      <msg key="Fix">for version</msg>
      +<msg key="Fix_1">for</msg>
      +<msg key="Fix_2">for Bugs</msg>

      Another example: Bug-tracker component maintainer" was converted to "[_ bug-tracker.Bug-tracker]". Instead, it should be bug_tracker_component_maintainer.

    • Translations in Avoid "clever" message reuse.�Translations may need to differ depending on the context in which the message appears. -

    • Avoid plurals.�Different languages create plurals differently. Try to avoid keys which will change based on the value of a number. OpenACS does not currently support internationalization of plurals. If you use two different keys, a plural and a singular form, your application will not localize properly for locales which use different rules or have more than two forms of plurals.

    • Quoting in the message catalog for tcl.�Watch out for quoting and escaping when editing text that is also code. For example, the original string

      set title "Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice."

      breaks if the message text retains all of the escaping that was in the tcl command:

      <msg>Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice.</msg>

      When it becomes a key, it should be:

      <msg>Patch "$patch_summary" is nice.</msg>

      Also, some keys had %var;noquote%, which is not needed since those +

    • Avoid plurals.�Different languages create plurals differently. Try to avoid keys which will change based on the value of a number. OpenACS does not currently support internationalization of plurals. If you use two different keys, a plural and a singular form, your application will not localize properly for locales which use different rules or have more than two forms of plurals.

    • Quoting in the message catalog for tcl.�Watch out for quoting and escaping when editing text that is also code. For example, the original string

      set title "Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice."

      breaks if the message text retains all of the escaping that was in the tcl command:

      <msg>Patch \"$patch_summary\" is nice.</msg>

      When it becomes a key, it should be:

      <msg>Patch "$patch_summary" is nice.</msg>

      Also, some keys had %var;noquote%, which is not needed since those variables are not quoted (and in fact the variable won't even be - recognized so you get the literal %var;noquote% in the output).

    • Be careful with curly brackets.�Code within curly brackets isn't evaluated. TCL uses curly brackets as an alternative way to build lists. But TCL also uses curly brackets as an alternative to quotation marks for quoting text. So this original code

      array set names { key "Pretty" ...} 

      ... if converted to

      array set names { key "[_bug-tracker.Pretty]" ...} 

      ... won't work since the _ func will not be called. Instead, it should be

      array set names [list key [_bug-tracker.Pretty] ...]
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + recognized so you get the literal %var;noquote% in the output).

  • Be careful with curly brackets.�Code within curly brackets isn't evaluated. TCL uses curly brackets as an alternative way to build lists. But TCL also uses curly brackets as an alternative to quotation marks for quoting text. So this original code

    array set names { key "Pretty" ...} 

    ... if converted to

    array set names { key "[_bug-tracker.Pretty]" ...} 

    ... won't work since the _ func will not be called. Instead, it should be

    array set names [list key [_bug-tracker.Pretty] ...]
  • View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-design.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,3 +1,2 @@ - -Design Notes

    Design Notes

    User locale is a property of ad_conn, ad_conn locale. The request processor sets this by calling lang::conn::locale, which looks for the following in order of precedence:

    1. Use user preference for this package (stored in ad_locale_user_prefs)

    2. Use system preference for the package (stored in apm_packages)

    3. Use user's general preference (stored in user_preferences)

    4. Use Browser header (Accept-Language HTTP header)

    5. Use system locale (an APM parameter for acs_lang)

    6. default to en_US

    For ADP pages, message key lookup occurs in the templating engine. For TCL pages, message key lookup happens with the _ function. In both cases, if the requested locale is not found but a locale which is the default for the language which matches your locale's language is +Design Notes

    Design Notes

    User locale is a property of ad_conn, ad_conn locale. The request processor sets this by calling lang::conn::locale, which looks for the following in order of precedence:

    1. Use user preference for this package (stored in ad_locale_user_prefs)

    2. Use system preference for the package (stored in apm_packages)

    3. Use user's general preference (stored in user_preferences)

    4. Use Browser header (Accept-Language HTTP header)

    5. Use system locale (an APM parameter for acs_lang)

    6. default to en_US

    For ADP pages, message key lookup occurs in the templating engine. For TCL pages, message key lookup happens with the _ function. In both cases, if the requested locale is not found but a locale which is the default for the language which matches your locale's language is found, then that locale is offered instead.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-introduction.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-introduction.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-introduction.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-introduction.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,20 +1,19 @@ - -How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS

    How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS

    +How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS

    How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS

    This document describes how to develop internationalized OpenACS packages, including writing new packages with internationalization and converting old packages. Text that - users might see is "localizable text"; replacing monolingual text + users might see is "localizable text"; replacing monolingual text and single-locale date/time/money functions with generic - functions is "internationalization"; translating first - generation text into a specific language is "localization." At + functions is "internationalization"; translating first + generation text into a specific language is "localization." At a minimum, all packages should be internationalized. If you do not also localize your package for different locales, volunteers - may use a public "localization server" to submit suggested text. + may use a public "localization server" to submit suggested text. Otherwise, your package will not be usable for all locales.

    The main difference between monolingual and internationalized packages is that all user-visible text in the code of an internationalized - package are coded as "message keys." The message keys + package are coded as "message keys." The message keys correspond to a message catalog, which contains versions of the text for each available language. Script files (.adp and .tcl and .vuh), database files (.sql), and APM parameters are affected. @@ -33,33 +32,33 @@ which are static and mostly text, it may be easier to create a new ADP page for each language. In this case, the pages are distinguished by a file naming convention. -

    User Content

    OpenACS does not have a general system for supporting multiple, localized versions of user-input content. This document currently refers only to internationalizing the text in the package user interface.

    Separate Templates for each Locale

    If the request processor finds a file named filename.locale.adp, where locale matches the user's locale, it will process that file instead of filename.adp. For example, for a user with locale tl_PH, the file index.tl_PH.adp, if found, will be used instead of index.adp. The locale-specific file should thus contain text in the language appropriate for that locale. The code in the page, however, should still be in English. Message keys are processed normally.

    Message Catalogs

    Message Keys in Template Files (ADP Files)

    +

    User Content

    OpenACS does not have a general system for supporting multiple, localized versions of user-input content. This document currently refers only to internationalizing the text in the package user interface.

    Separate Templates for each Locale

    If the request processor finds a file named filename.locale.adp, where locale matches the user's locale, it will process that file instead of filename.adp. For example, for a user with locale tl_PH, the file index.tl_PH.adp, if found, will be used instead of index.adp. The locale-specific file should thus contain text in the language appropriate for that locale. The code in the page, however, should still be in English. Message keys are processed normally.

    Message Catalogs

    Message Keys in Template Files (ADP Files)

    Internationalizing templates is about replacing human readable text in a certain language with internal message keys, which can then be dynamically replaced with real human language in the desired locale. Message keys themselves should be in ASCII English, as should all code. Three different syntaxes are possible for message keys.

    - "Short" syntax is the recommended syntax and should be used + "Short" syntax is the recommended syntax and should be used for new development. When internationalizing an existing - package, you can use the "temporary" syntax, which the APM can + package, you can use the "temporary" syntax, which the APM can use to auto-generate missing keys and automatically translate - to the short syntax. The "verbose" syntax is useful while + to the short syntax. The "verbose" syntax is useful while developing, because it allows default text so that the page is usable before you have done localization.

    • - The short: - #package_key.message_key# + The short: + #package_key.message_key#

      The advantage of the short syntax is that it's short. It's as simple as inserting the value of a variable. Example: #forum.title#

    • - The verbose: <trn - key="package_key.message_key" - locale="locale">default - text</trn> + The verbose: <trn + key="package_key.message_key" + locale="locale">default + text</trn>

      The verbose syntax allows you to specify a default text in a certain language. This syntax is not recommended @@ -68,11 +67,11 @@ in the message catalog yet, because what it'll do is create the message key with the default text from the tag as the localized message. Example: <trn - key="forum.title" locale="en_US">Title</trn> + key="forum.title" locale="en_US">Title</trn>

    • - The temporary: - <#message_key - original text#> + The temporary: + <#message_key + original text#>

      This syntax has been designed to make it easy to internationalize existing pages. This is not a syntax that @@ -83,21 +82,21 @@ auto-generated by the APM. Example: <_ Title>

    We recommend the short notation for new package development. -

    Message Keys in TCL Files

    +

    Message Keys in TCL Files

    In adp files message lookups are typically done with the syntax - \#package_key.message_key\#. In Tcl + \#package_key.message_key\#. In Tcl files all message lookups *must* be on either of the following formats:

    -

    • Typical static key lookup: [_ package_key.message_key] - The message key and package key used here must be string literals, they can't result from variable evaluation.

    • - Static key lookup with non-default locale: [lang::message::lookup $locale package_key.message_key] - The message key and package key used here must be string literals, they can't result from variable evaluation.

    • - Dynamic key lookup: [lang::util::localize $var_with_embedded_message_keys] - In this case the message keys in the variable var_with_embedded_message_keys must appear as string literals \#package_key.message_key\# somewhere in the code. Here is an example of a dynamic lookup: - set message_key_array { +

      • Typical static key lookup: [_ package_key.message_key] - The message key and package key used here must be string literals, they can't result from variable evaluation.

      • + Static key lookup with non-default locale: [lang::message::lookup $locale package_key.message_key] - The message key and package key used here must be string literals, they can't result from variable evaluation.

      • + Dynamic key lookup: [lang::util::localize $var_with_embedded_message_keys] - In this case the message keys in the variable var_with_embedded_message_keys must appear as string literals \#package_key.message_key\# somewhere in the code. Here is an example of a dynamic lookup: + set message_key_array { dynamic_key_1 \#package_key.message_key1\# dynamic_key_2 \#package_key.message_key2\# } set my_text [lang::util::localize $message_key_array([get_dynamic_key])] - +

      Translatable texts in page TCL scripts are often found in page titles, @@ -106,16 +105,16 @@ that can be used on Linux to highlight translatable text in TCL files:

       # Find text in double quotes
      -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '"[a-z]'
      +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '"[a-z]'
       
       # Find untranslated text in form labels, options and values
      -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '\-(options|label|value)'|egrep -v '<#'|egrep -v '\-(value|label|options)[[:space:]]+\$[a-zA-Z_]+[[:space:]]*\\?[[:space:]]*$'
      +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '\-(options|label|value)'|egrep -v '<#'|egrep -v '\-(value|label|options)[[:space:]]+\$[a-zA-Z_]+[[:space:]]*\\?[[:space:]]*$'
       
       # Find text in page titles and context bars
      -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i 'set (title|page_title|context_bar) '|egrep -v '<#'
      +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i 'set (title|page_title|context_bar) '|egrep -v '<#'
       
       # Find text in error messages
      -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '(ad_complain|ad_return_error)'|egrep -v '<#'
      +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '(ad_complain|ad_return_error)'|egrep -v '<#'
       
             

      You may mark up translatable text in TCL library files and TCL pages @@ -132,74 +131,74 @@ tempoarary message tag (<#_ text_with_percentage_vars#>) and run the action replace tags with keys in the APM.

    The variable values in the message are usually fetched with upvar, here is an example from dotlrn: - - ad_return_complaint 1 "Error: A [parameter::get -parameter classes_pretty_name] - must have <em>no</em>[parameter::get -parameter class_instances_pretty_plural] to be deleted" - + + ad_return_complaint 1 "Error: A [parameter::get -parameter classes_pretty_name] + must have <em>no</em>[parameter::get -parameter class_instances_pretty_plural] to be deleted" + was replaced by: - + set subject [parameter::get -localize -parameter classes_pretty_name] set class_instances [parameter::get -localize -parameter class_instances_pretty_plural] ad_return_complaint 1 [_ dotlrn.class_may_not_be_deleted] - +

    This kind of interpolation also works in adp files where adp variable values will be inserted into the message.

    Alternatively, you may pass in an array list of the variable values to be interpolated into the message so that our example becomes:

    -set msg_subst_list [list subject [parameter::get -localize -parameter classes_pretty_name] class_instances [parameter::get -localize -parameter class_instances_pretty_plural]]
    +set msg_subst_list [list subject [parameter::get -localize -parameter classes_pretty_name] class_instances [parameter::get -localize -parameter class_instances_pretty_plural]]
     
     ad_return_complaint 1 [_ dotlrn.class_may_not_be_deleted $msg_subst_list]
    -
    +
     

    When we were done going through the tcl files we ran the following commands to check for mistakes:

     # Message tags should usually not be in curly braces since then the message lookup may not be
     # executed then (you can usually replace curly braces with the list command). Find message tags 
     # in curly braces (should return nothing, or possibly a few lines for inspection)
    -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '\{.*<#'
    +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '\{.*<#'
     
     # Check if you've forgotten space between default key and text in message tags (should return nothing)
    -find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '<#_[^ ]'
    +find -iname '*.tcl'|xargs egrep -i '<#_[^ ]'
     
     # Review the list of tcl files with no message lookups
    -for tcl_file in $(find -iname '*.tcl'); do egrep -L '(<#|\[_)' $tcl_file; done
    +for tcl_file in $(find -iname '*.tcl'); do egrep -L '(<#|\[_)' $tcl_file; done
     

    When you feel ready you may vist your package in the package manager - and run the action "Replace tags with keys - and insert into catalog" on the TCL files that you've edited to + and run the action "Replace tags with keys + and insert into catalog" on the TCL files that you've edited to replace the temporary tags with calls to the message lookup procedure. -

    Dates, Times, and Numbers in TCL files

    +

    Dates, Times, and Numbers in TCL files

    Most date, time, and number variables are calculated in TCL files. Dates and times must be converted when stored in the database, when retrieved from the database, and when displayed. All dates are stored in the database in the server's timezone, which is an APM Parameter set at - /acs-lang/admin/set-system-timezone + /acs-lang/admin/set-system-timezone and readable at - lang::system::timezone.. When + lang::system::timezone.. When retrieved from the database and displayed, dates and times must be localized to the user's locale. -

    APM Parameters

    +

    APM Parameters

    Some parameters contain text that need to be localized. In this case, instead of storing the real text in the parameter, you should use message keys using the short notation above, - i.e. #package_key.message_key#. + i.e. #package_key.message_key#.

    In order to avoid clashes with other uses of the hash character, you need to tell the APM that the parameter value needs to be localized when retrieving it. You do that by saying: - parameter::get -localize. + parameter::get -localize.

    Here are a couple of examples. Say we have the following two parameters, taken directly from the dotlrn package.

    Parameter NameParameter Value
    class_instance_pages_csv#dotlrn.class_page_home_title#,Simple 2-Column;#dotlrn.class_page_calendar_title#,Simple 1-Column;#dotlrn.class_page_file_storage_title#,Simple 1-Column
    departments_pretty_name#departments_pretty_name#

    Then, depending on how we retrieve the value, here's what we get: -

    Command used to retrieve ValueRetrieved Value
    parameter::get -localize -parameter class_instances_pages_csvKurs Startseite,Simple 2-Column;Kalender,Simple 1-Column;Dateien,Simple 1-Column
    parameter::get -localize -parameter departments_pretty_nameAbteilung
    parameter::get -parameter departments_pretty_name#departments_pretty_name#

    +

    Command used to retrieve ValueRetrieved Value
    parameter::get -localize -parameter class_instances_pages_csvKurs Startseite,Simple 2-Column;Kalender,Simple 1-Column;Dateien,Simple 1-Column
    parameter::get -localize -parameter departments_pretty_nameAbteilung
    parameter::get -parameter departments_pretty_name#departments_pretty_name#

    The value in the rightmost column in the table above is the value returned by an invocation of parameter::get. Note that for localization to happen you must use the -localize flag. @@ -209,5 +208,5 @@ locale.

    Developers are responsible for creating the keys in the message - catalog, which is available at /acs-lang/admin/ + catalog, which is available at /acs-lang/admin/

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-overview.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-overview.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-overview.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-overview.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Internationalization and Localization Overview

    Internationalization and Localization Overview

    Table�14.1.�Internationalization and Localization Overview

    StageTaskWho
    InternationalizationPackage Developer uses the acs-lang tools to replace all visible text in a package with message keys. (More information)Package Developer
    Release ManagementThe newly internationalized package is released.Package Developer
    The translation server is updated with the new package.Translation server maintainers
    LocalizationTranslators work in their respective locales to write text for each message key. (More information)Translators
    Release ManagementThe translated text in the database of the translation server is compared to the current translations in the OpenACS code base, conflicts are resolved, and the new text is written to catalog files on the translation server.Translation server maintainers
    The catalog files are committed to the OpenACS code base.Translation server maintainers
    A new version of OpenACS core and/or affected packages is released and published in the OpenACS.org repository.Release Manager
    UpgradingSite Administrators upgrade their OpenACS sites, either via the automatic upgrade from the Repository or via tarball or CVS Site Administrators
    Site Administrators import the new translations. Existing local translations, if they exist, are not overwritten.Site Administrators
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Internationalization and Localization Overview

    Internationalization and Localization Overview

    Table�14.1.�Internationalization and Localization Overview

    StageTaskWho
    InternationalizationPackage Developer uses the acs-lang tools to replace all visible text in a package with message keys. (More information)Package Developer
    Release ManagementThe newly internationalized package is released.Package Developer
    The translation server is updated with the new package.Translation server maintainers
    LocalizationTranslators work in their respective locales to write text for each message key. (More information)Translators
    Release ManagementThe translated text in the database of the translation server is compared to the current translations in the OpenACS code base, conflicts are resolved, and the new text is written to catalog files on the translation server.Translation server maintainers
    The catalog files are committed to the OpenACS code base.Translation server maintainers
    A new version of OpenACS core and/or affected packages is released and published in the OpenACS.org repository.Release Manager
    UpgradingSite Administrators upgrade their OpenACS sites, either via the automatic upgrade from the Repository or via tarball or CVS Site Administrators
    Site Administrators import the new translations. Existing local translations, if they exist, are not overwritten.Site Administrators

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.19.2.1 -r1.19.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.19.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.19.2.2 @@ -1,19 +1,18 @@ - -OpenACS Internationalization Requirements

    OpenACS Internationalization Requirements

    by Henry Minsky, +OpenACS Internationalization Requirements

    OpenACS Internationalization Requirements

    by Henry Minsky, Yon Feldman, Lars Pind, Peter Marklund, Christian Hvid, and others.

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Introduction

    +

    Introduction

    This document describes the requirements for functionality in the OpenACS platform to support globalization of the core and optional modules. The goal is to make it possible to support delivery of applications which work properly in multiple locales with the lowest development and maintenance cost. -

    Definitions

    internationalization (i18n)

    +

    Definitions

    internationalization (i18n)

    The provision within a computer program of the capability of making itself adaptable to the requirements of different native languages, local customs and coded character sets. @@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ A product development approach which ensures that software products are usable in the worldwide markets through a combination of internationalization and localization. -

    Vision Statement

    The Mozilla project suggests keeping two catchy phrases in +

    Vision Statement

    The Mozilla project suggests keeping two catchy phrases in mind when thinking about globalization:

    • One code base for the world

    • English is just another language

    Building an application often involves making a number of assumptions on the part of the developers which depend on their own culture. These include constant strings in the user interface and @@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ kind of globalization support would be large and ongoing, since without a mechanism to incorporate the locale-specific changes cleanly back into the code base, it would require making a new fork -of the source code for each locale.

    System/Application Overview

    A globalized application will perform some or all of the +of the source code for each locale.

    System/Application Overview

    A globalized application will perform some or all of the following steps to handle a page request for a specific locale:

    1. Decide what the target locale is for an incoming page request

    2. Decide which character set encoding the output should be @@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ Java which we will want to move to. So the design to meet the requirements will tend to rely on these capabilities, or close approximations to them where possible, in order to make it easier -to maintain Tcl and Java OpenACS versions.

    Use-cases and User-scenarios

    Here are the cases that we need to be able to handle +to maintain Tcl and Java OpenACS versions.

    Use-cases and User-scenarios

    Here are the cases that we need to be able to handle efficiently:

    1. A developer needs to author a web site/application in a language besides English, and possibly a character set besides ISO-8859-1. This includes the operation of the OpenACS itself, i.e., @@ -91,9 +90,9 @@ resources such as message catalogs, non-text assets such as graphics, and use of templates which help to separate application logic from presentation.

    Competitive -Analysis

    Other application servers: ATG Dyanmo, Broadvision, Vignette, +Analysis

    Other application servers: ATG Dyanmo, Broadvision, Vignette, ... ? Anyone know how they deal with i18n ?

    Related -Links

    • System/Package "coversheet" - where all +Links

    Requirements

    Because the requirements for globalization affect many areas +Registry of Character Sets

  • Test plan

  • Competitive system(s)

  • Requirements

    Because the requirements for globalization affect many areas of the system, we will break up the requirements into phases, with a base required set of features, and then stages of increasing -functionality.

    Locales

    10.0

    A standard representation of locale will be used throughout +functionality.

    Locales

    10.0

    A standard representation of locale will be used throughout the system. A locale refers to a language and territory, and is uniquely identified by a combination of ISO language and ISO country abbreviations.

    See @@ -118,19 +117,19 @@ locale-aware formatting and parsing functions for numbers, dates and times. Note that Java has builtin support for these already.

    10.30 For each locale there will be -default date, number and currency formats. Currency i18n is -NOT IMPLEMENTED for 5.0.0.

    10.40Administrators can upgrade their -servers to use new locales via the APM. NOT IMPLEMENTED in +default date, number and currency formats. Currency i18n is +NOT IMPLEMENTED for 5.0.0.

    10.40Administrators can upgrade their +servers to use new locales via the APM. NOT IMPLEMENTED in 5.0.0; current workaround is to get an xml file and load it -manually.

    Associating a Locale with a Request

    20.0

    The request processor must have a mechanism for associating a +manually.

    Associating a Locale with a Request

    20.0

    The request processor must have a mechanism for associating a locale with each request. This locale is then used to select the appropriate template for a request, and will also be passed as the locale argument to the message catalog or locale-specific formatting functions.

    20.10 The locale for a request should be computed by the following method, in descending order of priority:

    • get locale associated with subsite or package id

    • get locale from user preference

    • get locale from site wide default

      20.20 An API will be provided for getting the current request locale from the -ad_conn structure.

    Resource Bundles / Content Repository

    30.0

    A mechanism must be provided for a developer to group a set +ad_conn structure.

    Resource Bundles / Content Repository

    30.0

    A mechanism must be provided for a developer to group a set of arbitrary content resources together, keyed by a unique identifier and a locale.

    For example, what approaches could be used to implement a localizable nav-bar mechanism for a site? A navigation bar might be @@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ functionality might include using templates, Java ResourceBundles, content-item containers in the Content Repository, or some convention assigning a common prefix to key strings in the message -catalog.

    Message Catalog for String Translation

    40.0

    A message catalog facility will provide a database of +catalog.

    Message Catalog for String Translation

    40.0

    A message catalog facility will provide a database of translations for constant strings for multilingual applications. It must support the following:

    40.10 Each message will referenced via unique a key.

    40.20 The key for a message will have @@ -167,7 +166,7 @@ is modified, the other translations of that string can be flagged as needing update.

    40.90 The message lookup must be as efficient as possible so as not to slow down the delivery of -pages.

    Character Set Encoding

    Character Sets

    50.0 A locale will have a primary +pages.

    Character Set Encoding

    Character Sets

    50.0 A locale will have a primary associated character set which is used to encode text in the language. When given a locale, we can query the system for the associated character set to use.

    The assumption is that we are going to use Unicode in our @@ -182,7 +181,7 @@ Writing Files

  • When the acs-templating package writes an an ADP or TCL file, it assumes the file is iso-8859-1. If the output charset (OutputCharset) in the AOLserver config file is set, - then acs-templating assumes it's that charset.

  • Tcl Source File Character Set

    There are two classes of Tcl files loaded by the system; + then acs-templating assumes it's that charset.

    Tcl Source File Character Set

    There are two classes of Tcl files loaded by the system; library files loaded at server startup, and page script files, which are run on each page request.

    Should we require all Tcl files be stored as UTF8? That seems too much of a burden on developers.

    50.10 Tcl library files can be authored @@ -191,31 +190,31 @@ filename.

    50.20 Tcl page script files can be authored in any character set. The system must have a way to determine the character set before loading the files, probably from - the filename.

    Submitted Form Data Character Set

    50.30 Data which is submitted with a + the filename.

    Submitted Form Data Character Set

    50.30 Data which is submitted with a HTTP request using a GET or POST method may be in any character set. The system must be able to determine the encoding of the form data and convert it to Unicode on demand.

    50.35 The developer must be able to override the default system choice of character set when parsing - and validating user form data. INCOMPLETE - form + and validating user form data. INCOMPLETE - form widgets in acs-templating/tcl/date-procs.tcl are not internationalized. Also, acs-templating's UI needs to be internationalized by replacing all user-visible strings with - message keys.

    50.30.10In Japan and some + message keys.

    50.30.10In Japan and some other Asian languages where there are multiple character set encodings in common use, the server may need to attempt to do an auto-detection of the character set, because buggy browsers may - submit form data in an unexpected alternate encoding.

    Output Character Set

    50.40 The output character set for a + submit form data in an unexpected alternate encoding.

    Output Character Set

    50.40 The output character set for a page request will be determined by default by the locale associated with the request (see requirement 20.0).

    50.50 It must be possible for a developer to manually override the output character set encoding for a request using an API function. -

    ACS Kernel Issues

    60.10 All OpenACS error messages must use +

    ACS Kernel Issues

    60.10 All OpenACS error messages must use the message catalog and the request locale to generate error -message for the appropriate locale.NOT IMPLEMENTED for 5.0.0.

    60.20 Web server error messages such as +message for the appropriate locale.NOT IMPLEMENTED for 5.0.0.

    60.20 Web server error messages such as 404, 500, etc must also be delivered in the appropriate locale.

    60.30 Where files are written or read from disk, their filenames must use a character set and character -values which are safe for the underlying operating system.

    Templates

    70.0 For a given abstract URL, the +values which are safe for the underlying operating system.

    Templates

    70.0 For a given abstract URL, the designer may create multiple locale-specific template files may be created (one per locale or language)

    70.10 For a given page request, the system must be able to select an approprate locale-specific @@ -227,27 +226,27 @@ any character set. The system must have a way to know which character set a template file contains, so it can properly process it.

    Formatting -Datasource Output in Templates

    70.50 The properties of a datasource +Datasource Output in Templates

    70.50 The properties of a datasource column may include a datatype so that the templating system can format the output for the current locale. The datatype is defined by a standard OpenACS datatype plus a format token or format string, for example: a date column might be specified as 'current_date:date LONG,' or 'current_date:date -"YYYY-Mon-DD"'

    Forms

    70.60 The forms API must support +"YYYY-Mon-DD"'

    Forms

    70.60 The forms API must support construction of locale-specific HTML form widgets, such as date entry widgets, and form validation of user input data for locale-specific data, such as dates or numbers. NOT IMPLEMENTED in 5.0.0.

    70.70 For forms which allow users to upload files, a standard method for a user to indicate the charset of a text file being uploaded must be provided.

    Design note: this presumably applies to uploading -data to the content repository as well

    Sorting and Searching

    80.10 Support API for correct collation +data to the content repository as well

    Sorting and Searching

    80.10 Support API for correct collation (sorting order) on lists of strings in locale-dependent way.

    80.20 For the Tcl API, we will say that locale-dependent sorting will use Oracle SQL operations (i.e., we won't provide a Tcl API for this). We require a Tcl API function to return the correct incantation of NLS_SORT to use for a -given locale with ORDER BY clauses in +given locale with ORDER BY clauses in queries.

    80.40 The system must handle full-text -search in any supported language.

    Time Zones

    90.10 Provide API support for specifying +search in any supported language.

    Time Zones

    90.10 Provide API support for specifying a time zone

    90.20 Provide an API for computing time and date operations which are aware of timezones. So for example a calendar module can properly synchronize items inserted into a @@ -258,13 +257,13 @@ zone preference should be attached via a session or else UTC should be used to display every date and time.

    90.60 The default if we can't determine a time zone is to display all dates and times in some -universal time zone such as GMT.

    Database

    100.10 Since UTF8 strings can use up to +universal time zone such as GMT.

    Database

    100.10 Since UTF8 strings can use up to three (UCS2) or six (UCS4) bytes per character, make sure that column size declarations in the schema are large enough to accomodate required data (such as email addresses in -Japanese). Since 5.0.0, this is covered in the database -install instructions for both PostgreSQL and Oracle.

    Email and -Messaging

    When sending an email message, just as when delivering the +Japanese). Since 5.0.0, this is covered in the database +install instructions for both PostgreSQL and Oracle.

    Email and +Messaging

    When sending an email message, just as when delivering the content in web page over an HTTP connection, it is necessary to be able to specify what character set encoding to use.

    110.10 The email message sending API @@ -287,10 +286,10 @@ (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3282.txt) and other RFCs.

  • Extreme Use case: Web site has a default language of Danish. A forum is set up for Swedes, so the forum has a package_id and a language setting of Swedish. A poster posts to the forum in Russian (is this possible?). A user is subscribed to the forum and has a language preference of Chinese. What should be in the message body and message subject? INCOMPLETE - The mail functions in acs_mail and acs_mail_lite -are not internationalized.

  • Incoming mail should be localized.

  • Implementation Notes

    +are not internationalized.

  • Incoming mail should be localized.

  • Implementation Notes

    Because globalization touches many different parts of the system, we want to reduce the implementation risk by breaking the implementation into phases. -

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    1Updated with results of MIT-sponsored i18n work at Collaboraid.14 Aug 2003Joel Aufrecht
    0.4converting from HTML to DocBook and importing the document to the OpenACS +

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    1Updated with results of MIT-sponsored i18n work at Collaboraid.14 Aug 2003Joel Aufrecht
    0.4converting from HTML to DocBook and importing the document to the OpenACS kernel documents. This was done as a part of the internationalization of OpenACS and .LRN for the Heidelberg University in Germany12 September 2002Peter Marklund
    0.3comments from Christian1/14/2000Henry Minsky
    0.2Minor typos fixed, clarifications to wording11/14/2000Henry Minsky
    0.1Creation11/08/2000Henry Minsky
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-translators.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-translators.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-translators.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n-translators.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Translator's Guide

    Translator's Guide

    Most translators use the OpenACS Public Translation Server, because the process of getting new message keys onto the server and getting new translations back into the distribution are handled by the maintainers of that machine. You can also do translation work on your own OpenACS site; this makes your own translations more readily available to you but also means that your work will not be shared with other users unless you take extra steps (contacting an OpenACS core developer or submitting a patch) to get your work back to the OpenACS core.

    The basic steps for translators:

    • Go to the Localization page and choose the locale that you are translating to. If the locale is not present you need to visit Administration of Localization and create the locale.

    • Translating with Translator Mode.�To translate messages in the pages they appear, Toggle Translator Mode and then browse to the page you want to translate. Untranslated messages will have a yellow background and a red star that you click to translate the message. Translated messages have a green star next to them that is a hyperlink to editing your translation. There is a history mechanism that allows you to see previous translations in case you would want to revert a translation.

      While in Translator mode, a list of all message keys appears at the bottom of each page.

    • Batch translation.�To translate many messages at once, go to Administration of Localization, click on the locale to translate, then click on a package, and then click Batch edit these messages.

    When creating a new locale based on an existing one, such as creating the Guatamalan version of Spanish, you can copy the existing locale's catalog files using the script /packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/create-new-catalog.sh.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Translator's Guide

    Translator's Guide

    Most translators use the OpenACS Public Translation Server, because the process of getting new message keys onto the server and getting new translations back into the distribution are handled by the maintainers of that machine. You can also do translation work on your own OpenACS site; this makes your own translations more readily available to you but also means that your work will not be shared with other users unless you take extra steps (contacting an OpenACS core developer or submitting a patch) to get your work back to the OpenACS core.

    The basic steps for translators:

    • Go to the Localization page and choose the locale that you are translating to. If the locale is not present you need to visit Administration of Localization and create the locale.

    • Translating with Translator Mode.�To translate messages in the pages they appear, Toggle Translator Mode and then browse to the page you want to translate. Untranslated messages will have a yellow background and a red star that you click to translate the message. Translated messages have a green star next to them that is a hyperlink to editing your translation. There is a history mechanism that allows you to see previous translations in case you would want to revert a translation.

      While in Translator mode, a list of all message keys appears at the bottom of each page.

    • Batch translation.�To translate many messages at once, go to Administration of Localization, click on the locale to translate, then click on a package, and then click Batch edit these messages.

    When creating a new locale based on an existing one, such as creating the Guatamalan version of Spanish, you can copy the existing locale's catalog files using the script /packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/create-new-catalog.sh.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/i18n.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Chapter�14.�Internationalization

    Chapter�14.�Internationalization

    +Chapter�14.�Internationalization

    Chapter�14.�Internationalization

    By Peter Marklund and Lars Pind

    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/index.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/index.html,v diff -u -r1.46.2.2 -r1.46.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/index.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.46.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/index.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.46.2.3 @@ -1,4 +1,3 @@ - -OpenACS Core Documentation

    OpenACS Core Documentation


    Table of Contents

    I. OpenACS For Everyone
    1. High level information: What is OpenACS?
    Overview
    OpenACS Release Notes
    II. Administrator's Guide
    2. Installation Overview
    Basic Steps
    Prerequisite Software
    3. Complete Installation
    Install a Unix-like system and supporting software
    Install Oracle 8.1.7
    Install PostgreSQL
    Install AOLserver 4
    Install OpenACS 5.3.1
    OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000
    OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X
    4. Configuring a new OpenACS Site
    Installing OpenACS packages
    Mounting OpenACS packages
    Configuring an OpenACS package
    Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package
    How Do I?
    5. Upgrading
    Overview
    Upgrading 4.5 or higher to 4.6.3
    Upgrading OpenACS 4.6.3 to 5.0
    Upgrading an OpenACS 5.0.0 or greater installation
    Upgrading the OpenACS files
    Upgrading Platform components
    6. Production Environments
    Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.
    AOLserver keepalive with inittab
    Running multiple services on one machine
    High Availability/High Performance Configurations
    Staged Deployment for Production Networks
    Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service
    Set up Log Analysis Reports
    External uptime validation
    Diagnosing Performance Problems
    7. Database Management
    Running a PostgreSQL database on another server
    Deleting a tablespace
    Vacuum Postgres nightly
    8. Backup and Recovery
    Backup Strategy
    Manual backup and recovery
    Automated Backup
    Using CVS for backup-recovery
    A. Install Red Hat 8/9
    B. Install additional supporting software
    Unpack the OpenACS tarball
    Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)
    Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)
    Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)
    Install qmail (OPTIONAL)
    Install Analog web file analyzer
    Install nspam
    Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2
    Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)
    Install nsopenssl
    Install tclwebtest.
    Install PHP for use in AOLserver
    Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS
    Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication
    Install LDAP for use as external authentication
    Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1
    C. Credits
    Where did this document come from?
    Linux Install Guides
    Security Information
    Resources
    III. For OpenACS Package Developers
    9. Development Tutorial
    Creating an Application Package
    Setting Up Database Objects
    Creating Web Pages
    Debugging and Automated Testing
    10. Advanced Topics
    Write the Requirements and Design Specs
    Add the new package to CVS
    OpenACS Edit This Page Templates
    Adding Comments
    Admin Pages
    Categories
    Profile your code
    Prepare the package for distribution.
    Distributing upgrades of your package
    Notifications
    Hierarchical data
    Using .vuh files for pretty urls
    Laying out a page with CSS instead of tables
    Sending HTML email from your application
    Basic Caching
    Scheduled Procedures
    Enabling WYSIWYG
    Adding in parameters for your package
    Writing upgrade scripts
    Connect to a second database
    Future Topics
    11. Development Reference
    OpenACS Packages
    OpenACS Data Models and the Object System
    The Request Processor
    The OpenACS Database Access API
    Using Templates in OpenACS
    Groups, Context, Permissions
    Writing OpenACS Application Pages
    Parties in OpenACS
    OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained
    Object Identity
    Programming with AOLserver
    Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically
    12. Engineering Standards
    OpenACS Style Guide
    +OpenACS Core Documentation

    OpenACS Core Documentation


    Table of Contents

    I. OpenACS For Everyone
    1. High level information: What is OpenACS?
    Overview
    OpenACS Release Notes
    II. Administrator's Guide
    2. Installation Overview
    Basic Steps
    Prerequisite Software
    3. Complete Installation
    Install a Unix-like system and supporting software
    Install Oracle 8.1.7
    Install PostgreSQL
    Install AOLserver 4
    Install OpenACS 5.3.2
    OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000
    OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X
    4. Configuring a new OpenACS Site
    Installing OpenACS packages
    Mounting OpenACS packages
    Configuring an OpenACS package
    Setting Permissions on an OpenACS package
    How Do I?
    5. Upgrading
    Overview
    Upgrading 4.5 or higher to 4.6.3
    Upgrading OpenACS 4.6.3 to 5.0
    Upgrading an OpenACS 5.0.0 or greater installation
    Upgrading the OpenACS files
    Upgrading Platform components
    6. Production Environments
    Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.
    AOLserver keepalive with inittab
    Running multiple services on one machine
    High Availability/High Performance Configurations
    Staged Deployment for Production Networks
    Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service
    Set up Log Analysis Reports
    External uptime validation
    Diagnosing Performance Problems
    7. Database Management
    Running a PostgreSQL database on another server
    Deleting a tablespace
    Vacuum Postgres nightly
    8. Backup and Recovery
    Backup Strategy
    Manual backup and recovery
    Automated Backup
    Using CVS for backup-recovery
    A. Install Red Hat 8/9
    B. Install additional supporting software
    Unpack the OpenACS tarball
    Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)
    Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)
    Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)
    Install qmail (OPTIONAL)
    Install Analog web file analyzer
    Install nspam
    Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2
    Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)
    Install nsopenssl
    Install tclwebtest.
    Install PHP for use in AOLserver
    Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS
    Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication
    Install LDAP for use as external authentication
    Install AOLserver 3.3oacs1
    C. Credits
    Where did this document come from?
    Linux Install Guides
    Security Information
    Resources
    III. For OpenACS Package Developers
    9. Development Tutorial
    Creating an Application Package
    Setting Up Database Objects
    Creating Web Pages
    Debugging and Automated Testing
    10. Advanced Topics
    Write the Requirements and Design Specs
    Add the new package to CVS
    OpenACS Edit This Page Templates
    Adding Comments
    Admin Pages
    Categories
    Profile your code
    Prepare the package for distribution.
    Distributing upgrades of your package
    Notifications
    Hierarchical data
    Using .vuh files for pretty urls
    Laying out a page with CSS instead of tables
    Sending HTML email from your application
    Basic Caching
    Scheduled Procedures
    Enabling WYSIWYG
    Adding in parameters for your package
    Writing upgrade scripts
    Connect to a second database
    Future Topics
    11. Development Reference
    OpenACS Packages
    OpenACS Data Models and the Object System
    The Request Processor
    The OpenACS Database Access API
    Using Templates in OpenACS
    Groups, Context, Permissions
    Writing OpenACS Application Pages
    Parties in OpenACS
    OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained
    Object Identity
    Programming with AOLserver
    Using Form Builder: building html forms dynamically
    12. Engineering Standards
    OpenACS Style Guide
    CVS Guidelines -
    Release Version Numbering
    Constraint naming standard
    ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards
    PL/SQL Standards
    Variables
    Automated Testing
    13. Documentation Standards
    OpenACS Documentation Guide
    Using PSGML mode in Emacs
    Using nXML mode in Emacs
    Detailed Design Documentation Template
    System/Application Requirements Template
    14. Internationalization
    Internationalization and Localization Overview
    How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS
    How to Internationalize a Package
    Design Notes
    Translator's Guide
    D. Using CVS with an OpenACS Site
    IV. For OpenACS Platform Developers
    15. Kernel Documentation
    Overview
    Object Model Requirements
    Object Model Design
    Permissions Requirements
    Permissions Design
    Groups Requirements
    Groups Design
    Subsites Requirements
    Subsites Design Document
    Package Manager Requirements
    Package Manager Design
    Database Access API
    OpenACS Internationalization Requirements
    Security Requirements
    Security Design
    Security Notes
    Request Processor Requirements
    Request Processor Design
    Documenting Tcl Files: Page Contracts and Libraries
    Bootstrapping OpenACS
    External Authentication Requirements
    16. Releasing OpenACS
    OpenACS Core and .LRN
    How to Update the OpenACS.org repository
    How to package and release an OpenACS Package
    How to Update the translations
    Index
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +
    Release Version Numbering
    Constraint naming standard
    ACS File Naming and Formatting Standards
    PL/SQL Standards
    Variables
    Automated Testing
    13. Documentation Standards
    OpenACS Documentation Guide
    Using PSGML mode in Emacs
    Using nXML mode in Emacs
    Detailed Design Documentation Template
    System/Application Requirements Template
    14. Internationalization
    Internationalization and Localization Overview
    How Internationalization/Localization works in OpenACS
    How to Internationalize a Package
    Design Notes
    Translator's Guide
    D. Using CVS with an OpenACS Site
    IV. For OpenACS Platform Developers
    15. Kernel Documentation
    Overview
    Object Model Requirements
    Object Model Design
    Permissions Requirements
    Permissions Design
    Groups Requirements
    Groups Design
    Subsites Requirements
    Subsites Design Document
    Package Manager Requirements
    Package Manager Design
    Database Access API
    OpenACS Internationalization Requirements
    Security Requirements
    Security Design
    Security Notes
    Request Processor Requirements
    Request Processor Design
    Documenting Tcl Files: Page Contracts and Libraries
    Bootstrapping OpenACS
    External Authentication Requirements
    16. Releasing OpenACS
    OpenACS Core and .LRN
    How to Update the OpenACS.org repository
    How to package and release an OpenACS Package
    How to Update the translations
    Index
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/individual-programs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/individual-programs.html,v diff -u -r1.26.2.2 -r1.26.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/individual-programs.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.26.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/individual-programs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.26.2.3 @@ -1,16 +1,15 @@ - -Prerequisite Software

    Prerequisite Software

    by Joel Aufrecht

    +Prerequisite Software

    Prerequisite Software

    by Joel Aufrecht

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    OpenACS requires, at a minimum, an operating system, database, and webserver to work. Many additional programs, such as a build environment, Mail Transport Agent, and source control system, are also needed for a fully effective installation. -

    Table�2.2.�Version Compatibility Matrix

    OpenACS Version3.2.5 4.5 4.6 4.6.14.6.24.6.35.05.15.2
    AOLserver3YesNo
    3.3+ad13MaybeYesNo
    3.3oacs1MaybeYesNo
    3.4.4No
    3.4.4oacs1MaybeYesNo
    3.5.5MaybeYesNo
    4.0MaybeYes
    PostgreSQL7.0YesNo
    7.2MaybeYesNo
    7.3.2 - 7.3.xNoYes
    7.4NoYes
    8.0NoMaybeYes
    Oracle8.1.6MaybeYes
    8.1.7MaybeYes
    9iNoYes
    10gNoMaybe

    The OpenACS installation instructions assume the operating system and build environment are installed. +

    Table�2.2.�Version Compatibility Matrix

    OpenACS Version3.2.5 4.5 4.6 4.6.14.6.24.6.35.05.15.2
    AOLserver3YesNo
    3.3+ad13MaybeYesNo
    3.3oacs1MaybeYesNo
    3.4.4No
    3.4.4oacs1MaybeYesNo
    3.5.5MaybeYesNo
    4.0MaybeYes
    PostgreSQL7.0YesNo
    7.2MaybeYesNo
    7.3.2 - 7.3.xNoYes
    7.4NoYes
    8.0NoMaybeYes
    Oracle8.1.6MaybeYes
    8.1.7MaybeYes
    9iNoYes
    10gNoMaybe

    The OpenACS installation instructions assume the operating system and build environment are installed. The instructions explain installation of TCL, tDOM, tclwebtest, a Web Server, a Database, a Process Controller, and Source Control software. The following external links are for reference only. -

    • OpenACS 5.3.1.�The OpenACS tarball comprises the core packages and +

    • Build Environment.�The Reference Platform installation compiles most programs from @@ -30,19 +29,19 @@ operating system distribution.

    • GNU Make 3.76.1 or newer, REQUIRED.�PostgreSQL and AOLserver require gmake to compile. Note that on most linux distributions, GNU Make is simply named - make and + make and there is no - gmake, + gmake, whereas on BSD distributions, - make and - gmake are + make and + gmake are different --use gmake.

  • TCL 8.4.x.�

    • TCL 8.4.x, REQUIRED.�OpenACS is written in TCL, an interpreted language. A threaded version of the TCL interpreter must be installed for OpenACS to work. The TCL interpreter that is included in most standard distributions may not be thread safe.

    • TCL 8.4.x development headers and libraries, OPTIONAL.� The site-wide-search service, OpenFTS, requires these to - compile. (Debian users: apt-get install - tcl8.4-dev). You need this - to install OpenFTS.

  • tDOM, REQUIRED.�OpenACS 5.3.1 stores + compile. (Debian users: apt-get install + tcl8.4-dev). You need this + to install OpenFTS.

  • tDOM, REQUIRED.�OpenACS 5.3.2 stores queries in XML files, so we use an AOLserver module called tDOM to parse these files. (This replaces libxml2, which was used prior to 4.6.4.)

  • tclwebtest, OPTIONAL.�tclwebtest is a tool for testing web interfaces via tcl scripts.

  • Web Server.�The web server handles incoming HTTP requests, provides @@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ errors. OpenACS uses AOLserver; some people have had success running Apache with mod_nsd.

    • AOLserver 4.x, REQUIRED.�Provides the base HTTP server

    Mat Kovach is graciously maintaining an AOLserver distribution that - includes all the patches and modules needed to run OpenACS 5.3.1. These + includes all the patches and modules needed to run OpenACS 5.3.2. These instructions will describe how to install using his source distribution. He also has binaries for SuSE 7.3 and OpenBSD 2.8 (and perhaps more to come), currently located at uptime.openacs.org. @@ -68,14 +67,14 @@ (i.e. postgres.so)

  • - The patch that makes exec work + The patch that makes exec work on BSD is available at sourceforge.net

  • - The patch for aolserver 3.x that makes ns_uuencode + The patch for aolserver 3.x that makes ns_uuencode work for binary files is available at sourceforge.net

  • The patch that makes AOLserver 3.x respect the - -g flag is available at + -g flag is available at sourceforge.net

  • nsopenssl, OPTIONAL.�Provides SSL capabilities for AOLserver. It requires OpenSSL. You need this if you want users to make @@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ higher, full text search is also available via tsearch2.

  • Analog 5.32 or newer, OPTIONAL.�This program examines web server request logs, looks up DNS values, and produces a report. You need this if you - want to see how much traffic your site is getting.

  • Balance 3.11 or newer, OPTIONAL.�"Balance is a simple but powerful generic tcp proxy with round robin load balancing and failover mechanisms." You need this or something equivalent if you are running a high-availability production site and do not have an external load balancing system.

  • Database.�The data on your site (for example, user names and passwords, + want to see how much traffic your site is getting.

  • Balance 3.11 or newer, OPTIONAL.�"Balance is a simple but powerful generic tcp proxy with round robin load balancing and failover mechanisms." You need this or something equivalent if you are running a high-availability production site and do not have an external load balancing system.

  • Database.�The data on your site (for example, user names and passwords, calender entries, and notes) is stored in the database. OpenACS separates the database with an abstraction layer, which means that several different databases all function @@ -106,7 +105,7 @@ restarts that software if it fails. On Linux, we recommend using Daemontools to control AOLserver and qmail.

    • Daemontools 0.76, OPTIONAL.�You need this if - you want AOLserver and qmail to run "supervised," + you want AOLserver and qmail to run "supervised," meaning that they are monitored and automatically restarted if they fail. An alternative would be to run the services from inittab.

  • Mail Transport Agent.�A Mail Transport Agent is a program that handles all Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-cvs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-cvs.html,v diff -u -r1.33.2.2 -r1.33.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-cvs.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.33.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-cvs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.33.2.3 @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@ - -Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)

    Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)

    CVS is a source control system. Create and initialize a - directory for a local cvs repository.

    [root tmp]# mkdir /cvsroot
    -[root tmp]# cvs -d /cvsroot init
    +Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)

    Initialize CVS (OPTIONAL)

    CVS is a source control system. Create and initialize a + directory for a local cvs repository.

    [root tmp]# mkdir /cvsroot
    +[root tmp]# cvs -d /cvsroot init
     [root tmp]#
     mkdir /cvsroot
     cvs -d /cvsroot init
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-daemontools.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-daemontools.html,v diff -u -r1.34.2.2 -r1.34.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-daemontools.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.34.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-daemontools.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.34.2.3 @@ -1,15 +1,14 @@ - -Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)

    Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)

    Daemontools is a collection of programs for controlling +Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)

    Install Daemontools (OPTIONAL)

    Daemontools is a collection of programs for controlling other processes. We use daemontools to run and monitor AOLserver. It is installed in /package. These commands install daemontools and svgroup. svgroup is a script for granting permissions, to allow users other than root to use daemontools for specific - services.

    1. Install Daemontools

      download daemontools and install it.

      • Red Hat 8

        [root root]# mkdir -p /package
        -[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
        -[root root]# cd /package/
        -[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
        -[root package]# cd admin/daemontools-0.76/
        -[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
        +      services.

        1. Install Daemontools

          download daemontools and install it.

          • Red Hat 8

            [root root]# mkdir -p /package
            +[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
            +[root root]# cd /package/
            +[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
            +[root package]# cd admin/daemontools-0.76/
            +[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
             Linking ./src/* into ./compile...
             
             Creating /service...
            @@ -22,13 +21,13 @@
             tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz 
             cd admin/daemontools-0.76 
             package/install
          • Red Hat 9, Fedora Core 1-4

            Make sure you have the source tarball in - /tmp, or download it. -

            [root root]# mkdir -p /package
            -[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
            -[root root]# cd /package/
            -[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
            -[root package]# cd admin
            -[root admin]# wget http://www.qmail.org/moni.csi.hu/pub/glibc-2.3.1/daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
            +          /tmp, or download it.
            +

            [root root]# mkdir -p /package
            +[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
            +[root root]# cd /package/
            +[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
            +[root package]# cd admin
            +[root admin]# wget http://www.qmail.org/moni.csi.hu/pub/glibc-2.3.1/daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
             --14:19:24--  http://moni.csi.hu/pub/glibc-2.3.1/daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
                        => `daemontools-0.76.errno.patch'
             Resolving moni.csi.hu... done.
            @@ -40,9 +39,9 @@
             
             14:19:24 (346.68 KB/s) - `daemontools-0.76.errno.patch' saved [355/355]
             
            -[root admin]# cd daemontools-0.76
            -[root daemontools-0.76]# patch -p1 < ../daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
            -[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
            +[root admin]# cd daemontools-0.76
            +[root daemontools-0.76]# patch -p1 < ../daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
            +[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
             Linking ./src/* into ./compile...(many lines omitted)
             Creating /service...
             Adding svscanboot to inittab...
            @@ -57,13 +56,13 @@
             cd daemontools-0.76
             patch -p1 < ../daemontools-0.76.errno.patch
             package/install
          • FreeBSD (follow standard install)

            Make sure you have the source tarball in - /tmp, or download it. -

            [root root]# mkdir -p /package
            -[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
            -[root root]# cd /package/
            -[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
            -[root package]# cd admin/daemontools-0.76
            -[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
            +          /tmp, or download it.
            +

            [root root]# mkdir -p /package
            +[root root]# chmod 1755 /package/
            +[root root]# cd /package/
            +[root package]# tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz
            +[root package]# cd admin/daemontools-0.76
            +[root daemontools-0.76]# package/install
             Linking ./src/* into ./compile...(many lines omitted)
             Creating /service...
             Adding svscanboot to inittab...
            @@ -74,13 +73,13 @@
             cd /package 
             tar xzf /tmp/daemontools-0.76.tar.gz 
             cd admin/daemontools-0.76
            -package/install
          • Debian

            [root ~]# apt-get install daemontools-installer
            -[root ~]# build-daemontools
        2. Verify that svscan is running. If it is, you should see - these two processes running:

          [root root]# ps -auxw | grep service
          +package/install
        3. Debian

          [root ~]# apt-get install daemontools-installer
          +[root ~]# build-daemontools
    2. Verify that svscan is running. If it is, you should see + these two processes running:

      [root root]# ps -auxw | grep service
       root     13294  0.0  0.1  1352  272 ?        S    09:51   0:00 svscan /service
       root     13295  0.0  0.0  1304  208 ?        S    09:51   0:00 readproctitle service errors: .......................................
       [root root]#
    3. Install a script to grant non-root users permission to - control daemontools services.

      [root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/svgroup.txt /usr/local/bin/svgroup
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/svgroup
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/svgroup.txt /usr/local/bin/svgroup 
      +        control daemontools services.

      [root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/svgroup.txt /usr/local/bin/svgroup
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/svgroup
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/svgroup.txt /usr/local/bin/svgroup 
       chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/svgroup
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-openfts.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-openfts.html,v diff -u -r1.4.2.2 -r1.4.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-openfts.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.4.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-openfts.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.4.2.3 @@ -1,27 +1,26 @@ - -Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)

    Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)

    By Joel Aufrecht and Malte Sussdorff

    +Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)

    Install Full Text Search using OpenFTS (deprecated see tsearch2)

    By Joel Aufrecht and Malte Sussdorff

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    OpenFTS and tsearch1 use is deprecated in favor of Tsearch2. See Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2. Tsearch2 is much easier to install, requiring only compilation of one module from PostgreSQL contrib, with an - automated install process using the tsearch2-driver package.

    Install OpenFTS module

    If you want full text search, and you are running PostgreSQL, install this module to support FTS. Do this step after you have installed both PostgreSQL and + automated install process using the tsearch2-driver package.

    Install OpenFTS module

    If you want full text search, and you are running PostgreSQL, install this module to support FTS. Do this step after you have installed both PostgreSQL and AOLserver. You will need the openfts - tarball in /tmp.

    1. Install Tsearch. This is a PostgreSQL module that - OpenFTS requires.

      [root root]# su - postgres
      -[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/tsearch/
      -[postgres tsearch]$ make
      +      tarball in /tmp.

      1. Install Tsearch. This is a PostgreSQL module that + OpenFTS requires.

        [root root]# su - postgres
        +[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/tsearch/
        +[postgres tsearch]$ make
         sed 's,MODULE_PATHNAME,$libdir/tsearch,g' tsearch.sql.in >tsearch.sql
         /usr/bin/flex  -8 -Ptsearch_yy -o'parser.c' parser.l(many lines omitted)
         rm -f libtsearch.so
         ln -s libtsearch.so.0.0 libtsearch.so
        -[postgres tsearch]$ make install
        +[postgres tsearch]$ make install
         mkdir /usr/local/pgsql/share/contrib
         mkdir /usr/local/pgsql/doc/contrib
         (2 lines omitted)
         /bin/sh ../../config/install-sh -c -m 755 libtsearch.so.0.0 /usr/local/pgsql/lib/tsearch.so
        -[postgres tsearch]$ exit
        +[postgres tsearch]$ exit
         logout
         
         [root root]#
        @@ -30,27 +29,27 @@
         make
         make install
         exit
      2. Unpack the OpenFTS tarball and compile and install - the driver.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# tar xzf /tmp/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2.tar.gz
        -[root src]# cd /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2/
        -[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# ./configure --with-aolserver-src=/usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver --with-tcl=/usr/lib/
        +              the driver.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# tar xzf /tmp/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2.tar.gz
        +[root src]# cd /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2/
        +[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# ./configure --with-aolserver-src=/usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver --with-tcl=/usr/lib/
         checking prefix... /usr/local
         checking for gcc... gcc
         (many lines omitted)
         configure: creating ./config.status
         config.status: creating Makefile.global
        -[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# make
        +[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# make
         (cd parser; make all)
         make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2/parser'
         (many lines omitted)
         packages provided were {Lingua::Stem::Snowball 0.3.2}
         processed fts_base_snowball.tcl
        -[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cd aolserver
        -[root aolserver]# make
        -gcc -c -fPIC  -DPACKAGE=\"OPENFTS\" -DVERSION=\"0.3.2\" -DHAVE_UNISTD_H=1 -DSTDC_HEADERS=1 -DHAVE_SYS_TYPES_H=1 -DHAVE_SYS_STAT_H=1 -DHAVE_STDLIB_H=1 -DHAVE_STR
        +[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cd aolserver
        +[root aolserver]# make
        +gcc -c -fPIC  -DPACKAGE=\"OPENFTS\" -DVERSION=\"0.3.2\" -DHAVE_UNISTD_H=1 -DSTDC_HEADERS=1 -DHAVE_SYS_TYPES_H=1 -DHAVE_SYS_STAT_H=1 -DHAVE_STDLIB_H=1 -DHAVE_STR
         (many lines omitted)
         n_stem.o italian_stem.o norwegian_stem.o portuguese_stem.o russian_stem.o nsfts.o  -o nsfts.so
        -[root aolserver]# cp nsfts.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
        +[root aolserver]# cp nsfts.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin/
         [root aolserver]#
         cd /usr/local/src 
         tar xzf /tmp/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2.tar.gz
        @@ -60,75 +59,75 @@
         cd aolserver
         make
         cp nsfts.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin
        -
      3. Build some supplemental modules.

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2
        -[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cp -r pgsql_contrib_openfts /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib
        -[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts
        -[root pgsql_contrib_openfts]# make
        +
      4. Build some supplemental modules.

        [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2
        +[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cp -r pgsql_contrib_openfts /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib
        +[root Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2]# cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts
        +[root pgsql_contrib_openfts]# make
         sed 's,MODULE_PATHNAME,$libdir/openfts,g' openfts.sql.in >openfts.sql
         gcc -O2 -Wall -Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -fpic -I. -I../../src/include   -c -o openfts.o openfts.c
         gcc -shared -o openfts.so openfts.o
         rm openfts.o
        -[root pgsql_contrib_openfts]# su postgres
        -[postgres pgsql_contrib_openfts]$ make install
        +[root pgsql_contrib_openfts]# su postgres
        +[postgres pgsql_contrib_openfts]$ make install
         /bin/sh ../../config/install-sh -c -m 644 openfts.sql /usr/local/pgsql/share/contrib
         /bin/sh ../../config/install-sh -c -m 755 openfts.so /usr/local/pgsql/lib
         /bin/sh ../../config/install-sh -c -m 644 ./README.openfts /usr/local/pgsql/doc/contrib
        -[postgres pgsql_contrib_openfts]$ exit
        +[postgres pgsql_contrib_openfts]$ exit
         [root pgsql_contrib_openfts]#
         cd /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2
         cp -r pgsql_contrib_openfts /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib
         cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts
         make
         su postgres
         make install
        -exit

    Install OpenFTS prerequisites in PostgreSQL instance

    If you are installing Full Text Search, add required +exit

  • Install OpenFTS prerequisites in PostgreSQL instance

    If you are installing Full Text Search, add required packages to the new database. (In order for full text search to work, you must also install the PostgreSQL - OpenFTS module and prerequisites.)

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/tsearch/tsearch.sql
    +        OpenFTS module and prerequisites.)

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/tsearch/tsearch.sql
     BEGIN
     CREATE
     (many lines omitted)
     INSERT 0 1
     COMMIT
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts/openfts.sql
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts/openfts.sql
     CREATE
     CREATE
     [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
     /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/tsearch/tsearch.sql
     /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/contrib/pgsql_contrib_openfts/openfts.sql

    Note

    If you get the error - ERROR: could not access file "$libdir/tsearch": no such file or directory + ERROR: could not access file "$libdir/tsearch": no such file or directory It is probably because PostgreSQL's libdir configuration variable points to a diffent directory than where tsearch is. You can find out where PostgreSQL expects to find tsearch via -

    pg_config --pkglibdir

    -

    Enable OpenFTS in config.tcl

    If you have installed OpenFTS, you can enable it for this service. Uncomment this line from config.tcl. (To uncomment a line in a tcl file, remove the # at the beginning of the line.)

    #ns_param   nsfts           ${bindir}/nsfts.so

    Install Full Text Search Engine

    1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

    2. Click on the Install -software link.

    3. Click on the Install -new service link.

    4. Click on the Install link next to OpenFTS Driver.

    5. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    6. Wait a minute, then browse back to the home page.

    7. Click on Admin on the top of the screen.

    8. Click on Main Site Administration in the "Subsite Administration" section.

    9. Click on Site Map in the "Advanced Features" section.

    10. Mount the OpenFTS Full Text Search Engine in the site map.

      1. Click the new sub folder link on the "/" line, the first line under Main Site:/.

      2. Type openfts -and click New.

      3. On the new openfts line, click the mount link.

      4. Click OpenFTS -Driver.

      5. On the openfts line, click set parameters.

      6. Change openfts_tcl_src_path to /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2/ and click Set Parameters +

        pg_config --pkglibdir

        +

    Enable OpenFTS in config.tcl

    If you have installed OpenFTS, you can enable it for this service. Uncomment this line from config.tcl. (To uncomment a line in a tcl file, remove the # at the beginning of the line.)

    #ns_param   nsfts           ${bindir}/nsfts.so

    Install Full Text Search Engine

    1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

    2. Click on the Install +software link.

    3. Click on the Install +new service link.

    4. Click on the Install link next to OpenFTS Driver.

    5. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    6. Wait a minute, then browse back to the home page.

    7. Click on Admin on the top of the screen.

    8. Click on Main Site Administration in the "Subsite Administration" section.

    9. Click on Site Map in the "Advanced Features" section.

    10. Mount the OpenFTS Full Text Search Engine in the site map.

      1. Click the new sub folder link on the "/" line, the first line under Main Site:/.

      2. Type openfts +and click New.

      3. On the new openfts line, click the mount link.

      4. Click OpenFTS +Driver.

      5. On the openfts line, click set parameters.

      6. Change openfts_tcl_src_path to /usr/local/src/Search-OpenFTS-tcl-0.3.2/ and click Set Parameters

    11. Mount the Search interface in the site map.

      1. Click the -new sub folder link on the -Main Site line.

      2. Type search -and click New.

      3. Click the new -application link on the search - line.

      4. Type search +new sub folder link on the +Main Site line.

      5. Type search +and click New.

      6. Click the new +application link on the search + line.

      7. Type search where it says -untitled, choose -search from the +untitled, choose +search from the drop-down list, and click -New. -

    12. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    13. Wait a minute, then click on Main Site at the top of the page.

    14. Initialize the OpenFTS Engine. This creates a set of tables in the database to support FTS.

      Near the bottom of the page, click on the OpenFTS Driver link. Click on Administration. -Click on Initialize OpenFTS Engine. -Click Initialize OpenFTS Engine.

    15. Add the FTS Engine service contract

      1. Click on the DevAdmin.

      2. Click on the Service Contract link.

      3. On the FtsEngineDriver +New. +

    16. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    17. Wait a minute, then click on Main Site at the top of the page.

    18. Initialize the OpenFTS Engine. This creates a set of tables in the database to support FTS.

      Near the bottom of the page, click on the OpenFTS Driver link. Click on Administration. +Click on Initialize OpenFTS Engine. +Click Initialize OpenFTS Engine.

    19. Add the FTS Engine service contract

      1. Click on the DevAdmin.

      2. Click on the Service Contract link.

      3. On the FtsEngineDriver line, click -Install. -

    20. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$

    Enable Full Text Search in packages

    Enabling Full Text Search in packages at the moment is not trivial. It involves a couple of steps, which I will illustrate taking lars-blogger as an example package

    1. Install the package. -

      1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

      2. Click on the Install - software link.

      3. Click on the Install - new application link.

      4. Click on the Install link next to Weblogger.

      5. Install all required packages as well (always say okay until you shall restart the server)

      -

    2. Load the service contracts datamodell and enable the service contract

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd packages/lars-blogger/sql/postgresql
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f lars-blogger-sc-create.sql

      Note: Usually this script is called package_name-sc-create.sql

    3. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +Install.
      +

  • Restart the service.

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
  • Enable Full Text Search in packages

    Enabling Full Text Search in packages at the moment is not trivial. It involves a couple of steps, which I will illustrate taking lars-blogger as an example package

    1. Install the package. +

      1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

      2. Click on the Install + software link.

      3. Click on the Install + new application link.

      4. Click on the Install link next to Weblogger.

      5. Install all required packages as well (always say okay until you shall restart the server)

      +

    2. Load the service contracts datamodell and enable the service contract

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd packages/lars-blogger/sql/postgresql
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f lars-blogger-sc-create.sql

      Note: Usually this script is called package_name-sc-create.sql

    3. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
                       [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresl]$

    If you are lucky, Full Text Search is enabled now, if not consult http://openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=154759. This link also contains some hints on how to make sure it is enabled.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-tsearch2.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-tsearch2.html,v diff -u -r1.4.2.2 -r1.4.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-tsearch2.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.4.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-full-text-search-tsearch2.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.4.2.3 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2

    Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2

    By Dave +Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2

    Install Full Text Search using Tsearch2

    By Dave Bauer, Joel Aufrecht and Malte Sussdorff with help from Tsearch V2 Introduction by Andrew J. Kopciuch

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Install Tsearch2 module

    If you want full text search, and you are running PostgreSQL, install this module to support FTS. Do this step after you have installed both PostgreSQL and +

    Install Tsearch2 module

    If you want full text search, and you are running PostgreSQL, install this module to support FTS. Do this step after you have installed both PostgreSQL and AOLserver. You will need the tseach2 module form PostgreSQL contrib. This is included with the PostgreSQL full source distribution. It is also available with the PostgreSQL contrib @@ -30,11 +29,11 @@ place it in your postgreSQL source tree ($PGSQL_SRC). This patch makes the backup and restore procedures very simple.

    -            [postgres pgsql]$ cd /tmp
    -            [postgres tmp]$ wget http://www.sai.msu.su/~megera/postgres/gist/tsearch/V2/regprocedure_7.4.patch.gz
    -            [postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.5/
    -            [postgres postgresql-7.4.5] gunzip /tmp/regprocedure_7.4.patch.gz
    -            [postgres postgresql-7.4.5] patch -b -p1 < regprocedure_7.4.patch
    +            [postgres pgsql]$ cd /tmp
    +            [postgres tmp]$ wget http://www.sai.msu.su/~megera/postgres/gist/tsearch/V2/regprocedure_7.4.patch.gz
    +            [postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.5/
    +            [postgres postgresql-7.4.5] gunzip /tmp/regprocedure_7.4.patch.gz
    +            [postgres postgresql-7.4.5] patch -b -p1 < regprocedure_7.4.patch
                   

    If you have a working version of tsearch2 in your database, you do not need to re-install the tsearch2 module. Just @@ -57,52 +56,52 @@ 8.0.

  • Install Tsearch2. This is a PostgreSQL module that the tsearch2-driver OpenACS package requires. These instructions assume you are using the latest point - release of PostgreSQL 7.4.5.

    [root root]# su - postgres
    -[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.5/contrib/tsearch2/
    -[postgres tsearch2]$ make
    -[postgres tsearch2]$ make install
    +              release of PostgreSQL 7.4.5.

    [root root]# su - postgres
    +[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.5/contrib/tsearch2/
    +[postgres tsearch2]$ make
    +[postgres tsearch2]$ make install
     mkdir /usr/local/pgsql/share/contrib
     mkdir /usr/local/pgsql/doc/contrib
     (2 lines omitted)
     /bin/sh ../../config/install-sh -c -m 755 libtsearch.so.0.0 /usr/local/pgsql/lib/tsearch.so
    -[postgres tsearch]$ exit
    +[postgres tsearch]$ exit
     logout
     
     [root root]#
     su - postgres
     cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.5/contrib/tsearch2
     make
     make install
    -exit
  • Install Full Text Search Engine Package in OpenACS

    1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

    2. Click on the Install -software link.

    3. Click on the Install -new service link.

    4. Click on the - Install +exit

    Install Full Text Search Engine Package in OpenACS

    1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

    2. Click on the Install +software link.

    3. Click on the Install +new service link.

    4. Click on the + Install link next to Tsearch2 Driver. If you have installed tsearch2 into your PostgreSQL database, the installer will - automatically enable tsearch in your OpenACS database instance.

    5. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    6. Wait a minute, then browse back to the home page.

    7. Click on Admin on the top of the screen.

    8. Click on Main Site Administration in the "Subsite Administration" section.

    9. Click on Site Map in the "Advanced Features" section.

    10. Mount the Search interface in the site map.

      1. Click the -new sub folder link on the -Main Site line.

      2. Type search -and click New.

      3. Click the new -application link on the search - line.

      4. Type search + automatically enable tsearch in your OpenACS database instance.

      5. Restart the service.

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
      6. Wait a minute, then browse back to the home page.

      7. Click on Admin on the top of the screen.

      8. Click on Main Site Administration in the "Subsite Administration" section.

      9. Click on Site Map in the "Advanced Features" section.

      10. Mount the Search interface in the site map.

        1. Click the +new sub folder link on the +Main Site line.

        2. Type search +and click New.

        3. Click the new +application link on the search + line.

        4. Type search where it says -untitled, choose -search from the +untitled, choose +search from the drop-down list, and click -New. +New.

        5. Click the -Parameters link - next to the Search package istance.

        6. Type tsearch2-driver +Parameters link + next to the Search package istance.

        7. Type tsearch2-driver where it says -openfts-driver +openfts-driver in the - FtsEngineDriver parameter. -

      11. Restart the service.

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
      12. Wait a minute, then click on Main Site at the top of the page.

    Enable Full Text Search in packages

    Enabling Full Text Search in packages at the moment is not trivial. It involves a couple of steps, which I will illustrate taking lars-blogger as an example package

    1. Install the package. -

      1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

      2. Click on the Install - software link.

      3. Click on the Install - new application link.

      4. Click on the Install link next to Weblogger.

      5. Install all required packages as well (always say okay until you shall restart the server)

      -

    2. Load the service contracts datamodell and enable the service contract

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd packages/lars-blogger/sql/postgresql
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f lars-blogger-sc-create.sql

      Note: Usually this script is called package_name-sc-create.sql

    3. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +                FtsEngineDriver parameter.
      +

  • Restart the service.

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
  • Wait a minute, then click on Main Site at the top of the page.

  • Enable Full Text Search in packages

    Enabling Full Text Search in packages at the moment is not trivial. It involves a couple of steps, which I will illustrate taking lars-blogger as an example package

    1. Install the package. +

      1. Click Admin on the top of the default home page. If prompted, log in with the account and password you entered during install.

      2. Click on the Install + software link.

      3. Click on the Install + new application link.

      4. Click on the Install link next to Weblogger.

      5. Install all required packages as well (always say okay until you shall restart the server)

      +

    2. Load the service contracts datamodell and enable the service contract

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd packages/lars-blogger/sql/postgresql
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -f lars-blogger-sc-create.sql

      Note: Usually this script is called package_name-sc-create.sql

    3. Restart the service.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresql]$ svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
                       [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME postgresl]$

    If you are lucky, Full Text Search is enabled now, if not consult http://openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=154759. This link also contains some hints on how to make sure it is enabled.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ldap-radius.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ldap-radius.html,v diff -u -r1.4.2.1 -r1.4.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ldap-radius.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.4.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ldap-radius.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.4.2.2 @@ -1,13 +1,12 @@ - -Install LDAP for use as external authentication

    Install LDAP for use as external authentication

    By Malte Sussdorff

    +Install LDAP for use as external authentication

    Install LDAP for use as external authentication

    By Malte Sussdorff

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    This step by step guide on how to use LDAP for external authentication using the LDAP bind command, which differs from the approach usually taken by auth-ldap. Both will be dealt with in these section

    1. Install openldap.�Download and install ns_ldap

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/
      -          [root src]# wget ftp://ftp.openldap.org/pub/OpenLDAP/openldap-release/openldap-2.2.17.tgz
      -          [root src]# tar xvfz openldap-2.2.17.tgz
      -          [root src]# cd openldap-2.2.17
      -          [root src]# ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/openldap
      -          [root openldap]# make install
      +        

    This step by step guide on how to use LDAP for external authentication using the LDAP bind command, which differs from the approach usually taken by auth-ldap. Both will be dealt with in these section

    1. Install openldap.�Download and install ns_ldap

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/
      +          [root src]# wget ftp://ftp.openldap.org/pub/OpenLDAP/openldap-release/openldap-2.2.17.tgz
      +          [root src]# tar xvfz openldap-2.2.17.tgz
      +          [root src]# cd openldap-2.2.17
      +          [root src]# ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/openldap
      +          [root openldap]# make install
                 [root openldap]#
       cd /usr/local/src/
       wget ftp://ftp.openldap.org/pub/OpenLDAP/openldap-release/openldap-2.2.17.tgz
      @@ -16,18 +15,18 @@
       ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/openldap --disable-slapd
       make install
       
      -          
    2. Install ns_ldap.�Download and install ns_ldap

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
      -          [root aolserver]# wget http://www.sussdorff.de/ressources/nsldap.tgz
      -          [root aolserver]# tar xfz nsldap.tgz
      -          [root aolserver]# cd nsldap
      -          [root ns_pam-0.1]# make install LDAP=/usr/local/openldap INST=/usr/local/aolserver
      +          
    3. Install ns_ldap.�Download and install ns_ldap

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
      +          [root aolserver]# wget http://www.sussdorff.de/ressources/nsldap.tgz
      +          [root aolserver]# tar xfz nsldap.tgz
      +          [root aolserver]# cd nsldap
      +          [root ns_pam-0.1]# make install LDAP=/usr/local/openldap INST=/usr/local/aolserver
                 [root ns_pam-0.1]#
       cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
       wget http://www.sussdorff.de/resources/nsldap.tgz
       tar xfz nsldap.tgz
       cd nsldap
       make install LDAP=/usr/local/openldap INST=/usr/local/aolserver
       
      -          
    4. Configure ns_ldap for traditional use.�Traditionally OpenACS has supported ns_ldap for authentification by storing the OpenACS password in an encrypted field within the LDAP server called "userPassword". Furthermore a CN field was used for searching for the username, usually userID or something similar. This field is identical to the usernamestored in OpenACS. Therefore the login will only work if you change login method to make use of the username instead.

      • - Change config.tcl. Remove the # in front of ns_param nsldap ${bindir}/nsldap.so to enable the loading of the ns_ldap module. -

    5. Configure ns_ldap for use with LDAP bind.�LDAP authentication usually is done by trying to bind (aka. login) a user with the LDAP server. The password of the user is not stored in any field of the LDAP server, but kept internally. The latest version of ns_ldap supports this method with the ns_ldap bind command. All you have to do to enable this is to configure auth_ldap to make use of the BIND authentification instead. Alternatively you can write a small script on how to calculate the username out of the given input (e.g. if the OpenACS username is malte.fb03.tu, the LDAP request can be translated into "ou=malte,ou=fb03,o=tu" (this example is encoded in auth_ldap and you just have to comment it out to make use of it).

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +
  • Configure ns_ldap for traditional use.�Traditionally OpenACS has supported ns_ldap for authentification by storing the OpenACS password in an encrypted field within the LDAP server called "userPassword". Furthermore a CN field was used for searching for the username, usually userID or something similar. This field is identical to the usernamestored in OpenACS. Therefore the login will only work if you change login method to make use of the username instead.

    • + Change config.tcl. Remove the # in front of ns_param nsldap ${bindir}/nsldap.so to enable the loading of the ns_ldap module. +

  • Configure ns_ldap for use with LDAP bind.�LDAP authentication usually is done by trying to bind (aka. login) a user with the LDAP server. The password of the user is not stored in any field of the LDAP server, but kept internally. The latest version of ns_ldap supports this method with the ns_ldap bind command. All you have to do to enable this is to configure auth_ldap to make use of the BIND authentification instead. Alternatively you can write a small script on how to calculate the username out of the given input (e.g. if the OpenACS username is malte.fb03.tu, the LDAP request can be translated into "ou=malte,ou=fb03,o=tu" (this example is encoded in auth_ldap and you just have to comment it out to make use of it).

  • View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-more-software.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-more-software.html,v diff -u -r1.16.2.1 -r1.16.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-more-software.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.16.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-more-software.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.16.2.2 @@ -1,9 +1,8 @@ - -Appendix�B.�Install additional supporting software

    Appendix�B.�Install additional supporting software

    By Joel Aufrecht

    +Appendix�B.�Install additional supporting software

    Appendix�B.�Install additional supporting software

    By Joel Aufrecht

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    This section assumes that the source tarballs for supporting - software are in /tmp. It assumes + software are in /tmp. It assumes that you begin each continuous block of commands as root, and you should end each block as root. It doesn't care which directory you start in. Text instructions always precede the commands they Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-add-server.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-add-server.html,v diff -u -r1.10.2.2 -r1.10.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-add-server.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.10.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-add-server.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.10.2.3 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Running multiple services on one machine

    Running multiple services on one machine

    Services on different ports.�To run a different service on another port but the same - ip, simply repeat Install OpenACS 5.3.1 replacing +Running multiple services on one machine

    Running multiple services on one machine

    Services on different ports.�To run a different service on another port but the same + ip, simply repeat Install OpenACS 5.3.2 replacing $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME, and change the

    set httpport              8000
     set httpsport             8443 

    to different values.

    Services on different host names.�For example, suppose you want to support -http://service0.com and - http://bar.com on the same +http://service0.com and + http://bar.com on the same machine. The easiest way is to assign each one a different ip address. Then you can install two services as above, but with different values for Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-backups.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-backups.html,v diff -u -r1.7.2.1 -r1.7.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-backups.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.7.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-backups.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.7.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Backup Strategy

    Backup Strategy

    +Backup Strategy

    Backup Strategy

    The purpose of backup is to enable recovery. Backup and recovery are always risky; here are some steps that minimize the chance recovery is necessary: @@ -28,9 +27,9 @@ OpenACS installations comprise files and database contents. If you follow the reference install and put all files, including configuration files, in - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/, + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/, and back up the database nightly to a file in - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup, + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup, then you can apply standard file-based backup strategies to - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-nightly-vacuum.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-nightly-vacuum.html,v diff -u -r1.16.2.2 -r1.16.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-nightly-vacuum.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.16.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-next-nightly-vacuum.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.16.2.3 @@ -1,19 +1,18 @@ - -Vacuum Postgres nightly

    Vacuum Postgres nightly

    - The "vacuum" command must be run periodically to reclaim space - in versions of PostgreSQL before 7.4. The "vacuum analyze" form +Vacuum Postgres nightly

    Vacuum Postgres nightly

    + The "vacuum" command must be run periodically to reclaim space + in versions of PostgreSQL before 7.4. The "vacuum analyze" form additionally collects statistics on the disbursion of columns in the database, which the optimizer uses when it calculates just how to execute queries. The availability of this data can make a tremendous difference in the execution speed of queries. This command can also be run from cron, but it probably makes more sense to run this command as part of your nightly backup - procedure - if "vacuum" is going to screw up the database, you'd + procedure - if "vacuum" is going to screw up the database, you'd prefer it to happen immediately after (not before!) you've made a - backup! The "vacuum" command is very reliable, but conservatism is + backup! The "vacuum" command is very reliable, but conservatism is the key to good system management. So, if you're using the export procedure described above, you don't need to do this extra step. -

    Edit your crontab:

    [joeuser ~]$ crontab -e

    We'll set vacuum up to run nightly at 1 AM. Add the following +

    Edit your crontab:

    [joeuser ~]$ crontab -e

    We'll set vacuum up to run nightly at 1 AM. Add the following line:

     0 1 * * * /usr/local/pgsql/bin/vacuumdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nsopenssl.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nsopenssl.html,v diff -u -r1.20.2.1 -r1.20.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nsopenssl.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.20.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nsopenssl.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.20.2.2 @@ -1,26 +1,25 @@ - -Install nsopenssl

    Install nsopenssl

    By Joel Aufrecht and Malte Sussdorff

    +Install nsopenssl

    Install nsopenssl

    By Joel Aufrecht and Malte Sussdorff

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    This AOLserver module is required if you want people to connect to your site via https. These commands compile nsopenssl and install it, along with a tcl helper script to handle https connections. You will also need ssl certificates. Because those should be different for each server service, you won't need those instructions until - later.

    Install on AOLserver3

    You will need the unpacked Aolserver tarball in - /usr/local/src/aolserver and + later.

    Install on AOLserver3

    You will need the unpacked Aolserver tarball in + /usr/local/src/aolserver and the nsopenssl tarball in - /tmp.

    Red Hat 9 note: see this - thread for details on compiling nsopenssl.)

    [root bin]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
    -[root aolserver]# wget --passive http://www.scottg.net/download/nsopenssl-2.1.tar.gz
    -[root aolserver]# tar xzf nsopenssl-2.1.tar.gz 
    -[root aolserver]# cd nsopenssl-2.1
    -[root nsopenssl-2.1]# make OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl
    +          /tmp.

    Red Hat 9 note: see this + thread for details on compiling nsopenssl.)

    [root bin]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
    +[root aolserver]# wget --passive http://www.scottg.net/download/nsopenssl-2.1.tar.gz
    +[root aolserver]# tar xzf nsopenssl-2.1.tar.gz 
    +[root aolserver]# cd nsopenssl-2.1
    +[root nsopenssl-2.1]# make OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl
     gcc -I/usr/local/ssl/include -I../aolserver/include -D_REENTRANT=1 -DNDEBUG=1 -g -fPIC -Wall -Wno-unused -mcpu=i686 -DHAVE_CMMSG=1 -DUSE_FIONREAD=1 -DHAVE_COND_EINTR=1   -c -o nsopenssl.o nsopenssl.c
     (many lines omitted)
     gcc -shared -nostartfiles -o nsopenssl.so nsopenssl.o config.o init.o ssl.o thread.o tclcmds.o -L/usr/local/ssl/lib -lssl -lcrypto
    -[root nsopenssl-2.1]# cp nsopenssl.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin
    -[root nsopenssl-2.1]# cp https.tcl /usr/local/aolserver/modules/tcl/
    +[root nsopenssl-2.1]# cp nsopenssl.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin
    +[root nsopenssl-2.1]# cp https.tcl /usr/local/aolserver/modules/tcl/
     [root nsopenssl-2.1]#
     cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
     wget --passive http://www.scottg.net/download/nsopenssl-2.1.tar.gz
    @@ -35,15 +34,15 @@
     cd nsopenssl-2.1
     make OPENSSL=/usr/lib/ssl
     cp nsopenssl.so /usr/local/aolserver/bin
    -cp https.tcl /usr/local/aolserver/modules/tcl/

    Install on AOLserver4

    You will need the AOLserver4 source in /usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver and OpenSSL installed in /usr/local/ssl (or at least symlinked there). The use of INST=/point/to/aolserver is being replaced with AOLSERVER=/point/to/aolserver. We are including both here, because while this module still requires INST, if one just uses AOLSERVER, the default value would be used and could intefere with another existing installation.

    FreeBSD note: build nsopenssl with gmake install OPENSSL=/usr/local/openssl AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver4r10 -

    [root bin]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
    -[root aolserver]# cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver login
    -[root aolserver]# cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nsopenssl
    -[root aolserver]# cd nsopenssl
    -[root nsopenssl]# make OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl
    +cp https.tcl /usr/local/aolserver/modules/tcl/

    Install on AOLserver4

    You will need the AOLserver4 source in /usr/local/src/aolserver/aolserver and OpenSSL installed in /usr/local/ssl (or at least symlinked there). The use of INST=/point/to/aolserver is being replaced with AOLSERVER=/point/to/aolserver. We are including both here, because while this module still requires INST, if one just uses AOLSERVER, the default value would be used and could intefere with another existing installation.

    FreeBSD note: build nsopenssl with gmake install OPENSSL=/usr/local/openssl AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver4r10 +

    [root bin]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
    +[root aolserver]# cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver login
    +[root aolserver]# cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver co nsopenssl
    +[root aolserver]# cd nsopenssl
    +[root nsopenssl]# make OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl
     gcc -I/usr/local/ssl/include (many items omitted)  -c -o sslcontext.o sslcontext.c
     (many lines omitted)
    -[root nsopenssl-2.1]# make install OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver4r10 INST=/usr/local/aolserver4r10
    +[root nsopenssl-2.1]# make install OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver4r10 INST=/usr/local/aolserver4r10
     [root nsopenssl-2.1]#
     cd /usr/local/src/aolserver
     cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/aolserver login
    @@ -52,9 +51,9 @@
     make OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl 
     make install OPENSSL=/usr/local/ssl AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver AOLSERVER=/usr/local/aolserver4r10

    If you have problems starting your server with nsopenssl.so due to missing libssl.so.0.9.7 (or lower), you have to create symlinks

    -[root nsopenssl]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/lib
    -[root lib]# ln -s /usr/local/ssl/lib/libssl.so.0.9.7 libssl.so.0.9.7
    -[root lib]# ln -s /usr/local/ssl/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.7 libcrypto.so.0.9.7
    +[root nsopenssl]# cd /usr/local/aolserver/lib
    +[root lib]# ln -s /usr/local/ssl/lib/libssl.so.0.9.7 libssl.so.0.9.7
    +[root lib]# ln -s /usr/local/ssl/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.7 libcrypto.so.0.9.7
     [root lib]#
     cd /usr/local/aolserver/lib
     ln -s /usr/local/ssl/lib/libssl.so.0.9.7 libssl.so.0.9.7
    @@ -64,11 +63,11 @@
     

    SSL support must be enabled seperately in each OpenACS server (Generate ssl certificates.

    If your ports for SSL are privileged (below 1024), you will have to start AOLserver with prebinds for both your HTTP - and your HTTPS port (usually by adding -b - your_ip:your_http_port,your_ip:your_https_port + and your HTTPS port (usually by adding -b + your_ip:your_http_port,your_ip:your_https_port to the nsd call. If you are using daemontools, this can be - changed in your etc/daemontools/run - file).

    To enable SSL support in your server, make sure your - etc/config.tcl file has a section on "OpenSSL 3 with AOLserver4". If + changed in your etc/daemontools/run + file).

    To enable SSL support in your server, make sure your + etc/config.tcl file has a section on "OpenSSL 3 with AOLserver4". If that section is not present, try looking at the README file in - /usr/local/src/aolserver/nsopenssl.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + /usr/local/src/aolserver/nsopenssl.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nspam.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nspam.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nspam.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-nspam.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,2 +1 @@ - -Install nspam
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +Install nspam
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-delete-tablespace.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-delete-tablespace.html,v diff -u -r1.7.2.1 -r1.7.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-delete-tablespace.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.7.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-delete-tablespace.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.7.2.2 @@ -1,25 +1,24 @@ - -Deleting a tablespace

    Deleting a tablespace

    Skip down for instructions on Deleting a PostgreSQL tablespace. -

    Deleting an Oracle tablespace

    +Deleting a tablespace

    Deleting a tablespace

    Skip down for instructions on Deleting a PostgreSQL tablespace. +

    Deleting an Oracle tablespace

    Should it become necessary to rebuild a tablespace from scratch, - you can use the drop user command - in SVRMGRL with the cascade + you can use the drop user command + in SVRMGRL with the cascade option. This command will drop the user and every database object - the user owns.

    SVRMGR> drop user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME cascade;

    - If this does not work because svrmgrl "cannot drop a user that - is currently connected", make sure to kill the AOLserver using - this user. If it still does not work, do:

    SVRMGR> select username, sid, serial# from v$session where lower(username)='$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME';

    and then

    SVRMGR> alter system kill session 'sid, serial#';

    + the user owns.

    SVRMGR> drop user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME cascade;

    + If this does not work because svrmgrl "cannot drop a user that + is currently connected", make sure to kill the AOLserver using + this user. If it still does not work, do:

    SVRMGR> select username, sid, serial# from v$session where lower(username)='$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME';

    and then

    SVRMGR> alter system kill session 'sid, serial#';

    where sid and serial# are - replaced with the corresponding values for the open session.

    Use with caution!

    + replaced with the corresponding values for the open session.

    Use with caution!

    If you feel the need to delete everything - related to the service, you can also issue the following:

    SVRMGR> drop tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME including contents cascade constraints;

    Deleting a PostgreSQL tablespace

    + related to the service, you can also issue the following:

    SVRMGR> drop tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME including contents cascade constraints;

    Deleting a PostgreSQL tablespace

    Dropping a PostgreSQL tablespace is easy. You have to stop any AOLserver instances that are using the database that you wish to drop. If you're using daemontools, this is simple, just use the 'down' flag (-d). If you're using inittab, you have to comment out - your server in /etc/inittab, - reread the inittab with /sbin/init - q, and then restart-aolserver - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.

    Then, to drop the db, just do:

    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +        your server in /etc/inittab,
    +        reread the inittab with /sbin/init
    +        q, and then restart-aolserver
    +        $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.

    Then, to drop the db, just do:

    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
     DROP DATABASE
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-inittab.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-inittab.html,v diff -u -r1.7.2.1 -r1.7.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-inittab.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.7.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-inittab.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.7.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -AOLserver keepalive with inittab

    AOLserver keepalive with inittab

    This is an alternative method for keeping the AOLserver +AOLserver keepalive with inittab

    AOLserver keepalive with inittab

    This is an alternative method for keeping the AOLserver process running. The recommended method is to run AOLserver supervised.

    This step should be completed as root. This can break every service @@ -8,32 +7,32 @@ There are 2 general steps to getting this working.

    1. Install a script called - restart-aolserver. This + restart-aolserver. This script doesn't actually restart AOLserver - it just kills it.

    2. Ask the OS to restart our service whenever it's not running. We do this by adding a line to - /etc/inittab. + /etc/inittab.

    - Calling restart-aolserver + Calling restart-aolserver kills our service. The OS notices that our service is not running, so it automatically restarts it. Thus, calling - restart-aolserver effectively + restart-aolserver effectively restarts our service.

  • Copy this file into - /var/tmp/restart-aolserver.txt. + /var/tmp/restart-aolserver.txt.

  • This script needs to be SUID-root, which means that the script will run as root. This is necessary to ensure that the AOLserver processes are killed regardless of who owns them. However the script should be executable by the - web group to ensure that the + web group to ensure that the users updating the web page can use the script, but that general system users cannot run the script. You also need to have Perl installed and also a symbolic link to it in - /usr/local/bin. + /usr/local/bin.

     [joeuser ~]$ su - 
     Password: ***********
    @@ -42,10 +41,10 @@
     [root ~]# chmod 4750 /usr/local/bin/restart-aolserver
     [root ~]# ln -s /usr/bin/perl /usr/local/bin/perl
     [root ~]# exit
  • - Test the restart-aolserver + Test the restart-aolserver script. We'll first kill all running servers to clean the slate. Then, we'll start one server and use - restart-aolserver to kill + restart-aolserver to kill it. If it works, then there should be no more servers running. You should see the following lines.

     [joeuser ~]$ killall nsd
    @@ -56,34 +55,34 @@
     [joeuser ~]$ killall nsd
     nsd: no process killed

    The number 23727 indicates the process id(s) (PIDs) of the - processes being killed. It is important that no processes are killed by the second - call to killall. If there are + processes being killed. It is important that no processes are killed by the second + call to killall. If there are processes being killed, it means that the script is not working.

  • - Assuming that the restart-aolserver + Assuming that the restart-aolserver script worked, login as root and open - /etc/inittab for + /etc/inittab for editing.

     [joeuser ~]$ su -
     Password: ************
     [root ~]# emacs -nw /etc/inittab
  • Copy this line into the bottom of the file as a template, making sure that the first field - nss1 is unique. + nss1 is unique.

     nss1:345:respawn:/usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd-postgres -i -u nobody -g web -t /home/joeuser/var/lib/aolserver/birdnotes/nsd.tcl
  • - Important: Make sure there is a + Important: Make sure there is a newline at the end of the file. If there is not a newline at the end of the file, the system may suffer catastrophic failures.

  • Still as root, enter the following command to re-initialize - /etc/inittab.

    +            /etc/inittab. 

     [root ~]# killall nsd    
     nsd: no process killed
     [root ~]# /sbin/init q
  • See if it worked by running the - restart-aolserver script + restart-aolserver script again.

     [root ~]# restart-aolserver birdnotes
     Killing 23750
  • Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-keepalive.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-keepalive.html,v diff -u -r1.17.2.2 -r1.17.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-keepalive.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.17.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-openacs-keepalive.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.17.2.3 @@ -1,69 +1,68 @@ - -Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.

    Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.

    The simplest way to start and stop and OpenACS site is to run the startup shell script provided, /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run. This runs as a regular task, and logs to the logfile. To stop the site, kill the script.

    A more stable way to run OpenACS is with a "keepalive" mechanism of some sort, so that whenever the server halts or is stopped for a reset, it restarts automatically. This is recommended for development and production servers.

    The Reference Platform uses Daemontools to control AOLserver. A simpler method, using init, is here.

    1. Daemontools must already be installed. If not, install it.

    2. Each service controlled by daemontools must have a - directory in /service. That +Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.

      Starting and Stopping an OpenACS instance.

      The simplest way to start and stop and OpenACS site is to run the startup shell script provided, /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run. This runs as a regular task, and logs to the logfile. To stop the site, kill the script.

      A more stable way to run OpenACS is with a "keepalive" mechanism of some sort, so that whenever the server halts or is stopped for a reset, it restarts automatically. This is recommended for development and production servers.

      The Reference Platform uses Daemontools to control AOLserver. A simpler method, using init, is here.

      1. Daemontools must already be installed. If not, install it.

      2. Each service controlled by daemontools must have a + directory in /service. That directory must have a file called - run. It works like this:

        • The init program starts every - time the computer is booted.

        • A line in init's configuration - file, /etc/inittab, tells init to + run. It works like this:

          • The init program starts every + time the computer is booted.

          • A line in init's configuration + file, /etc/inittab, tells init to run, and to restart if necessary, - svscanboot.

          • svscanboot checks - the directory /service + svscanboot.

          • svscanboot checks + the directory /service every few seconds.

          • If it sees a subdirectory there, it looks for a file in the subdirectory called - run. If it finds a run file, it creates a supervise process

          • supervise executes the run script. Whenever the run script stops, supervise executes it again. It also creates additional control files in the same directory.

          Hence, the AOLserver + run. If it finds a run file, it creates a supervise process

        • supervise executes the run script. Whenever the run script stops, supervise executes it again. It also creates additional control files in the same directory.

        Hence, the AOLserver instance for your development server is started by the file - /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/run. + /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/run. But we use a symlink to make it easier to add and remove - stuff from the /service, so + stuff from the /service, so the actual location is - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEetc/daemontools/run.

        Daemontools creates additional files and directories to track status and + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEetc/daemontools/run.

        Daemontools creates additional files and directories to track status and log. A daemontools directory is included in the OpenACS tarball at - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools. To use it, first ill any existing AOLserver instances. As root, link the daemontools directory into the /service directory. Daemontools' svscan process checks this directory every five seconds, and will quickly execute run.

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ killall nsd
        +        /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools.  To use it, first ill any existing AOLserver instances.  As root, link the daemontools directory into the /service directory.  Daemontools' svscan process checks this directory every five seconds, and will quickly execute run.

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ killall nsd
         nsd: no process killed
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ emacs /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ exit
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ emacs /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ exit
         
        -[root root]# ln -s /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/ /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

        Verify that AOLserver is running.

        [root root]# ps -auxw | grep nsd
        +[root root]# ln -s /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/ /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

        Verify that AOLserver is running.

        [root root]# ps -auxw | grep nsd
         $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME   5562 14.4  6.2 22436 15952 ?       S    11:55   0:04 /usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd -it /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl -u serve
         root      5582  0.0  0.2  3276  628 pts/0    S    11:55   0:00 grep nsd
         [root root]#
      3. The user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME can now control the service $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME with these commands:

        • - svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - + svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - Bring the server down

        • - svc -u /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - + svc -u /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - Start the server up and leave it in keepalive mode.

        • - svc -o /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - + svc -o /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - Start the server up once. Do not restart it if it stops.

        • - svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - + svc -t /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - Stop and immediately restart the server.

        • - svc -k /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - + svc -k /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - Sends the server a KILL signal. This is like KILL -9. AOLserver exits immediately. If svc -t fails to fully kill AOLserver, use this option. This does not take the server out of keepalive mode, so it should still bounce back up immediately.

      4. Install a script to automate the stopping and starting - of AOLserver services via daemontools. You can then restart a service via restart-aolserver $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

        [root root]# cp /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/restart-aolserver-daemontools.txt /usr/local/bin/restart-aolserver
        -[root root]# chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/restart-aolserver
        +          of AOLserver services via daemontools.  You can then restart a service via restart-aolserver $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

        [root root]# cp /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/restart-aolserver-daemontools.txt /usr/local/bin/restart-aolserver
        +[root root]# chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/restart-aolserver
         [root root]#
      5. At this point, these commands will work only for the - root user. Grant permission for the web group to use svc commands on the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME server.

        [root root]# /usr/local/bin/svgroup web /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[root root]#
      6. Verify that the controls work. You may want to tail -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-error.log in another window, so you can see what happens when you type these commands. + root user. Grant permission for the web group to use svc commands on the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME server.

        [root root]# /usr/local/bin/svgroup web /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[root root]#
      7. Verify that the controls work. You may want to tail -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-error.log in another window, so you can see what happens when you type these commands.

        Most of this information comes from Tom Jackson's AOLserver+Daemontools Mini-HOWTO. -

      Table�6.1.�How it Works

      ProgramInvoked by this program ...... using this fileWhere to find errorsLog goes toUse these commands to control it
      svscanboot - init/etc/inittabps -auxw | grep readproctitlen/a
      aolserversupervise -(a child of svscanboot)/service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/run/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/error.log/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.logsvc -k /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      postgresqlRedhat init scripts during boot/etc/init.d/postgresql/usr/local/pgsql/data/server.logservice postgresql start (Red Hat), /etc/init.d/postgresql start (Debian)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +

    Table�6.1.�How it Works

    ProgramInvoked by this program ...... using this fileWhere to find errorsLog goes toUse these commands to control it
    svscanboot + init/etc/inittabps -auxw | grep readproctitlen/a
    aolserversupervise +(a child of svscanboot)/service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/run/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/error.log/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.logsvc -k /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    postgresqlRedhat init scripts during boot/etc/init.d/postgresql/usr/local/pgsql/data/server.logservice postgresql start (Red Hat), /etc/init.d/postgresql start (Debian)

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-origins.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-origins.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-origins.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-origins.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Where did this document come from?

    Where did this document come from?

    +Where did this document come from?

    Where did this document come from?

    This document was created by Vinod Kurup, but it's really just plagiarism from a number of documents that came before it. If I've used something that you've written without proper credit, let me Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-overview.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-overview.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-overview.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-overview.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Chapter�2.�Installation Overview

    Chapter�2.�Installation Overview

    by Vinod Kurup

    +Chapter�2.�Installation Overview

    Chapter�2.�Installation Overview

    by Vinod Kurup

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-pam-radius.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-pam-radius.html,v diff -u -r1.4.2.1 -r1.4.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-pam-radius.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.4.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-pam-radius.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.4.2.2 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication

    Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication

    By Malte Sussdorff

    +Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication

    Install PAM Radius for use as external authentication

    By Malte Sussdorff

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    This step by step guide is derived from the installation instructions which you can find at yourdomain.com/doc/acs-authentication/ext-auth-pam-install.html. It is build upon PAM 0.77 (tested) and does not work on RedHat Linux Enterprise 3 (using PAM 0.75). It makes use of the ns_pam module written by Mat Kovach. The instructions given in here do work with PAM LDAP accordingly and differences will be shown at the end of the file.

    1. Install ns_pam.�Download and install ns_pam

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
      -          [root aolserver]# wget http://braindamage.alal.com/software/ns_pam-0.1.tar.gz
      -          [root aolserver]# tar xvfz ns_pam-0.1.tar.gz
      -          [root aolserver]# cd ns_pam-0.1
      -          [root ns_pam-0.1]# make install INST=/usr/local/aolserver
      +        

    This step by step guide is derived from the installation instructions which you can find at yourdomain.com/doc/acs-authentication/ext-auth-pam-install.html. It is build upon PAM 0.77 (tested) and does not work on RedHat Linux Enterprise 3 (using PAM 0.75). It makes use of the ns_pam module written by Mat Kovach. The instructions given in here do work with PAM LDAP accordingly and differences will be shown at the end of the file.

    1. Install ns_pam.�Download and install ns_pam

      [root aolserver]# cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
      +          [root aolserver]# wget http://braindamage.alal.com/software/ns_pam-0.1.tar.gz
      +          [root aolserver]# tar xvfz ns_pam-0.1.tar.gz
      +          [root aolserver]# cd ns_pam-0.1
      +          [root ns_pam-0.1]# make install INST=/usr/local/aolserver
                 [root ns_pam-0.1]#
       cd /usr/local/src/aolserver/
       wget http://braindamage.alal.com/software/ns_pam-0.1.tar.gz
      @@ -16,23 +15,23 @@
       
                 
    2. Configure ns_pam.�Configure AOLserver for ns_pam

      To enable ns_pam in AOLServer you will first have to edit your config.tcl file and enable the loading of the ns_pam module and configure the aolservers pam configuration file.

      • Change config.tcl. Remove the - # in front of ns_param - nspam ${bindir}/nspam.so to enable the loading + # in front of ns_param + nspam ${bindir}/nspam.so to enable the loading of the ns_pam module.

      • Change config.tcl. Replace - pam_domain in the section - ns/server/${server}/module/nspam - with aolserver + pam_domain in the section + ns/server/${server}/module/nspam + with aolserver

      • Create /etc/pam.d/aolserver.

        -              [root ns_pam]#cp /var/lib/aolserver/service0/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/pam-aolserver.txt /etc/pam.d/aolserver
        -            
    3. Configure PAM Radius.�Configure and install PAM Radius

      You have to make sure that pam_radius v.1.3.16 or higher is installed, otherwise you will have to install it.

      [root ns_pam]# cd /usr/local/src/
      -          [root src]# wget ftp://ftp.freeradius.org/pub/radius/pam_radius-1.3.16.tar
      -          [root src]# tar xvf pam_radius-1.3.16
      -          [root src]# cd pam_radius
      -          [root pam_radius]# make
      -          [root pam_radius]# cp pam_radius_auth.so /lib/security/
      +              [root ns_pam]#cp /var/lib/aolserver/service0/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/pam-aolserver.txt /etc/pam.d/aolserver
      +            
  • Configure PAM Radius.�Configure and install PAM Radius

    You have to make sure that pam_radius v.1.3.16 or higher is installed, otherwise you will have to install it.

    [root ns_pam]# cd /usr/local/src/
    +          [root src]# wget ftp://ftp.freeradius.org/pub/radius/pam_radius-1.3.16.tar
    +          [root src]# tar xvf pam_radius-1.3.16
    +          [root src]# cd pam_radius
    +          [root pam_radius]# make
    +          [root pam_radius]# cp pam_radius_auth.so /lib/security/
               [root pam_radius]#
     cd /usr/local/src
     wget ftp://ftp.freeradius.org/pub/radius/pam_radius-1.3.16.tar
    @@ -41,6 +40,6 @@
     make
     cp pam_radius_auth.so /lib/security/
     
    -          

    Next you have to add the configuration lines to your Radius configuration file (/etc/rddb/server). For AOLserver to be able to access this information you have to change the access rights to this file as well.

    [root pam_radius]# echo "radius.yourdomain.com:1645 your_radius_password >>/etc/rddb/server
    -          [root src]# chown service0:web /etc/rddb/server
    +          

    Next you have to add the configuration lines to your Radius configuration file (/etc/rddb/server). For AOLserver to be able to access this information you have to change the access rights to this file as well.

    [root pam_radius]# echo "radius.yourdomain.com:1645 your_radius_password >>/etc/rddb/server
    +          [root src]# chown service0:web /etc/rddb/server
               
  • View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-php.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-php.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-php.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-php.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Install PHP for use in AOLserver

    Install PHP for use in AOLserver

    By Malte Sussdorff

    +Install PHP for use in AOLserver

    Install PHP for use in AOLserver

    By Malte Sussdorff

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    To be able to use PHP software with AOLserver (and OpenACS), you have to install PHP with AOLserver support. Get the latest version from www.php.net. For convenience we get version 4.3.4 from a mirror

    [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
    -[root src]# wget http://de3.php.net/distributions/php-4.3.4.tar.gz
    -[root src]# tar xfz php-4.3.4.tar.gz
    -[root src]# cd php-4.3.4
    -[root php-4.3.4]# cd php-4.3.4
    -[root php-4.3.4]#  ./configure --with-aolserver=/usr/local/aolserver/ --with-pgsql=/usr/local/pgsql --without-mysql
    -[root php-4.3.4]# make install
    -      

    Once installed you can enable this by configuring your config file. Make sure your config file supports php (it should have a php section with it). Furthermore add index.php as the last element to your directoryfile directive.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +

    To be able to use PHP software with AOLserver (and OpenACS), you have to install PHP with AOLserver support. Get the latest version from www.php.net. For convenience we get version 4.3.4 from a mirror

    [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
    +[root src]# wget http://de3.php.net/distributions/php-4.3.4.tar.gz
    +[root src]# tar xfz php-4.3.4.tar.gz
    +[root src]# cd php-4.3.4
    +[root php-4.3.4]# cd php-4.3.4
    +[root php-4.3.4]#  ./configure --with-aolserver=/usr/local/aolserver/ --with-pgsql=/usr/local/pgsql --without-mysql
    +[root php-4.3.4]# make install
    +      

    Once installed you can enable this by configuring your config file. Make sure your config file supports php (it should have a php section with it). Furthermore add index.php as the last element to your directoryfile directive.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-qmail.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-qmail.html,v diff -u -r1.34.2.2 -r1.34.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-qmail.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.34.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-qmail.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.34.2.3 @@ -1,53 +1,52 @@ - -Install qmail (OPTIONAL)

    Install qmail (OPTIONAL)

    Qmail is a Mail Transfer Agent. It handles incoming and +Install qmail (OPTIONAL)

    Install qmail (OPTIONAL)

    Qmail is a Mail Transfer Agent. It handles incoming and outgoing mail. Install qmail if you want your OpenACS server to send and receive mail, and you don't want to use an alternate MTA.

    Red Hat 9: all djb tools (qmail, daemontools, ucspi) will fail to compile in Red Hat 9 because of changes to glibc (patches)

    1. Install ucspi.�This program handles incoming tcp connections. - Download ucspi and install it.

      [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
      -[root src]# wget http://cr.yp.to/ucspi-tcp/ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz
      -[root src]# tar xzf ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz
      +            Download ucspi and install it.

      [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
      +[root src]# wget http://cr.yp.to/ucspi-tcp/ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz
      +[root src]# tar xzf ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz
       cd /usr/local/src 
       wget http://cr.yp.to/ucspi-tcp/ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz
       tar xzf ucspi-tcp-0.88.tar.gz 

      Red Hat 9 only

      wget http://moni.csi.hu/pub/glibc-2.3.1/ucspi-tcp-0.88.errno.patch
       cd ucspi-tcp-0.88
       patch -p1 <../ucspi-tcp-0.88.errno.patch
      -cd ..

      All platforms continue:

      [root src]# cd ucspi-tcp-0.88
      -[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# make
      +cd ..

      All platforms continue:

      [root src]# cd ucspi-tcp-0.88
      +[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# make
       ( cat warn-auto.sh; \
      -echo 'main="$1"; shift'; \(many lines omitted)
      +echo 'main="$1"; shift'; \(many lines omitted)
       ./compile instcheck.c
       ./load instcheck hier.o auto_home.o unix.a byte.a
      -[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# make setup check
      +[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# make setup check
       ./install
       ./instcheck
       [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]#
       
       cd ucspi-tcp-0.88 
       make 
       make setup check

      Verify that ucspi-tcp was installed successfully by -running the tcpserver program which is part of ucspi-tcp:

      [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# tcpserver
      +running the tcpserver program which is part of ucspi-tcp:

      [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# tcpserver
       tcpserver: usage: tcpserver [ -1UXpPhHrRoOdDqQv ] [ -c limit ] [ -x rules.cdb ] [ -B banner ] [ -g gid ] [ -u uid
       ] [ -b backlog ] [ -l localname ] [ -t timeout ] host port program
       [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]#
      -

      +

      (I'm not sure if this next step is 100% necessary, but when I skip it -I get problems. If you get the error 553 sorry, that domain isn't in my list of allowed rcpthosts (#5.7.1) then you need to do this.) AOLserver sends outgoing mail via the ns_sendmail +I get problems. If you get the error 553 sorry, that domain isn't in my list of allowed rcpthosts (#5.7.1) then you need to do this.) AOLserver sends outgoing mail via the ns_sendmail command, which pipes a command to the sendmail executable. Or, in our case, the qmail replacement wrapper for the sendmail executable. In some cases, though, the outgoing mail requset is apparently sent through tcp/ip, so that it comes to qmail from 127.0.0.1 (a special IP -address that means the local machine - the "loopback" interface). +address that means the local machine - the "loopback" interface). Unless this mail is addressed to the same machine, qmail thinks that it's an attempt to relay mail, and rejects it. So these two commands set up an exception so that any mail sent from 127.0.0.1 is allowed to -send outgoing mail.

      [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/tcp.smtp.txt /etc/tcp.smtp
      -[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# tcprules /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb /etc/tcp.smtp.tmp < /etc/tcp.smtp
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/tcp.smtp.txt /etc/tcp.smtp 
      -tcprules /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb /etc/tcp.smtp.tmp < /etc/tcp.smtp 
    2. Install Qmail.�

      Download qmail, - set up the standard supporting users and build the binaries:

      [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
      -[root src]# wget http://www.qmail.org/netqmail-1.04.tar.gz
      -[root src]# tar xzf netqmail-1.04.tar.gz
      +send outgoing mail.

      [root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/tcp.smtp.txt /etc/tcp.smtp
      +[root ucspi-tcp-0.88]# tcprules /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb /etc/tcp.smtp.tmp < /etc/tcp.smtp
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/tcp.smtp.txt /etc/tcp.smtp 
      +tcprules /etc/tcp.smtp.cdb /etc/tcp.smtp.tmp < /etc/tcp.smtp 
    3. Install Qmail.�

      Download qmail, + set up the standard supporting users and build the binaries:

      [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
      +[root src]# wget http://www.qmail.org/netqmail-1.04.tar.gz
      +[root src]# tar xzf netqmail-1.04.tar.gz
       --15:04:11--  http://www.qmail.org/netqmail-1.04.tar.gz
                  => `netqmail-1.04.tar.gz'
       Resolving www.qmail.org... done.
      @@ -59,18 +58,18 @@
       
       15:04:21 (24.04 KB/s) - `netqmail-1.04.tar.gz' saved [242310/242310]
       
      -[root src]# mkdir /var/qmail
      -[root src]# groupadd nofiles
      -[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail/alias alias
      -[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmaild
      -[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmaill
      -[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmailp
      -[root src]# groupadd qmail
      -[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmailq
      -[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmailr
      -[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmails
      -[root src]# cd netqmail-1.04
      -[root netqmail-1.04]# ./collate.sh
      +[root src]# mkdir /var/qmail
      +[root src]# groupadd nofiles
      +[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail/alias alias
      +[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmaild
      +[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmaill
      +[root src]# useradd -g nofiles -d /var/qmail qmailp
      +[root src]# groupadd qmail
      +[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmailq
      +[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmailr
      +[root src]# useradd -g qmail -d /var/qmail qmails
      +[root src]# cd netqmail-1.04
      +[root netqmail-1.04]# ./collate.sh
       
       You should see 7 lines of text below.  If you see anything
       else, then something might be wrong.
      @@ -81,8 +80,8 @@
       [5] Renaming qmail-1.03 to netqmail-1.04...
       [6] Continue installing qmail using the instructions found at:
       [7] http://www.lifewithqmail.org/lwq.html#installation
      -[root netqmail-1.04]# cd netqmail-1.04
      -[root netqmail-1.04]# make setup check
      +[root netqmail-1.04]# cd netqmail-1.04
      +[root netqmail-1.04]# make setup check
       ( cat warn-auto.sh; \
       echo CC=\'`head -1 conf-cc`\'; \(many lines omitted)
       ./install
      @@ -103,11 +102,11 @@
       cd netqmail-1.04
       ./collate.sh
       cd netqmail-1.04
      -make setup check

      Replace sendmail with qmail's wrapper.

      [root qmail-1.03]# rm -f /usr/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
      -[root qmail-1.03]# ln -s /var/qmail/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
      +make setup check

      Replace sendmail with qmail's wrapper.

      [root qmail-1.03]# rm -f /usr/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
      +[root qmail-1.03]# ln -s /var/qmail/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
       [root qmail-1.03]#
       rm -f /usr/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
      -ln -s /var/qmail/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail

      Configure qmail - specifically, run the config script to set up files in /var/qmail/control specifying the computer's identity and which addresses it should accept mail for. This command will automatically set up qmail correctly if you have correctly set a valid host nome. If not, you'll want to read /var/qmail/doc/INSTALL.ctl to find out how to configure qmail.

      [root qmail-1.03]# ./config-fast yourserver.test
      +ln -s /var/qmail/bin/sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail

      Configure qmail - specifically, run the config script to set up files in /var/qmail/control specifying the computer's identity and which addresses it should accept mail for. This command will automatically set up qmail correctly if you have correctly set a valid host nome. If not, you'll want to read /var/qmail/doc/INSTALL.ctl to find out how to configure qmail.

      [root qmail-1.03]# ./config-fast yourserver.test
       Your fully qualified host name is yourserver.test.
       Putting yourserver.test into control/me...
       Putting yourserver.test into control/defaultdomain...
      @@ -117,66 +116,66 @@
       Now qmail will refuse to accept SMTP messages except to yourserver.test.
       Make sure to change rcpthosts if you add hosts to locals or virtualdomains!
       [root qmail-1.03]#
      -./config-fast yourserver.test

      All incoming mail that isn't for a specific user is handled by the alias user. This includes all root mail. These commands prepare the alias user to receive mail.

      [root qmail-1.03]# cd ~alias; touch .qmail-postmaster .qmail-mailer-daemon .qmail-root
      -[root alias]# chmod 644 ~alias/.qmail*
      -[root alias]# /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake ~alias/Maildir/
      -[root alias]# chown -R alias.nofiles /var/qmail/alias/Maildir
      +./config-fast yourserver.test

      All incoming mail that isn't for a specific user is handled by the alias user. This includes all root mail. These commands prepare the alias user to receive mail.

      [root qmail-1.03]# cd ~alias; touch .qmail-postmaster .qmail-mailer-daemon .qmail-root
      +[root alias]# chmod 644 ~alias/.qmail*
      +[root alias]# /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake ~alias/Maildir/
      +[root alias]# chown -R alias.nofiles /var/qmail/alias/Maildir
       [root alias]#
       cd ~alias; touch .qmail-postmaster .qmail-mailer-daemon .qmail-root 
       chmod 644 ~alias/.qmail* 
       /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake ~alias/Maildir/ 
      -chown -R alias.nofiles /var/qmail/alias/Maildir

      Configure qmail to use the Maildir delivery format - (instead of mbox), and install a version of the qmail startup script modified to use Maildir.

      [root alias]# echo "./Maildir" > /var/qmail/bin/.qmail
      -[root alias]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail.rc.txt /var/qmail/rc
      -[root alias]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/rc
      +chown -R alias.nofiles /var/qmail/alias/Maildir

      Configure qmail to use the Maildir delivery format + (instead of mbox), and install a version of the qmail startup script modified to use Maildir.

      [root alias]# echo "./Maildir" > /var/qmail/bin/.qmail
      +[root alias]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail.rc.txt /var/qmail/rc
      +[root alias]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/rc
       [root alias]# 
      -echo "./Maildir" > /var/qmail/bin/.qmail 
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail.rc.txt /var/qmail/rc 
      +echo "./Maildir" > /var/qmail/bin/.qmail 
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail.rc.txt /var/qmail/rc 
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/rc 
       

      Set up the skeleton directory so that new users will - be configured for qmail.

      [root root]# /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake /etc/skel/Maildir
      -[root root]# echo "./Maildir/" > /etc/skel/.qmail
      +          be configured for qmail.

      [root root]# /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake /etc/skel/Maildir
      +[root root]# echo "./Maildir/" > /etc/skel/.qmail
       [root root]# 
       /var/qmail/bin/maildirmake /etc/skel/Maildir
      -echo "./Maildir/" > /etc/skel/.qmail

      As recommended, we will run qmail with daemontools - control files. Create daemontools control directories, set up a daemontools control script, copy the supervise control files, and set permissions. The last line links the control directories to /service, which will cause supervise to detect them and execute the run files, causing qmail to start.

      [root root]# mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log
      -[root root]# mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log
      -[root root]# mkdir /var/log/qmail
      -[root root]# chown qmaill /var/log/qmail
      -[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmailctl.txt /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
      -[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl /usr/bin
      -[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run 
      -[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      -[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      -[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      -[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
      -[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd /service
      -[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd /service
      +echo "./Maildir/" > /etc/skel/.qmail

      As recommended, we will run qmail with daemontools + control files. Create daemontools control directories, set up a daemontools control script, copy the supervise control files, and set permissions. The last line links the control directories to /service, which will cause supervise to detect them and execute the run files, causing qmail to start.

      [root root]# mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log
      +[root root]# mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log
      +[root root]# mkdir /var/log/qmail
      +[root root]# chown qmaill /var/log/qmail
      +[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmailctl.txt /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
      +[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl /usr/bin
      +[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run 
      +[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      +[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      +[root root]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      +[root root]# chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
      +[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd /service
      +[root root]# ln -s /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd /service
       mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log
       mkdir -p /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log
       mkdir /var/log/qmail
       chown qmaill /var/log/qmail
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmailctl.txt /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmailctl.txt /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl
       ln -s /var/qmail/bin/qmailctl /usr/bin
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-send-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
      +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/qmail-smtpd-log-run.txt /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/run
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send/log/run
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/run
       chmod 755 /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd/log/run
       ln -s /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-send /var/qmail/supervise/qmail-smtpd /service
      -

      Wait ten seconds or so, and then verify that that the four qmail processes are running. If uptimes don't rise above 1 second, this may indicate broken scripts that are continuously restarting. In that case, start debugging by checking permissions.

      [root root]# qmailctl stat
      +

      Wait ten seconds or so, and then verify that that the four qmail processes are running. If uptimes don't rise above 1 second, this may indicate broken scripts that are continuously restarting. In that case, start debugging by checking permissions.

      [root root]# qmailctl stat
       /service/qmail-send: up (pid 32700) 430 seconds
       /service/qmail-send/log: up (pid 32701) 430 seconds
       /service/qmail-smtpd: up (pid 32704) 430 seconds
       /service/qmail-smtpd/log: up (pid 32705) 430 seconds
       messages in queue: 0
       messages in queue but not yet preprocessed: 0
      -[root root]#

      Further verify by sending and receiving email. Incoming mail for root is stored in /var/qmail/alias/Maildir.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +[root root]#

    Further verify by sending and receiving email. Incoming mail for root is stored in /var/qmail/alias/Maildir.

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-redhat.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-redhat.html,v diff -u -r1.34.2.2 -r1.34.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-redhat.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.34.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-redhat.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.34.2.3 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Appendix�A.�Install Red Hat 8/9

    Appendix�A.�Install Red Hat 8/9

    by Joel Aufrecht

    +Appendix�A.�Install Red Hat 8/9

    Appendix�A.�Install Red Hat 8/9

    by Joel Aufrecht

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    This section takes a blank PC and sets up some supporting @@ -16,8 +15,8 @@

  • (For Oracle) Starting an X server and running an X program remotely

  • - Basic file management using cp, rm, - mv, and cd + Basic file management using cp, rm, + mv, and cd

  • Compiling a program using ./config and make.

  • @@ -27,35 +26,35 @@

    1. Unplug the network cable from your computer. We don't want to connect to the network until we're sure the computer is secure. - + (Wherever you see - the word secure, you should always read it as, "secure + the word secure, you should always read it as, "secure enough for our purposes, given the amount of work we're willing to exert and the estimated risk and - consequences.")

    2. Insert Red Hat 8.0 or 9.0 Disk 1 into the + consequences.")

    3. Insert Red Hat 8.0 or 9.0 Disk 1 into the CD-ROM and reboot the computer

    4. At the - boot: + boot: prompt, press Enter for a graphical install. The text install is fairly different, so if you need to do that instead proceed with caution, because the guide won't match the steps.

    5. Checking the media is probably a waste of time, so when it asks press Tab and - then Enter to skip it.

    6. After the graphical introduction page loads, click Next

    7. Choose the language you want to use and then click -Next -

    8. Select the keyboard layout you will use and Click Next

    9. Choose your mouse type and Click Next

    10. Red Hat has several templates for new - computers. We'll start with the "Server" template and then + then Enter to skip it.

    11. After the graphical introduction page loads, click Next

    12. Choose the language you want to use and then click +Next +

    13. Select the keyboard layout you will use and Click Next

    14. Choose your mouse type and Click Next

    15. Red Hat has several templates for new + computers. We'll start with the "Server" template and then fine-tune it during the rest of the install. Choose - Server + Server and click - Next.

    16. Reformat the hard drive. If you know what you're doing, + Next.

    17. Reformat the hard drive. If you know what you're doing, do this step on your own. Otherwise: we're going to let the installer wipe out the everything on the main hard drive and then arrange things to - its liking.

      1. Choose Automatically Partition - and click Next

      2. Uncheck -Review (and modify if needed) the partitions created and click Next

      3. On the pop-up window asking "Are you sure - you want to do this?" click - Yes - IF YOU ARE WIPING YOUR HARD DRIVE.

      4. Click Next on the boot loader screen

    18. Configure Networking. + its liking.

      1. Choose Automatically Partition + and click Next

      2. Uncheck +Review (and modify if needed) the partitions created and click Next

      3. On the pop-up window asking "Are you sure + you want to do this?" click + Yes + IF YOU ARE WIPING YOUR HARD DRIVE.

      4. Click Next on the boot loader screen

    19. Configure Networking. Again, if you know what you're doing, do this step yourself, being sure to note the firewall holes. Otherwise, follow the instructions in this step to set up a computer directly connected to the internet with a dedicated IP address.

      1. DHCP is a system by which a computer that @@ -64,21 +63,21 @@ IP address (if it doesn't, it will be tricky to access the OpenACS service from the outside world), we're going to set up that address. If you don't know your netmask, 255.255.255.0 is usually a pretty safe -guess. Click Edit, uncheck Configure using DHCP -and type in your IP and netmask. Click Ok.

      2. Type in your host -name, gateway, and DNS server(s). Then click Next.

      3. We're going to use the firewall template for high +guess. Click Edit, uncheck Configure using DHCP +and type in your IP and netmask. Click Ok.

      4. Type in your host +name, gateway, and DNS server(s). Then click Next.

      5. We're going to use the firewall template for high security, meaning that we'll block almost all incoming traffic. Then we'll add a few holes to the firewall for services which we need and -know are secure. Choose High +know are secure. Choose High security level. Check -WWW, -SSH, and -Mail (SMTP). In the Other ports -box, enter 443, 8000, 8443. Click -Next. -Port 443 is for https (http over ssl), and 8000 and 8443 are http and https access to the development server we'll be setting up.

    20. Select any additional languages you want the +WWW, +SSH, and +Mail (SMTP). In the Other ports +box, enter 443, 8000, 8443. Click +Next. +Port 443 is for https (http over ssl), and 8000 and 8443 are http and https access to the development server we'll be setting up.

  • Select any additional languages you want the computer to support and then click - Next

  • Choose your time zone and click Next.

  • Type in a root + Next

  • Choose your time zone and click Next.

  • Type in a root password, twice.

  • On the Package selection page, we're going to uncheck a lot of packages that install software we don't need, and add packages that have stuff we do need. You should install everything @@ -88,54 +87,54 @@ risk that's still screened by the firewall, or a resource hog. Just don't install a database or web server, because that would conflict with the database and web server we'll install later. -

    check Editors (this installs emacs),
    click Details next to Text-based Internet, check lynx, and click OK;
    check Authoring and Publishing (this installs docbook),
    uncheck Server Configuration Tools,
    uncheck Web Server,
    uncheck Windows File Server,
    check SQL Database Server (this installs PostgreSQL),
    check Development Tools (this installs gmake and other build tools),
    uncheck Administration Tools, and
    uncheck Printing Support.

    At the bottom, check Select Individual Packages and click Next

  • We need to fine-tune the exact list of packages. +

    check Editors (this installs emacs),
    click Details next to Text-based Internet, check lynx, and click OK;
    check Authoring and Publishing (this installs docbook),
    uncheck Server Configuration Tools,
    uncheck Web Server,
    uncheck Windows File Server,
    check SQL Database Server (this installs PostgreSQL),
    check Development Tools (this installs gmake and other build tools),
    uncheck Administration Tools, and
    uncheck Printing Support.

    At the bottom, check Select Individual Packages and click Next

  • We need to fine-tune the exact list of packages. The same rules apply as in the last step - you can add more stuff, but you shouldn't remove anything the guide adds. We're going to go through all the packages in one big list, so select -Flat -View and wait. In a minute, a -list of packages will appear.

    uncheck apmd (monitors power, not very useful for servers),
    check ImageMagick (required for the photo-album packages,
    uncheckisdn4k-utils (unless you are using isdn, this installs a useless daemon),
    check mutt (a mail program that reads Maildir),
    uncheck nfs-utils (nfs is a major security risk),
    uncheck pam-devel (I don't remember why, but we don't want this),
    uncheck portmap,
    uncheck postfix (this is an MTA, but we're going to install qmail later),
    check postgresql-devel,
    uncheck rsh (rsh is a security hole),
    uncheck sendmail (sendmail is an insecure MTA; we're going to install qmail instead later),
    check tcl (we need tcl), and
    uncheck xinetd (xinetd handles incoming tcp connections. We'll install a different, more secure program, ucspi-tcp).
    Click Next
  • Red Hat isn't completely happy with the combination +Flat +View and wait. In a minute, a +list of packages will appear.

    uncheck apmd (monitors power, not very useful for servers),
    check ImageMagick (required for the photo-album packages,
    uncheckisdn4k-utils (unless you are using isdn, this installs a useless daemon),
    check mutt (a mail program that reads Maildir),
    uncheck nfs-utils (nfs is a major security risk),
    uncheck pam-devel (I don't remember why, but we don't want this),
    uncheck portmap,
    uncheck postfix (this is an MTA, but we're going to install qmail later),
    check postgresql-devel,
    uncheck rsh (rsh is a security hole),
    uncheck sendmail (sendmail is an insecure MTA; we're going to install qmail instead later),
    check tcl (we need tcl), and
    uncheck xinetd (xinetd handles incoming tcp connections. We'll install a different, more secure program, ucspi-tcp).
    Click Next
  • Red Hat isn't completely happy with the combination of packages we've selected, and wants to satisfy some dependencies. Don't let it. On the next screen, choose -Ignore Package -Dependencies and click -Next. +Ignore Package +Dependencies and click +Next.

  • Click - Next + Next to start the copying of files.

  • Wait. Insert Disk 2 when asked.

  • Wait. Insert Disk 3 when asked.

  • If you know how to use it, create a boot disk. Since you can also boot into recovery mode with the Install CDs, this is less useful than it used to be, and we - won't bother. Select No,I do not want to create a boot disk and click Next.

  • Click Exit, remove the CD, and watch the + won't bother. Select No,I do not want to create a boot disk and click Next.

  • Click Exit, remove the CD, and watch the computer reboot.

  • After it finishes rebooting and shows the login - prompt, log in:

    yourserver login: root
    +	  prompt, log in:

    yourserver login: root
     Password:
     [root root]#
  • Install any security patches. For example, insert your CD with - patches, mount it with mount - /dev/cdrom, then cd - /mnt/cdrom, then rpm -UVH - *rpm. Both Red Hat 8.0 and 9.0 have had both + patches, mount it with mount + /dev/cdrom, then cd + /mnt/cdrom, then rpm -UVH + *rpm. Both Red Hat 8.0 and 9.0 have had both kernel and openssl/openssh root exploits, so you should be upgrading all of that. Since you are upgrading the kernel, reboot after this step.

  • Lock down SSH

    1. - + SSH is the protocol we use to connect securely to the computer (replacing telnet, which is insecure). sshd is the daemon that listens for incoming ssh connections. As a security precaution, we are now going to tell ssh not to allow anyone to connect directly to this computer as root. Type this into the shell: -

      emacs /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    2. Search for the word "root" by typing C-s (that's emacs-speak for control-s) and then root.

    3. Make the following changes:

      #Protocol 2,1 to - Protocol 2 - (this prevents any connections via SSH 1, which is insecure)
      #PermitRootLogin yes to - PermitRootLogin no +

      emacs /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    4. Search for the word "root" by typing C-s (that's emacs-speak for control-s) and then root.

    5. Make the following changes:

      #Protocol 2,1 to + Protocol 2 + (this prevents any connections via SSH 1, which is insecure)
      #PermitRootLogin yes to + PermitRootLogin no (this prevents the root user from logging in remotely via ssh. If you do this, be sure to create a remote access - account, such as "remadmin", which you can use to get ssh - before using "su" to become root)
      #PermitEmptyPasswords no to PermitEmptyPasswords no - (this blocks passwordless accounts) and save and exit by typing C-x C-s C-x C-c
    6. Restart sshd so that the change takes effect.

      service sshd restart
    7. + account, such as "remadmin", which you can use to get ssh + before using "su" to become root)

    8. #PermitEmptyPasswords no to PermitEmptyPasswords no + (this blocks passwordless accounts) and save and exit by typing C-x C-s C-x C-c
    9. Restart sshd so that the change takes effect.

      service sshd restart
  • Red Hat still installed a few services we don't need, and which can be security holes. Use the service command to turn them off, and then use chkconfig to automatically edit the @@ -149,34 +148,34 @@ (The reason for this discrepencies is that, while daemontools is better, it's a pain in the ass to deal with and nobody's had any trouble leaving PostgreSQL the way it is.) -

    [root root]# service pcmcia stop
    -[root root]# service netfs stop
    -[root root]# chkconfig --del pcmcia
    -[root root]# chkconfig --del netfs
    +       

    [root root]# service pcmcia stop
    +[root root]# service netfs stop
    +[root root]# chkconfig --del pcmcia
    +[root root]# chkconfig --del netfs
     [root root]#
     service pcmcia stop
     service netfs stop
     chkconfig --del pcmcia
     chkconfig --del netfs

    If you installed PostgreSQL, do also -service postgresql start and chkconfig --add postgresql.

  • Plug in the network cable.

  • Verify that you have connectivity by going to another +service postgresql start and chkconfig --add postgresql.

  • Plug in the network cable.

  • Verify that you have connectivity by going to another computer and ssh'ing to yourserver, logging in as - remadmin, and promoting yourself to root:

    [joeuser@someotherserver]$  ssh remadmin@yourserver.test
    +          remadmin, and promoting yourself to root:

    [joeuser@someotherserver]$  ssh remadmin@yourserver.test
     The authenticity of host 'yourserver.test (1.2.3.4)' can't be established.
     DSA key fingerprint is 10:b9:b6:10:79:46:14:c8:2d:65:ae:c1:61:4b:a5:a5.
    -Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
    +Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
     Warning: Permanently added 'yourserver.test (1.2.3.4)' (DSA) to the list of known hosts.
     Password:
     Last login: Mon Mar  3 21:15:27 2003 from host-12-01.dsl-sea.seanet.com
    -[remadmin remadmin]$ su -
    +[remadmin remadmin]$ su -
     Password: 
     [root root]#
  • If you didn't burn a CD of patches and use it, can still download and install the necessary patches. Here's how to do it for the kernel; you should also check for other critical packages.

    Upgrade the kernel to fix a security hole. The default Red Hat 8.0 system kernel (2.4.18-14, which you can check - with uname -a) has several security problems. Download the new kernel, install it, and reboot.

    [root root]# cd /var/tmp
    -[root tmp]# wget http://updates.redhat.com/7.1/en/os/i686/kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm
    +          with uname -a) has several security problems.  Download the new kernel, install it, and reboot.

    [root root]# cd /var/tmp
    +[root tmp]# wget http://updates.redhat.com/7.1/en/os/i686/kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm
     --20:39:00--  http://updates.redhat.com/7.1/en/os/i686/kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm
                => `kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm'
     Resolving updates.redhat.com... done.
    @@ -188,11 +187,11 @@
     
     20:41:39 (78.38 KB/s) - `kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm' saved [12736430/12736430]
     
    -root@yourserver tmp]# rpm -Uvh kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm
    +root@yourserver tmp]# rpm -Uvh kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm
     warning: kernel-2.4.18-27.7.x.i686.rpm: V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID db42a60e
     Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
        1:kernel                 ########################################### [100%]
    -[root tmp]# reboot
    +[root tmp]# reboot
     
     Broadcast message from root (pts/0) (Sat May  3 20:46:39 2003):
     
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-resources.html
    ===================================================================
    RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-resources.html,v
    diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2
    --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-resources.html	14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000	1.11.2.1
    +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-resources.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000	1.11.2.2
    @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
    -
    -Resources

    Resources

    +Resources

    Resources

    Here are some resources that OpenACS users have found useful. -

    Books

    • +

      Books

      Web Sites

      • +

      Web Sites

      • The UNIX Reference Desk Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-squirrelmail.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-squirrelmail.html,v diff -u -r1.10.2.1 -r1.10.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-squirrelmail.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.10.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-squirrelmail.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.10.2.2 @@ -1,11 +1,10 @@ - -Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS

        Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS

        By Malte Sussdorff

        +Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS

        Install Squirrelmail for use as a webmail system for OpenACS

        By Malte Sussdorff

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

        This section is work in progress. It will detail how you can install Squirrelmail as a webmail frontend for OpenACS, thereby neglecting the need to have a seperate webmail package within OpenACS

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]# cd www
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# wget http://cesnet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/squirrelmail/squirrelmail-1.4.4.tar.gz
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# tar xfz squirrelmail-1.4.4.tar.gz
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# mv squirrelmail-1.4.4 mail
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# cd mail/config
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# ./conf.pl
        +        

        This section is work in progress. It will detail how you can install Squirrelmail as a webmail frontend for OpenACS, thereby neglecting the need to have a seperate webmail package within OpenACS

        [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]# cd www
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# wget http://cesnet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/squirrelmail/squirrelmail-1.4.4.tar.gz
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# tar xfz squirrelmail-1.4.4.tar.gz
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# mv squirrelmail-1.4.4 mail
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# cd mail/config
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME www]# ./conf.pl
               

        Now you are about to configure Squirrelmail. The configuration heavily depends on your setup, so no instructions are given here.

        View comments on this page at openacs.org
        Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ssl.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ssl.html,v diff -u -r1.9.2.1 -r1.9.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ssl.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.9.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-ssl.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.9.2.2 @@ -1,27 +1,26 @@ - -Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service

        Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service

        Debian Users: apt-get install openssl before proceeding.

        1. Make sure nsopenssl.so is installed for AOLserver.

        2. Uncomment this line from config.tcl.

          #ns_param   nsopenssl       ${bindir}/nsopenssl.so
          -
        3. Prepare a certificate directory for the service.

          [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ mkdir /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ chmod 700 /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
          +Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service

          Installing SSL Support for an OpenACS service

          Debian Users: apt-get install openssl before proceeding.

          1. Make sure nsopenssl.so is installed for AOLserver.

          2. Uncomment this line from config.tcl.

            #ns_param   nsopenssl       ${bindir}/nsopenssl.so
            +
          3. Prepare a certificate directory for the service.

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ mkdir /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ chmod 700 /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
             [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ 
             mkdir /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
             chmod 700 /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
          4. It takes two files to support an SSL connection. The certificate is the public half of the key pair - the server sends the certificate to browser requesting ssl. The key is the private half of the key pair. In addition, the certificate must be signed by Certificate Authority or browsers will protest. Each web browser ships with a built-in list of acceptable Certificate Authorities (CAs) and their keys. Only a site certificate signed by a known and approved CA will work smoothly. Any other certificate will cause browsers to produce some messages or block the site. Unfortunately, getting a site certificate signed by a CA costs money. In this section, we'll generate an unsigned certificate which will work in most browsers, albeit with pop-up messages.

            Use an OpenSSL perl script to generate a certificate and key.

            Debian users: use /usr/lib/ssl/misc/CA.pl instead of /usr/share/ssl/CA

            Mac OS X users: use perl /System/Library/OpenSSL/misc/CA.pl -newcert instead of /usr/share/ssl/CA -

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ perl /usr/share/ssl/misc/CA -newcert
            +        

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/certs
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ perl /usr/share/ssl/misc/CA -newcert
             Using configuration from /usr/share/ssl/openssl.cnf
             Generating a 1024 bit RSA private key
             ...++++++
             .......++++++
             writing new private key to 'newreq.pem'
             Enter PEM pass phrase:

            Enter a pass phrase for the CA certificate. Then, answer the rest of the questions. At the end you should see this:

            Certificate (and private key) is in newreq.pem
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$

            newreq.pem contains our certificate and private key. The key is protected by a passphrase, which means that we'll have to enter the pass phrase each time the server starts. This is impractical and unnecessary, so we create an unprotected version of the key. Security implication: if anyone gets access to the file keyfile.pem, they effectively own the key as much as you do. Mitigation: don't use this key/cert combo for anything besides providing ssl for the web site.

            [root misc]# openssl rsa -in newreq.pem -out keyfile.pem
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$

            newreq.pem contains our certificate and private key. The key is protected by a passphrase, which means that we'll have to enter the pass phrase each time the server starts. This is impractical and unnecessary, so we create an unprotected version of the key. Security implication: if anyone gets access to the file keyfile.pem, they effectively own the key as much as you do. Mitigation: don't use this key/cert combo for anything besides providing ssl for the web site.

            [root misc]# openssl rsa -in newreq.pem -out keyfile.pem
             read RSA key
             Enter PEM pass phrase:
             writing RSA key
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ 

            To create the certificate file, we take the combined file, copy it, and strip out the key.

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ cp newreq.pem certfile.pem
            -[root misc]# emacs certfile.pem

            Strip out the section that looks like

            -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ 

            To create the certificate file, we take the combined file, copy it, and strip out the key.

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME certs]$ cp newreq.pem certfile.pem
            +[root misc]# emacs certfile.pem

            Strip out the section that looks like

            -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
             Proc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED
             DEK-Info: DES-EDE3-CBC,F3EDE7CA1B404997
             S/Sd2MYA0JVmQuIt5bYowXR1KYKDka1d3DUgtoVTiFepIRUrMkZlCli08mWVjE6T
            Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-steps.html
            ===================================================================
            RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-steps.html,v
            diff -u -r1.28.2.2 -r1.28.2.3
            --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-steps.html	22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000	1.28.2.2
            +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/install-steps.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000	1.28.2.3
            @@ -1,49 +1,49 @@
            -
            -Basic Steps

            Basic Steps

            +Basic Steps

            Basic Steps

            The basic steps for installing OpenACS are: -

            1. Install an OS and supporting software (see Install a Unix-like OS or Appendix�A, Install Red Hat 8/9 for more details). See the Table�2.2.

            2. Install a database (see Section�, “Install Oracle 8.1.7” or +

              1. Install an OS and supporting software (see Install a Unix-like OS or Appendix�A, Install Red Hat 8/9 for more details). See the Table�2.2, “Version Compatibility Matrix”.

              2. Install a database (see the section called “Install Oracle 8.1.7” or Install PostgreSQL).

              3. Install AOLserver (Install AOLserver 4) .

              4. Create a unique database and system user. Install the OpenACS tarball, start and AOLserver instance, and use the OpenACS web pages to complete installation - (see Install OpenACS 5.3.1).

              Specific instructions are available for Mac OS X and - Windows2000 (see Section�, “OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X” or - Section�, “OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000”).

              Binaries and other shortcuts

              You can try out OpenACS using some binary installers. In + (see Install OpenACS 5.3.2).

            Specific instructions are available for Mac OS X and + Windows2000 (see the section called “OpenACS Installation Guide for Mac OS X” or + the section called “OpenACS Installation Guide for Windows2000”).

            Binaries and other shortcuts

            You can try out OpenACS using some binary installers. In general, they are not yet supported by the community, so they are mostly for evaluation purposes. Installing OpenACS

            You can see a list of current installers.

            1. The packaged version of PostgreSQL in Debian, Red Hat, and FreeBSD ports works fine.

            2. Once AOLserver and a database are installed, a bash script automates the OpenACS checkout and installation. -

            System Requirements

            +

          System Requirements

          You will need a PC (or equivalent) with at least these minimum specifications:

          • 128MB RAM (much more if you want Oracle)

          • 1GB free space on your hard drive (much more if you want Oracle)

          • A Unix-like operating system with Tcl, tDOM, and - a mail transport agent like sendmail or qmail. (see Section�, “Prerequisite Software”)

          + a mail transport agent like sendmail or qmail. (see the section called “Prerequisite Software”)

      All of the software mentioned is open-source and available without direct costs, except for Oracle. You can obtain a free copy of Oracle for development purposes. This is described in the Acquire Oracle section. -

      How to use this guide

      • This is text you will see on - screen, such as a Button or link - in a radio button list or menu.

      • This is text that you will type.

      • This is text from a program or file which you may need to - examine or edit:

        if {$database == "oracle"} {
        -          set db_password        "mysitepassword"
        +    

      How to use this guide

      • This is text you will see on + screen, such as a Button or link + in a radio button list or menu.

      • This is text that you will type.

      • This is text from a program or file which you may need to + examine or edit:

        if {$database == "oracle"} {
        +          set db_password        "mysitepassword"
         }
      • This is text that you will - see and type in a command shell, including text you may have to + see and type in a command shell, including text you may have to change. It is followed by a list of just the commands, - which you can copy and paste. The command prompt varies by system; in the examples we use the form[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$, where $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME is the current user and aolserver is the current directory. The root prompt is shown ending in # and all other prompts in $.

        -[root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +          which you can copy and paste. The command prompt varies by system; in the examples we use the form[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$, where $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME is the current user and aolserver is the current directory.  The root prompt is shown ending in # and all other prompts in $.

        +[root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         DROP DATABASE
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         CREATE DATABASE
         su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

        Setting a global shell variable for cut and paste.�In order to cut and paste the instructions into your shell, you must set the environment variable $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. In order to set it globally so that it works for any new users or special service users you may create, edit the file /etc/profile ( /etc/share/skel/dot.profile for FreeBSD) and add this line:

        export OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME=service0

      Paths and Users

      Table�2.1.�Default directories for a standard install

      Fully qualified domain name of your serveryourserver.test
      name of administrative access accountremadmin
      OpenACS service$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME (set to service0 in default install)
      OpenACS service account$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      OpenACS database name$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      Root of OpenACS service file tree (SERVERROOT)/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      Location of source code tarballs for new software/var/tmp
      The OpenACS tarball contains some files which +createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

      Setting a global shell variable for cut and paste.�In order to cut and paste the instructions into your shell, you must set the environment variable $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. In order to set it globally so that it works for any new users or special service users you may create, edit the file /etc/profile ( /etc/share/skel/dot.profile for FreeBSD) and add this line:

      export OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME=service0

      Paths and Users

      Table�2.1.�Default directories for a standard install

      Fully qualified domain name of your serveryourserver.test
      name of administrative access accountremadmin
      OpenACS service + $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME (set to service0 in default install)
      OpenACS service account$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      OpenACS database name$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      Root of OpenACS service file tree (SERVERROOT)/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      Location of source code tarballs for new software/var/tmp
      The OpenACS tarball contains some files which are useful while setting up other software. Those - files are located at:/var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files
      Database backup directory/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup
      Service config files/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc
      Service log files/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log
      Compile directory/usr/local/src
      PostgreSQL directory/usr/local/pgsql
      AOLserver directory/usr/local/aolserver

      + files are located at:

      /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files
      Database backup directory/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup
      Service config files/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc
      Service log files/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log
      Compile directory/usr/local/src
      PostgreSQL directory/usr/local/pgsql
      AOLserver directory/usr/local/aolserver

      None of these locations are set in stone - they're simply the values that we've chosen. The values that you'll probably want to change, such as service name, are @@ -53,16 +53,16 @@ Some of the paths and user accounts have been changed from those recommended in previous versions of this document to improve security and maintainability. See this - thread for discussion.

      Getting Help during installation

      + thread for discussion.

      Getting Help during installation

      We'll do our best to assure that following our instructions will get you to the promised land. If something goes wrong, don't panic. There are plenty of ways to get help. Here are some tips:

    Creating an appropriate tuning and monitoring environment

    The first task is to create an appropriate environment for finding out what is going on inside Oracle. Oracle provides Statspack, a package to monitor and save the state of the v$ performance views. These reports @@ -58,10 +57,10 @@ Oracle Support information.

    To be able to get a overview of how Oracle executes a particular query, - install "autotrace". I usually follow the instructions here http://asktom.oracle.com/~tkyte/article1/autotrace.html. -

    Make sure, that the Oracle CBO works with adequate statistics

    + install "autotrace". I usually follow the instructions here http://asktom.oracle.com/~tkyte/article1/autotrace.html. +

    Make sure, that the Oracle CBO works with adequate statistics

    The Oracle Cost Based optimizer is a piece of software that tries to find - the "optimal" execution plan for a given SQL statement. For that it + the "optimal" execution plan for a given SQL statement. For that it estimates the costs of running a SQL query in a particular way (by default up to 80.000 permutations are being tested in a Oracle 8i). To get an adequate cost estimate, the CBO needs to have adequate statistics. For Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-deploy.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-deploy.html,v diff -u -r1.17.2.2 -r1.17.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-deploy.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.17.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-deploy.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.17.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Staged Deployment for Production Networks

    Staged Deployment for Production Networks

    ($Id$)

    By Joel Aufrecht

    +Staged Deployment for Production Networks

    Staged Deployment for Production Networks

    ($Id$)

    By Joel Aufrecht

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    This section describes two minimal-risk methods for deploying changes on a production network. The important characteristics of a safe change deployment include: (THIS SECTION IN DEVELOPMENT)

    • Control: You know for sure that the change you are making is the change that you intend to make and is the change that you tested.

    • Rollback: If anything goes wrong, you can return to the previous working configuration safely and quickly.

    Method 1: Deployment with CVS

    With this method, we control the files on a site via +

    This section describes two minimal-risk methods for deploying changes on a production network. The important characteristics of a safe change deployment include: (THIS SECTION IN DEVELOPMENT)

    • Control: You know for sure that the change you are making is the change that you intend to make and is the change that you tested.

    • Rollback: If anything goes wrong, you can return to the previous working configuration safely and quickly.

    Method 1: Deployment with CVS

    With this method, we control the files on a site via CVS. This example uses one developmental server (service0-dev) and one production server (service0). Depending on your needs, you can also have a staging server for extensive testing before you go @@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql -f /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql service0 mv /var/lib/aolserver/service0/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup.dmp.gz /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup-old.dmp.gz /bin/gunzip /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup.dmp.gz -/usr/bin/perl -pi -e "s/^\\connect service0$/\\connect service0-dev/" /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup.dmp +/usr/bin/perl -pi -e "s/^\\connect service0$/\\connect service0-dev/" /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup.dmp /usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql service0-dev < /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup.dmp /usr/local/bin/svc -u /service/service0-dev /bin/gzip /var/lib/aolserver/service0-dev/database-backup/service0-nightly-backup-old.dmp @@ -59,12 +58,12 @@ the lines starting > will be added and the lines starting < will be removed, when you commit if that looks okay, commit with: -cvs -m "changing text on front page for February conference" index.adp -the stuff in -m "service0" is a comment visible only from within cvs commands +cvs -m "changing text on front page for February conference" index.adp +the stuff in -m "service0" is a comment visible only from within cvs commands

    To make these changes take place on service0:

     4) update the file on production:
     cd /var/lib/aolserver/service0/www
     cvs up -Pd index.adp

    If you make changes that require changes to the database, test them out first on service0-dev, using either -create.sql or upgrade scripts. Once you've tested them, you then update and - run the upgrade scripts from the package manager.

    The production site can run "HEAD" from cvs.

    The drawback to using HEAD as the live code is that you cannot commit new work on the development server without erasing the definition of 'working production code.' So a better method is to use a tag. This guarantees that, at any time in the future, you can retrieve exactly the same set of code. This is useful for both of the characteristics of safe change deployment. For control, you can use tags to define a body of code, test that code, and then know that what you are deploying is exactly that code. For rollback, you can use return to the last working tag if the new tag (or new, untagged changes) cause problems. .... example of using tags to follow ...

  • Method 2: A/B Deployment

    The approach taken in this section is to always create a new service with the desired changes, running in parallel with the existing site. This guarantees control, at least at the final step of the process: you know what changes you are about to make because you can see them directly. It does not, by itself, guarantee the entire control chain. You need additional measures to make sure that the change you are making is exactly and completely the change you intended to make and tested previously, and nothing more. Those additional measures typically take the form of source control tags and system version numbers. The parallel-server approach also guarantees rollback because the original working service is not touched; it is merely set aside.

    This approach can has limitations. If the database or file system regularly receiving new data, you must interrupt this function or risk losing data in the shuffle. It also requires extra steps if the database will be affected.

    Simple A/B Deployment: Database is not changed

    Figure�6.2.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Figure�6.3.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Figure�6.4.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Complex A/B Deployment: Database is changed

    Figure�6.5.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Figure�6.6.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Figure�6.7.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 3
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    + run the upgrade scripts from the package manager.

    The production site can run "HEAD" from cvs.

    The drawback to using HEAD as the live code is that you cannot commit new work on the development server without erasing the definition of 'working production code.' So a better method is to use a tag. This guarantees that, at any time in the future, you can retrieve exactly the same set of code. This is useful for both of the characteristics of safe change deployment. For control, you can use tags to define a body of code, test that code, and then know that what you are deploying is exactly that code. For rollback, you can use return to the last working tag if the new tag (or new, untagged changes) cause problems. .... example of using tags to follow ...

    Method 2: A/B Deployment

    The approach taken in this section is to always create a new service with the desired changes, running in parallel with the existing site. This guarantees control, at least at the final step of the process: you know what changes you are about to make because you can see them directly. It does not, by itself, guarantee the entire control chain. You need additional measures to make sure that the change you are making is exactly and completely the change you intended to make and tested previously, and nothing more. Those additional measures typically take the form of source control tags and system version numbers. The parallel-server approach also guarantees rollback because the original working service is not touched; it is merely set aside.

    This approach can has limitations. If the database or file system regularly receiving new data, you must interrupt this function or risk losing data in the shuffle. It also requires extra steps if the database will be affected.

    Simple A/B Deployment: Database is not changed

    Figure�6.2.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Figure�6.3.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Figure�6.4.�Simple A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Simple A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Complex A/B Deployment: Database is changed

    Figure�6.5.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 1

    Figure�6.6.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 2

    Figure�6.7.�Complex A/B Deployment - Step 3

    Complex A/B Deployment - Step 3

    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-web.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-web.html,v diff -u -r1.34.2.1 -r1.34.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-web.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.34.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/maintenance-web.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.34.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Chapter�6.�Production Environments

    Chapter�6.�Production Environments

    by Joel Aufrecht

    +Chapter�6.�Production Environments
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/nxml-mode.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/nxml-mode.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/nxml-mode.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/nxml-mode.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Using nXML mode in Emacs

    Using nXML mode in Emacs

    By Jeff Davis

    +Using nXML mode in Emacs

    Using nXML mode in Emacs

    By Jeff Davis

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-identity.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-identity.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-identity.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-identity.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,19 +1,18 @@ - -Object Identity

    Object Identity

    By Rafael H. Schloming

    +Object Identity

    Object Identity

    By Rafael H. Schloming

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    One of the major design features of OpenACS 5.3.1 is the explicit representation -of object identity. The reason I say "explicit -representation" is because the concept of object identity has been +

    One of the major design features of OpenACS 5.3.2 is the explicit representation +of object identity. The reason I say "explicit +representation" is because the concept of object identity has been around forever. It is inherent to our problem domain. Consider the example of 3.x style scoping. The 3.x data models use the triple (user_id, group_id, -scope) to identify an object. In the 5.3.1 data model this +scope) to identify an object. In the 5.3.2 data model this object is explicitly represented by a single party_id.

    Another good example of this is can be found in the user groups data model. The 3.x user groups data model contains another example of an implied identity. Every mapping between a user and a group could have an arbitrary number of attached values (user_group_member_fields, etc.). In this case it is the pair (group_id, user_id) that implicitly refers to an -object (the person's membership in a group). In the 5.3.1 data model this +object (the person's membership in a group). In the 5.3.2 data model this object identity is made explicit by adding an integer primary key to the table that maps users to groups.

    Coming from a purely relational world, this might seem slightly weird at first. The pair (group_id, user_id) is sufficient to uniquely identify the Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-design.html,v diff -u -r1.28.2.1 -r1.28.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.28.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.28.2.2 @@ -1,22 +1,21 @@ - -Object Model Design

    Object Model Design

    By Pete Su, Michael Yoon, Richard Li, Rafael Schloming

    +Object Model Design

    Object Model Design

    By Pete Su, Michael Yoon, Richard Li, Rafael Schloming

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Essentials

    Data Model

    Introduction

    Before OpenACS 4, software developers writing OpenACS applications or modules +Requirements

    Introduction

    Before OpenACS 4, software developers writing OpenACS applications or modules would develop each data model separately. However, many applications built on OpenACS share certain characteristics or require certain common services. Examples of such services include:

    • User comments

    • Storage of user-defined or extensible sets of attributes

    • Access control

    • General auditing and bookkeeping (e.g. creation date, IP addresses, and so forth)

    • Presentation tools (e.g. how to display a field in a form or on a page)

    All of these services involve relating additional service-related information to application data objects. Examples of application objects include:

    • forum messages

    • A user home page

    • A ticket in the ticket tracker

    In the past, developers had to use ad-hoc and inconsistent schemes to -interface to various "general" services. OpenACS 4 defines a central +interface to various "general" services. OpenACS 4 defines a central data model that keeps track of the application objects that we wish to manage, and serves as a primary store of metadata. By metadata, we mean data stored on behalf of an application @@ -33,54 +32,54 @@ object type (e.g. users) to instances of another object type (e.g. groups).

    The next section will explore these facilities in the context of the the -particular programming idioms that we wish to generalize.

    Related Links

    This design document should be read along with the design documents for the new groups system, subsites and the permissions system

    History

    The motivation for most of the facilities in the OpenACS 4 Object Model can be +particular programming idioms that we wish to generalize.

    Related Links

    This design document should be read along with the design documents for the new groups system, subsites and the permissions system

    History

    The motivation for most of the facilities in the OpenACS 4 Object Model can be understood in the context of the 3.x code base and the kinds of programming -idioms that evolved there. These are listed and discussed below.

    Object Identification

    Object identification is a central mechanism in OpenACS 4. Every application +idioms that evolved there. These are listed and discussed below.

    Object Identification

    Object identification is a central mechanism in OpenACS 4. Every application object in OpenACS 4 has a unique ID which is mapped to a row in a central table -called acs_objects. Developers that wish to use OpenACS 4 services +called acs_objects. Developers that wish to use OpenACS 4 services need only take a few simple steps to make sure that their application objects appear in this table. The fact that every object has a known unique identifier means that the core can deal with all objects in a generic way. In other words, we use object identifiers to enable centralized services in a global and uniform manner.

    Implicit Object Identifiers in OpenACS 3.x

    The motivation for implementing general object identifiers comes from several observations of data models in OpenACS 3.x. Many modules use a -(user_id, group_id, scope) column-triple for the purpose of +(user_id, group_id, scope) column-triple for the purpose of recording ownership information on objects, for access control. User/groups -also uses (user_id, group_id) pairs in its -user_group_map table as a way to identify data associated with a +also uses (user_id, group_id) pairs in its +user_group_map table as a way to identify data associated with a single membership relation.

    Also, in OpenACS 3.x many utility modules exist that do nothing more than attach some extra attributes to existing application data. For example, -general comments maintains a table that maps application "page" +general comments maintains a table that maps application "page" data (static or dynamic pages on the website) to one or more user comments on that page. It does so by constructing a unique identifier for each page, usually a combination of the table in which the data is stored, and the value of the primary key value for the particular page. This idiom is referred to -as the "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" method for identifying +as the "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" method for identifying application data. In particular, general comments stores its map from pages -to comments using a "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" key plus the ID +to comments using a "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" key plus the ID of the comment itself.

    All of these composite key constructions are implicit object identifiers - they build a unique ID out of other pieces of the data model. The problem is that their definition and use is ad-hoc and inconsistent, making the construction of generic application-independent services unnecessarily difficult.

    Object Identifiers in OpenACS 4

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model defines a single mechanism that applications use to attach unique identifiers to application data. This identifier is the primary -key of the acs_objects table. This table forms the core of what +key of the acs_objects table. This table forms the core of what we need to provide generic services like access control, general attribute storage, general presentation and forms tools, and generalized administrative interfaces. In addition, the object system provides an API that makes it easy to create new objects when creating application data. All an application must do to take advantage of general services in OpenACS 4 is to use the new API to make sure every object the system is to manage is associated with a row in -acs_objects. More importantly, if they do this, new services +acs_objects. More importantly, if they do this, new services like general comments can be created without requiring existing applications -to "hook into" them via new metadata.

    Note: Object identifiers are a good example of metadata -in the new system. Each row in acs_objects stores information +to "hook into" them via new metadata.

    Note: Object identifiers are a good example of metadata +in the new system. Each row in acs_objects stores information about the application object, but not the application object itself. This becomes more clear if you skip ahead and look at the SQL schema code -that defines this table.

    Object Context and Access Control

    Until the implementation of the general permissions system, every OpenACS +that defines this table.

    Object Context and Access Control

    Until the implementation of the general permissions system, every OpenACS application had to manage access control to its data separately. Later on, a -notion of "scoping" was introduced into the core data model.

    "Scope" is a term best explained by example. Consider some -hypothetical rows in the address_book table:

    ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
    ...user123...
    ...group456...
    ...public...

    The first row represents an entry in User 123's personal address book, +notion of "scoping" was introduced into the core data model.

    "Scope" is a term best explained by example. Consider some +hypothetical rows in the address_book table:

    ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
    ...user123 ...
    ...group 456...
    ...public ...

    The first row represents an entry in User 123's personal address book, the second row represents an entry in User Group 456's shared address book, and the third row represents an entry in the site's public address book.

    In this way, the scoping columns identify the security context in which a @@ -94,29 +93,29 @@ forum message would probably list a forum topic as its context, and a forum topic might list a subsite as its context. Thus, contexts make it easier to break the site up into security domains according to its natural -structure. An object's context is stored in the context_id -column of the acs_objects table.

    We use an object's context to provide a default answer to questions -regarding access control. Whenever we ask a question of the form "can -user X perform action Y on object Z", the OpenACS security model will defer +structure. An object's context is stored in the context_id +column of the acs_objects table.

    We use an object's context to provide a default answer to questions +regarding access control. Whenever we ask a question of the form "can +user X perform action Y on object Z", the OpenACS security model will defer to an object's context if there is no information about user X's permission to perform action Y on object Z.

    The context system forms the basis for the rest of the OpenACS access control system, which is described in in two separate documents: one for the permissions system and another for the party groups system. The context system -is also used to implement subsites.

    Object Types

    As mentioned above, many OpenACS modules provide extensible data models, and +is also used to implement subsites.

    Object Types

    As mentioned above, many OpenACS modules provide extensible data models, and need to use application specific mechanisms to keep track of user defined attributes and to map application data to these attributes. In the past, modules either used user/groups or their own ad hoc data model to provide this functionality.

    User/Groups in OpenACS 3.x

    The user/group system allowed developers to define group types along with attributes to be stored with each instance of a group type. Each group type could define a helper table that stored attributes on each instance of the group type. This table was called the -"_info" table because the name was generated by -appending _info to the name of the group type.

    The user/groups data model also provided the -user_group_type_member_fields and -user_group_member_fields tables to define attributes for members +"_info" table because the name was generated by +appending _info to the name of the group type.

    The user/groups data model also provided the +user_group_type_member_fields and +user_group_member_fields tables to define attributes for members of groups of a specific type and for members of a specific group, -respectively. The user_group_member_field_map table stored -values for both categories of attributes in its field_value +respectively. The user_group_member_field_map table stored +values for both categories of attributes in its field_value column. These tables allowed developers and users to define custom sets of attributes to store on groups and group members without changing the data model at the code level.

    Many applications in OpenACS 3.x and earlier used the group type mechanism in @@ -131,39 +130,39 @@ The motivation for subtypes comes from the need for OpenACS to be more extensible. In OpenACS 3.x, many applications extended the core data models by directly adding more columns, in order to provide convenient access to new -information. This resulted in core data tables that were too "fat", +information. This resulted in core data tables that were too "fat", containing a hodge podge of unrelated information that should have been normalized away. The canonical example of this is the explosion of the -users table in OpenACS 3.x. In addition to being sloppy technically, +users table in OpenACS 3.x. In addition to being sloppy technically, these fat tables have a couple of other problems:

    • They degrade performance.

    • Denormalization can make it hard to maintain consistency constraints on the data.

    Object subtypes provide a way to factor the data model while still keeping track of the fact that each member of a subtype (i.e. for each row in the subtype's table), is also a member of the parent type (i.e. there is a corresponding row in the parent type table). Therefore, applications an use this mechanism without worrying about this bookkeeping themselves, and we avoid having applications pollute the core data model with their specific -information.

    Object Attributes, Skinny Tables

    As we described above, the OpenACS 3.x user/groups system stored object +information.

    Object Attributes, Skinny Tables

    As we described above, the OpenACS 3.x user/groups system stored object attributes in two ways. The first was to use columns in the helper table. The second consisted of two tables, one describing attributes and one storing values, to provide a flexible means for attaching attributes to metadata objects. This style of attribute storage is used in several other parts of -OpenACS 3.x, and we will refer to it as "skinny tables". For -example:

    • In the Ecommerce data model, the ec_custom_product_fields +OpenACS 3.x, and we will refer to it as "skinny tables". For +example:

      • In the Ecommerce data model, the ec_custom_product_fields table defines attributes for catalog products, and the -ec_custom_product_field_values table stores values for those -attributes.

      • In the Photo DB data model, the ph_custom_photo_fields table +ec_custom_product_field_values table stores values for those +attributes.

      • In the Photo DB data model, the ph_custom_photo_fields table defines attributes for the photographs owned by a specific user, and tables named according to the convention -"ph_user_<user_id>_custom_info" are used to +"ph_user_<user_id>_custom_info" are used to store values for those attributes.

      In addition, there are some instances where we are not using this model -but should, e.g. the users_preferences table, which +but should, e.g. the users_preferences table, which stores preferences for registered users in columns such as -prefer_text_only_p and dont_spam_me_p. The -"standard" way for an OpenACS 3.x-based application to add to the list -of user preferences is to add a column to the users_preferences +prefer_text_only_p and dont_spam_me_p. The +"standard" way for an OpenACS 3.x-based application to add to the list +of user preferences is to add a column to the users_preferences table (exactly the kind of data model change that has historically complicated the process of upgrading to a more recent OpenACS version).

      The Objet Model generalizes the scheme used in the old OpenACS 3.x user/groups -system. It defines a table called acs_attributes that record +system. It defines a table called acs_attributes that record what attributes belong to which object types, and how the attributes are stored. As before, attributes can either be stored in helper tables, or in a single central skinny table. The developer makes this choice on a case by @@ -173,53 +172,53 @@ skinny tables because doing so allows developers and users to dynamically update the set of attributes stored on an object without updating the data model at the code level. The bottom line: Helper tables are more functional -and more efficient, skinny tables are more flexible but limited.

    Relation Types

    Many OpenACS 3.x modules use mapping tables to model relationships +and more efficient, skinny tables are more flexible but limited.

    Relation Types

    Many OpenACS 3.x modules use mapping tables to model relationships between application objects. Again, the 3.x user/groups system provides the canonical example of this design style. In that system, there was a single -table called user_group_map that kept track of which users +table called user_group_map that kept track of which users belonged to what groups. In addition, as we discussed in the previous -section, the system used the user_group_member_fields and -user_group_member_fields_map tables to allow developers to +section, the system used the user_group_member_fields and +user_group_member_fields_map tables to allow developers to attach custom attributes to group members. In fact, these attributes were not really attached to the users, but to the fact that a user was a member of a particular group - a subtle but important distinction.

    In OpenACS 4, relation types generalize this mechanism. Relation types allow developers to define general mappings from objects of a given type T, to other objects of a given type R. Each relation type is a subtype -of acs_object, extended with extra attributes that store +of acs_object, extended with extra attributes that store constraints on the relation, and the types of objects the relation actually maps. In turn, each instance of a relation type is an object that represents -a single fact of the form "the object t of type T is related to the -object r of type R." That is, each instance of a relation type is +a single fact of the form "the object t of type T is related to the +object r of type R." That is, each instance of a relation type is essentially just a pair of objects.

    Relation types generalize mapping tables. For example, the 3.x user/groups data model can be largely duplicated using a single relation type describing -the "group membership" relation. Group types would then be subtypes +the "group membership" relation. Group types would then be subtypes of this membership relation type. Group type attributes would be attached to the relation type itself. Group member attributes would be attached to instances of the membership relation. Finally, the mapping table would be replaced by a central skinny table that the relation type system defines.

    Relation types should be used when you want to be able to attach data to -the "fact" that object X and object Y are related to each other. On +the "fact" that object X and object Y are related to each other. On the face of it, they seem like a redundant mechanism however, since one could easily create a mapping table to do the same thing. The advantage of registering this table as a relation type is that in principle the OpenACS 4 object system could use the meta data in the types table to do useful things in a generic way on all relation types. But this mechanism doesn't really exist yet.

    Relation types are a somewhat abstract idea. To get a better feel for -them, you should just skip to the data model.

    Summary and Design Considerations

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model is designed to generalize and unify the following +them, you should just skip to the data model.

    Summary and Design Considerations

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model is designed to generalize and unify the following mechanisms that are repeatedly implemented in OpenACS-based systems to manage -generic and application specific metadata:

    Why not Object Databases?

    The presence of a framework for subtyping and inheritance always brings up +generic and application specific metadata:

    Why not Object Databases?

    The presence of a framework for subtyping and inheritance always brings up the question of why we don't just use an object database. The main reason is that all of the major object database vendors ship products that are effectively tied to some set of object oriented programming languages. Their idea is to provide tight language-level integration to lower the -"impedance mismatch" between the database and the language. +"impedance mismatch" between the database and the language. Therefore, database objects and types are generally directly modeled on language level objects and types. Of course, this makes it nearly impossible to interact with the database from a language that does not have this tight coupling, and it limits the data models that we can write to ideas that are expressible in the host language. In particular, we lose many of the best features of the relational database model. This is a disaster from an ease of use standpoint. -

    The "Object relational" systems provide an interesting +

    The "Object relational" systems provide an interesting alternative. Here, some notion of subtyping is embedded into an existing SQL or SQL-like database engine. Examples of systems like this include the new Informix, PostgreSQL 7, and Oracle has something like this too. The main @@ -230,7 +229,7 @@ practice. Finally, object databases are not as widely used as traditional relational systems. They have not been tested as extensively and their scalability to very large databases is not proven (though some will disagree -with this statement).

    Oracle

    The conclusion: the best design is to add a limited notion of subtyping to +with this statement).

    Oracle

    The conclusion: the best design is to add a limited notion of subtyping to our existing relational data model. By doing this, we retain all the power of the relational data model while gaining the object oriented features we need most.

    In the context of OpenACS 4, this means using the object model to make our @@ -241,9 +240,9 @@ the more limited domain of the metadata model, this is acceptable since the type hierarchy is fairly small. But the object system data model is not designed to support, for example, a huge type tree like the Java runtime -libraries might define.

    This last point cannot be over-stressed: the object model is not -meant to be used for large scale application data storage. It is -meant to represent and store metadata, not application data.

    Data Model

    Like most data models, the OpenACS Core data model has two levels:

    1. The knowledge level (i.e. the metadata model)

    2. The operational level (i.e. the concrete data model)

    +libraries might define.

    This last point cannot be over-stressed: the object model is not +meant to be used for large scale application data storage. It is +meant to represent and store metadata, not application data.

    Data Model

    Like most data models, the OpenACS Core data model has two levels:

    1. The knowledge level (i.e. the metadata model)

    2. The operational level (i.e. the concrete data model)

    You can browse the data models themselves from here:

    • acs-metadata-create.sql

    • @@ -254,12 +253,12 @@ the SQL definitions of many tables. Generally, these match the actual definitions in the existing data model but they are meant to reflect design information, not implementation. Some less relevant columns may be left out, -and things like constraint names are not included.

      Knowledge-Level Model

      The knowledge level data model for OpenACS objects centers around three tables +and things like constraint names are not included.

      Knowledge-Level Model

      The knowledge level data model for OpenACS objects centers around three tables that keep track of object types, attributes, and relation types. The first -table is acs_object_types, shown here in an abbreviated +table is acs_object_types, shown here in an abbreviated form:

       
      -create table acs_object_types (
      +create table acs_object_types (
               object_type          varchar(100) not null primary key,
               supertype            references acs_object_types (object_type),
               abstract_p           char(1) default 'f' not null
      @@ -270,26 +269,26 @@
               name_method          varchar(30),
               type_extension_table varchar(30)
       );
      -
      +
       
       

      This table contains one row for every object type in the system. The key things to note about this table are:

      • For every type, we store metadata for how to display this type in certain -contexts (pretty_name and pretty_plural).

      • If the type is a subtype, then its parent type is stored in the column -supertype.

      • We support a notion of "abstract" types that contain no +contexts (pretty_name and pretty_plural).

      • If the type is a subtype, then its parent type is stored in the column +supertype.

      • We support a notion of "abstract" types that contain no instances (as of 9/2000 this is not actually used). These types exist only to -be subtyped. An example might be a type representing "shapes" that +be subtyped. An example might be a type representing "shapes" that contains common characteristics of all shapes, but which is only used to create subtypes that represent real, concrete shapes like circles, squares, and so on.

      • Every type defines a table in which one can find one row for every -instance of this type (table_name, id_column).

      • type_extension_table is for naming a table that stores extra -generic attributes.

      The second table we use to describe types is acs_attributes. +instance of this type (table_name, id_column).

    • type_extension_table is for naming a table that stores extra +generic attributes.

    The second table we use to describe types is acs_attributes. Each row in this table represents a single attribute on a specific object -type (e.g. the "password" attribute of the "user" type). +type (e.g. the "password" attribute of the "user" type). Again, here is an abbreviated version of what this table looks like. The actual table used in the implementation is somewhat different and is discussed in a separate document.

     
    -create table acs_attributes (
    +create table acs_attributes (
             attribute_id    integer not null primary key
             object_type     not null references acs_object_types (object_type),
             attribute_name  varchar(100) not null,
    @@ -305,38 +304,38 @@
             max_n_values    integer default 1 not null,
             static_p        varchar(1)
     );
    -
    +
     
     

    The following points are important about this table:

    • Every attribute has a unique identifier.

    • Every attribute is associated with an object type.

    • We store various things about each attribute for presentation -(pretty_name, sort_order).

    • The data_type column stores type information on this +(pretty_name, sort_order).

    • The data_type column stores type information on this attribute. This is not the SQL type of the attribute; it is just a human readable name for the type of data we think the attribute holds (e.g. -"String", or "Money"). This might be used later to -generate a user interface.

    • The sort_order column stores information about how to sort -the attribute values.

    • Attributes can either be stored explicitly in a table ("type -specific storage") or in a skinny table ("generic storage"). +"String", or "Money"). This might be used later to +generate a user interface.

    • The sort_order column stores information about how to sort +the attribute values.

    • Attributes can either be stored explicitly in a table ("type +specific storage") or in a skinny table ("generic storage"). In most cases, an attribute maps directly to a column in the table identified -by the table_name of the corresponding object type, although, as +by the table_name of the corresponding object type, although, as mentioned above, we sometimes store attribute values as key-value pairs in a -"skinny" table. However, when you ask the question "What are -the attributes of this type of object?", you don't really care about +"skinny" table. However, when you ask the question "What are +the attributes of this type of object?", you don't really care about how the values for each attribute are stored (in a column or as key-value -pairs); you expect to receive the complete list of all attributes.

    • The max_n_values and min_n_values columns +pairs); you expect to receive the complete list of all attributes.

    • The max_n_values and min_n_values columns encode information about the number of values an attribute may hold. -Attributes can be defined to hold 0 or more total values.

    • The static_p flag indicates whether this attribute value is +Attributes can be defined to hold 0 or more total values.

    • The static_p flag indicates whether this attribute value is shard by all instances of a type, as with static member fields in C++. Static attribute are like group level attributes in OpenACS 3.x.

    The final part of the knowledge level model keeps track of relationship types. We said above that object relationships are used to generalize the 3.x notion of group member fields. These were fields that a developer could store on each member of a group, but which were contextualized to the -membership relation. That is, they were really "attached" to the +membership relation. That is, they were really "attached" to the fact that a user was a member of a particular group, and not really attached to the user. This is a subtle but important distinction, because it allowed the 3.x system to store multiple sets of attributes on a given user, one set for each group membership relation in which they participated.

    In OpenACS 4, this sort of data can be stored as a relationship type, in -acs_rel_types. The key parts of this table look like this:

    +acs_rel_types. The key parts of this table look like this:

     
    -create table acs_rel_types (
    +create table acs_rel_types (
             rel_type        varchar(100) not null
                             references acs_object_types(object_type),
             object_type_one not null
    @@ -350,31 +349,31 @@
             min_n_rels_two  integer default 0 not null,
             max_n_rels_two  integer
     );
    -
    +
     
     

    Things to note about this table:

    • The main part of this table records the fact that the relation is between -instances of object_type_one and instances of -object_type_two. Therefore, each instance of this relation type -will be a pair of objects of the appropriate types.

    • The role columns store human readable names for the roles -played by each object in the relation (e.g. "employee" and -"employer"). Each role must appear in the -acs_rel_roles.

    • The min_n_rels_one column, and its three friends allow the +instances of object_type_one and instances of +object_type_two. Therefore, each instance of this relation type +will be a pair of objects of the appropriate types.

    • The role columns store human readable names for the roles +played by each object in the relation (e.g. "employee" and +"employer"). Each role must appear in the +acs_rel_roles.

    • The min_n_rels_one column, and its three friends allow the programmer to specify constraints on how many objects any given object can be -related to on either side of the relation.

    This table is easier to understand if you also know how the acs_rels table works.

    To summarize, the acs_object_types and -acs_attributes tables store metadata that describes every object +related to on either side of the relation.

    This table is easier to understand if you also know how the acs_rels table works.

    To summarize, the acs_object_types and +acs_attributes tables store metadata that describes every object type and attribute in the system. These tables generalize the group types -data model in OpenACS 3.x. The acs_rel_types table stores +data model in OpenACS 3.x. The acs_rel_types table stores information about relation types.

    This part of the data model is somewhat analogous to the data dictionary in Oracle. The information stored here is primarily metadata that describes the data stored in the operational level of the data -model, which is discussed next.

    Operational-level Data Model

    The operational level data model centers around the -acs_objects table. This table contains a single row for every -instance of the type acs_object. The table contains the +model, which is discussed next.

    Operational-level Data Model

    The operational level data model centers around the +acs_objects table. This table contains a single row for every +instance of the type acs_object. The table contains the object's unique identifier, a reference to its type, security information, and generic auditing information. Here is what the table looks like:

     
    -create table acs_objects (
    +create table acs_objects (
             object_id               integer not null,
             object_type             not null
                                     references acs_object_types (object_type),
    @@ -388,32 +387,32 @@
             modifying_user          integer,
             modifying_ip            varchar(50)
     );
    -
    +
     
     

    As we said in Section III, security contexts are hierarchical and also modeled as objects. There is another table called -acs_object_context_index that stores the context hierarchy.

    Other tables in the core data model store additional information related -to objects. The table acs_attribute_values and -acs_static_attr_values are used to store attribute values that +acs_object_context_index that stores the context hierarchy.

    Other tables in the core data model store additional information related +to objects. The table acs_attribute_values and +acs_static_attr_values are used to store attribute values that are not stored in a helper table associated with the object's type. The former is used for instance attributes while the latter is used for -class-wide "static" values. These tables have the same basic form, +class-wide "static" values. These tables have the same basic form, so we'll only show the first:

     
    -create table acs_attribute_values (
    +create table acs_attribute_values (
             object_id       not null
                             references acs_objects (object_id) on delete cascade,
             attribute_id    not null
                             references acs_attributes (attribute_id),
             attr_value      varchar(4000),
             primary key     (object_id, attribute_id)
     );
    -
    +
     
    -

    Finally, the table acs_rels is used to store object pairs +

    Finally, the table acs_rels is used to store object pairs that are instances of a relation type.

     
    -create table acs_rels (
    +create table acs_rels (
             rel_id          not null
                             references acs_objects (object_id)
                             primary key
    @@ -425,33 +424,33 @@
                             references acs_objects (object_id),
             unique (rel_type, object_id_one, object_id_two)
     );
    -
    +
     
    -

    This table is somewhat subtle:

    • rel_id is the ID of an instance of some relation +

      This table is somewhat subtle:

      • rel_id is the ID of an instance of some relation type. We do this so we can store all the mapping tables in this one -table.

      • rel_type is the ID of the relation type to which this object +table.

      • rel_type is the ID of the relation type to which this object belongs.

      • The next two object IDs are the IDs of the objects being mapped.

      All this table does is store one row for every pair of objects that we'd like to attach with a relation. Any additional attributes that we'd like to attach to this pair of objects is specified in the attributes of the relation type, and could be stored in any number of places. As in the 3.x user/groups system, these places include helper tables or -generic skinny tables.

      This table, along with acs_attributes and -acs_attribute_values generalize the old user/group tables -user_group_map, user_group_member_fields_map and -user_group_member_fields.

    Summary and Discussion

    The core tables in the OpenACS 4 data model store information about instances -of object types and relation types. The acs_object table +generic skinny tables.

    This table, along with acs_attributes and +acs_attribute_values generalize the old user/group tables +user_group_map, user_group_member_fields_map and +user_group_member_fields.

    Summary and Discussion

    The core tables in the OpenACS 4 data model store information about instances +of object types and relation types. The acs_object table provides the central location that contains a single row for every object in the system. Services can use this table along with the metadata in stored in the knowledge level data model to create, manage, query and manipulate -objects in a uniform manner. The acs_rels table has an analogous +objects in a uniform manner. The acs_rels table has an analogous role in storing information on relations.

    These are all the tables that we'll discuss in this document. The rest of the Kernel data model is described in the documents for subsites, the permissions system and for the groups system.

    Some examples of how these tables are used in the system can be found in -the discussion of the API, which comes next.

    API

    Now we'll examine each piece of the API in detail. Bear in mind that -the Object Model API is defined primarily through PL/SQL packages.

    Object Types and Attributes

    The object system provides an API for creating new object types and then -attaching attributes to them. The procedures create_type and -drop_type are used to create and delete type definitions.

    The two calls show up in the package acs_object_type.

    +the discussion of the API, which comes next.

    API

    Now we'll examine each piece of the API in detail. Bear in mind that +the Object Model API is defined primarily through PL/SQL packages.

    Object Types and Attributes

    The object system provides an API for creating new object types and then +attaching attributes to them. The procedures create_type and +drop_type are used to create and delete type definitions.

    The two calls show up in the package acs_object_type.

     
    -  procedure create_type (
    +  procedure create_type (
         object_type         in acs_object_types.object_type%TYPE,
         pretty_name         in acs_object_types.pretty_name%TYPE,
         pretty_plural       in acs_object_types.pretty_plural%TYPE,
    @@ -470,13 +469,13 @@
         object_type         in acs_object_types.object_type%TYPE,
         cascade_p           in char default 'f'
       );
    -
    +
     
    -

    Here the cascade_p argument indicates whether dropping a type +

    Here the cascade_p argument indicates whether dropping a type should also remove all its subtypes from the system.

    We define a similar interface for defining attributes in the package -acs_attribute:

    +acs_attribute:

     
    -  function create_attribute (
    +  function create_attribute (
         object_type         in acs_attributes.object_type%TYPE,
         attribute_name      in acs_attributes.attribute_name%TYPE,
         datatype            in acs_attributes.datatype%TYPE,
    @@ -497,12 +496,12 @@
         attribute_name in varchar
       );
     
    -
    +
     
     

    In addition, the following two calls are available for attaching extra annotations onto attributes:

     
    -  procedure add_description (
    +  procedure add_description (
         object_type         in acs_attribute_descriptions.object_type%TYPE,
         attribute_name      in acs_attribute_descriptions.attribute_name%TYPE,
         description_key     in acs_attribute_descriptions.description_key%TYPE,
    @@ -514,30 +513,30 @@
         attribute_name      in acs_attribute_descriptions.attribute_name%TYPE,
         description_key     in acs_attribute_descriptions.description_key%TYPE
       );
    -
    +
     
     

    At this point, what you must do to hook into the object system from your -own data model becomes clear:

    • Create a table that will store the instances of the new type.

    • Call acs_object_type.create_type() to fill in the metadata +own data model becomes clear:

      • Create a table that will store the instances of the new type.

      • Call acs_object_type.create_type() to fill in the metadata table on this new type. If you want your objects to appear in the -acs_objects table, then your new type must be a subtype of -acs_object.

      • Call acs_attribute.create_attribute() to fill in information +acs_objects table, then your new type must be a subtype of +acs_object.

      • Call acs_attribute.create_attribute() to fill in information on the attributes that this type defines.

      So, suppose we are writing a new version of the ticket tracker for 4.0. We probably define a table to store tickets in, and each ticket might have an ID and a description. If we want each ticket to be an object, then -ticket_id must reference the object_id column in -acs_objects:

      +ticket_id must reference the object_id column in
      +acs_objects:

       
      -create table tickets ( 
      +create table tickets ( 
           ticket_id references acs_objects (object_id),
           description varchar(512), 
           ... 
       ) ;
      -
      +
       
       

      In addition to defining the table, we need this extra PL/SQL code to hook into the object type tables:

       
      -declare
      +declare
        attr_id acs_attributes.attribute_id%TYPE;
       begin
        acs_object_type.create_type (
      @@ -562,25 +561,25 @@
       
       commit;
       end;
      -
      +
       
       

      Thus, with a small amount of extra code, the new ticket tracker will now automatically be hooked into every generic object service that exists. Better still, this code need not be changed as new services are added. As an aside, the most important service that requires you to subtype -acs_object is permissions.

    Objects

    The next important piece of the API is defined in the -acs_object package, and is concerned with creating and managing +acs_object is permissions.

    Objects

    The next important piece of the API is defined in the +acs_object package, and is concerned with creating and managing objects. This part of the API is designed to take care of the mundane bookkeeping needed to create objects and query their attributes. Realistically however, limitations in PL/SQL and Oracle will make it hard to build generic procedures for doing large scale queries in the object system, so developers who need to do this will probably have to be fairly familiar -with the data model at a lower level.

    The function acs_object.new() makes a new object for you. The -function acs_object.del() deletes an object. As before, this +with the data model at a lower level.

    The function acs_object.new() makes a new object for you. The +function acs_object.del() deletes an object. As before, this is an abbreviated interface with all the long type specs removed. See the data model or developer's guide for the full interface.

     
    - function new (
    + function new (
       object_id     in acs_objects.object_id%TYPE default null,
       object_type   in acs_objects.object_type%TYPE
                                default 'acs_object',
    @@ -595,28 +594,28 @@
      procedure delete (
       object_id     in acs_objects.object_id%TYPE
      );
    -
    +
     
     

    Next, we define some generic functions to manipulate attributes. Again, these interfaces are useful to an extent, but for large scale queries, it's likely that developers would have to query the data model directly, -and then encapsulate their queries in procedures.

    For names, the default_name function is used if you don't +and then encapsulate their queries in procedures.

    For names, the default_name function is used if you don't want to define your own name function.

     
    - function name (
    + function name (
       object_id     in acs_objects.object_id%TYPE
      ) return varchar;
     
      function default_name (
       object_id     in acs_objects.object_id%TYPE
      ) return varchar;
     
    -
    +
     
     

    The following functions tell you where attributes are stored, and fetch single attributes for you.

     
    - procedure get_attribute_storage ( 
    + procedure get_attribute_storage ( 
        object_id_in      in  acs_objects.object_id%TYPE,
        attribute_name_in in  acs_attributes.attribute_name%TYPE,
        v_column          out varchar2,
    @@ -634,17 +633,17 @@
        attribute_name_in in  acs_attributes.attribute_name%TYPE,
        value_in          in  varchar2
      );
    -
    +
     
    -

    The main use of the acs_object package is to create +

    The main use of the acs_object package is to create application objects and make them available for services via the -acs_objects table. To do this, you just have to make sure you -call acs_object.new() on objects that you wish to appear in the -acs_objects table. In addition, all such objects must be -instances of some subtype of acs_object.

    Continuing the ticket example, we might define the following sort of +acs_objects table. To do this, you just have to make sure you +call acs_object.new() on objects that you wish to appear in the +acs_objects table. In addition, all such objects must be +instances of some subtype of acs_object.

    Continuing the ticket example, we might define the following sort of procedure for creating a new ticket:

     
    - function new_ticket (
    + function new_ticket (
       package_id        in tickets.ticket_id%TYPE 
                 default null,
       description       in tickets.description%TYPE default '',
    @@ -664,42 +663,42 @@
         (v_ticket_id, description);
         return v_ticket_id;
       end new_ticket;
    -
    +
     
     

    This function will typically be defined in the context of a PL/SQL package, but we've left it stand-alone here for simplicity.

    To summarize: in order to take advantage of OpenACS 4 services, a new application need only do three things:

    • Define a data model to describe application objects. This can just be a normal SQL table.

    • Create an object type, using code like in the example from the previous section.

    • Make sure application objects are created using -acs_object.new() in addition to whatever SQL code is needed to +acs_object.new() in addition to whatever SQL code is needed to insert a new row into the application data model.

    One of the design goals of OpenACS 4 was to provide a straightforward and consistent mechanism to provide applications with general services. What we have seen here is that three simple steps and minimal changes in the application data model are sufficient to make sure that application objects -are represented in the acs_objects table. Subsequently, all of +are represented in the acs_objects table. Subsequently, all of the general services in OpenACS 4 (i.e. permissions, general comments, and so on) -are written to work with any object that appears in acs_objects. +are written to work with any object that appears in acs_objects. Therefore, in general these three steps are sufficient to make OpenACS 4 services -available to your application.

    Relation Types

    The relations system defines two packages: acs_rel_type for -creating and managing relation types, and acs_rel for relating +available to your application.

    Relation Types

    The relations system defines two packages: acs_rel_type for +creating and managing relation types, and acs_rel for relating objects.

    These two procedures just insert and remove roles from the -acs_rel_roles table. This table stores the legal relationship -"roles" that can be used when creating relation types. Examples of -roles are, say, "member", or "employer".

    +acs_rel_roles table. This table stores the legal relationship
    +"roles" that can be used when creating relation types. Examples of
    +roles are, say, "member", or "employer".

     
    - procedure create_role (
    + procedure create_role (
         role        in acs_rel_roles.role%TYPE
       );
     
       procedure drop_role (
         role        in acs_rel_roles.role%TYPE
       );
    -
    +
     
    -

    The main functions in the acs_rel_type package are used to +

    The main functions in the acs_rel_type package are used to create and drop relation types.

     
    -  procedure create_type (
    +  procedure create_type (
         rel_type            in acs_rel_types.rel_type%TYPE,
         pretty_name         in acs_object_types.pretty_name%TYPE,
         pretty_plural       in acs_object_types.pretty_plural%TYPE,
    @@ -725,12 +724,12 @@
         rel_type            in acs_rel_types.rel_type%TYPE,
         cascade_p           in char default 'f'
       );
    -
    +
     
    -

    Finally, the acs_rel package provides an API that you use to +

    Finally, the acs_rel package provides an API that you use to create and destroy instances of a relation type:

     
    -  function new (
    +  function new (
         rel_id              in acs_rels.rel_id%TYPE default null,
         rel_type            in acs_rels.rel_type%TYPE default 'relationship',
         object_id_one       in acs_rels.object_id_one%TYPE,
    @@ -743,15 +742,15 @@
       procedure delete (
         rel_id      in acs_rels.rel_id%TYPE
       );
    -
    +
     
     

    A good example of how to use relation types appears in the OpenACS 4 data model for groups. As in 3.x, group membership is modeled using a mapping table, but now we create this mapping using relation types instead of explicitly creating a table. First, we create a helper table to store state on each membership fact:

     
    -create table membership_rels (
    +create table membership_rels (
             rel_id          constraint membership_rel_rel_id_fk
                             references acs_rels (rel_id)
                             constraint membership_rel_rel_id_pk
    @@ -761,11 +760,11 @@
                             check (member_state in ('approved', 'banned',
                                                     'rejected', 'deleted'))
     );
    -
    +
     
     

    Then, we create a new object type to describe groups.

     
    - acs_object_type.create_type (
    + acs_object_type.create_type (
        object_type => 'group',
        pretty_name => 'Group',
        pretty_plural => 'Groups',
    @@ -774,18 +773,18 @@
        type_extension_table => 'group_types',
        name_method => 'acs_group.name'
      );
    -
    +
     
     

    In this example, we've made groups a subtype of -acs_object to make the code simpler. The actual data model is +acs_object to make the code simpler. The actual data model is somewhat different. Also, we've assumed that there is a helper table -called groups to store information on groups, and that there is -a helper table called group_types that has been defined to store -extra attributes on groups.

    Now, assuming we have another object type called person to +called groups to store information on groups, and that there is +a helper table called group_types that has been defined to store +extra attributes on groups.

    Now, assuming we have another object type called person to represent objects that can be group members, we define the following relationship type for group membership:

     
    - acs_rel_type.create_role ('member');
    + acs_rel_type.create_role ('member');
     
      acs_rel_type.create_type (
        rel_type => 'membership_rel',
    @@ -798,16 +797,16 @@
        object_type_two => 'person', role_two => 'member',
        min_n_rels_two => 0, max_n_rels_two => null
      );
    -
    +
     
     

    Now we can define the following procedure to add a new member to a group. All this function does is create a new instance of the membership relation type and then insert the membership state into the helper table that we define above. In the actual implementation, this function is implemented in -the membership_rel package. Here we just define an independent +the membership_rel package. Here we just define an independent function:

     
    -function member_add (
    +function member_add (
         rel_id              in membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE default null,
         rel_type            in acs_rels.rel_type%TYPE default 'membership_rel',
         group               in acs_rels.object_id_one%TYPE,
    @@ -834,12 +833,12 @@
         value
          (v_rel_id, new.member_state);
       end;
    -
    +
     
     

    Another simple function can be defined to remove a member from a group:

     
    -  procedure member_delete (
    +  procedure member_delete (
         rel_id  in membership_rels.rel_id%TYPE
       )
       is
    @@ -849,13 +848,13 @@
     
         acs_rel.del(rel_id);
       end;
    -
    +
     
    -

    Summary and Discussion

    The Object Model's API and data model provides a small set of simple +

    Summary and Discussion

    The Object Model's API and data model provides a small set of simple procedures that allow applications to create object types, object instances, and object relations. Most of the data model is straightforward; the relation type mechanism is a bit more complex, but in return it provides functionality -on par with the old user/groups system in a more general way.

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    Nothing here yet.

    Authors

    Pete Su generated this document +on par with the old user/groups system in a more general way.

    Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

    Nothing here yet.

    Authors

    Pete Su generated this document from material culled from other documents by Michael Yoon, Richard Li and Rafael Schloming. But, any remaining lies -are his and his alone.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation9/09/2000Pete Su
    0.2Edited for ACS 4 Beta9/30/2000Kai Wu
    0.3Edited for ACS 4.0.1, fixed some mistakes, removed use of term -"OM"11/07/2000Pete Su
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +are his and his alone.

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation9/09/2000Pete Su
    0.2Edited for ACS 4 Beta9/30/2000Kai Wu
    0.3Edited for ACS 4.0.1, fixed some mistakes, removed use of term +"OM"11/07/2000Pete Su
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/object-system-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,56 +1,55 @@ - -Object Model Requirements

    Object Model Requirements

    By Pete Su

    +Object Model Requirements

    Object Model Requirements

    By Pete Su

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    I. Introduction

    A major goal in OpenACS 4 is to unify and normalize many of the core services +

    I. Introduction

    A major goal in OpenACS 4 is to unify and normalize many of the core services of the system into a coherent common data model and API. In the past, these services were provided to applications in an ad-hoc and irregular fashion. Examples of such services include:

    • General Comments

    • User/groups

    • Attribute storage in user/groups

    • General Permissions

    • Site wide search

    • General Auditing

    All of these services involve relating extra information and services to application data objects, examples of which include:

    • Bboard messages

    • A user home page

    • A ticket in the Ticket Tracker

    • A photograph in the PhotoDB

    In the past, developers had to use ad-hoc and inconsistent schemes to -interface to the various "general" services mentioned above. Since +interface to the various "general" services mentioned above. Since each service used its own scheme for storing its metadata and mapping this data to application objects, we could not implement any kind of centralized management system or consistent administrative pages for all the services. Consequently, a large amount of duplicate code appeared throughout the system -for dealing with these services.

    Unifying and "normalizing" these interfaces, to minimize the +for dealing with these services.

    Unifying and "normalizing" these interfaces, to minimize the amount of code repetition in applications, is a primary goal of OpenACS 4. Thus the Object Model (OM, also referred to later as the object system) is concerned primarily with the storage and management of metadata, on -any object within a given instance of OpenACS 4. The term "metadata" +any object within a given instance of OpenACS 4. The term "metadata" refers to any extra data the OM stores on behalf of the application - outside of the application's data model - in order to enable certain generic -services. The term "object" refers to any entity being represented +services. The term "object" refers to any entity being represented within the OpenACS, and typically corresponds to a single row within the -relational database.

    Vision Statement

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model must address five high-level requirements that +relational database.

    Vision Statement

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model must address five high-level requirements that repeatedly exhibit themselves in the context of existing services in OpenACS 3.x, -as described below.

    Object Identifiers for General Services

    Generic services require a single unambiguous way of identifying +as described below.

    Object Identifiers for General Services

    Generic services require a single unambiguous way of identifying application objects that they manage or manipulate. In OpenACS 3.x, there are several different idioms that construct object identifiers from other data. -Many modules use a (user_id, group_id, scope) triple combination +Many modules use a (user_id, group_id, scope) triple combination for the purpose of recording ownership information on objects for access -control. User/groups also uses (user_id, group_id) pairs in its -user_group_map table as a way to identify data associated with a +control. User/groups also uses (user_id, group_id) pairs in its +user_group_map table as a way to identify data associated with a single membership relation.

    Also in OpenACS 3.x, many utility modules exist that do nothing more than attach some extra attributes to existing application data. For example, general comments maintains a mapping table that maps application -"page" data (static or dynamic) to one or more user comments on the +"page" data (static or dynamic) to one or more user comments on the page, by constructing a unique identifier for each page. This identifier is usually a combination of the table in which the data is stored, and the value of the primary key value for the particular page. This idiom is referred to -as the "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" method for identifying +as the "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" method for identifying application data. General comments stores its map from pages to comments -using a "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" key, plus the id of the +using a "(on_which_table + on_what_id)" key, plus the id of the comment itself.

    All of these composite key constructions are implicit object identifiers: they build a unique ID out of other pieces of the data model. The problem is that their definition and use is ad-hoc and inconsistent. This makes the construction of generic application-independent services difficult. Therefore, the OpenACS 4 Object Model should provide a centralized and uniform -mechanism for tagging application objects with unique identifiers.

    Support for Unified Access Control

    Access control should be as transparent as possible to the application +mechanism for tagging application objects with unique identifiers.

    Support for Unified Access Control

    Access control should be as transparent as possible to the application developer. Until the implementation of the general permissions system, every OpenACS application had to manage access control to its data separately. Later -on, a notion of "scoping" was introduced into the core data -model.

    "Scope" is a term best explained by example. Consider some -hypothetical rows in the address_book table:

    ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
    ...user123...
    ...group456...
    ...public...

    The first row represents an entry in User 123's personal address book, +on, a notion of "scoping" was introduced into the core data +model.

    "Scope" is a term best explained by example. Consider some +hypothetical rows in the address_book table:

    ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
    ...user123 ...
    ...group 456...
    ...public ...

    The first row represents an entry in User 123's personal address book, the second row represents an entry in User Group 456's shared address book, and the third row represents an entry in the site's public address book.

    In this way, the scoping columns identify the security context in which a @@ -64,9 +63,9 @@ page, a security problem could result.

    Thus the OpenACS 4 Object Model must support a more general access control system that allows access control domains to be hierarchical, and specifiable with a single piece of data, instead of the old composite keys described -above.

    Extensible Data Models

    Another problem with previous OpenACS data models is that many of the central +above.

    Extensible Data Models

    Another problem with previous OpenACS data models is that many of the central tables in the system became bloated as they were extended to support an -increasing number of modules. The users table is the best case +increasing number of modules. The users table is the best case in point: it became full of columns that exist for various special applications (e.g. user portraits), but that aren't really related to each other in any way except that they store information on users, i.e. the @@ -82,33 +81,33 @@ custom extensions to the existing data models, and the OM does the bookkeeping necessary to make this easier, providing a generic API for object creation that automatically keeps track of the location and relationships -between data.

    Design Note: While this doesn't really belong in a +between data.

    Design Note: While this doesn't really belong in a requirements document, the fact that we are constrained to using relational databases means that certain constraints on the overall design of the object -data model exist, which you can read about in Summary and Design Considerations.

    Modifiable Data Models

    Another recurring applications problem is how to store a modifiable data +data model exist, which you can read about in Summary and Design Considerations.

    Modifiable Data Models

    Another recurring applications problem is how to store a modifiable data model, or how to store information that may change extensively between releases or in different client installations. Furthermore, we want to avoid changes to an application's database queries in the face of any custom extensions, since such changes are difficult or dangerous to make at runtime, and can make updating the system difficult. Some example applications in OpenACS 3.x with modifiable data models include:

    • User/groups: developers and users can attach custom data to group types, -groups, and members of groups.

    • In the Ecommerce data model, the ec_custom_product_fields +groups, and members of groups.

    • In the Ecommerce data model, the ec_custom_product_fields table defines attributes for catalog products, and the -ec_custom_product_field_values table stores values for those -attributes.

    • In the PhotoDB data model, the ph_custom_photo_fields table +ec_custom_product_field_values table stores values for those +attributes.

    • In the PhotoDB data model, the ph_custom_photo_fields table defines attributes for the photographs owned by a specific user, and tables named according to the convention -"ph_user_<user_id>_custom_info" are used to +"ph_user_<user_id>_custom_info" are used to store values for those attributes.

    Thus the Object Model must provide a general mechanism for applications and developers to modify or extend data models, without requiring changes to the SQL schema of the system. This ensures that all applications use the same -base schema, resulting in a uniform and more maintainable system.

    Generic Relations

    Many OpenACS applications define simple relationships between application +base schema, resulting in a uniform and more maintainable system.

    Generic Relations

    Many OpenACS applications define simple relationships between application objects, and tag those relationships with extra data. In OpenACS 3.x, this was done using mapping tables. The user/groups module has the most highly developed data model for this purpose, using a single table called -user_group_map that mapped users to groups. In addition, it uses -the the user_group_member_fields and -user_group_member_fields_map tables to allow developers to +user_group_map that mapped users to groups. In addition, it uses +the the user_group_member_fields and +user_group_member_fields_map tables to allow developers to attach custom attributes to group members. In fact, these custom attributes were not really attached to the users, but to the fact that a user was a member of a particular group - a subtle but important distinction. As a @@ -120,17 +119,17 @@ Relation types are themselves object types that do nothing but represent relations. They can be used by applications that previously used user/groups for the same purpose, but without the extraneous, artificial -dependencies.

    System Overview

    The Object Model package is a combination of data model and a procedural +dependencies.

    System Overview

    The Object Model package is a combination of data model and a procedural API for manipulating application objects within an OpenACS instance. The OM allows developers to describe a hierarchical system of object types that store metadata on application objects. The object type system supports subtyping with inheritance, so new object types can be defined in terms of existing object types.

    The OM data model forms the main part of the OpenACS 4 Kernel data model. The -other parts of the Kernel data model include:

    • Parties and Groups

    • Permissions

    Each of these is documented elsewhere at length.

    Use-cases and User-scenarios

    (Pending as of 8/27/00)

    Requirements: Data Model

    The data model for the object system provides support for the following -kinds of schema patterns that are used by many existing OpenACS modules:

    10.0 Object Identification and Storage

    Object identification is a central mechanism in the new metadata system. +other parts of the Kernel data model include:

    • Parties and Groups

    • Permissions

    Each of these is documented elsewhere at length.

    Use-cases and User-scenarios

    (Pending as of 8/27/00)

    Requirements: Data Model

    The data model for the object system provides support for the following +kinds of schema patterns that are used by many existing OpenACS modules:

    10.0 Object Identification and Storage

    Object identification is a central mechanism in the new metadata system. The fact that every object has a known unique identifier means that the core can deal with all objects in a generic way. Thus the only action required of -an application to obtain any general service is to "hook into" the +an application to obtain any general service is to "hook into" the object system.

    In OpenACS 3.x, modules use ad-hoc means to construct unique identifiers for objects that they manage. Generally, these unique IDs are built from other IDs that happen to be in the data model. Because there is no consistency in @@ -148,15 +147,15 @@ application data. More importantly, object identifiers will enable developers to readily build and use generic services that work globally across a system.

    The object identifiers should be subject to the following -requirements:

    10.10 Uniqueness

    The object ID should be unique among all the IDs in the entire OpenACS system -in which the object lives.

    10.20 Useful as a Reference

    Applications should be able to use the unique object ID as a reference, -with which they can fetch any or all of the object's attributes.

    10.30 Storable

    Object IDs should be storable in tables. e.g. you should be able to use +requirements:

    10.10 Uniqueness

    The object ID should be unique among all the IDs in the entire OpenACS system +in which the object lives.

    10.20 Useful as a Reference

    Applications should be able to use the unique object ID as a reference, +with which they can fetch any or all of the object's attributes.

    10.30 Storable

    Object IDs should be storable in tables. e.g. you should be able to use them to implement mapping tables between objects, to represent -relationships.

    10.40 Moveable

    Objects should be mobile between databases. That is, information will +relationships.

    10.40 Moveable

    Objects should be mobile between databases. That is, information will often need to be moved between multiple servers (development, staging, and production), so a mechanism for moving this data is necessary. In addition, a mechanism for tagging these objects in a way similar to CVS would be useful -in determining which objects need to be synchronized.

    20.0 Object Types

    An object type refers to a specification of one or more +in determining which objects need to be synchronized.

    20.0 Object Types

    An object type refers to a specification of one or more attributes to be managed along with a piece of application data.

    The object system should provide a data model for describing and representing object types. This data model is somewhat analogous to the Oracle data dictionary, which stores information about all user defined @@ -169,33 +168,33 @@ is meant to be a generalization of this mechanism. The data model should allow developers to at least do everything they used to with user/groups, but without its administrative hassles.

    Therefore, the data model must be able to represent object types that have -the following characteristics:

    20.10 Type Name

    A human readable name for the object type.

    20.20 Type Attributes

    Attributes whose values are shared by all instances of the object -type.

    20.30 Object Attributes

    Attributes that are specific to each particular object belonging to a -given type.

    The data model must also enforce certain constraints on object types:

    20.40 Type Uniqueness

    Object type names must be unique.

    20.50 Attribute Name Uniqueness

    Attribute names must be unique in the scope of a single object type and -any of its parent types.

    30.0 Type Extension

    The Object Model must support the definition of object types that are +the following characteristics:

    20.10 Type Name

    A human readable name for the object type.

    20.20 Type Attributes

    Attributes whose values are shared by all instances of the object +type.

    20.30 Object Attributes

    Attributes that are specific to each particular object belonging to a +given type.

    The data model must also enforce certain constraints on object types:

    20.40 Type Uniqueness

    Object type names must be unique.

    20.50 Attribute Name Uniqueness

    Attribute names must be unique in the scope of a single object type and +any of its parent types.

    30.0 Type Extension

    The Object Model must support the definition of object types that are subtypes of existing types. A subtype inherits all the attributes of its parent type, and defines some attributes of its own. A critical aspect of the OM is parent types may be altered, and any such change must propagate to child subtypes.

    The OM data model must enforce constraints on subtypes that are similar to -the ones on general object types.

    30.10 Subtype Uniqueness

    Subtype names must be unique (this parallels requirement 10.40).

    30.20 Subtype Attribute Name Uniqueness

    Attribute names must be unique in the scope of a single object -subtype.

    30.30 Parent Type Prerequisite

    Subtypes must be defined in terms of parent types that, in fact, already -exist.

    30.40

    The extended attribute names in a subtype must not be the same as those in -its parent type.

    35.0 Methods

    35.10 Method and Type Association

    The OM data model should define a mechanism for associating procedural +the ones on general object types.

    30.10 Subtype Uniqueness

    Subtype names must be unique (this parallels requirement 10.40).

    30.20 Subtype Attribute Name Uniqueness

    Attribute names must be unique in the scope of a single object +subtype.

    30.30 Parent Type Prerequisite

    Subtypes must be defined in terms of parent types that, in fact, already +exist.

    30.40

    The extended attribute names in a subtype must not be the same as those in +its parent type.

    35.0 Methods

    35.10 Method and Type Association

    The OM data model should define a mechanism for associating procedural code, called methods, with objects of a given type. Methods are associated with the each object type - not each object -instance.

    35.20 Method Sharing

    All instances of a given object type should share the same set of defined -methods for that type.

    40.0 Object Attribute Value Storage

    In addition to information on types, the OM data model provides for the +instance.

    35.20 Method Sharing

    All instances of a given object type should share the same set of defined +methods for that type.

    40.0 Object Attribute Value Storage

    In addition to information on types, the OM data model provides for the centralized storage of object attribute values. This facility unifies the many ad-hoc attribute/value tables that exist in various OpenACS 3.x data models, such as:

    • User groups: Each instance of a group type can have custom data.

    • Photo DB: Users can define their own custom metadata to attach to photograph objects.

    • Ecommerce: Vendors can attach custom fields to the data model describing -their products.

    40.10 Generic Retrieval

    Attributes should be stored so that they are retrievable in a way that is +their products.

    40.10 Generic Retrieval

    Attributes should be stored so that they are retrievable in a way that is independent of the type of the object that they belong to. That is, the only data needed to retrieve an attribute should be the system-wide ID of an -object (see requirement 10.20 above) and the attribute name.

    40.20 Inherited Attributes

    The system should allow for the automatic retrieval of inherited attribute -values, for an object belonging to a subtype.

    40.30. Constraints on Attributes

    The system should allow the developer to put down constraints on the +object (see requirement 10.20 above) and the attribute name.

    40.20 Inherited Attributes

    The system should allow for the automatic retrieval of inherited attribute +values, for an object belonging to a subtype.

    40.30. Constraints on Attributes

    The system should allow the developer to put down constraints on the values that an attribute may hold, for the purposes of maintaining -application specific integrity rules.

    50.0 Object Contexts

    In OpenACS 3.x, there was a notion of "scope" for application +application specific integrity rules.

    50.0 Object Contexts

    In OpenACS 3.x, there was a notion of "scope" for application objects. An object could be belong to one of three scopes: public, group or user. This provided a crude way to associate objects with particular scopes in the system, but it was awkward to use and limited in flexibility.

    The OpenACS 4 Object Model provides a generalized notion of scope that allows @@ -204,64 +203,64 @@ object has no explicit permissions attached to it, then it inherits permissions from its context.

    The context data model also forms the basis of the subsites system, and is a basic part of the permissions system, -described in separate documents.

    The context data model should provide the following facilities:

    50.10 Unique ID

    Every context should have a unique ID in the system.

    50.20 Tree Structure

    The data model should support a tree structured organization of contexts. -That is, contexts can be logically "contained" within other +described in separate documents.

    The context data model should provide the following facilities:

    50.10 Unique ID

    Every context should have a unique ID in the system.

    50.20 Tree Structure

    The data model should support a tree structured organization of contexts. +That is, contexts can be logically "contained" within other contexts (i.e. contexts have parents) and contexts can contain other contexts -(i.e. contexts can have children).

    50.30 Data Model Constraints

    All objects must have a context ID. This ID must refer to an existing +(i.e. contexts can have children).

    50.30 Data Model Constraints

    All objects must have a context ID. This ID must refer to an existing context or be NULL. The meaning of a NULL context is determined by the -implementation.

    Note:

    The current system interprets the NULL context as meaning the default -"site-wide" context in some sense. I wanted to note this fact for +implementation.

    Note:

    The current system interprets the NULL context as meaning the default +"site-wide" context in some sense. I wanted to note this fact for others, but there is no need to make this a requirement of the system. I think it would be reasonable to have a NULL context be an error (psu -8/24/2000).

    55.0 Object Relations

    The data model should include a notion of pair-wise relations between +8/24/2000).

    55.0 Object Relations

    The data model should include a notion of pair-wise relations between objects. Relations should be able to record simple facts of the form -"object X is related to object Y by relationship R," and also be -able to attach attributes to these facts.

    Requirements: API

    The API should let programmers accomplish the following actions:

    60.0 Object Type Creation

    60.10 Create a New Object Type

    The object system API should provide a procedure call that creates a new +"object X is related to object Y by relationship R," and also be +able to attach attributes to these facts.

    Requirements: API

    The API should let programmers accomplish the following actions:

    60.0 Object Type Creation

    60.10 Create a New Object Type

    The object system API should provide a procedure call that creates a new object type by running the appropriate transactions on the object system data model. This API call is subject to the constraints laid out in the data -model. We call this operation "instantiating" an object.

    60.20 Create a New Object Subtype

    The object system API should provide a procedure call for creating +model. We call this operation "instantiating" an object.

    60.20 Create a New Object Subtype

    The object system API should provide a procedure call for creating subtypes of a given type. Operationally, this API is the same as requirement 60.10. Instances of subtypes automatically contain all attributes of the parent type in addition to all attributes of the subtype. This API is subject -to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    60.30 Create a New Relation Type

    There should be an API call to create a new type of object relation. +to the constraints laid out in the data model.

    60.30 Create a New Relation Type

    There should be an API call to create a new type of object relation. Relation types can be modeled as object types. The API below for manipulating -attributes can then be used to add attributes to relation types.

    70.0 Update an Object Type

    The object system API must allow the programmer to modify, add, and delete +attributes can then be used to add attributes to relation types.

    70.0 Update an Object Type

    The object system API must allow the programmer to modify, add, and delete attributes from any object type. Updates should be propagated to any child subtypes. This API is subject to the constraints laid out in the data -model.

    80.0 Delete an Object Type

    The system provides an API call for deleting an object type.

    80.10

    Deleting an object type destroys all instances of the type. It should be +model.

    80.0 Delete an Object Type

    The system provides an API call for deleting an object type.

    80.10

    Deleting an object type destroys all instances of the type. It should be an error to delete types that have dependent subtypes. This API is subject to -the constraints laid out in the data model.

    80.10.10

    However, the programmer should also be able to specify that all the +the constraints laid out in the data model.

    80.10.10

    However, the programmer should also be able to specify that all the subtypes and instances of those subtypes be destroyed before destroying the -object type. This is similar to a "delete cascade" constraint in -SQL.

    90.0 Object Instance Creation and Destruction

    The system must provide API calls to manage the creation and destruction -of object instances.

    90.10 Create an Instance of an Object Type

    The system should provide an API call for creating a new instance of a +object type. This is similar to a "delete cascade" constraint in +SQL.

    90.0 Object Instance Creation and Destruction

    The system must provide API calls to manage the creation and destruction +of object instances.

    90.10 Create an Instance of an Object Type

    The system should provide an API call for creating a new instance of a given object type. The new instance should be populated with values for each of the attributes specified in the definition of the type. In addition, it should be possible to create the new instance with an optional context ID -that refers to the default context that the object will live in.

    90.20 Delete an Object Instance

    The OM should provide an API call for object deletion. Objects can be +that refers to the default context that the object will live in.

    90.20 Delete an Object Instance

    The OM should provide an API call for object deletion. Objects can be deleted only when no other objects in the system refer to them. Since it -might not be practical to provide a mechanism like "delete cascade" +might not be practical to provide a mechanism like "delete cascade" here in a reliable way, providing such a facility in the system is -optional.

    94.0 Object Relation Creation and Destruction

    The system must provide API calls to manage the creation and destruction -of object relations.

    94.10 Create an Object Relation

    The OM must provide an API call to declare that two objects are related to +optional.

    94.0 Object Relation Creation and Destruction

    The system must provide API calls to manage the creation and destruction +of object relations.

    94.10 Create an Object Relation

    The OM must provide an API call to declare that two objects are related to each other by a given relation type. This API call should also allow -programmers to attach attributes to this object relation.

    94.20 Destroy an Object Relation

    There should be an API call for destroying object relations and their -attributes.

    95.10 Create and Destroy Contexts

    The system should provide an API to create and destroy object -contexts.

    100.10 Set Attribute Values for an Object

    The system should provide an API for updating the attribute values of a -particular instance of an object type.

    110.10 Get Attribute Values for an Object

    The system should provide an API for retrieving attribute values from a -particular instance of an object type.

    120.10 Efficiency

    The Object Model must support the efficient storage and retrieval of +programmers to attach attributes to this object relation.

    94.20 Destroy an Object Relation

    There should be an API call for destroying object relations and their +attributes.

    95.10 Create and Destroy Contexts

    The system should provide an API to create and destroy object +contexts.

    100.10 Set Attribute Values for an Object

    The system should provide an API for updating the attribute values of a +particular instance of an object type.

    110.10 Get Attribute Values for an Object

    The system should provide an API for retrieving attribute values from a +particular instance of an object type.

    120.10 Efficiency

    The Object Model must support the efficient storage and retrieval of object attributes. Since the OM is intended to form the core of many general services in the OpenACS, and these services will likely make extensive use of the OM tables, queries on these tables must be fast. The major problem here seems to be supporting subtyping and inheritance in a way that does not severely -impact query performance.

    130.10 Ease of Use

    Most OpenACS packages will be expected to use the Object Model in one way or +impact query performance.

    130.10 Ease of Use

    Most OpenACS packages will be expected to use the Object Model in one way or another. Since it is important that the largest audience of developers possible adopts and uses the OM, it must be easy to incorporate into applications, and it must not impose undue requirements on an -application's data model. In other words, it should be easy to "hook -into" the object model, and that ability should not have a major impact -on the application data model.

    Note: Is the API the only way to obtain values? How does -this integrate with application level SQL queries?

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/10/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.2Major re-write08/11/2000Pete Su
    0.3Draft completed after initial reviews08/22/2000Pete Su
    0.4Edited, updated to conform to requirements template, pending freeze08/23/2000Kai Wu
    Final edits before freeze08/24/2000Pete Su
    0.5Edited for consistency08/27/2000Kai Wu
    0.6Put Object ID stuff first, because it makes more sense08/28/2000Pete Su
    0.7Added requirement that knowledge-level objects must be moveable between +application's data model. In other words, it should be easy to "hook +into" the object model, and that ability should not have a major impact +on the application data model.

    Note: Is the API the only way to obtain values? How does +this integrate with application level SQL queries?

    Revision History

    Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
    0.1Creation08/10/2000Bryan Quinn
    0.2Major re-write08/11/2000Pete Su
    0.3Draft completed after initial reviews08/22/2000Pete Su
    0.4Edited, updated to conform to requirements template, pending freeze08/23/2000Kai Wu
    Final edits before freeze08/24/2000Pete Su
    0.5Edited for consistency08/27/2000Kai Wu
    0.6Put Object ID stuff first, because it makes more sense08/28/2000Pete Su
    0.7Added requirement that knowledge-level objects must be moveable between databases.08/29/2000Richard Li
    0.8Rewrote intro to match language and concepts in the design document. Also cleaned up usage a bit in the requirements section. Added short vague requirements on relation types.09/06/2000Pete Su
    0.9Edited for ACS 4 Beta release.09/30/2000Kai Wu
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/objects.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/objects.html,v diff -u -r1.45.2.2 -r1.45.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/objects.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.45.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/objects.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.45.2.3 @@ -1,9 +1,8 @@ - -OpenACS Data Models and the Object System

    OpenACS Data Models and the Object System

    By Pete Su

    +OpenACS Data Models and the Object System

    OpenACS Data Models and the Object System

    By Pete Su

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Overview

    -Developing data models in OpenACS 5.3.1 is much like developing data models +

    Overview

    +Developing data models in OpenACS 5.3.2 is much like developing data models for OpenACS 3, save for the implementation. As usual, you need to examine how to model the information that the application must store and manipulate, and define a suitable set of SQL tables. In our Notes @@ -28,12 +27,12 @@

    • Define access control policies on notes.

    • Attach user comments on notes.

    • Allow users to define custom fields to store on their notes.

    • Automatically generate input forms or output displays for notes.

    • Allow other applications to use notes in ways we don't know of yet.

    In OpenACS, the key to enabling these types of services on your application data is to take advantage of the Object System. The first -question, then, is "Just what are objects, and what do -you use them for anyway?". The short answer: objects are anything +question, then, is "Just what are objects, and what do +you use them for anyway?". The short answer: objects are anything represented in the application's data model that will need to be managed by any central service in OpenACS, or that may be reusable in the context of future applications. Every object in the system is -represented using a row in the acs_objects table. This +represented using a row in the acs_objects table. This table defines all the standard attributes that are stored on every object, including its system-wide unique ID, object type, and some generic auditing columns. @@ -45,19 +44,19 @@

    • The Permissions System lets you track who is allowed to do what to the rows in an application table, and gives you an easy way to enforce - this from Tcl.

    • Every object has an attribute called context_id + this from Tcl.

    • Every object has an attribute called context_id that provides a way to trivially specify both the default - permissions for an object, and the intended "scope" of an - object. Just set the context_id to the controlling + permissions for an object, and the intended "scope" of an + object. Just set the context_id to the controlling object and forget about it.

    • And most importantly, any future object-level service - from a general-comments replacement to personalized ranking - will - become available to your application "for free."

    -

    How to Use Objects

    + become available to your application "for free."

    +

    How to Use Objects

    Using ACS objects is straightforward: all that's required are a few extra steps in the design of your application data model.

    In order to hook our Notes application into the object system, we -make some calls to use our notes table as the basis for a +make some calls to use our notes table as the basis for a new object type. Object types are analogous to classes in programming languages such as C++ and Java. In Java, a class defines a set of attributes that store data and a set of methods @@ -66,21 +65,21 @@ define the programming interface to the data model.

    The object type itself is described using data in the -acs_object_types and -acs_attributes tables, which play a role +acs_object_types and +acs_attributes tables, which play a role similar to the data dictionary in Oracle. As in Java, object types can inherit attributes from a parent type, so the type system forms a hierarchy. Unlike Java, Oracle does not support this inheritance transparently, so we have to make sure we add our own bookkeeping code to keep everything consistent. Below you'll find the code needed to describe a -new object type called notes in your +new object type called notes in your system.

    Fire up your text editor and open the -ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-create.sql (ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-create.sql for the PG version) file created +ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-create.sql (ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-create.sql for the PG version) file created when we created the package. Then, do the following: -

    Describe the new type to the type system

    -First, add an entry to the acs_object_types table with the following PL/SQL call: +

    Describe the new type to the type system

    +First, add an entry to the acs_object_types table with the following PL/SQL call:

     begin  
       acs_object_type.create_type ( 
    @@ -96,18 +95,18 @@
     show errors;
     

    This PL/SQL call tells the system that we would like to use the table -NOTES as the basis for a new object type called -note. This type is a subtype of the -acs_object type, which means that we want to inherit all +NOTES as the basis for a new object type called +note. This type is a subtype of the +acs_object type, which means that we want to inherit all of the basic attributes of all ACS objects. As mentioned, it will take some work on our part to make this happen, since Oracle can't do it automatically. In general, most basic applications will define types -that are simple subtypes of acs_object. +that are simple subtypes of acs_object.

    -Add entries to the acs_attributes table to describe +Add entries to the acs_attributes table to describe the data attributes of the new type. This data can eventually be used to do things like automatically generate user interfaces to manipulate -the notes table, though that functionality isn't yet +the notes table, though that functionality isn't yet available.

     declare 
    @@ -133,17 +132,17 @@
     show errors; 
     

    We can stop here and not bother to register the usual OpenACS 3.x -attributes of creation_user, creation_date -and last_modified, since the object type -acs_object already defines these attributes. Again, -because the new type note is a subtype of -acs_object, it will inherit these attributes, so there is +attributes of creation_user, creation_date +and last_modified, since the object type +acs_object already defines these attributes. Again, +because the new type note is a subtype of +acs_object, it will inherit these attributes, so there is no need for us to define them. -

    Define a table in which to store your objects

    +

    Define a table in which to store your objects

    The next thing we do is make a small modification to the data model to -reflect the fact that each row in the notes table +reflect the fact that each row in the notes table represents something that is not only an object of type -note, but also an acs_object. The new table +note, but also an acs_object. The new table definition looks like this:

     create table notes (
    @@ -153,18 +152,18 @@
         body       varchar(1024)
     )
     

    -The usual creation_date and -modified_date columns are absent since they already exist -in acs_objects. Also, note the constraint we have added -to reference the acs_objects table, which makes clear -that since note is a subtype of acs_object, +The usual creation_date and +modified_date columns are absent since they already exist +in acs_objects. Also, note the constraint we have added +to reference the acs_objects table, which makes clear +that since note is a subtype of acs_object, every row in the notes table must have a corresponding row in the -acs_objects table. This is the fundamental means by which +acs_objects table. This is the fundamental means by which we model inheritance; it guarantees that any services that -use the acs_objects table to find objects will +use the acs_objects table to find objects will transparently find any objects that are instances of any subtype of -acs_objects. -

    Define a package for type specific procedures

    +acs_objects. +

    Define a package for type specific procedures

    The next step is to define a PL/SQL package for your new type, and write some basic procedures to create and delete objects. Here is a package definition for our new type: @@ -196,30 +195,30 @@ calls, since we haven't mentioned them before. These parameters are needed to fill out information that will be stored about the object that's not stored directly in the table you defined. The OpenACS Object -System defines these attributes on the type acs_object +System defines these attributes on the type acs_object since all objects should have these attributes. Internally, there are tables that store this information for you. Most of the data is pretty self-explanatory and reflects attributes that existed in the earlier -OpenACS 3.x data models, with the exception of the context_id +OpenACS 3.x data models, with the exception of the context_id attribute.

    -The context_id attribute stores the ID of an object that +The context_id attribute stores the ID of an object that represents the default security domain to which the object belongs. It is used by the permissions system in this way: if no permissions are explicitly attached to the object, then the object inherits its permissions from the context. For example, if I had told you how to use the permissions system to specify that an -object OBJ was "read only", then any other object that used OBJ as its -context would also be "read only" by default. We'll talk about this more +object OBJ was "read only", then any other object that used OBJ as its +context would also be "read only" by default. We'll talk about this more later. -

    Define a package body for type specific procedures

    +

    Define a package body for type specific procedures

    The PL/SQL package body contains the implementations of the procedures defined above. The only subtle thing going on here is that we must use -acs_object.new to insert a row into -acs_objects, before inserting a row into the -notes. Similarly, when we delete a row from -note, we have to be sure to delete the corresponding -acs_object row. +acs_object.new to insert a row into +acs_objects, before inserting a row into the +notes. Similarly, when we delete a row from +note, we have to be sure to delete the corresponding +acs_object row.

     create or replace package body note 
     as 
    @@ -272,14 +271,14 @@
     / 
     show errors; 
     

    -That's pretty much it! As long as you use the note.new -function to create notes, and the note.delete function to +That's pretty much it! As long as you use the note.new +function to create notes, and the note.delete function to delete them, you'll be assured that the relationship each -note has with its corresponding acs_object +note has with its corresponding acs_object is preserved.

    The last thing to do is to make a file -ROOT/packages/notes/sql/notes-drop.sql so it's easy to +ROOT/packages/notes/sql/notes-drop.sql so it's easy to drop the data model when, say, you're testing:

     begin 
    @@ -290,17 +289,17 @@
      
     drop package note; 
     drop table notes; 
    -

    When to Use Objects

    +

    When to Use Objects

    While it is hard to give general design advice without knowing anything about a particular application, you should follow the following rule of thumb when deciding when to hook part of your data model to the object system:

    Anything in your data model that needs to be available to general OpenACS services such as user comments, permissions, and so on should be a -subtype of acs_object. In addition, if you want your data +subtype of acs_object. In addition, if you want your data model to take advantage of attributes that exist in some object type -that is a subtype of acs_object, then you should use the +that is a subtype of acs_object, then you should use the object system.

    For example, for most applications, you will want to use objects to @@ -310,34 +309,34 @@ kind of design decision is mostly made on an application-by-application basis, but this is a good baseline from which to start. -

    Design Guidance

    +

    Design Guidance

    In this section we cover some overall guidelines for designing data models that are meant to be integrated with the OpenACS object system.

    -There are two basic rules you should follow when designing OpenACS 5.3.1 data +There are two basic rules you should follow when designing OpenACS 5.3.2 data models:

    1. -Never utilize fields in the acs_objects table in +Never utilize fields in the acs_objects table in application specific ways. That is, never assign any application-specific semantics to this data. In the notes -application, we use the creation_date and -last_modified fields, but this is OK since we do not +application, we use the creation_date and +last_modified fields, but this is OK since we do not assign any application-specific meaning to these fields.

    2. In particular, never assign any application specific semantics to the -context_id attribute of an object. This field is used for +context_id attribute of an object. This field is used for a very specific purpose by the permissions system, and using this field in any other way whatsoever is guaranteed to make your application act strangely.

      As we'll see later, the Notes example will point each note object's -context_id to the package instance in which the note was +context_id to the package instance in which the note was created. The idea will be that in a real site, the administrator would create one package instance for every separate set of Notes (say, one -per user). The instance would "own" all of the notes that it created, +per user). The instance would "own" all of the notes that it created, and the administrator would be able to use the package instance as the basis for access control, which is convenient.

    @@ -355,43 +354,43 @@ that the data model is trying to support.

    Another less important reason for these two rules is to not introduce -any joins against the acs_objects table in SQL queries in +any joins against the acs_objects table in SQL queries in your application that you do not absolutely need.

    In the Notes example, the result of applying these rules is that we -are careful to define our own attribute for owner_id -rather than overloading creation_user from the objects -table. But, since we will probably use creation_date and +are careful to define our own attribute for owner_id +rather than overloading creation_user from the objects +table. But, since we will probably use creation_date and so on for their intended purposes, we don't bother to define our own attributes to store that data again. This will entail joins with -acs_objects but that's OK because it makes the overall +acs_objects but that's OK because it makes the overall data model cleaner. The real lesson is that deciding exactly how and when to use inherited attributes is fairly straightforward, but requires a good amount of thought at design time even for simple applications. -

    Summary

    -Hooking into the OpenACS 5.3.1 object system brings the application developer +

    Summary

    +Hooking into the OpenACS 5.3.2 object system brings the application developer numerous benefits, and doing it involves only four easy steps:

    • Describe the a new object type to the system. Most new application -types will be subtypes of the built-in type acs_object. +types will be subtypes of the built-in type acs_object.

    • Define a table to store application object data.

    • Define a PL/SQL package to store procedures related to the new -type. You have to define at least a function called new +type. You have to define at least a function called new to create new application objects and a procedure called -delete to delete them. +delete to delete them.

    • Define a package body that contains the implementations of the PL/SQL procedures defined above.

    • Try not to write queries in your application that join against -acs_objects. This means you should never use the fields -in acs_objects for application-specific purposes. This is -especially true for the context_id field. +acs_objects. This means you should never use the fields +in acs_objects for application-specific purposes. This is +especially true for the context_id field.

    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-overview.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-overview.html,v diff -u -r1.23.2.1 -r1.23.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-overview.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.23.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-overview.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.23.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Overview

    Overview

    +Overview

    Overview

    OpenACS (Open Architecture Community System) is an advanced toolkit for building scalable, community-oriented web applications. If you're thinking of building an Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-unpack.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-unpack.html,v diff -u -r1.22.2.2 -r1.22.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-unpack.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.22.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs-unpack.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.22.2.3 @@ -1,18 +1,17 @@ - -Unpack the OpenACS tarball

    Unpack the OpenACS tarball

    The OpenACS tarball contains sample configuration files +Unpack the OpenACS tarball

    Unpack the OpenACS tarball

    The OpenACS tarball contains sample configuration files for some of the packages listed below. In order to access those - files, unpack the tarball now.

    [root root]# cd /tmp
    -[root tmp]# tar xzf openacs-5.3.1.tgz
    +      files, unpack the tarball now.

    [root root]# cd /tmp
    +[root tmp]# tar xzf openacs-5.3.2.tgz
     cd /tmp
    -tar xzf openacs-5.3.1.tgz

    If you are installing from a different method and just need the configuration files, you can instead get them from CVS:

    [root root]# cd /tmp
    -[root tmp]# cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/
    +tar xzf openacs-5.3.2.tgz

    If you are installing from a different method and just need the configuration files, you can instead get them from CVS:

    [root root]# cd /tmp
    +[root tmp]# cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/
     cvs checkout: warning: failed to open /root/.cvspass for reading: No such file or directory
     cvs server: Updating openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files
     U openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/README.TXT
     (many lines omitted)
     U openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/template-ini.ini
     U openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/winnsd.txt
    -[root tmp]# mv openacs-4 openacs-5.3.1
    +[root tmp]# mv openacs-4 openacs-5.3.2
     cd /tmp
     cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/
     mv openacs-4 openacs-5.0.0a4
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs.html,v diff -u -r1.44.2.2 -r1.44.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.44.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/openacs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.44.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Install OpenACS 5.3.1

    Install OpenACS 5.3.1

    by Vinod Kurup

    +Install OpenACS 5.3.2

    Install OpenACS 5.3.2

    by Vinod Kurup

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

    Set up a user account for each site.

    +

    Set up a user account for each site.

    AOLserver needs to be started as the root user if you want to use port 80. Once it starts, though, it will drop the root privileges and run as another user, which you must specify on the command line. It's @@ -15,60 +14,60 @@ for each different service. A service name should be a single word, letters and numbers only. If the name of your site is one word, that would be a good choice. For - example "$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME" might be the service name for the + example "$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME" might be the service name for the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.net community.

    We'll leave the password blank, which prevents login by password, for increased security. The only way to log in will be with ssh certificates. The only people who should log in are developers for that specific instance. Add this user, and put - it in the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME group so that it + it in the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME group so that it can use database and server commands associated with that group. (If you don't know how to do this, type - man usermod. You can type - groups to find out which groups a user + man usermod. You can type + groups to find out which groups a user is a part of)

    -[root root]# useradd $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[root root]# useradd $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
     

    You also need to set up a group called web.

    -[root root]# groupadd web
    +[root root]# groupadd web
           

    Then change the user to be a part of this group:

    -[root root]# usermod -g web $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[root root]# usermod -g web $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           

    FreeBSD creates the user this way:

    -[root root]# mkdir -p /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    -[root root]# pw useradd -n $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -g web -d /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -s /bin/bash
    +[root root]# mkdir -p /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[root root]# pw useradd -n $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -g web -d /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -s /bin/bash
     [root root]#
     mkdir -p /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
     pw useradd -n $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -g web -d /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -s /bin/bash
    -

    Set up the file system for one or more OpenACS Sites

    For Linux Standard Base compliance and ease of backup, +

    Set up the file system for one or more OpenACS Sites

    For Linux Standard Base compliance and ease of backup, all of the files in each OpenACS site are stored in a subdirectory of - /var/lib/aolserver, one + /var/lib/aolserver, one subdirectory per site. The first time you install an OpenACS - site on a server, you must create the parent directory and set its permissions:

    [root root]# mkdir /var/lib/aolserver
    -[root root]# chgrp web /var/lib/aolserver
    -[root root]# chmod 770 /var/lib/aolserver
    +      site on a server, you must create the parent directory and set its permissions:

    [root root]# mkdir /var/lib/aolserver
    +[root root]# chgrp web /var/lib/aolserver
    +[root root]# chmod 770 /var/lib/aolserver
     [root root]#
     mkdir /var/lib/aolserver
     chgrp web /var/lib/aolserver
    -chmod 770 /var/lib/aolserver

    Installation Option 1: Use automated script

    A bash script is available to automate all of the steps for the rest of this section. It requires tclwebtest. The automated script can greatly accelerate the install process, but is very sensitive to the install environment. We recommend that you run the automated install and, if it does not work the first time, consider switching to a manual installation.

    Get the install script from CVS. It is located within +chmod 770 /var/lib/aolserver

    Installation Option 1: Use automated script

    A bash script is available to automate all of the steps for the rest of this section. It requires tclwebtest. The automated script can greatly accelerate the install process, but is very sensitive to the install environment. We recommend that you run the automated install and, if it does not work the first time, consider switching to a manual installation.

    Get the install script from CVS. It is located within the main cvs tree, at /etc/install. Use anonymous CVS checkout to get that directory in the home directory of the service's dedicated user. We put it there so that it is not overwritten when we do the main CVS checkout to the target - location.

    [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co -d install openacs-4/etc/install
    +        location.

    [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.openacs.org:/cvsroot co -d install openacs-4/etc/install
     cvs server: Updating install
     U install/README
     U install/TODO
       ... many lines omitted ...
     U install/tcl/twt-procs.tcl
     U install/tcl/user-procs.tcl
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd install
    -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME install]$ emacs install.tcl
    -

    Edit the installation configuration file, /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.tcl and update the site-specific values, such as the new service's IP address and name, which will be written into the new service's config.tcl file. If your system is different from the one described in the previous sections, check the file paths as well. Set do_checkout=yes to create a new OpenACS site directly from a CVS checkout, or =no if you have a fully configured site and just want to rebuild it (drop and recreate the database and repeat the installation). If you have followed a stock installation, the default configuration will work without changes and will install an OpenACS site at 127.0.0.1:8000.

    Run the install script install.sh as root:

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit 
    -[root root]# sh /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.sh
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd install
    +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME install]$ emacs install.tcl
    +

    Edit the installation configuration file, /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.tcl and update the site-specific values, such as the new service's IP address and name, which will be written into the new service's config.tcl file. If your system is different from the one described in the previous sections, check the file paths as well. Set do_checkout=yes to create a new OpenACS site directly from a CVS checkout, or =no if you have a fully configured site and just want to rebuild it (drop and recreate the database and repeat the installation). If you have followed a stock installation, the default configuration will work without changes and will install an OpenACS site at 127.0.0.1:8000.

    Run the install script install.sh as root:

    [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit 
    +[root root]# sh /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.sh
     /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.sh: Starting installation with config_file 
     /home/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/install/install.tcl. Using serverroot=/var/lib/aolserver/
     $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME, server_url=http://0.0.0.0:8000, do_checkout=yes, do_install=yes, 
    @@ -80,68 +79,68 @@
     admin email   : admin@yourserver.net
     admin password: xxxx
     ######################################################################
    -[root root]#

    You can proceed to Section�, “Next Steps”.

    Installation Option 2: Install from tarball

    You should already have downloaded the OpenACS tarball - to the /var/tmp directory. If +[root root]#

    You can proceed to the section called “Next Steps”.

    Installation Option 2: Install from tarball

    You should already have downloaded the OpenACS tarball + to the /var/tmp directory. If not, download the OpenACS tarball and save it in - /var/tmp and proceed:

    1. Unpack the OpenACS tarball and rename it to $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. Secure the directory so that only the owner can access it. Check the permissions by listing the directory.

      FreeBSD note: Change the period in chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME to a colon: chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME:$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME -

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1.tgz
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ mv openacs-5.3.1 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chmod -R 775 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ ls -al
      +      /var/tmp and proceed:

      1. Unpack the OpenACS tarball and rename it to $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. Secure the directory so that only the owner can access it. Check the permissions by listing the directory.

        FreeBSD note: Change the period in chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME to a colon: chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME:$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME +

        [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2.tgz
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ mv openacs-5.3.2 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chmod -R 775 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ ls -al
         total 3
         drwxrwx---    3 root     web          1024 Mar 29 16:41 .
         drwxr-xr-x   25 root     root         1024 Mar 29 16:24 ..
         drwx------    7 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME web          1024 Jan  6 14:36 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ exit
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ exit
         logout
         [root root]#
         su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         cd /var/lib/aolserver
        -tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1.tgz
        -mv openacs-5.3.1 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2.tgz
        +mv openacs-5.3.2 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         chmod -R 755 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         exit
      2. Add the Service to CVS (OPTIONAL)

      3. Prepare the database

        • Prepare Oracle for OpenACS.�If you won't be using Oracle, skip to Prepare PostgreSQL for an OpenACS Service

          You should be sure that your user account - (e.g. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME) is in the - dba group. + (e.g. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME) is in the + dba group.

          1. Verify membership by typing - groups when you login: + groups when you login:

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ groups
             dba web

            If you do not see these groups, take the following action: -

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ su -
            +		  

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ su -
             Password: ************
            -[root ~]# adduser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME dba

            +[root ~]# adduser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME dba

            If you get an error about an undefined group, then add that group manually: -

            [root ~]# groupadd dba
            -[root ~]# groupadd web

            +

            [root ~]# groupadd dba
            +[root ~]# groupadd web

            - Make sure to logout as root when + Make sure to logout as root when you are finished with this step and log back in as your regular user.

          2. Connect to Oracle using - svrmgrl and login: + svrmgrl and login: -

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ svrmgrl
            -SVRMGR> connect internal
            +		  

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ svrmgrl
            +SVRMGR> connect internal
             Connected.

          3. Determine where the system tablespaces are stored: -

            SVRMGR> select file_name from dba_data_files;

            +

            SVRMGR> select file_name from dba_data_files;

            Example results:

            /ora8/m01/app/oracle/oradata/ora8/system01.dbf
             /ora8/m01/app/oracle/oradata/ora8/tools01.dbf
            @@ -154,108 +153,108 @@
             		  Using the above output, you should determine where
             		  to store your tablespace. As a general rule, you'll want to
             		  store your tablespace on a mount point under the
            -		  /ora8 directory that is separate
            +		  /ora8 directory that is separate
             		  from the Oracle system data files. By default, the Oracle system
            -		  is on m01, so we will use
            -		  m02. This enables your Oracle
            +		  is on m01, so we will use
            +		  m02. This enables your Oracle
             		  system and database files to be on separate disks for optimized
             		  performance. For more information on such a configuration, see
             		  Chapter
             		  12 of Philip's
             		  book.  For this example, we'll use
            -		  /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8/.
            +		  /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8/.
             		

          4. Create the directory for the datafile; to do this, - exit from svrmgrl and login as - root for this step:

            -SVRMGR> exit
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ su -
            +		  exit from svrmgrl and login as
            +		  root for this step: 

            +SVRMGR> exit
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ su -
             Password: ************
            -[root ~]# mkdir -p /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8/
            -[root ~]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME:web /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8
            -[root ~]# chmod 775 /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8
            -[root ~]# exit
            +[root ~]# mkdir -p /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8/
            +[root ~]# chown $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME:web /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8
            +[root ~]# chmod 775 /ora8/m02/oradata/ora8
            +[root ~]# exit
             [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$
          5. Create a tablespace for the service. It is important that the - tablespace can autoextend. This + tablespace can autoextend. This allows the tablespace's storage capacity to grow as the size of the data grows. We set the pctincrease to be a very low value so that our extents won't grow geometrically. We do not set it to 0 at the tablespace level because this would affect Oracle's ability to automatically coalesce free space in the tablespace. -

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ svrmgrl
            -SVRMGR> connect internal;
            -SVRMGR> create tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            +		

            [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ svrmgrl
            +SVRMGR> connect internal;
            +SVRMGR> create tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
                   datafile '/ora8/m02/oradata/ora8/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME01.dbf' 
                   size 50M 
                   autoextend on 
                   next 10M
                   maxsize 300M
                   extent management local
            -      uniform size 32K;
          6. + uniform size 32K;

    2. Create a database user for this service. Give the user access to the tablespace and rights to connect. We'll use - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword as our password.

      + $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword as our password.

      Write down what you specify as service_name - (i.e. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME) + (i.e. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME) and database_password - (i.e. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword). You + (i.e. $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword). You will need this information for configuring exports and AOLserver.

      -SVRMGR> create user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME identified by $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword default tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -    temporary tablespace temp quota unlimited on $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME;
      -SVRMGR> grant connect, resource, ctxapp, javasyspriv, query rewrite to $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME;
      -SVRMGR> revoke unlimited tablespace from $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME;
      -SVRMGR> alter user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME quota unlimited on $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME;
      -SVRMGR> exit;

      +SVRMGR> create user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME identified by $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword default tablespace $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME + temporary tablespace temp quota unlimited on $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME; +SVRMGR> grant connect, resource, ctxapp, javasyspriv, query rewrite to $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME; +SVRMGR> revoke unlimited tablespace from $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME; +SVRMGR> alter user $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME quota unlimited on $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME; +SVRMGR> exit;

      Your table space is now ready. In case you are trying to delete a - previous OpenACS installation, consult these commands in Section�, “Deleting a tablespace” below. + previous OpenACS installation, consult these commands in the section called “Deleting a tablespace” below.

    3. Make sure that you can login to Oracle using your - service_name account:

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ sqlplus $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword
      -SQL> select sysdate from dual;
      +        service_name account: 

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ sqlplus $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAMEpassword
      +SQL> select sysdate from dual;
       SYSDATE
       ----------
       2001-12-20
      -SQL> exit;

      +SQL> exit;

      You should see today's date in a format 'YYYY-MM-DD.' If you can't login, try redoing step 1 again. If the date is in the wrong format, make sure you followed the steps outlined in - Section�, “Troubleshooting Oracle Dates” + the section called “Troubleshooting Oracle Dates”

  • Prepare PostgreSQL for an OpenACS Service.�

    • PostgreSQL:

      Create a user in the database matching the service - name. With default PostgreSQL authentication, a system user connecting locally automatically authenticates as the postgres user of the same name, if one exists. We currently use postgres "super-users" for everything, which means that anyone with access to any of the openacs system accounts on a machine has full access to all postgresql databases on that machine.

      [root root]# su - postgres
      -[postgres pgsql]$ createuser -a -d $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +            name.  With default PostgreSQL authentication, a system user connecting locally automatically authenticates as the postgres user of the same name, if one exists.  We currently use postgres "super-users" for everything, which means that anyone with access to any of the openacs system accounts on a machine has full access to all postgresql databases on that machine.

      [root root]# su - postgres
      +[postgres pgsql]$ createuser -a -d $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       CREATE USER
      -[postgres pgsql]$ exit
      +[postgres pgsql]$ exit
       logout
      -[root root]#
    • Create a database with the same name as our service name, $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. The full pathname for createdb needs to be used, since the pgsql directory has not been added to the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME bash profile.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb -E UNICODE $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]#
    • Create a database with the same name as our service name, $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME. The full pathname for createdb needs to be used, since the pgsql directory has not been added to the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME bash profile.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb -E UNICODE $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       CREATE DATABASE
       [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
       su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -/usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb -E UNICODE $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    • Automate daily database Vacuuming. This is a process which cleans out discarded data from the database. A quick way to automate vacuuming is to edit the cron file for the database user. Recommended: VACUUM ANALYZE every hour and VACUUM FULL ANALYZE every day.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ export EDITOR=emacs;crontab -e

      Add these lines to the file. The vacuum command cleans up temporary structures within a PostGreSQL database, and can improve performance. We vacuum gently every hour and completely every day. The numbers and stars at the beginning are cron columns that specify when the program should be run - in this case, whenever the minute is 0 and the hour is 1, i.e., 1:00 am every day, and every (*) day of month, month, and day of week. Type man 5 crontab for more information.

      0 1-23 * * * /usr/local/pgsql/bin/vacuumdb --analyze $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +/usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb -E UNICODE $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    • Automate daily database Vacuuming. This is a process which cleans out discarded data from the database. A quick way to automate vacuuming is to edit the cron file for the database user. Recommended: VACUUM ANALYZE every hour and VACUUM FULL ANALYZE every day.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ export EDITOR=emacs;crontab -e

      Add these lines to the file. The vacuum command cleans up temporary structures within a PostGreSQL database, and can improve performance. We vacuum gently every hour and completely every day. The numbers and stars at the beginning are cron columns that specify when the program should be run - in this case, whenever the minute is 0 and the hour is 1, i.e., 1:00 am every day, and every (*) day of month, month, and day of week. Type man 5 crontab for more information.

      0 1-23 * * * /usr/local/pgsql/bin/vacuumdb --analyze $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       0 0 * * * /usr/local/pgsql/bin/vacuumdb --full --analyze $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME

      Depending on your distribution, you may receive email when the crontab items are executed. If you don't want to receive email for those crontab items, - you can add > /dev/null - 2>&1 to the end of each crontab + you can add > /dev/null + 2>&1 to the end of each crontab line

    • Add Full Text Search Support (OPTIONAL)

    • At this point the database should be ready for installing OpenACS.

  • Configure an AOLserver Service for OpenACS.�

    1. The AOLserver architecture lets you run an arbitrary number of virtual servers. A virtual server is an HTTP service running on a specific port, e.g. port 80. In order for OpenACS to work, you need to configure a virtual server. The Reference Platform uses a configuration file included in the OpenACS tarball, - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl. - Open it in an editor to adjust the parameters.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ emacs config.tcl
      +	  /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl.
      +	   Open it in an editor to adjust the parameters.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ emacs config.tcl
       

      - You can continue without changing any values in the file. However, if you don't change address to match the computer's ip address, you won't be able to browse to your server from other machines. + You can continue without changing any values in the file. However, if you don't change address to match the computer's ip address, you won't be able to browse to your server from other machines.

      • httpport - If you want your server on a different port, enter it here. The Reference Platform port is 8000, which is suitable for development use. Port 80 is the standard http port - it's the port used by your browser when you enter http://yourserver.test. So you should use port 80 for your production site.

      • httpsport - This is the port for https requests. The Reference Platform https port is @@ -278,50 +277,50 @@

      • Enable OpenFTS Full Text Search (OPTIONAL)

      • Install nsopenssl for SSL support. (OPTIONAL)

  • Verify AOLserver startup.�

    1. Kill any current running AOLserver processes and start a new - one. The recommended way to start an AOLserver process is by running the included script, /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run. If you are not using the default file paths and names, you will need to edit run.

      If you want to use port 80, there are complications. AOLserver must be root to use system ports such as + one. The recommended way to start an AOLserver process is by running the included script, /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/run. If you are not using the default file paths and names, you will need to edit run.

      If you want to use port 80, there are complications. AOLserver must be root to use system ports such as 80, but refuses to run as root for security reasons. So, we call the run script as root and specify a non-root user ID and Group ID which AOLserver will switch to after claiming the port. To do so, find the UID and GID of the $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME user via - grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME - /etc/passwd and then put those numbers into - the command line via -u + grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME + /etc/passwd and then put those numbers into + the command line via -u 501 -g - 502. In AOLserver 4, you must also send a -b flag. Do this by editing the run file as indicated in the comments.

      If you are root then killall will affect all OpenACS services on the machine, so if there's more than one you'll have to do ps -auxw | grep - nsd and selectively kill by job number.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ killall nsd
      +	  502.    In AOLserver 4, you must also send a -b flag.  Do this by editing the run file as indicated in the comments.  

      If you are root then killall will affect all OpenACS services on the machine, so if there's more than one you'll have to do ps -auxw | grep + nsd and selectively kill by job number.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME etc]$ killall nsd
       nsd: no process killed
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd-postgres -t /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd-postgres -t /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl
       [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ [08/Mar/2003:18:13:29][32131.8192][-main-] Notice: nsd.tcl: starting to read config file...
       [08/Mar/2003:18:13:29][32131.8192][-main-] Notice: nsd.tcl: finished reading config file.
    2. - Attempt to connect to the service from a web browser. You should specify a URL like: http://yourserver.test:8000

      + Attempt to connect to the service from a web browser. You should specify a URL like: http://yourserver.test:8000

      You should see a page that looks like this. If you imported your files into cvs, now that you know it worked you can erase the temp - directory with rm -rf /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.orig. + directory with rm -rf /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.orig.

      If you don't see the login page, view your error log - (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-error.log) + (/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/log/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-error.log) to make sure the service is starting without any problems. The most common errors here are trying to start a port 80 server while not root, failing to connect because of a firewall, and aolserver failing to start due to permissions errors or missing files. If you need to make changes, don't forget to kill any running servers with - killall nsd. + killall nsd.

    3. Automate AOLserver keepalive (OPTIONAL)

  • Configure a Service with the OpenACS Installer.� Now that you've got AOLserver up and running, let's install OpenACS - 5.3.1. + 5.3.2.

    • You should see a page from the webserver titled - OpenACS Installation: - Welcome. You will be warned if your version of + OpenACS Installation: + Welcome. You will be warned if your version of the database driver is out of date, if AOLserver cannot connect to the database, if any modules are missing or out-of-date, or if there are any problems with filesystem permissions on the server side. But if everything is fine, you can click - Next to proceed to load the + Next to proceed to load the OpenACS Kernel data model.

    • @@ -334,42 +333,42 @@ Loading package .info files ... this will take a few minutes

      This will really take a few minutes. Have faith! Finally, another - Next button will appear at the + Next button will appear at the bottom - click it.

    • The following page shows the results of loading the core package data models. You should see positive results for each of the previously selected packages, but watch out for any - errors. Eventually, the page will display "Generating secret - tokens" and then "Done"- click - Next. + errors. Eventually, the page will display "Generating secret + tokens" and then "Done"- click + Next.

    • - You should see a page, "OpenACS Installation: Create - Administrator" with form fields to define the OpenACS site + You should see a page, "OpenACS Installation: Create + Administrator" with form fields to define the OpenACS site administrator. Fill out the fields as appropriate, and click - Create User. + Create User.

    • - You should see a page, "OpenACS Installation: Set System - Information" allowing you to name your service. Fill out the - fields as appropriate, and click Set System - Information + You should see a page, "OpenACS Installation: Set System + Information" allowing you to name your service. Fill out the + fields as appropriate, and click Set System + Information

    • - You'll see the final Installer page, "OpenACS - Installation: Complete." It will tell you that the server is + You'll see the final Installer page, "OpenACS + Installation: Complete." It will tell you that the server is being restarted; note that unless you already set up a way for AOLserver to restart itself (ie. inittab or daemontools), you'll need to manually restart your service. -

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd-postgres -t /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/config.tcl
    • +

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ /usr/local/aolserver/bin/nsd-postgres -t /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/config.tcl
    • Give the server a few minutes to start up. Then reload the final page above. You should see the front page, with an area to login near the upper right. Congratulations, OpenACS - 5.3.1 is now up and running! -

  • Installation Option 3: Install from CVS

    If you want to track fresh code developments inbetween releases, or you are an OpenACS core developer, you may want to install from CVS. This is identical to Option 2 except that you get the files from CVS instead of the tarball: CVS Checkout Instructions. So, instead of tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1.tgz, cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@openacs.org:/cvsroot co acs-core.

    Next Steps

    Installation Option 3: Install from CVS

    If you want to track fresh code developments inbetween releases, or you are an OpenACS core developer, you may want to install from CVS. This is identical to Option 2 except that you get the files from CVS instead of the tarball: CVS Checkout Instructions. So, instead of tar xzf /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2.tgz, cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@openacs.org:/cvsroot co acs-core.

    Next Steps

    • Use daemontools supervise and svc, or inittab, to automate server startup and shutdown.

    • Install Full Text Search (OPTIONAL). If you have installed OpenFTS and enabled OpenFTS, you can now install the OpenFTS Driver package and Full Text Search Engine package in the OpenACS service.

    • This is a good time to make a backup of your service. If this is a production site, you should set up automatic nightly backups.

    • If you want traffic reports, set up analog or another log @@ -380,8 +379,8 @@ database while logged in as the service user. They do not directly affect the service's run-time connection with the database, because those environmental variables are set by the - wrapper scripts nsd-postgres and nsd-oracle.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ emacs .bashrc

      Put in the appropriate lines for the database you are running. If you will use both databases, put in both sets of lines.

      • PostgreSQL:

        export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib
        +	wrapper scripts nsd-postgres and nsd-oracle.

        [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ emacs .bashrc

        Put in the appropriate lines for the database you are running. If you will use both databases, put in both sets of lines.

        • PostgreSQL:

          export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib
           export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
        • Oracle. These environment variables are specific for a local Oracle installation communicating via IPC. If you are connecting to a remote Oracle installation, you'll need to adjust these appropriately. Also, @@ -393,10 +392,10 @@ export ORACLE_SID=ora8 export ORACLE_TERM=vt100 export ORA_NLS33=$ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data

      Test this by logging out and back in as - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME and checking the paths.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
      +	$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME and checking the paths.

      [$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
       logout
      -[root src]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ env
      +[root src]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ env
       
      • For PostgreSQL, you should see:

         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:/usr/local/pgsql/lib
         PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:\
        @@ -407,4 +406,4 @@
         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/lib:/lib:/usr/lib
         ORACLE_SID=ora8
         ORACLE_TERM=vt100
        -ORA_NLS33=$ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data
    • Test your backup and recovery procedure.

    • Set up Section�, “External uptime validation”.

    ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    +ORA_NLS33=$ORACLE_HOME/ocommon/nls/admin/data
  • Test your backup and recovery procedure.

  • Set up the section called “External uptime validation”.

  • ($Id$)
    View comments on this page at openacs.org
    Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/oracle.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/oracle.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/oracle.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/oracle.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,13 +1,12 @@ - -Install Oracle 8.1.7

    Install Oracle 8.1.7

    By Vinod Kurup

    +Install Oracle 8.1.7

    Install Oracle 8.1.7

    By Vinod Kurup

    OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

    If you are installing PostGreSQL instead of Oracle, skip this section.

    - OpenACS 5.3.1 will install with Oracle 9i but has not been extensively tested so may still have bugs or tuning issues. See Andrew Piskorski's Oracle 9i notes for guidance. + OpenACS 5.3.2 will install with Oracle 9i but has not been extensively tested so may still have bugs or tuning issues. See Andrew Piskorski's Oracle 9i notes for guidance.

    - This installation guide attempts to present all of the information necessary to complete an OpenACS installation. We try hard to make all of the steps possible in one pass, rather than having a step which amounts to "go away and develop a profound understanding of software X and then come back and, in 99% of all cases, type these two lines." The exception to our rule is Oracle production systems. This page describes a set of steps to get a working Oracle development server, but it is unsuitable for production systems. If you will be using OpenACS on Oracle in a production environment, you will experience many problems unless you develop a basic understanding of Oracle which is outside the scope of this document. T + This installation guide attempts to present all of the information necessary to complete an OpenACS installation. We try hard to make all of the steps possible in one pass, rather than having a step which amounts to "go away and develop a profound understanding of software X and then come back and, in 99% of all cases, type these two lines." The exception to our rule is Oracle production systems. This page describes a set of steps to get a working Oracle development server, but it is unsuitable for production systems. If you will be using OpenACS on Oracle in a production environment, you will experience many problems unless you develop a basic understanding of Oracle which is outside the scope of this document. T

    This document assumes that you'll be installing Oracle on the same @@ -17,7 +16,7 @@

    Useful links to find help on how to set up Oracle under Linux are:

    Acquire Oracle

    + Roger's company - on Oracle on Linux

  • Werner Puschitz - Oracle on Red Hat Linux

  • SuSE/Oracle Support matrix

  • Acquire Oracle

    Production Oracle systems should run on certified platforms. Follow the metalink note 223718.1to find certified platforms. If you don't have @@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ To be able to download a patchset, you need a (to-pay-for) account on Metalink. You may find the appropriate patchset by following Andrew's suggestion. -

    Things to Keep in Mind

    +

    Things to Keep in Mind

    Oracle is very well-documented software, the online documentation comes with printable PDFs and full-text search. Altogether there is more than 20.000 pages of documentation, so do not expect to understand Oracle @@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ of passwords, we advise you to follow these defaults unless you know what you are doing. Subsequent documents will expect that you used the defaults, so a change made here will necessitate further changes - later. For a guide to the defaults, please see Section�, “Defaults”. + later. For a guide to the defaults, please see the section called “Defaults”.

    In order for OpenACS to work properly you need to set the environment @@ -83,25 +82,25 @@ umask 022

     open_cursors = 500
    -nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"

    +nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"

    For additional resources/documentation, please see this thread and Andrew Piskorski's mini-guide. -

    Pre-Installation Tasks

    +

    Pre-Installation Tasks

    Though Oracle 8.1.7 has an automated installer, we still need to perform several manual, administrative tasks before we can launch it. You must perform all of these steps as the - root user. We recommend entering the - X window system as a normal user and then doing a su - -. This command gives you full root access. + root user. We recommend entering the + X window system as a normal user and then doing a su + -. This command gives you full root access.

    • Login as a non-root user and start X by typing - startx + startx

       [joeuser ~]$ startx

      @@ -117,12 +116,12 @@

    • - Create and setup the oracle - group and oracle account + Create and setup the oracle + group and oracle account

      - We need to create a user oracle, + We need to create a user oracle, which is used to install the product, as well as starting and stopping the database. @@ -140,13 +139,13 @@ Setup the installation location for Oracle. While Oracle can reside in a variety of places in the file system, OpenACS has - adopted /ora8 as the base + adopted /ora8 as the base directory.

      - Note: the Oracle install needs - about 1 GB free on /ora8 to + Note: the Oracle install needs + about 1 GB free on /ora8 to install successfully.

      @@ -156,22 +155,22 @@
       root:/ora8# chown -R oracle.dba /ora8
       root:/ora8# exit
    • - Set up the oracle user's + Set up the oracle user's environment

      • Log in as the user - oracle by typing the + oracle by typing the following:

         [joeuser ~]$ su - oracle
         Password: ********
      • Use a text editor to edit the - .bash_profile file in the - oracle account home + .bash_profile file in the + oracle account home directory.

        @@ -180,7 +179,7 @@
                       You may get this error trying to start emacs: 
         
                     

        -Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
        +Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
         Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
         emacs: Cannot connect to X server :0.
         Check the DISPLAY environment variable or use `-d'.
        @@ -205,7 +204,7 @@
         
                       Add the following lines (substituting your
                       Oracle version number as needed) to
        -              .bash_profile:
        +              .bash_profile:
         
                     

         export ORACLE_BASE=/ora8/m01/app/oracle
        @@ -218,14 +217,14 @@
         
         umask 022

        - Save the file by typing CTRL-X - CTRL-S and then exit by typing - CTRL-X - CTRL-C. Alternatively, use the menus. + Save the file by typing CTRL-X + CTRL-S and then exit by typing + CTRL-X + CTRL-C. Alternatively, use the menus.

      - Make sure that you do not add + Make sure that you do not add any lines like the following

      @@ -243,11 +242,11 @@
               

       [oracle ~]$ exit
    • - Log back in as oracle and double + Log back in as oracle and double check that your environment variables are as intended. The - env command lists all of the + env command lists all of the variables that are set in your environment, and - grep shows you just the lines + grep shows you just the lines you want (those with ORA in it).

      @@ -264,47 +263,47 @@
       ORA_NLS33=/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/ocommon/nls/admin/data

      If not, try adding the files to - ~/.bashrc instead of - .bash_profile. Then logout and + ~/.bashrc instead of + .bash_profile. Then logout and log back in again. Also, be certain you are doing - su - oracle and not just - su oracle. The - - means that - .bashrc and - .bash_profile will be + su - oracle and not just + su oracle. The + - means that + .bashrc and + .bash_profile will be evaluated.

      - Make sure that /bin, - /usr/bin, and - /usr/local/bin are in your path + Make sure that /bin, + /usr/bin, and + /usr/local/bin are in your path by typing:

       [oracle ~]$ echo $PATH
       /bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/oracle/bin:/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/bin

      If they are not, then add them to the - .bash_profile by changing the + .bash_profile by changing the PATH statement above to - PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin:$ORACLE_HOME/bin + PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin:$ORACLE_HOME/bin -

    Installing Oracle 8.1.7 Server

    • - Log in as oracle and +

    Installing Oracle 8.1.7 Server

    • + Log in as oracle and start X if not already running. Start a new terminal:

       [joeuser ~]$ xhost +localhost
       [joeuser ~]$ su - oracle
       Password: **********
       [oracle ~]$ export DISPLAY=localhost:0.0
    • - Find the runInstaller script + Find the runInstaller script

      • If you are installing Oracle from a CD-ROM, it is located in - the install/linux path from + the install/linux path from the cd-rom mount point

        @@ -314,7 +313,7 @@
         [oracle ~]$ cd /mnt/cdrom
      • If you are installing from the tarball, the install script is - located in the Oracle8iR2 + located in the Oracle8iR2 directory that was created when you expanded the archive.

        @@ -327,7 +326,7 @@
         doc  index.htm  install  runInstaller  stage  starterdb

        If you don't see - runInstaller, you are in the + runInstaller, you are in the wrong directory.

      • @@ -339,72 +338,72 @@ A window will open that welcomes you to the 'Oracle Universal Installer' (OUI). Click on - "Next" + "Next"

        Note

        Some people have had trouble with this step on RedHat 7.3 and 8.0. If so, try the following steps before calling - ./runInstaller: + ./runInstaller:

        1. Execute the following command: - /usr/i386-glibc21-linux/bin/i386-glibc21-linux-env.sh + /usr/i386-glibc21-linux/bin/i386-glibc21-linux-env.sh

        2. - Type export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.5 + Type export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.5

      • - The "File Locations" screen in the OUI: + The "File Locations" screen in the OUI:

        • - "Source" path should have been - prefilled with "(wherever you mounted the - CDROM)/stage/products.jar" + "Source" path should have been + prefilled with "(wherever you mounted the + CDROM)/stage/products.jar"

        • - "destination" path says - "/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7" + "destination" path says + "/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7"

          If the destination is not correct it is because your environment variables are not set properly. Make sure you - logged on as oracle using - su - oracle. If so, edit the - ~/.bash_profile as you - did in Section�, “Pre-Installation Tasks” + logged on as oracle using + su - oracle. If so, edit the + ~/.bash_profile as you + did in the section called “Pre-Installation Tasks”

        • - Click "Next" (a pop up window will display Loading + Click "Next" (a pop up window will display Loading Product information).

      • - The "Unix Group Name" screen in the OUI: + The "Unix Group Name" screen in the OUI:

        • The Unix Group name needs to be set to - 'oinstall' ( we made + 'oinstall' ( we made this Unix group earlier ).

        • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

        • A popup window appears instantly, requesting you to run a script as root: -

          • +

            • Debian users need to link - /bin/awk to - /usr/bin/awk before + /bin/awk to + /usr/bin/awk before running the script below

               [joueser ~]$ su -
              @@ -419,119 +418,119 @@
               [root ~]# mkdir -p /usr/local/java
               [root ~]# exit
               [joeuser ~]$ exit
            • - Click "Retry" + Click "Retry"

          • - The "Available Products" screen in the OUI: + The "Available Products" screen in the OUI:

            • - Select "Oracle 8i Enterprise Edition 8.1.7.1.0" + Select "Oracle 8i Enterprise Edition 8.1.7.1.0"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Installation Types" screen + The "Installation Types" screen

            • - Select the "Custom" installation type. + Select the "Custom" installation type.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Available Product Components" screen + The "Available Product Components" screen

            • - In addition to the defaults, make sure that "Oracle SQLJ - 8.1.7.0," "Oracle Protocol Support 8.1.7.0.0," and - "Linux Documentation 8.1.7.0.0" are also checked. + In addition to the defaults, make sure that "Oracle SQLJ + 8.1.7.0," "Oracle Protocol Support 8.1.7.0.0," and + "Linux Documentation 8.1.7.0.0" are also checked.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

            • A progress bar will appear for about 1 minute.

          • - The "Component Locations" screen in the OUI + The "Component Locations" screen in the OUI

            • - Click on the "Java Runtime Environment 1.1.8" It + Click on the "Java Runtime Environment 1.1.8" It should have the path - "/ora8/m01/app/oracle/jre/1.1.8" + "/ora8/m01/app/oracle/jre/1.1.8"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

            • A progress bar will appear for about 1 minute.

          • - The "Privileged Operation System Groups" screen in the + The "Privileged Operation System Groups" screen in the OUI

            • - Enter "dba" for "Database Administrator - (OSDBA) Group" + Enter "dba" for "Database Administrator + (OSDBA) Group"

            • - Enter "dba" for the "Database Operator - (OSOPER) Group" + Enter "dba" for the "Database Operator + (OSOPER) Group"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

            • A progress bar will appear for about 1 minute.

          • - The "Authentication Methods" screen + The "Authentication Methods" screen

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The next screen is "Choose JDK home directory" + The next screen is "Choose JDK home directory"

            • - Keep the default path: /usr/local/java + Keep the default path: /usr/local/java

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Create a Database" screen in the OUI + The "Create a Database" screen in the OUI

            • - Select "No" as we will do this later, after some + Select "No" as we will do this later, after some important configuration changes.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The next screen is "Oracle Product Support" + The next screen is "Oracle Product Support"

            • - TCP should be checked with "Status" listed as + TCP should be checked with "Status" listed as Required

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Summary" screen in the OUI + The "Summary" screen in the OUI

            • - Check the "Space Requirements" section to verify + Check the "Space Requirements" section to verify you have enough disk space for the install.

            • - Check that "(144 products)" is in the "New - Installations" section title. + Check that "(144 products)" is in the "New + Installations" section title.

            • - Click "Install" + Click "Install"

            • A progress bar will appear for about 20 - 30 minutes. Now is a good time to take a break.

            • - A "Setup Privileges" window will popup towards the + A "Setup Privileges" window will popup towards the end of the installation asking you to run a script as - root + root

            • Run the script. Switch to the oracle user first to set the environment appropriately and then do - su to get root privileges, while keeping + su to get root privileges, while keeping the oracle user's enviroment.

               [joeuser ~]$ su - oracle
              @@ -552,7 +551,7 @@
               
               Enter the full pathname of the local bin directory: [/usr/local/bin]: 
               
              -Press ENTER here to accept default of /usr/local/bin
              +Press ENTER here to accept default of /usr/local/bin
                     
               
               Creating /etc/oratab file...
              @@ -570,93 +569,93 @@
                           

             [root ~]# exit
             [joeuser ~]$ exit
          • - Go back to the pop-up window and click "OK" + Go back to the pop-up window and click "OK"

          • - The "Configuration Tools" screen in the OUI + The "Configuration Tools" screen in the OUI

            • This window displays the config tools that will automatically be launched.

          • - The "Welcome" screen in the "net 8 Configuration - Assistant" + The "Welcome" screen in the "net 8 Configuration + Assistant"

            • - Make sure the "Perform Typical installation" is - not selected. + Make sure the "Perform Typical installation" is + not selected.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

            • - The "Directory Service Access" screen in the - "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Directory Service Access" screen in the + "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • - Select "No" + Select "No"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Listener Configuration, Listener Name" screen in - the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Listener Configuration, Listener Name" screen in + the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • - Accept the default listener name of "LISTENER" + Accept the default listener name of "LISTENER"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Listener Configuration, Select - Protocols" screen in the "Net 8 Configuration - Assistant" + The "Listener Configuration, Select + Protocols" screen in the "Net 8 Configuration + Assistant"

            • - The only choice in "Select protocols:" should be - "TCP/IP" + The only choice in "Select protocols:" should be + "TCP/IP"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Listener Configuration TCP/IP Protocol" screen in - the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Listener Configuration TCP/IP Protocol" screen in + the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • Default Port should be 1521 and selected.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Listener Configuration, More Listeners" screen in - the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Listener Configuration, More Listeners" screen in + the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • - Select "No" + Select "No"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Listener Configuration Done" screen in the - "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Listener Configuration Done" screen in the + "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Naming Methods Configuration" screen - in the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant" + The "Naming Methods Configuration" screen + in the "Net 8 Configuration Assistant"

            • - Select "No" + Select "No"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Done" screen in the "Net 8 Configuration - Assistant" + The "Done" screen in the "Net 8 Configuration + Assistant"

            • - Click "Finish" + Click "Finish"

          • - The "End of Installation" screen in the OUI + The "End of Installation" screen in the OUI

            • - Click "Exit" + Click "Exit"

            • - Click "Yes" on the confirmation pop up window. + Click "Yes" on the confirmation pop up window.

            • The Oracle Universal Installer window should have disappeared!

          Congratulations, you have just installed Oracle 8.1.7 Server! However, you still need to create a database which can take about an hour of non-interactive time, so don't quit yet. -

        Creating the First Database

        +

        Creating the First Database

        This step will take you through the steps of creating a customized database. Be warned that this process takes about an hour on a Pentium II with 128 MB of RAM. -

        Note

        RedHat 7.3 and 8.0 users: Before running dbassist, do the following.

        1. +

          Note

          RedHat 7.3 and 8.0 users: Before running dbassist, do the following.

          1. Download the glibc - patch from Oracle Technet into /var/tmp. + patch from Oracle Technet into /var/tmp.

          2. cd $ORACLE_HOME

          3. @@ -665,165 +664,165 @@ ./setup_stubs

          • Make sure you are running X. Open up a terminal and - su to oracle and then run the - dbassist program. + su to oracle and then run the + dbassist program.

             [joeuser ~]$ xhost +localhost
             [joeuser ~]$ su - oracle
             Password: *********
             [oracle ~]$ export DISPLAY=localhost:0.0
             [oracle ~]$ dbassist
          • - The "Welcome" screen in the Oracle Database + The "Welcome" screen in the Oracle Database Configuration Agent (ODCA)

            • - Select "Create a database" + Select "Create a database"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Select database type" screen in the ODCA + The "Select database type" screen in the ODCA

            • - Select "Custom" + Select "Custom"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "Primary Database Type" window in ODCA + The "Primary Database Type" window in ODCA

            • - Select "Multipurpose" + Select "Multipurpose"

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - The "concurrent users" screen of the ODCA + The "concurrent users" screen of the ODCA

            • - Select "60" concurrent users. + Select "60" concurrent users.

            • - Click "Next" + Click "Next"

          • - Select "Dedicated Server - Mode", click - "Next" + Select "Dedicated Server + Mode", click + "Next"

          • Accept all of the options, and click - Next Oracle Visual + Next Oracle Visual Information Retrieval may be grayed out. If so, you can ignore it; just make sure that everything else is checked.

          • - For "Global Database Name", enter - "ora8"; for - "SID", also enter - "ora8" (it should do - this automatically). Click "Change - Character Set and select - UTF8. Click - "Next". + For "Global Database Name", enter + "ora8"; for + "SID", also enter + "ora8" (it should do + this automatically). Click "Change + Character Set and select + UTF8. Click + "Next".

          • Accept the defaults for the next screen (control file location). Click - "Next" + "Next"

          • - Go to the "temporary" and - "rollback" tabs, and change the Size + Go to the "temporary" and + "rollback" tabs, and change the Size (upper-right text box) to - 150MB. Click - "Next" + 150MB. Click + "Next"

          • Increase the redo log sizes to - 10000K each. Click - "Next" + 10000K each. Click + "Next"

          • Use the default checkpoint interval & timeout. Click - "Next" + "Next"

          • - Increase "Processes" - to 100; - "Block Size" to - 4096 (better for small Linux + Increase "Processes" + to 100; + "Block Size" to + 4096 (better for small Linux boxes; use 8192 for a big Solaris machine).

          • Accept the defaults for the Trace File Directory. Click - "Next" + "Next"

          • - Finally, select "Save information to a shell - script" and click - "Finish" (We're + Finally, select "Save information to a shell + script" and click + "Finish" (We're going to examine the contents of this file before creating our database.)

          • - Click the "Save" + Click the "Save" button. Oracle will automatically save it to the correct directory and with the correct file name. This will likely be - /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca/jlib/sqlora8.sh + /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca/jlib/sqlora8.sh

          • It will alert you that the script has been saved successfully.

          • Now we need to customize the database configuration a bit. While - still logged on as oracle, edit + still logged on as oracle, edit the database initialization script (run when the db loads). The scripts are kept in - $ORACLE_HOME/dbs and the name of + $ORACLE_HOME/dbs and the name of the script is usually - initSID.ora + initSID.ora where SID is the SID of your database. Assuming your - $ORACLE_HOME matches our default + $ORACLE_HOME matches our default of - /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7, + /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7, the following will open the file for editing.

             [oracle ~]$ emacs /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/dbs/initora8.ora
          • Add the following line to the end:

            -nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"
          • - Now find the open_cursors line +nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"

          • + Now find the open_cursors line in the file. If you're using - emacs scroll up to the top of - the buffer and do CTRL-S and - type open_cursors to find the - line. The default is 100. Change - it to 500. + emacs scroll up to the top of + the buffer and do CTRL-S and + type open_cursors to find the + line. The default is 100. Change + it to 500.

             open_cursors = 500
          • - Save the file. In emacs, do CTRL-X - CTRL-S to save followed by - CTRL-X CTRL-C to exit or use + Save the file. In emacs, do CTRL-X + CTRL-S to save followed by + CTRL-X CTRL-C to exit or use the menu.

          • At this point, you are ready to initiate database creation. We recommend shutting down X to free up some RAM unless you have 256 MB of RAM or more. You can do this quickly by doing a - CRTL-ALT-BACKSPACE, but make + CRTL-ALT-BACKSPACE, but make sure you have saved any files you were editing. You should now be returned to a text shell prompt. If you get sent to a graphical login screen instead, switch to a virtual console by doing - CRTL-ALT-F1. Then login as - oracle. + CRTL-ALT-F1. Then login as + oracle.

          • Change to the directory where the database creation script is and run it:

             [oracle ~]$ cd /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca/jlib
             oracle:/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca/jlib$ ./sqlora8.sh

            In some instances, Oracle will save the file to - /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca + /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/assistants/dbca Try running the script there if your first attempt does not succeed.

          • Your database will now be built. It will take > 1 hour - no fooling. You will see lots of errors scroll by (like: - "ORA-01432: public synonym to be dropped does not - exist") Fear not, this is normal. + "ORA-01432: public synonym to be dropped does not + exist") Fear not, this is normal.

            Eventually, you'll be returned to your shell prompt. In the meantime, relax, you've earned it. -

        Acceptance Test

        +

    Acceptance Test

    For this step, open up a terminal and - su to - oracle as usual. You should be + su to + oracle as usual. You should be running X and Netscape (or other web browser) for this phase.

    • - You need to download the "Oracle Acceptance Test" file. + You need to download the "Oracle Acceptance Test" file. It's available here and at http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/oracle/acceptance-sql.txt. - Save the file to /var/tmp + Save the file to /var/tmp

    • In the oracle shell, copy the file.

      @@ -832,15 +831,15 @@
                 your term and type the following:
               

       [oracle ~]$ sqlplus system/manager

      - SQL*Plus should startup. If you get an ORA-01034: - Oracle not Available error, it is because your + SQL*Plus should startup. If you get an ORA-01034: + Oracle not Available error, it is because your Oracle instance is not running. You can manually start it as - the oracle user.

      +          the oracle user.

       [oracle ~]$ svrmgrl
       SVRMGR> connect internal
       SVRMGR> startup
    • Now that you're into SQL*Plus, change the default passwords - for system, sys, and ctxsys to "alexisahunk" (or to + for system, sys, and ctxsys to "alexisahunk" (or to something you'll remember):

       SQL> alter user system identified by alexisahunk;
      @@ -850,7 +849,7 @@
               

       SQL> select sysdate from dual;

      If you don't see a date that fits the format - YYYY-MM-DD, please read Section�, “Troubleshooting Oracle Dates”. + YYYY-MM-DD, please read the section called “Troubleshooting Oracle Dates”.

    • At this point we are going to hammer your database with an intense acceptance test. This usually takes around 30 minutes. @@ -865,76 +864,76 @@ 2000-06-10 SQL>

      - Many people encounter an error regarding maximum - key length: + Many people encounter an error regarding maximum + key length:

       ERROR at line 1:
       ORA-01450: maximum key length (758) exceeded

      This error occurs if your database block size is wrong and is usually suffered by people trying to load OpenACS into a pre-existing database. Unfortunately, the only solution is to create a new database with a block size of at least - 4096. For instructions on how to - do this, see Section�, “Creating the First Database” above. You + 4096. For instructions on how to + do this, see the section called “Creating the First Database” above. You can set the parameter using the - dbassist program or by setting - the DB_BLOCK_SIZE parameter in + dbassist program or by setting + the DB_BLOCK_SIZE parameter in your database's creation script.

      If there were no errors, then consider yourself fortunate. Your Oracle installation is working. -

    Automating Startup & Shutdown

    +

    Automating Startup & Shutdown

    You will want to automate the database startup and shutdown process. It's probably best to have Oracle spring to life when you boot up your machine.

    • Oracle includes a script called - dbstart that can be used to + dbstart that can be used to automatically start the database. Unfortunately, the script shipped in the Linux distribution does not work out of the box. The fix is simple. Follow these directions to apply it. First, save dbstart to - /var/tmp. Then, as - oracle, do the following: + /var/tmp. Then, as + oracle, do the following:

       [oracle ~]$ cp /var/tmp/dbstart.txt /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/bin/dbstart 
       [oracle ~]$ chmod 755 /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/bin/dbstart
    • While you're logged in as - oracle, you should configure the - oratab file to load your + oracle, you should configure the + oratab file to load your database at start. Edit the file - /etc/oratab: + /etc/oratab:

      • You will see this line.

         ora8:/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7:N

        By the way, if you changed the service name or have multiple databases, the format of this file is:

        - service_name:$ORACLE_HOME:Y || N - (for autoload) + service_name:$ORACLE_HOME:Y || N + (for autoload)

      • - Change the last letter from "N" to - "Y". This tells Oracle that you want the database + Change the last letter from "N" to + "Y". This tells Oracle that you want the database to start when the machine boots. It should look like this.

         ora8:/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7:Y
      • Save the file & quit the terminal.

    • You need a script to automate startup and shutdown. Save oracle8i.txt in - /var/tmp. Then login as - root and install the + /var/tmp. Then login as + root and install the script. (Debian users: substitute - /etc/init.d for - /etc/rc.d/init.d throughout + /etc/init.d for + /etc/rc.d/init.d throughout this section)

       [oracle ~]$ su -
       [root ~]# cp /var/tmp/oracle8i.txt /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i
       [root ~]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i
       [root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i
    • Test the script by typing the following commands and checking the - output. (Debian Users: as root, do mkdir - /var/lock/subsys first) + output. (Debian Users: as root, do mkdir + /var/lock/subsys first)

       [root ~]# /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i stop
       Oracle 8i auto start/stop
      @@ -955,7 +954,7 @@
       ORACLE instance shut down.
       SVRMGR>
       Server Manager complete.
      -Database "ora8" shut down.
      +Database "ora8" shut down.
             
       [root ~]# /etc/rc.d/init.d/oracle8i start
       Oracle 8i auto start/stop
      @@ -976,9 +975,9 @@
       Database opened.
       SQL> Disconnected
       
      -Database "ora8" warm started.
      +Database "ora8" warm started.
       
      -Database "ora8" warm started.
    • +Database "ora8" warm started.

    • If it worked, then run these commands to make the startup and shutdown automatic.

      • Red Hat users:

        @@ -1043,7 +1042,7 @@
                   and full site search.
                 

        Download these three scripts into - /var/tmp + /var/tmp

        Now issue the following commands (still as - root). + root).

         [root ~]# su - oracle
         [oracle ~]$ cp /var/tmp/startlsnr.txt /ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7/bin/startlsnr
        @@ -1112,8 +1111,8 @@
                   normally. Login into the database using the listener naming
                   convention.
                 

        - sqlplus - username/password/@SID + sqlplus + username/password/@SID

         [root ~]# su - oracle
         [oracle ~]$ sqlplus system/alexisahunk@ora8
        @@ -1127,15 +1126,15 @@
         SQL> exit
         [oracle ~]$ exit
         [root ~]#
        • RedHat users:

          - Now run chkconfig on the - listener8i script. + Now run chkconfig on the + listener8i script.

           [root ~]# cd /etc/rc.d/init.d/
           root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# chkconfig --add listener8i
           root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# chkconfig --list listener8i
           listener8i      0:off   1:off   2:off   3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off
        • Debian users:

          - Now run update-rc.d on the - listener8i script. + Now run update-rc.d on the + listener8i script.

           [root ~]# update-rc.d listener8i defaults 21 19
            Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/listener8i ...
          @@ -1160,30 +1159,30 @@
           SQL> exit

        Congratulations, your installation of Oracle 8.1.7 is complete. -

      Troubleshooting Oracle Dates

      +

      Troubleshooting Oracle Dates

      Oracle has an internal representation for storing the data based on the number of seconds elapsed since some date. However, for the purposes of inputing dates into Oracle and getting them back out, Oracle needs to be told to use a specific date format. By default, it uses an Oracle-specific format which isn't copacetic. You want Oracle to use the ANSI-compliant date format which is of form - 'YYYY-MM-DD'. + 'YYYY-MM-DD'.

      To fix this, you should include the following line in - $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initSID.ora + $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initSID.ora or for the default case, - $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initora8.ora + $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initora8.ora

      -nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"

      +nls_date_format = "YYYY-MM-DD"

      You test whether this solved the problem by firing up - sqlplus and typing: + sqlplus and typing:

       SQL> select sysdate from dual;

      You should see back a date like - 2000-06-02. If some of the date is - chopped off, i.e. like 2000-06-0, + 2000-06-02. If some of the date is + chopped off, i.e. like 2000-06-0, everything is still fine. The problem here is that - sqlplus is simply truncating the + sqlplus is simply truncating the output. You can fix this by typing:

       SQL> column sysdate format a15
      @@ -1210,13 +1209,13 @@
             Setting this environment variable will override the date
             setting. Either delete this line and login again or add the following
             entry to your login scripts after the
      -      nls_lang line:
      +      nls_lang line:
           

       export nls_date_format = 'YYYY-MM-DD'

      Log back in again. If adding the - nls_date_format line doesn't + nls_date_format line doesn't help, you can ask for advice in our OpenACS forums. -

      Useful Procedures

      • +

      Useful Procedures

      • Dropping a tablespace

        • Run sqlplus as the dba: @@ -1233,9 +1232,9 @@

           SQL> drop tablespace table_space_name including contents cascade constraints;

      For more information on Oracle, please consult the documentation. -

      Defaults

      We used the following defaults while installing Oracle.

      VariableValueReason
      ORACLE_HOME/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7This is the default Oracle installation directory.
      ORACLE_SERVICEora8The service name is a domain-qualified identifier for +

      Defaults

      We used the following defaults while installing Oracle.

      VariableValueReason
      ORACLE_HOME/ora8/m01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7This is the default Oracle installation directory.
      ORACLE_SERVICEora8The service name is a domain-qualified identifier for your Oracle server.
      ORACLE_SIDora8This is an identifier for your Oracle server.
      ORACLE_OWNERoracleThe user who owns all of the oracle files.
      ORACLE_GROUPdbaThe special oracle group. Users in the dba group are - authorized to do a connect - internal within - svrmgrl to gain full system + authorized to do a connect + internal within + svrmgrl to gain full system access to the Oracle system.
      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-install.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-install.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-install.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-install.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Linux Install Guides

      Linux Install Guides

      +Linux Install Guides

      Linux Install Guides

      Here's a list of some helpful documentation for various OS's

      • Painless Debian Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-security.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-security.html,v diff -u -r1.11.2.1 -r1.11.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-security.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.11.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/os-security.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.11.2.2 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Security Information

        Security Information

        +Security Information

        Security Information

        Once you get your OS installed, it's imperative that you secure your - installation. As Jon Griffin repeatedly warns us, "No distribution is - secure out of the box." The Reference Platform implements + installation. As Jon Griffin repeatedly warns us, "No distribution is + secure out of the box." The Reference Platform implements some basic precautions, but security is a process, not a condition. If you are responsible for a computer hooked to the internet, you are responsible for learning some rudiments of Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/packages.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/packages.html,v diff -u -r1.44.2.2 -r1.44.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/packages.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.44.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/packages.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.44.2.3 @@ -1,19 +1,18 @@ - -OpenACS Packages

        OpenACS Packages

        By Pete Su and Bryan Quinn

        +OpenACS Packages

        OpenACS Packages

        By Pete Su and Bryan Quinn

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

        Overview

        +

        Overview

        This document is a guide on how to write a software package for OpenACS. OpenACS packages are installed and maintained with the OpenACS Package Manager (APM) which is part of the acs-admin package. This document presents reasons for packaging software, conventions for the file system and naming that must be followed, and step by step instructions for creating a new - package for the "Notes" example package. -

        Server file layout

        + package for the "Notes" example package. +

        Server file layout

        Here is how an OpenACS 5 server is laid out starting from the Server root (ROOT): -

        Figure�11.1.�Server file layout diagram

        +    

        Figure�11.1.�Server file layout diagram

         ROOT/
             bin/
                 Various executables and scripts for server maintanence.
        @@ -31,7 +30,7 @@
             tcl/
                 bootstrap code
             www/
        -        Pages not in packages (static content, customized pages)

        What a Package Looks Like

        + Pages not in packages (static content, customized pages)


        What a Package Looks Like

        Each package encapsulates all of its data model, library code, logic, adminstration pages and user pages in a single part of the file tree. This means developers can track down @@ -50,8 +49,8 @@

        To illustrate the general structure of a package, let's see what the - package for the "notes" application should look like. -

        Figure�11.2.�Package file layout diagram

        +      package for the "notes" application should look like.
        +    

        Figure�11.2.�Package file layout diagram

         ROOT/
           +-- packages/    APM Root
                 |
        @@ -108,38 +107,42 @@
                 |     |     +-- *.adp                             UI Templates
                 |     |     +-- *-oracle.xql                      Oracle-specific Queries
                 |     |     +-- *-postgresql.xql                  PostgreSQL-specific Queries
        -        +-- Other package directories.

        + +-- Other package directories.


        All file locations are relative to the package root, which in this - case is ROOT/packages/notes. The following table + case is ROOT/packages/notes. The following table describes in detail what each of the files up in the diagram contain.

        A special note on the - PACKAGE-KEY/www/resources + PACKAGE-KEY/www/resources directory. Files in this directory are available at - http://yourserver/resources/PACKAGE-KEY/... + http://yourserver/resources/PACKAGE-KEY/... and are returned without any permissions checking or even checks that the package is installed or mounted. Files are returned directly, so .tcl or .adp files are not sourced in these directories. This makes it suitable for storing icons, css files, javascript, and other static content which can be treated this way. -

        Table�11.1.�Package files

        File TypeIts UseNaming Convention
        Package Specification FileThe package specification file is an XML file generated and +

        Table�11.1.�Package files

        File TypeIts UseNaming Convention
        Package Specification FileThe package specification file is an XML file generated and maintained by the OpenACS Package Manager (APM). It specifies information about the package including its parameters and its - files.notes.info
        Data Model Creation Script + files.notes.info
        Data Model Creation Script Contains the SQL that creates the necessary data model and PL/SQL packages (or PL/pgSQL or whatever) to support the package. The name must match the convention below or the package will not be installed correctly. Notice that the script must be under the appropriate directory for the database you are developing your package for (hopefully all OpenACS-supported databases :-)) - sql/<database>/notes-create.sql
        Data Model Drop ScriptContains the SQL that removes the data model and PL/SQL + + sql/<database>/notes-create.sql +
        Data Model Drop ScriptContains the SQL that removes the data model and PL/SQL packages generated by the creation script. The name must match the convention below or the package will not be installed correctly. - sql/<database>/notes-drop.sql
        Data Model FileAny .sql file that does not match the naming convention above + + sql/<database>/notes-drop.sql +
        Data Model FileAny .sql file that does not match the naming convention above is recognized as a data model file. It is useful to separate the SQL in the creation and drop scripts into several files and then have the scripts source the other data model @@ -148,68 +151,80 @@ scripts. See the Oracle FAQ for examples. In PostgreSQL the same is acomplished by including \i filename. - sql/<database>/*.sql
        Data Model Upgrade Scripts + + sql/<database>/*.sql +
        Data Model Upgrade Scripts Contain changes to the data model between versions. The APM can automatically load the appropriate upgrade scripts when upgrading to a new version of a package. - sql/<database>/upgrade/upgrade-<old>-<new>.sql
        + + sql/<database>/upgrade/upgrade-<old>-<new>.sql +
        SQL92 Query Files Files with queries that are supported by all databases. These are usually SQL92 queries. Notice that the .xql filename must match the name of the .tcl file that uses those queries. - + + *.xql -
        + +
        Oracle-specific Query Files Files with queries that are Oracle-specific. Notice that the .xql filename must match the name of the .tcl file that uses those queries. - + + *-oracle.xql -
        + +
        PostgreSQL-specific Query Files Files with queries that are PostgreSQL-specific. Notice that the .xql filename must match the name of the .tcl file that uses those queries. - + + *-postgresql.xql -
        Tcl Library Files + +
        Tcl Library Files The Tcl library files include a set of procedures that provide an application programming interface (API) for the package to utilize. - tcl/notes-procs.tcl
        Tcl InitializationThe initialization files are used to run Tcl procedures that + tcl/notes-procs.tcl
        Tcl InitializationThe initialization files are used to run Tcl procedures that should only be sourced once on startup. Examples of statements to put here are registered filters or procedures. Tcl initialization files are sourced once on server startup after all of the Tcl library files are sourced. - tcl/notes-init.tcl
        Administration UIThe administration UI is used to administer the instances of + + tcl/notes-init.tcl +
        Administration UIThe administration UI is used to administer the instances of the package. For example, the forums administration UI is used to create new forums, moderate postings, and create new - categories for forums postings.www/admin/*
        Administration UI Index PageEvery package administration UI must have an index page. In - most cases, this is index.tcl but it can be - any file with the name index, such as - index.html or index.adp.www/admin/index.tcl
        Regression TestsEvery package should have a set of regression tests that + categories for forums postings.www/admin/*
        Administration UI Index PageEvery package administration UI must have an index page. In + most cases, this is index.tcl but it can be + any file with the name index, such as + index.html or index.adp.www/admin/index.tcl
        Regression TestsEvery package should have a set of regression tests that verify that it is in working operation. These tests should be able to be run at any time after the package has been installed and report helpful error messages when there is - a fault in the system.www/admin/tests/
        Regression Test Index PageThe regression test directory must have an index page that + a fault in the system.www/admin/tests/
        Regression Test Index PageThe regression test directory must have an index page that displays all of the tests available and provides information on how to run them. This file can have any extension, as long - as its name is index.www/admin/tests/index.html
        DocumentationEvery package must include a full set of documentation that + as its name is index.www/admin/tests/index.html
        DocumentationEvery package must include a full set of documentation that includes requirements and design documents, and user-level and - developer-level documentation where appropriate.www/doc/
        Documentation Index PageThe documentation directory must include a static HTML file with the name - of index.html.www/doc/index.html
        UI Logic ScriptsPackages provide a UI for users to access the system. The UI + developer-level documentation where appropriate.www/doc/
        Documentation Index PageThe documentation directory must include a static HTML file with the name + of index.html.www/doc/index.html
        UI Logic ScriptsPackages provide a UI for users to access the system. The UI is split into Logic and Templates. The logic scripts perform database queries and prepare variables for - presentation by the associated templates.www/*.tcl
        UI TemplatesTemplates are used to control the presentation of the UI. + presentation by the associated templates.www/*.tcl
        UI TemplatesTemplates are used to control the presentation of the UI. Templates receive a set of data sources from the logic scripts - and prepare them for display to the browser.www/*.adp
        UI Index PageThe UI must have an index page composed of a logic script - called index.tcl and a template called - index.adp.www/index.tcl

        The APM

        + and prepare them for display to the browser.

        www/*.adp
        UI Index PageThe UI must have an index page composed of a logic script + called index.tcl and a template called + index.adp.www/index.tcl

        The APM

        The APM is used to create, maintain, and install packages. It takes care of copying all of the files and registering the package in the system. The APM is responsible for: @@ -237,7 +252,7 @@

        We will also discuss how to organize your files and queries so they work with the OpenACS Query Dispatcher. -

        Making a Package

        +

        Making a Package

        Here is how you make a package.

        1. Login as a site-wide administrator on your web service.

        2. Go to the package manager on your server. The URL is /acs-admin/apm. @@ -252,27 +267,27 @@ distinguish it from all the others. It is used as a database key to keep track of the package and as the name of the directory in the file system where all the files related to your package will live. Example - package keys in the current system include: forums, - acs-kernel and so on. For the example application, we - will use the package key notes. + package keys in the current system include: forums, + acs-kernel and so on. For the example application, we + will use the package key notes.

          Package Name

          This is a short human readable name for your package. For our example, - we will use the name "Notes". + we will use the name "Notes".

          Package Plural

          If your package name is a nice singular noun, this should be the plural form of it. I assume the plural form is used when multiple instances of the package are used by a single service. We'll talk more about package instances later. Our example apllication doesn't really - have a good plural name. So just make it also be "Notes". + have a good plural name. So just make it also be "Notes".

          Package Type

          Generally we think of packages as either being applications, meaning that the package is meant primarily for use by end-users, or services meaning that the package is meant to be a reusable - library of code, to be used by other packages. forums is - a good example of an application, while acs-templating is + library of code, to be used by other packages. forums is + a good example of an application, while acs-templating is a good example of a service. Our example is an application, so pick that.

          Package URL @@ -288,48 +303,48 @@

          Summary and Description

          Enter a short summary and longer description of what the Notes - application will do. That is, something like "this application keeps - short textual notes in the database", and so on. + application will do. That is, something like "this application keeps + short textual notes in the database", and so on.

        -

      • Click the button "Create Package". +

      • Click the button "Create Package".

      • At this point, APM will create a directory called - ROOT/packages/notes. + ROOT/packages/notes.

      • The directory that APM created will be empty except for the - notes.info file. Create a file + notes.info file. Create a file called - ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-create.sql. We'll + ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-create.sql. We'll fill this file with our data model very soon. Create a file called - ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-drop.sql. This + ROOT/packages/notes/sql/oracle/notes-drop.sql. This will contain the instructions to drop the data model. To be complete, you would also create the PostgreSQL versions of these files as well in - ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-create.sql + ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-create.sql and - ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-drop.sql. + ROOT/packages/notes/sql/postgresql/notes-drop.sql.

        After you do this, go back to the main APM page. From there, - click the link called "notes" to go to the management - page for the new package. Now click the link called "Manage - file information", then the "Scan the - packages/notes directory for - additional files in this package" link on that page to scan + click the link called "notes" to go to the management + page for the new package. Now click the link called "Manage + file information", then the "Scan the + packages/notes directory for + additional files in this package" link on that page to scan the file system for new files. This will bring you do a page that lists all the files you just added and lets you add them to - the notes package. + the notes package.

        - Note that while the .sql files + Note that while the .sql files have been added to the packge, they have not been loaded into the database. For the purposes of development, you have to load the data model by hand, because while OpenACS has automatic mechanisms for loading and reloading - .tcl files for code, it does not + .tcl files for code, it does not do the same thing for data model files. -

      • Now go back to the main management page for the notes - If your package has parameters, create them using the "Manage - Parameter Information" link. Define package callbacks via the "Tcl Callbacks (install, - instantiate, mount)" link.

      • The new package has been created and installed in the server. At +

      • Now go back to the main management page for the notes + If your package has parameters, create them using the "Manage + Parameter Information" link. Define package callbacks via the "Tcl Callbacks (install, + instantiate, mount)" link.

      • The new package has been created and installed in the server. At this point, you should add your package files to your CVS repository. I'll assume that you have set up your development repository according to the standards described in @@ -342,18 +357,18 @@ % cd sql % cvs add *.sql % cd ROOT/packages/notes -% cvs commit -m "add new package for notes" +% cvs commit -m "add new package for notes"

      • Now you can start developing the package. In addition to writing code, you should also consider the tasks outlined in the package development tutorial. -

      The Site Map and Package Instances

      +

      The Site Map and Package Instances

      At this point, you are probably excited to see your new package in action. But, we haven't added any user visible pages yet. By convention, user visible pages go in the - ROOT/packages/notes/www directory. So go there and add a - file called hello.html with some text in it. Now we have + ROOT/packages/notes/www directory. So go there and add a + file called hello.html with some text in it. Now we have to make the user pages visible in the site. Since we didn't put the - pages underneath ROOT/www they will not appear on their + pages underneath ROOT/www they will not appear on their own. What we have to do is mount the application into the site map. That is, we have to define the URL from which the application will serve its pages. @@ -366,8 +381,8 @@ us to easily map package instances to URLs. As we said before, each instance of an application has its own set of parameters and runs from its own URL within the site. What this means is that even - though all the code for the notes application lives in - ROOT/packages/notes, the application itself can run from + though all the code for the notes application lives in + ROOT/packages/notes, the application itself can run from any number of locations in the site. This allows developers and administrators to build sites that look to the user like a collection of many indedendent applications that actually run on a single shared @@ -376,27 +391,27 @@ requested by the user at any given time. The page development tutorial shows you how to use this information in your user interface.

      - In order to make the new notes application visible to + In order to make the new notes application visible to users, we have to mount it in the site map. You do this by going to the Site Map page, which is by - default available at /acs-admin/site-map. Use the - interface here to add a new sub-folder called notes to - the root of the site, then click "new application" to mount a new - instance of the notes application to the site. Name the - new instance notes-1. + default available at /acs-admin/site-map. Use the + interface here to add a new sub-folder called notes to + the root of the site, then click "new application" to mount a new + instance of the notes application to the site. Name the + new instance notes-1.

      - Then type this URL into your browser: http://yourserver/notes/hello.html + Then type this URL into your browser: http://yourserver/notes/hello.html

      Now you should see the contents of the page that you added. What has - happened is that all URLs that start with /notes have + happened is that all URLs that start with /notes have been mapped in such a way as to serve content from the directory - ROOT/packages/notes/www. At this point, you can + ROOT/packages/notes/www. At this point, you can experiment with the site map by mounting multiple instances of the not yet written Notes application at various places in the site. In a later document, we'll see how to write your application so that the code can detect from what URL it was invoked. This is the key to supporting subsites. -

      Summary

      +

      Summary

      The APM performs the following tasks in an OpenACS site:

      • Manages creation, installation, and removal of packages from the @@ -411,4 +426,4 @@

      • Writes out package distribution files for other people to download and install. We'll cover this later. -

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/parties.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/parties.html,v diff -u -r1.44.2.2 -r1.44.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/parties.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.44.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/parties.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.44.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Parties in OpenACS

      Parties in OpenACS

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      +Parties in OpenACS

      Parties in OpenACS

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Introduction

      While many applications must deal with individuals and many applications +

      Introduction

      While many applications must deal with individuals and many applications must deal with groups, most applications must deal with individuals or groups. It is often the case with such applications that @@ -11,20 +10,20 @@ practical way to manage both. This concept is so mundane that there is no need to invent special terminology. This -supertype is called a "party".

      A classic example of the "party" supertype is evident +supertype is called a "party".

      A classic example of the "party" supertype is evident in address books. A typical address book might contain the address of a doctor, grocery store, and friend. The first field in an entry in the address book is not labeled a person or -company, but a "party". -

      The Data Model

      The parties developer guide begins with +company, but a "party". +

      The Data Model

      The parties developer guide begins with an introduction to the parties data model, since OpenACS -community applications likely require using it in some way.

      Parties

      The central table in the parties data model is the parties table itself. +community applications likely require using it in some way.

      Parties

      The central table in the parties data model is the parties table itself. Every party has exactly one row in this table. Every party has an optional unique email address and an optional url. A party is an acs object, so permissions may be granted and revoked on parties and auditing information is stored in the acs objects table.

       
      -
      +
       create table parties (
           party_id    not null
                   constraint parties_party_id_fk references
      @@ -34,54 +33,54 @@
                   constraint parties_email_un unique,
           url     varchar(200)
       );
      -
      +
       
      -

      The persons and -groups tables extend the -parties table. A row in the persons table represents the +

      The persons and +groups tables extend the +parties table. A row in the persons table represents the most generic form of individual modeled. An individual need not be known to the system as a user. A user is a further specialized form of an individual (discussed later). A row in the groups table represents the most generic form of group modeled, where a group is an aggregation of zero or more -individuals.

      Persons

      If a party is an individual then there will be a row in the persons table -containing first_names and -last_name +individuals.

      Persons

      If a party is an individual then there will be a row in the persons table +containing first_names and +last_name for that individual. The -primary key of the persons table (person_id) references the primary key of -the parties table (party_id), so that there is a corresponding row in the +primary key of the persons table (person_id) references the primary key of +the parties table (party_id), so that there is a corresponding row in the parties table when there is a row in the persons table.

       
      -create table persons (
      +create table persons (
           person_id   not null
                   constraint persons_person_id_fk
                   references parties (party_id)
                   constraint persons_person_id_pk primary key,
           first_names varchar(100) not null,
           last_name   varchar(100) not null
       );
      -
      +
       
      -

      Users

      The users table is a more -specialized form of persons table. A row -in users table represents an individual that has login access to the +

      Users

      The users table is a more +specialized form of persons table. A row +in users table represents an individual that has login access to the system. The primary key of the users table references the primary key of the persons table. This guarantees that if there is a row -in users table then there must be a -corresponding row in persons -and parties tables.

      Decomposing all the information +in users table then there must be a +corresponding row in persons +and parties tables.

      Decomposing all the information associated with a user into the four tables (acs_objects, parties, persons, users) has some immediate benefits. For instance, it is possible to remove access to a user from a live system by removing his entry from the users table, while leaving the rest of his information present (i.e. turning him from a user into a -person).

      Wherever possible the OpenACS data model references the persons or -parties table, not the users table. +person).

      Wherever possible the OpenACS data model references the persons or +parties table, not the users table. Developers should be careful to only reference the users table in situations where it is clear that the reference is to a user for all cases and not to any other individual for any case.

       
      -create table users (
      +create table users (
           user_id         not null
                       constraint users_user_id_fk
                       references persons (person_id)
      @@ -106,34 +105,34 @@
           password_question   varchar(1000),
           password_answer     varchar(1000)
       );
      -
      +
       
      -

      Groups

      The final piece of the parties data model is the groups data model. A +

      Groups

      The final piece of the parties data model is the groups data model. A group is a specialization of a party that represents an aggregation of zero or more other parties. The only extra information directly associated with a group (beyond that in the parties table) is the name of the group:

       
      -create table groups (
      +create table groups (
           group_id    not null
                   constraint groups_group_id_fk
                   references parties (party_id)
                   constraint groups_group_id_pk primary key,
           group_name  varchar(100) not null
       );
      -
      +
       
       

      There is another piece to the groups data model that records relations between parties and groups. -

      Group Relations

      Two types of group relations are represented in the data model: +

      Group Relations

      Two types of group relations are represented in the data model: membership relations and composite relations. The full range of sophisticated group structures that exist in the real world can be modelled in OpenACS by these two relationship types.

      Membership relations represent direct membership relation between parties and groups. A party may be -a "member" of a group. Direct membership relations are +a "member" of a group. Direct membership relations are common in administrative practices, and do not follow basic set theory rules. If A is a member of B, and B is a member of C, A is -not a member of C. Membership relations are not transitive. +not a member of C. Membership relations are not transitive.

      Composition relation represents composite relation between two groups. Composite relation is transitive. That is, it works like @@ -149,11 +148,11 @@ group that is a member of Greenpeace. Now, consider a multinational corporation (MC) that has a U.S. division and a Eurasian division. A member of either the U.S. or Eurasian division is automatically a member of the MC. In this -situation the U.S. and Eurasian divisions are "components" of +situation the U.S. and Eurasian divisions are "components" of the MC, i.e., membership is transitive with respect to composition. Furthermore, a member of a European (or other) office of the MC is automatically a member of the MC. -

      Group Membership

      Group memberships can be created and manipulated using the membership_rel +

      Group Membership

      Group memberships can be created and manipulated using the membership_rel package. Only one membership object can be created for a given group, party pair.

      @@ -166,7 +165,7 @@ member of a household (indirect membership) at a video rental store.

       
      -
      +
       # sql code
       create or replace package membership_rel
       as
      @@ -208,17 +207,17 @@
       end membership_rel;
       /
       show errors
      -
      +
       
      -

      Group Composition

      Composition relations can be created or destroyed using the +

      Group Composition

      Composition relations can be created or destroyed using the composition_rel package. The only restriction on compositions is that there cannot be a reference loop, i.e., a group cannot be a component of itself either directly or indirectly. This constraint is maintained for you by the API. So users do not see some random PL/SQL error message, do not give them the option to create a composition relation that would result in a circular reference.

       
      -
      +
       # sql code
       create or replace package composition_rel
       as
      @@ -239,88 +238,88 @@
       end composition_rel;
       /
       show errors
      -
      +
       
      -

      Views

      The parties data model does a reasonable job of representing many +

      Views

      The parties data model does a reasonable job of representing many of the situations one is likely to encounter when modeling organizational structures. We still need to be able to efficiently answer questions like -"what members are in this group and all of its components?", and -"of what groups is this party a member either directly or -indirectly?". Composition relations allow you to describe an arbitrary +"what members are in this group and all of its components?", and +"of what groups is this party a member either directly or +indirectly?". Composition relations allow you to describe an arbitrary Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) between a group and its components. For these reasons the party system provides a bunch of views that take advantage of the internal representation of group relations to answer questions like these -very quickly.

      The group_component_map +very quickly.

      The group_component_map view returns all the subcomponents of a group including components of -sub components and so forth. The container_id column is the group_id of the -group in which component_id is directly contained. This allows you to easily +sub components and so forth. The container_id column is the group_id of the +group in which component_id is directly contained. This allows you to easily distinguish whether a component is a direct component or an indirect -component. If a component is a direct component then group_id will be equal -to container_id. You can think of this view as having a primary key of -group_id, component_id, and container_id. The rel_id column points to the row -in acs_rels table that contains the relation object that relates component_id to -container_id. The rel_id might be useful for retrieving or updating standard +component. If a component is a direct component then group_id will be equal +to container_id. You can think of this view as having a primary key of +group_id, component_id, and container_id. The rel_id column points to the row +in acs_rels table that contains the relation object that relates component_id to +container_id. The rel_id might be useful for retrieving or updating standard auditing info for the relation.

       
      -create or replace view group_component_map
      +create or replace view group_component_map
       as select group_id, component_id, container_id, rel_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      The group_member_map view is similar to group_component_map except for membership relations. +

      The group_member_map view is similar to group_component_map except for membership relations. This view returns all membership relations regardless of membership state.

       
      -create or replace view group_member_map
      +create or replace view group_member_map
       as select group_id, member_id, container_id, rel_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      The group_approved_member_map -view is the same as group_member_map except +

      The group_approved_member_map +view is the same as group_member_map except it only returns entries that relate to approved members.

       
      -create or replace view group_approved_member_map
      +create or replace view group_approved_member_map
       as select group_id, member_id, container_id, rel_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      The group_distinct_member_map +

      The group_distinct_member_map view is a useful view if you do not care about the distinction between direct membership and indirect membership. It returns all members of a group including members of components --the transitive closure.

       
      -create or replace view group_distinct_member_map
      +create or replace view group_distinct_member_map
       as select group_id, member_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      The party_member_map view is the same as group_distinct_member_map, except it includes the +

      The party_member_map view is the same as group_distinct_member_map, except it includes the identity mapping. It maps from a party to the fully expanded list of parties represented by that party including the party itself. So if a party is an individual, this view will have exactly one mapping that is from that party to itself. If a view is a group containing three individuals, this view will have four rows for that party, one for each member, and one from the party to itself.

       
      -create or replace view party_member_map
      +create or replace view party_member_map
       as select party_id, member_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      The party_approved_member_map view is the same as party_member_map except that when it expands groups, it only +

      The party_approved_member_map view is the same as party_member_map except that when it expands groups, it only pays attention to approved members.

       
      -create or replace view party_approved_member_map
      +create or replace view party_approved_member_map
       as select party_id, member_id
       ...
      -
      +
       
      -

      Extending The Parties Data Model

      The parties data model can represent some fairly sophisticated real +

      Extending The Parties Data Model

      The parties data model can represent some fairly sophisticated real world situations. Still, it would be foolish to assume that this data model is sufficiently efficient for every application. This section describes some -of the more common ways to extend the parties data model.

      Specializing Users

      Some applications will want to collect more +of the more common ways to extend the parties data model.

      Specializing Users

      Some applications will want to collect more detailed information for people using the system. If there can be only one such piece of information per user, then it might make sense to create another type of individual that is a further specialization @@ -331,12 +330,12 @@ have a primary key that references the users table, thereby guaranteeing that each row in the chess_club_users table has a corresponding row in each of the users, persons, parties, and acs_objects tables. This child table could then -store any extra information relevant to the Chess Club community.

      Specializing Groups

      If one were to build an intranet application on top of the party +store any extra information relevant to the Chess Club community.

      Specializing Groups

      If one were to build an intranet application on top of the party system, it is likely that one would want to take advantage of the systems efficient representation of sophisticated organizational structures, but there would be much more specialized information associated with each group. In this case it would make sense to specialize the group party type into a -company party type in the same manner as Specializing Users.

      Specializing Membership Relations

      The final portion of the parties data model that is designed to be +company party type in the same manner as Specializing Users.

      Specializing Membership Relations

      The final portion of the parties data model that is designed to be extended is the membership relationship. Consider the intranet example again. It is likely that a membership in a company would have more information associated with it than a membership in an ordinary group. An obvious example Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-design.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,11 +1,10 @@ - -Permissions Design

      Permissions Design

      By John Prevost and Rafael H. Schloming

      +Permissions Design

      Permissions Design

      By John Prevost and Rafael H. Schloming

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Essentials

      Essentials

      Introduction

      The goal of the Permissions system is to provide generic means to both +

      Introduction

      The goal of the Permissions system is to provide generic means to both programmers and site administrators to designate operations (methods) as requiring permissions, and then to check, grant, or revoke permissions via a consistent interface. For example, we might decide that the transaction that @@ -22,66 +21,66 @@ those package objects on which a user has certain permissions.

      For site administrators and other authorized users, the Permissions UI provides a means to aggregate the primitive operations (methods) made available by the programmer into logical privileges (like read, write, and -admin) that can be granted and revoked.

      Historical Considerations

      In earlier versions of the OpenACS, permissions and access control was handled +admin) that can be granted and revoked.

      Historical Considerations

      In earlier versions of the OpenACS, permissions and access control was handled on a module-by-module basis, often even on a page-by-page basis. For example, a typical module might allow any registered user to access its pages read-only, but only allow members of a certain group to make changes. The way this group was determined also varied greatly between modules. Some modules -used "roles", while others did not. Other modules did all access +used "roles", while others did not. Other modules did all access control based simply on coded rules regarding who can act on a given database row based on the information in that row.

      Problems resulting from this piecemeal approach to permissions and access control were many, the two major ones being inconsistency, and repeated/redundant code. Thus the drive in OpenACS 4 to provide a unified, consistent permissions system that both programmers and administrators can -readily use.

      Competitive Analysis

      None available as of 10/2000.

      Design Tradeoffs

      The core of the permissions data model is quite simple. Unfortunately, the +readily use.

      Competitive Analysis

      None available as of 10/2000.

      Design Tradeoffs

      The core of the permissions data model is quite simple. Unfortunately, the hierarchical nature of default permissions entails quite a number of tree queries which could slow the system down. Since every page will have at least one permissions check, a number of views and auxiliary tables (de-normalizations of the data model) have been created to speed up access queries. As a consequence, speed of updates are decreased and requirements -for additional storage space increase.

      Data Model Discussion

      As described in section V., the core of the permissions data model is +for additional storage space increase.

      Data Model Discussion

      As described in section V., the core of the permissions data model is simple, though a number of views and auxiliary tables exist to ensure -adequate performance. The core model consists of five tables:

      acs_methods +adequate performance. The core model consists of five tables:

      acs_methods -

      The set of all defined methods.

      acs_privileges +

      The set of all defined methods.

      acs_privileges -

      The set of all defined privileges.

      acs_privilege_method_rules +

      The set of all defined privileges.

      acs_privilege_method_rules -

      A relation describing the set of methods directly -associated with each privilege.

      acs_privilege_hierarchy +

      A relation describing the set of methods directly +associated with each privilege.

      acs_privilege_hierarchy -

      A relation describing which privileges directly -"contain" other privileges.

      acs_permissions +

      A relation describing which privileges directly +"contain" other privileges.

      acs_permissions

      A table with one (party, object, privilege) -row for every privilege directly granted on any object in +row for every privilege directly granted on any object in the system - this is a denormalization of -acs_privilege_method_rules and -acs_privilege_hierarchy

      There are also a number of views to make it easier to ask specific +acs_privilege_method_rules and +acs_privilege_hierarchy

      There are also a number of views to make it easier to ask specific questions about permissions. For example, a number of the above tables -describe "direct" or explicit permissions. Inheritance and default +describe "direct" or explicit permissions. Inheritance and default values can, however, introduce permissions which are not directly specified. (For example, read access on a forum allows read access on all the messages in the forum.)

      The following views provide flattened versions of inherited -information:

      acs_privilege_method_map +information:

      acs_privilege_method_map

      Map of privileges to the methods they contain either directly or because -of another privilege which is included (at any depth).

      acs_object_grantee_priv_map +of another privilege which is included (at any depth).

      acs_object_grantee_priv_map

      Relation on (object, party, privilege) for -privileges from acs_privileges) granted directly on the object, or -on the context of the object (at any depth).

      acs_object_party_privilege_map +privileges from acs_privileges) granted directly on the object, or +on the context of the object (at any depth).

      acs_object_party_privilege_map

      Relation on (object, party, privilege) for -privileges directly from acs_object_grantee_priv_map or also because -a party is a member of a group (at any depth).

      acs_object_party_method_map +privileges directly from acs_object_grantee_priv_map or also because +a party is a member of a group (at any depth).

      acs_object_party_method_map

      Relation with every (object, party, method) -tuple implied by the above trees.

      In general, only acs_object_party_method_map +tuple implied by the above trees.

      In general, only acs_object_party_method_map should be used for queries from other modules. The other views are intermediate steps in building that query.

      The data model also includes two simple PL/SQL procedures -(acs_permission.grant_permission and -acs_permission.revoke_permission) for granting and revoking a +(acs_permission.grant_permission and +acs_permission.revoke_permission) for granting and revoking a specific privilege for a specific user on a specific object.

      To sum up, the PL/SQL procedures are meant to be used to grant or revoke permissions. The five base tables represent the basic data model of the system, with a set of views provided to convert them into a format suitable @@ -91,50 +90,50 @@ which:

      • parties get the privileges of any groups they are directly or indirectly a member of

      • privileges get associated with the methods of any other privileges they have taken methods from (at any level) (see -acs_privilege_hierarchy)

      • objects get access control from direct grants, or inherit permissions -from their context (unless the "don't inherit" flag is -set)

      Legal Transactions

      There are three essential areas in which all transactions in the -permissions system fall:

      • Modification of methods and privileges

      • Modification of permissions

      • Queries on permissions

      "Modification of methods and privileges." This +acs_privilege_hierarchy)

    • objects get access control from direct grants, or inherit permissions +from their context (unless the "don't inherit" flag is +set)

    • Legal Transactions

      There are three essential areas in which all transactions in the +permissions system fall:

      • Modification of methods and privileges

      • Modification of permissions

      • Queries on permissions

      "Modification of methods and privileges." This refers to actions that happen mainly at package installation time - a package will create a number of methods for its own use, then associate them with the system's standard privileges, or new privileges which the package has created. The association step might also happen later, if the site-wide -administrator chooses to change permissions policy.

      These steps involve directly manipulating the acs_methods, -acs_privileges, and acs_privilege_method_rules tables. A +administrator chooses to change permissions policy.

      These steps involve directly manipulating the acs_methods, +acs_privileges, and acs_privilege_method_rules tables. A web page for manipulating these features should be limited to site-wide -administrators.

      "Modification of permissions" - involves fairly +administrators.

      "Modification of permissions" - involves fairly common operations. Users are typically able to administer permissions for objects they themselves create. The two basic operations here are -"grant" and "revoke". Granting permissions is done via -acs_permissions.grant_permission, and revocation via -acs_permissions.revoke_permission. These directly manipulate the -acs_permissions table.

      Web pages for making these changes are available to all users, so they +"grant" and "revoke". Granting permissions is done via +acs_permissions.grant_permission, and revocation via +acs_permissions.revoke_permission. These directly manipulate the +acs_permissions table.

      Web pages for making these changes are available to all users, so they should not be in an admin area. In order to grant and revoke permissions on -an object, the user must have the administer_privileges method -permission on that object.

      "Queries on permissions" - by far the most +an object, the user must have the administer_privileges method +permission on that object.

      "Queries on permissions" - by far the most common operation is querying the permissions database. Several kinds of -questions are commonly asked: First, and most commonly, "Can this party -perform this method on this object?" Two Tcl functions are provided to +questions are commonly asked: First, and most commonly, "Can this party +perform this method on this object?" Two Tcl functions are provided to answer this - one which returns a boolean, the other of which results in an error page. These tcl functions directly access the -acs_object_party_method_map.

      The second most commonly asked question occurs when a list of objects is +acs_object_party_method_map.

      The second most commonly asked question occurs when a list of objects is being displayed, often in order to provide appropriate UI functionality: -"For this party, what methods are available on these objects?" +"For this party, what methods are available on these objects?" Here, the SQL query needs to filter based on whether the party/user can perform some operation on the object. This is done via a join or sub-select -against acs_object_party_method_map, or by calling the Tcl functions +against acs_object_party_method_map, or by calling the Tcl functions for appropriate methods.

      Finally, when administering the permissions for an object, a web page needs to know all permissions directly granted on that object. This is done -by querying against acs_permissions.

      API

      The API to the permissions system consists of a few well-known tables, -plus a pair of PL/SQL procedures and a pair of Tcl functions.

      Tables

      acs_methods, acs_privileges, and -acs_privilege_method_rules manage the set of permissions in the +by querying against acs_permissions.

      API

      The API to the permissions system consists of a few well-known tables, +plus a pair of PL/SQL procedures and a pair of Tcl functions.

      Tables

      acs_methods, acs_privileges, and +acs_privilege_method_rules manage the set of permissions in the system. At installation time, a package will add to these three tables to -introduce new permissions into the system.

      The main table for queries is acs_object_party_method_map, which +introduce new permissions into the system.

      The main table for queries is acs_object_party_method_map, which contains (object, party, method) triples for all -allowed operations in the system.

      Also of interest for queries is acs_permissions, which lists -directly granted privileges. Neither acs_object_party_method_map -(which is a view) nor acs_permissions should be updated -directly.

      PL/SQL Procedures

      acs_permissions.grant_permission introduces new permissions for +allowed operations in the system.

      Also of interest for queries is acs_permissions, which lists +directly granted privileges. Neither acs_object_party_method_map +(which is a view) nor acs_permissions should be updated +directly.

      PL/SQL Procedures

      acs_permissions.grant_permission introduces new permissions for an object. It should be given an (object, party, privilege) triple, and will always succeed. If the permission is already in the system, no change occurs. The interface for this procedure @@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ grantee_id acs_permissions.grantee_id%TYPE, privilege acs_permissions.privilege%TYPE ); -

      acs_permissions.revoke_permission removes a permission entry +

      acs_permissions.revoke_permission removes a permission entry given a triple. It always succeeds--if a permission does not exist, nothing changes. The interface for this procedure is:

       procedure revoke_permission (
      @@ -153,34 +152,34 @@
         privilege    acs_permissions.privilege%TYPE
       );
       

      These procedures are defined in -permissions-create.sql

      Tcl Procedures

      Two tcl procedures provide a simple call for the query, "Can this -user perform this method on this object?" One returns true or false, the +permissions-create.sql

      Tcl Procedures

      Two tcl procedures provide a simple call for the query, "Can this +user perform this method on this object?" One returns true or false, the other presents an error page.

      To receive a true or false value, Tcl code should call:

       ad_permission_p $object_id $object_type $method -user_id $user_id
      -

      If the user_id argument is left out, then the currently logged in +

      If the user_id argument is left out, then the currently logged in user is checked. To create an error page, Tcl code should call:

       ad_require_permission $object_id $object_type $method
      -

      These procedures are defined in acs-permissions-procs.tcl.

      User Interface

      All users of the permissions system are the same at the user-interface -level. If you have the administer_privileges method permission on an +

      These procedures are defined in acs-permissions-procs.tcl.

      User Interface

      All users of the permissions system are the same at the user-interface +level. If you have the administer_privileges method permission on an object, then you may edit privileges for that object with the UI.

      The UI currently provides a list of all granted permissions on the object. If the user wishes to revoke privileges, she may select a set of grants, choose revoke, confirm their deletion, and be returned to the same page after those privileges have been revoked.

      Granting permissions currently (as of 10/2000) works by providing a list of all possible permissions and a list of all parties in the system. (For large sites, some future search mechanism will be necessary.) After choosing -privileges to grant, the user is returned to the "edit privileges for -one object" screen.

      If it makes sense, the system will also display a checkbox which the user +privileges to grant, the user is returned to the "edit privileges for +one object" screen.

      If it makes sense, the system will also display a checkbox which the user may select to toggle whether permissions are inherited from the object's context.

      There are a number of potential future enhancements for the permissions -UI, outlined below.

      Configuration/Parameters

      There are no configuration options for the permissions system.

      Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

      The most important future changes to the Permissions system are likely to +UI, outlined below.

      Configuration/Parameters

      There are no configuration options for the permissions system.

      Future Improvements/Areas of Likely Change

      The most important future changes to the Permissions system are likely to be in the UI:

      • There should be a page displaying a list of all objects for which the current user is allowed to administer privileges.

      • Users should be able to view the permissions on any object, or perhaps on -objects which they have the "read_permissions" method. This would +objects which they have the "read_permissions" method. This would allow them to see what grants are affecting their objects through -inheritance.

      Authors

      System creator +inheritance.

      Authors

      System creator

      Rafael H. Schloming

      System owner

      Rafael H. Schloming

      Documentation author -

      John Prevost

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.1Creation9/11/2000John Prevost
      0.2Edited for ACS 4 Beta release10/04/2000Kai Wu
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +

      John Prevost

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.1Creation9/11/2000John Prevost
      0.2Edited for ACS 4 Beta release10/04/2000Kai Wu
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.27.2.1 -r1.27.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:10 -0000 1.27.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.27.2.2 @@ -1,11 +1,10 @@ - -Permissions Requirements

      Permissions Requirements

      By John McClary Prevost

      +Permissions Requirements

      Permissions Requirements

      By John McClary Prevost

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Introduction

      This document records requirements for the OpenACS 4 Permissions system, a +

      Introduction

      This document records requirements for the OpenACS 4 Permissions system, a component of the OpenACS 4 Kernel. The Permissions system is meant to unify and -centralize the handling of access and control on a given OpenACS 4 system.

      Vision Statement

      Any multi-user software system must address the general problem of -permissions, or "who can do what, on what." On web services, which +centralize the handling of access and control on a given OpenACS 4 system.

      Vision Statement

      Any multi-user software system must address the general problem of +permissions, or "who can do what, on what." On web services, which typically involve large numbers of users belonging to different groups, permissions handling is a critical need: access to content, services, and information generally must be controlled. The OpenACS 4 Permissions system is @@ -14,78 +13,78 @@ manner reduces both cost and risk: cost, in that less code has to be written and maintained for dealing with recurring permissions situations; risk, in that we need not rely on any single programmer's diligence to ensure -access control is implemented and enforced correctly.

      Historical Motivations

      In earlier versions of the OpenACS, permissions and access control was handled +access control is implemented and enforced correctly.

      Historical Motivations

      In earlier versions of the OpenACS, permissions and access control was handled on a module-by-module basis, often even on a page-by-page basis. For example, a typical module might allow any registered user to access its pages read-only, but only allow members of a certain group to make changes. The way this group was determined also varied greatly between modules. Some modules -used "roles", while others did not. Other modules did all access +used "roles", while others did not. Other modules did all access control based simply on coded rules regarding who can act on a given database row based on the information in that row.

      Problems resulting from this piecemeal approach to permissions and access control were many, the two major ones being inconsistency, and repeated/redundant code. Thus the drive in OpenACS 4 to provide a unified, consistent permissions system that both programmers and administrators can -readily use.

      System Overview

      The OpenACS 4 Permissions system has two main pieces: first, an API for +readily use.

      System Overview

      The OpenACS 4 Permissions system has two main pieces: first, an API for developers to readily handle access control in their applications. The second piece of the system is a UI meant primarily for (subsite) administrators to grant and revoke permissions to system entities under their control.

      Consistency is a key characteristic of the Permissions system - both for a common administrative interface, and easily deployed and maintained access control. The system must be flexible enough to support every access model required in OpenACS applications, but not so flexible that pieces will go unused -or fall outside the common administrative interfaces.

      Use Cases and User Scenarios

      Terminology

      The primary question an access control system must answer is a three-way +or fall outside the common administrative interfaces.

      Use Cases and User Scenarios

      Terminology

      The primary question an access control system must answer is a three-way relation, like that between the parts of most simple sentences. A simple sentence generally has three parts, a subject, an object, and a verb - in the -context of OpenACS Permissions, our simple sentence is, "Can this party -perform this operation on this target?" Definitions:

      The subject of the sentence is "party" - a +context of OpenACS Permissions, our simple sentence is, "Can this party +perform this operation on this target?" Definitions:

      The subject of the sentence is "party" - a distinguishable actor whose access may be controlled, this special word is used because one person may be represented by several parties, and one party -may represent many users (or no users at all).

      The object of the sentence is "target" - this +may represent many users (or no users at all).

      The object of the sentence is "target" - this is an entity, or object, that the party wishes to perform some action on. An -entity/object here is anything that can be put under access control.

      The verb of the sentence is "operation" - a behavior on the OpenACS +entity/object here is anything that can be put under access control.

      The verb of the sentence is "operation" - a behavior on the OpenACS system subject to control, this word is used to represent the fact that a single operation may be part of many larger actions the system wants to -perform. If "foo" is an operation, than we sometimes refer to the -foo "privilege" to mean that a user has the privilege to perform +perform. If "foo" is an operation, than we sometimes refer to the +foo "privilege" to mean that a user has the privilege to perform that operation.

      Examples of the essential question addressed by the Permissions system: Can jane@attacker.com delete the web security forum? Can the Boston office (a party) within the VirtuaCorp intranet/website create its own news -instance?

      Functional Requirements

      10.0 Granularity

      The system must support access control down to the level of a single +instance?

      Functional Requirements

      10.0 Granularity

      The system must support access control down to the level of a single entity (this would imply down to the level of a row in the OpenACS Objects data -model).

      20.0 Operations

      The system itself must be able to answer the essential permissions -question as well as several derived questions.

      20.10 Basic Access Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "May party P perform -operation O on target T?"

      20.20 Allowed Parties Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Which parties may -perform operation O on target T?"

      20.30 Allowed Operations Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Which operations may -party P perform on target T?"

      20.40 Allowed Targets Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Upon which targets -may party P perform operation O?"

      Behavioral Requirements

      40.0 Scale of Privileges

      Privileges must be designed with appropriate scope for a given OpenACS -package. Some privileges are of general utility (e.g. "read" and -"write"). Others are of more limited use (e.g. "moderate" +model).

      20.0 Operations

      The system itself must be able to answer the essential permissions +question as well as several derived questions.

      20.10 Basic Access Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "May party P perform +operation O on target T?"

      20.20 Allowed Parties Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Which parties may +perform operation O on target T?"

      20.30 Allowed Operations Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Which operations may +party P perform on target T?"

      20.40 Allowed Targets Check

      The system must be able to answer the question, "Upon which targets +may party P perform operation O?"

      Behavioral Requirements

      40.0 Scale of Privileges

      Privileges must be designed with appropriate scope for a given OpenACS +package. Some privileges are of general utility (e.g. "read" and +"write"). Others are of more limited use (e.g. "moderate" - applies mainly to a package like forum, where many users are contributing content simultaneously). A package defining its own privileges should do so with moderation, being careful not to overload a privilege like -"read" to mean too many things.

      50.0 Aggregation of Operations (Privileges)

      For user interface purposes, it can be appropriate to group certain -privileges under others. For example, anyone with the "admin" -privilege may also automatically receive "read", "write", -"delete", etc. privileges.

      60.0 Aggregation of Parties (Groups)

      The system must allow aggregation of parties. The exact method used for -aggregation will probably be addressed by the OpenACS 4 "Groups" +"read" to mean too many things.

      50.0 Aggregation of Operations (Privileges)

      For user interface purposes, it can be appropriate to group certain +privileges under others. For example, anyone with the "admin" +privilege may also automatically receive "read", "write", +"delete", etc. privileges.

      60.0 Aggregation of Parties (Groups)

      The system must allow aggregation of parties. The exact method used for +aggregation will probably be addressed by the OpenACS 4 "Groups" system. Regardless of the exact behavior of aggregate parties, if an aggregate party exists, then access which is granted to the aggregate party -should be available to all members of that aggregate.

      70.0 Scope of Access Control

      70.10 Context

      There must be a method for objects to receive default access control from +should be available to all members of that aggregate.

      70.0 Scope of Access Control

      70.10 Context

      There must be a method for objects to receive default access control from some context. For example, if you do not have read access to a forum, you -should not have read access to a message in that forum.

      70.20 Overriding

      It must be possible to override defaults provided by the context of an -object (as in 70.10), in both a positive and negative manner.

      70.20.10 Positive Overriding

      It must be possible to allow a party more access to some target than they +should not have read access to a message in that forum.

      70.20 Overriding

      It must be possible to override defaults provided by the context of an +object (as in 70.10), in both a positive and negative manner.

      70.20.10 Positive Overriding

      It must be possible to allow a party more access to some target than they would get by default. (For example, a user does not have the right to edit any message on a forum. But a user does possibly have the right to edit -their own messages.)

      70.20.20 Negative Overriding

      It must be possible to deny a party access to some target that their +their own messages.)

      70.20.20 Negative Overriding

      It must be possible to deny a party access to some target that their inherited privileges would have allowed. (For example, a subdirectory in the file-storage might normally have its parent directory as context. It should -be possible, however, to make a subdirectory private to some group.)

      100.0 Efficiency

      At least the basic access check (20.10) and the allowed targets check +be possible, however, to make a subdirectory private to some group.)

      100.0 Efficiency

      At least the basic access check (20.10) and the allowed targets check (20.40) must be efficient enough for general use, i.e. scalable under fairly heavy website traffic. It can be expected that almost every page will contain at least one basic access check, and most pages will contain an allowed -targets check (20.40).

      In particular, constraining a SELECT to return only rows the -current user has access to should not be much slower than the SELECT -on its own.

      120.0 Ease of Use

      Since most SQL queries will contain an allowed target check in the where +targets check (20.40).

      In particular, constraining a SELECT to return only rows the +current user has access to should not be much slower than the SELECT +on its own.

      120.0 Ease of Use

      Since most SQL queries will contain an allowed target check in the where clause, whatever mechanism is used to make checks in SQL should be fairly -small and simple.

      In particular, constraining a SELECT to return only rows the -current user has access to should not add more than one line to a query.

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.1Creation8/17/2000John Prevost
      0.2Revised, updated with new terminology8/25/2000John Prevost
      0.3Edited, reformatted to conform to requirements template, pending +small and simple.

      In particular, constraining a SELECT to return only rows the +current user has access to should not add more than one line to a query.

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.1Creation8/17/2000John Prevost
      0.2Revised, updated with new terminology8/25/2000John Prevost
      0.3Edited, reformatted to conform to requirements template, pending freeze.8/26/2000Kai Wu
      0.4Edited for ACS 4 Beta release.10/03/2000Kai Wu
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-tediously-explained.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-tediously-explained.html,v diff -u -r1.40.2.2 -r1.40.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-tediously-explained.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.40.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions-tediously-explained.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.40.2.3 @@ -1,11 +1,10 @@ - -OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained

      OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained

      +OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained

      OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained

      by Vadim Nasardinov. Modified and converted to Docbook XML by Roberto Mello -

      The code has been modified since this document was written so it is now out of date. See this forum thread.

      Permissions Overview

      Who - (grantee_id) can do what - (privilege) on which object - (object_id). -

      +

      The code has been modified since this document was written so it is now out of date. See this forum thread.

      Permissions Overview

      Who + (grantee_id) can do what + (privilege) on which object + (object_id). +

      The general permissions system has a flexible (and relatively complex) data model in OpenACS. Developers who have not had the time to learn the internals of the data model may end up writing seemingly correct code that crashes their system in @@ -19,11 +18,11 @@ system internals.

      In OpenACS, most of the interesting tables are expected to extend (subtype) - the acs_objects table, i.e. they are expected to have an integer - primary key column that references the object_id column of - acs_objects. + the acs_objects table, i.e. they are expected to have an integer + primary key column that references the object_id column of + acs_objects.

      -create table acs_objects (
      +create table acs_objects (
             object_id             integer
                 not null
                 constraint acs_objects_pk primary key,
      @@ -47,23 +46,23 @@
       );
           

      This means that items that want to use the features of the - OpenACS object system needs to have an entry in the acs_objects. This + OpenACS object system needs to have an entry in the acs_objects. This allows developers to define relationships between any two entities A and B by defining a relationship between their corresponding entries - in the acs_objects table. One of the applications of this + in the acs_objects table. One of the applications of this powerful capability is the general permissions system.

      - At the heart of the permission system are two tables: acs_privileges - and acs_permissions. + At the heart of the permission system are two tables: acs_privileges + and acs_permissions.

      -  create table acs_privileges (
      +  create table acs_privileges (
             privilege           varchar2(100) not null
                 constraint acs_privileges_pk primary key,
             pretty_name         varchar2(100),
             pretty_plural       varchar2(100)
         );
           
      -  create table acs_permissions (
      +  create table acs_permissions (
             object_id
                 not null
                 constraint acs_permissions_on_what_id_fk references acs_objects (object_id),
      @@ -77,14 +76,14 @@
                 primary key (object_id, grantee_id, privilege)
         );
           

      - The acs_privileges table stores + The acs_privileges table stores named privileges like read, write, delete, create, and - admin. The acs_permissions + admin. The acs_permissions table stores assertions of the form:

      - Who (grantee_id) can do what (privilege) - on which object (object_id). + Who (grantee_id) can do what (privilege) + on which object (object_id).

      The micromanaging approach to system security would be to require application developers to store permission information explicitly about every object, i.e. if the system has 100,000 and 1,000 users @@ -102,26 +101,44 @@ necessity to explicitly maintain security information for every single object. There are three kinds of hierarchies involved. These are discussed in the following sections. -

      Context Hierarchy

      +

      Context Hierarchy

      Suppose objects A, B, ..., and F form the following hierarchy. -

      Table�11.2.�Context Hierarchy Example

      A

      - object_id=10 -

      B

      - object_id=20 -

      C

      - object_id=30 -

      D

      - object_id=40 -

      E

      - object_id=50 -

      F

      - object_id=60 -

      +

      Table�11.2.�Context Hierarchy Example

      + A +

      + object_id=10 +

      +
      + B +

      + object_id=20 +

      +
      + C +

      + object_id=30 +

      +
      + D +

      + object_id=40 +

      +
      + E +

      + object_id=50 +

      +
      + F +

      + object_id=60 +

      +

      This can be represented in the acs_objects table by the following entries: -

      Table�11.3.�acs_objects example data

      object_idcontext_id
      2010
      3010
      4020
      5020
      6030

      +

      Table�11.3.�acs_objects example data

      object_idcontext_id
      2010
      3010
      4020
      5020
      6030

      The first entry tells us that object 20 is the descendant of object 10, and the third entry shows that object 40 is the descendant of object 20. By running a CONNECT BY query, @@ -147,9 +164,9 @@ Despite its potentially great storage costs, maintaining a flattened representation of the context tree is exactly what OpenACS does. The flattened context tree is stored in the - acs_object_context_index table. + acs_object_context_index table.

      -  create table acs_object_context_index (
      +  create table acs_object_context_index (
             object_id
                 not null
                 constraint acs_obj_context_idx_obj_id_fk references acs_objects (object_id),
      @@ -167,12 +184,12 @@
             an index-organized
             table, which means it is substantially optimized for access by primary key.
             Number two, as the above computations suggest, the size of the table
      -      grows polynomially
      +      grows polynomially
             with respect to the average number of descendants that an object
      -      has, and exponentially
      +      has, and exponentially
             with respect to the depth of the context tree. 
           

      - The acs_object_context_index is kept in sync with the + The acs_object_context_index is kept in sync with the acs_objects table by triggers like this:

      @@ -205,34 +222,46 @@
       

      One final note about acs_objects. By setting - an object's security_inherit_p column to 'f', you can stop permissions + an object's security_inherit_p column to 'f', you can stop permissions from cascading down the context tree. In the following example, Joe does not have the read permissions on C and F. -


      -A
      -object_id=10
      +

      +


      +A
      +object_id=10
      readable�by�Joe
      - ������


      -B
      -object_id=20
      + ������

      +
      +


      +B
      +object_id=20
      readable�by�Joe
      -��������������


      -C
      -object_id=30
      +��������������

      +
      +


      +C
      +object_id=30
      security_inherit_p�=�'f'
      not�readable�by�Joe
      - ������


      -D
      -object_id=40
      - ������


      -E
      -object_id=50
      - ������


      -F
      -object_id=60
      + ������

      +
      +


      +D
      +object_id=40
      + ������

      +
      +


      +E
      +object_id=50
      + ������

      +
      +


      +F
      +object_id=60
      security_inherit_p�=�'f'
      not�readable�by�Joe
      - ������

      Privilege Hierarchy

      + ������

      +

      Privilege Hierarchy

      Privileges are also organized hierarchically. In addition to the five main system privileges defined in the ACS Kernel data model, application developers may define their own. Note, @@ -247,14 +276,14 @@ admin privilege to which the first four privileges are tied. Privileges are structured as follows.

      admin
      createdeletereadwrite

      - Note that admin privileges are + Note that admin privileges are greater than read, write, create and delete privileges combined. Issuing someone read, write, create and delete privileges will not result in the person getting - admin privileges.

      The parent-child relationship between privileges is represented in - the acs_privilege_hierarchy table: + admin privileges.

      The parent-child relationship between privileges is represented in + the acs_privilege_hierarchy table:

      -  create table acs_privilege_hierarchy (
      +  create table acs_privilege_hierarchy (
             privilege
                 not null
                 constraint acs_priv_hier_priv_fk references acs_privileges (privilege),
      @@ -268,7 +297,7 @@
             As in the case of the context hierarchy, it is convenient to have a flattened representation
             of this hierarchal structure.  This is accomplished by defining the following view. 
           

      -  create or replace view acs_privilege_descendant_map
      +  create or replace view acs_privilege_descendant_map
         as
         select
           p1.privilege,
      @@ -293,11 +322,19 @@
             reasonably small, there is no pressing need to cache the flattened ansector-descendant
             view of the privilege hierarchy in a specially maintained table like
             it is done in the case of the context hierarchy.
      -    

      Party Hierarchy

      +

      Party Hierarchy

      Now for the third hierarchy playing a promiment role in the permission system. The party data model is set up as follows. -

      -  create table parties (
      +    

      + parties +
      + persons + + groups +
      + users +
      +  create table parties (
             party_id
                 not null
                 constraint parties_party_id_fk references acs_objects (object_id)
      @@ -307,7 +344,7 @@
             url                 varchar2(200)
         );
           
      -  create table persons (
      +  create table persons (
             person_id
                 not null
                 constraint persons_person_id_fk references parties (party_id)
      @@ -318,7 +355,7 @@
                 not null
         );
           
      -  create table users (
      +  create table users (
             user_id
                 not null
                 constraint users_user_id_fk references persons (person_id)
      @@ -327,17 +364,17 @@
             -- other attributes
         );
           
       
      -  create table groups (
      +  create table groups (
             group_id
                 not null
                 constraint groups_group_id_fk references parties (party_id)
                 constraint groups_pk primary key,
             group_name           varchar2(100) not null
         );
           

      - Recall that the grantee_id column of the + Recall that the grantee_id column of the acs_permissions table references - parties.party_id. + parties.party_id. This means that you can grant a privilege on an object to a party, person, user, or group. Groups represent aggregations of parties. The most common scenario that you are likely to encounter is a group that is a collection of users, although you could also @@ -348,9 +385,9 @@ a group named Pranksters, you can assign membership to Pete, Poly, and Penelope. The fact that these users are members of the Pranksters group will be recorded in the - membership_rels and acs_rels tables: + membership_rels and acs_rels tables:

      -  create table acs_rels (
      +  create table acs_rels (
             rel_id
                 not null
                 constraint acs_rels_rel_id_fk references acs_objects (object_id)
      @@ -368,7 +405,7 @@
                 unique (rel_type, object_id_one, object_id_two)
         );
           
      -  create table membership_rels (
      +  create table membership_rels (
             rel_id
                 constraint membership_rel_rel_id_fk references acs_rels (rel_id)
                 constraint membership_rel_rel_id_pk primary key,
      @@ -380,7 +417,13 @@
           

      The acs_rels table entries would look like so: -

      rel_typeobject_oneobject_two
      +

      + rel_type + + object_one + + object_two +
      membership_rel Pranksters @@ -398,28 +441,34 @@ Pranksters Penelope -

      Read acs_rels: right-side is a +

      Read acs_rels: right-side is a subset of left-side, ie - object2 is a part of - object1. + object2 is a part of + object1.

      Another way of building up groups is by adding subgroups. Suppose we define Merry Pranksters and Sad Pranksters as subgroups of Pranksters. We say that the Pranksters group - is composed of + is composed of groups Merry Pranksters and Sad Pranksters. This information is stored in the acs_rels - and composition_rels tables. + and composition_rels tables.

      -create table composition_rels (
      +create table composition_rels (
           rel_id
               constraint composition_rels_rel_id_fk references acs_rels (rel_id)
               constraint composition_rels_rel_id_pk primary key
       );
           

      The relevant entries in the acs_rels look like so. -

      rel_typeobject_oneobject_two
      +

      + rel_type + + object_one + + object_two +
      composition_rel Pranksters @@ -449,7 +498,7 @@ reducing the performance hit incurred by hierarchical queries is to cache query results in a table maintained by triggers. The OpenACS data model defines two such tables:

      - create table group_component_index (
      + create table group_component_index (
                 group_id        not null
                                 constraint group_comp_index_group_id_fk
                                 references groups (group_id),
      @@ -468,7 +517,7 @@
                 primary key (group_id, component_id, rel_id)
         ) organization index;
           
      -  create table group_member_index (
      +  create table group_member_index (
             group_id
                 not null
                 constraint group_member_index_grp_id_fk references groups (group_id),
      @@ -485,11 +534,11 @@
                 primary key (member_id, group_id, rel_id)
         ) organization index;
           

      - The group_component_index table stores a flattened representation of the + The group_component_index table stores a flattened representation of the group composition hierarchy that is maintained in sync with the acs_rels - and composition_rels tables through triggers. -

      additional comments

      - As far as the group_member_index table goes, I am not sure I understand its + and composition_rels tables through triggers. +

      additional comments

      + As far as the group_member_index table goes, I am not sure I understand its purpose. It maintains group-member relationships that are resolved with respect to group composition. Note that information stored in group_member_index can be trivially derived by joining @@ -520,7 +569,7 @@ mr.rel_id = r.rel_id and r.object_id_one = gci.component_id;

      - A heuristic way to verify that group_member_view is essentially identical + A heuristic way to verify that group_member_view is essentially identical to group_member_index is to compute the symmetric difference between the two:

      @@ -548,16 +597,16 @@
             membership relationship resolution can be computed trivially with no hierarchical
             queries involved. There is no need to keep the view in a denormalized
             table, unless doing so results in substantial performance gains.
      -    

      Putting It All Together

      - Security information is queried by calling the acs_permission.permission_p +

      Putting It All Together

      + Security information is queried by calling the acs_permission.permission_p function in OpenACS. This is accessible from Tcl via the - permission::permission_p procedure. + permission::permission_p procedure.

        
         create or replace package body acs_permission
         as
           -- some stuff removed for the sake of brevity
         
      -    function permission_p (
      +    function permission_p (
             object_id	 acs_objects.object_id%TYPE,
             party_id	 parties.party_id%TYPE,
             privilege	 acs_privileges.privilege%TYPE
      @@ -575,15 +624,15 @@
           end;
       
         end acs_permission;
      -    

      problem avoidance

      +

      problem avoidance

      The function queries acs_object_party_privilege_map, which is a humongous view that joins three flattened hierarchies: the context tree, the privilege hierarchy, the party composition (and membership) hierarchy. It contains an extremely large number of rows. About the only kind of query you can run against it is the one - performed by the acs_permission.permission_p + performed by the acs_permission.permission_p function. Anything other than that would take forever to finish or would ultimately result in a query error.

      @@ -619,7 +668,7 @@ end; /

      - The acs_permission.revoke_permission function merely runs a + The acs_permission.revoke_permission function merely runs a delete statement like so:

        
         delete from
      @@ -629,9 +678,15 @@
            and grantee_id = revoke_permission.grantee_id
            and privilege = revoke_permission.privilege;
           

      - Note that in the above example, acs_permissions had only + Note that in the above example, acs_permissions had only one entry that needed to be deleted: -

      object_idgrantee_idprivilege
      +

      + object_id + + grantee_id + + privilege +
      default_context registered_users @@ -640,9 +695,9 @@

      The above script would never get around to deleting this entry because it had to loop through a gazillion rows in the humongous - acs_object_party_privilege_map view. -

      Appendix: Various View Definitions

      -create or replace view acs_object_party_privilege_map
      +      acs_object_party_privilege_map view. 
      +    

      Appendix: Various View Definitions

      +create or replace view acs_object_party_privilege_map
       as
       select
         ogpm.object_id,
      @@ -661,7 +716,7 @@
       from
         acs_object_grantee_priv_map;
           
      -create or replace view acs_object_grantee_priv_map
      +create or replace view acs_object_grantee_priv_map
       as
       select
         a.object_id,
      @@ -673,7 +728,7 @@
       where
         a.privilege = m.privilege;
           
       
      -create or replace view acs_permissions_all
      +create or replace view acs_permissions_all
       as
       select
         op.object_id,
      @@ -685,7 +740,7 @@
       where
         op.ancestor_id = p.object_id;
           
      -create or replace view acs_object_paths
      +create or replace view acs_object_paths
       as
       select
         object_id,
      @@ -695,7 +750,7 @@
         acs_object_context_index;
           
       
       
      -create or replace view group_member_map
      +create or replace view group_member_map
       as
       select
         group_id,
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions.html
      ===================================================================
      RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions.html,v
      diff -u -r1.43.2.2 -r1.43.2.3
      --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions.html	22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000	1.43.2.2
      +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/permissions.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000	1.43.2.3
      @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
      -
      -Groups, Context, Permissions

      Groups, Context, Permissions

      By Pete Su

      +Groups, Context, Permissions

      Groups, Context, Permissions

      By Pete Su

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Overview

      -The OpenACS 5.3.1 Permissions system allows developers and administrators to +

      Overview

      +The OpenACS 5.3.2 Permissions system allows developers and administrators to set access control policies at the object level, that is, any application or system object represented by a row in the -acs_objects table can be access-controlled via a +acs_objects table can be access-controlled via a PL/SQL or Tcl interface. The permissions system manages a data model that then allows scripts to check permissions using another API call.

      @@ -20,10 +19,10 @@ together into larger security domains.

      The rest of this document discusses each of these parts, and how they fit together with the permissions system. -

      Groups

      -OpenACS 5.3.1 has an abstraction called a party. Parties have a recursive +

      Groups

      +OpenACS 5.3.2 has an abstraction called a party. Parties have a recursive definition. We can illustrate how it works with the following -simplified data model. First, we define the parties +simplified data model. First, we define the parties table, where each party has an email address and a URL for contact information.

      @@ -51,8 +50,8 @@
       )
       
       

      -The users table is also defined in this data model as a -subtype of person. +The users table is also defined in this data model as a +subtype of person.

      Finally, we define two relations, one for group membership and one for group composition. @@ -71,7 +70,7 @@

      The full details of the groups data model is beyond the scope of this tutorial. See Parties in OpenACS or OpenACS 4 Groups Design for more details. -

      Permissions

      +

      Permissions

      NOTE: Much more detailed information about the permissions system and how to use it is available in the OpenACS Permissions Tediously Explained document. @@ -84,14 +83,14 @@ some object. Privileges are the basic units out of which we build access control policies. For example in the Unix filesystem, access is controlled by granting users some combination of read, write, or execute privileges on files and directories. In -OpenACS 5.3.1, +OpenACS 5.3.2, the table of privileges is organized hierarchically so that developers can define privileges that aggregate some set of privileges together. For example, if we have read, write, create and delete privileges, it might be convenient to combine them into a new privilege -called "admin". Then, when a user is granted "admin" privilege, she is +called "admin". Then, when a user is granted "admin" privilege, she is automatically granted all the child privileges that the privilege -contains. The OpenACS 5.3.1 kernel data model defines these +contains. The OpenACS 5.3.2 kernel data model defines these privileges:

       # 
      @@ -117,7 +116,7 @@
       

      To give a user permission to perform a particular operation on a particular object you call -acs_permission.grant_permission like this: +acs_permission.grant_permission like this:

       # sql code
      @@ -135,12 +134,12 @@
       would become very tedious.
       OpenACS provides a object contexts as a means for controlling permissions of a large group
       of objects at the same time. 
      -

      Object Context

      -In OpenACS 5.3.1, object context is a scoping -mechanism. "Scoping" and "scope" are terms best +

      Object Context

      +In OpenACS 5.3.2, object context is a scoping +mechanism. "Scoping" and "scope" are terms best explained by example: consider some hypothetical rows in the -address_book table: -

      ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
      ...user123...
      ...group456...
      ...public...

      +address_book table: +

      ...scopeuser_idgroup_id...
      ...user123 ...
      ...group 456...
      ...public ...

      The first row represents an entry in User 123's personal address book, the second row represents an entry in User Group 456's shared address book, and the third row represents an entry in the site's public @@ -153,25 +152,25 @@ another object that represents the security domain to which the object belongs. By convention, if an object A does not have any permissions explicitly attached to it, then the system will look at the -context_id column in acs_objects and check +context_id column in acs_objects and check the context object there for permissions. Two things control the scope of this search:

      1. the structure of the context hierarchy itself, and

      2. -the value of the security_inherit_p +the value of the security_inherit_p flag in each object.

      If -security_inherit_p flag is set to 't', then the automatic search +security_inherit_p flag is set to 't', then the automatic search through the context happens, otherwise it does not. You might set this -field to 'f' if you want to override the default +field to 'f' if you want to override the default permissions in a subtree of some context.

      For an example of how to use context hierarchy, consider the forums application. With only row-level permissions it is not obvious how to reasonably initialize the access control list when creating a message. At best, we have to explicitly grant various read and write privileges whenever we create a message, which is tedious. A reasonable thing to do is to create an object representing a forum, -and point the context_id field of a new message at the +and point the context_id field of a new message at the forum. Then, suppose we grant every user in the system read-access to this forum. By default, they will automatically have read-access to the new message we just inserted, since the system automatically @@ -185,21 +184,21 @@ hierarchy for a hypothetical site:

      The top two contexts in the diagram -are called "magic" numbers, because in some sense, they are created by default by OpenACS -for a specific purpose. The object default_context +are called "magic" numbers, because in some sense, they are created by default by OpenACS +for a specific purpose. The object default_context represents the root of the context hierarchy for the entire site. All permission searches walk up the tree to this point and then stop. If you grant permissions on this object, then by default those permissions will hold for every object in the system, regardless of which subsite they happen to live in. The object -security_context_root has a slightly different role. If +security_context_root has a slightly different role. If some object has no permissions attached to it, and its value for -security_inherit_p is 'f', or -context_id is null, this context is used by default. +security_inherit_p is 'f', or +context_id is null, this context is used by default.

      See the package developer tutorials for examples on how to use permissions code. -

      Summary

      -OpenACS 5.3.1 defines three separate mechanisms for specifying access control +

      Summary

      +OpenACS 5.3.2 defines three separate mechanisms for specifying access control in applications.

      1. The Groups data model allows you to define hierarchical organizations of users and groups of users. Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/postgres.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/postgres.html,v diff -u -r1.44.2.2 -r1.44.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/postgres.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.44.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/postgres.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.44.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Install PostgreSQL

        Install PostgreSQL

        by Vinod Kurup

        +Install PostgreSQL

        Install PostgreSQL

        by Vinod Kurup

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

        Skip this section if you will run only Oracle.

        OpenACS 5.3.1 will run with PostgreSQL 7.3.2, 7.3.3, and 7.3.4 and 7.4.x. 7.4.7 is the recommended version of PostgreSQL.

        • Special notes for Mac OS X.�If you are running Mac OS X prior to 10.3, you should be +

        Skip this section if you will run only Oracle.

        OpenACS 5.3.2 will run with PostgreSQL 7.3.2, 7.3.3, and 7.3.4 and 7.4.x. 7.4.7 is the recommended version of PostgreSQL.

        • Special notes for Mac OS X.�If you are running Mac OS X prior to 10.3, you should be able to install and use PostGreSQL 7.3.x. Mac OS X 10.3 requires PostGreSQL 7.4.

        • Special Notes for Debian.�

          Debian stable user should install PostGreSQL from source as detailed below, or they should use the www.backports.org @@ -11,78 +10,78 @@ (but you should double-check that the version of PostGreSQL is 7.3 or above):

          For Debian stable users, you can use backports, by adding this line to the /etc/apt/sources.list

          -        deb http://www.backports.org/debian stable bison postgresql openssl openssh tcl8.4 courier debconf spamassassin tla diff patch neon chkrootkit
          -        
          -      
          apt-get install postgresql postgresql-dev postgresql-doc
          +        deb http://www.backports.org/debian stable bison postgresql openssl openssh tcl8.4 courier debconf spamassassin tla diff patch neon chkrootkit
          +        
          +      
          apt-get install postgresql postgresql-dev postgresql-doc
           ln -s /usr/include/postgresql/ /usr/include/pgsql
           ln -s /var/lib/postgres /usr/local/pgsql
           ln -s /usr/include/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql/include
          -su postgres -c "/usr/lib/postgresql/bin/createlang plpgsql template1"

          and proceed to Tune postgres. (OPTIONAL) or to the +su postgres -c "/usr/lib/postgresql/bin/createlang plpgsql template1"

      and proceed to Tune postgres. (OPTIONAL) or to the next section.

    • Special Notes for Red Hat.�Red Hat users: If you install PostgreSQL 7.3.2 from the Red Hat 9 RPM, you can skip a few steps. These shell commands add some links for compatibility with the directories from a source-based install; start the service; create a new group for web service users, and modify the postgres user's environment (more - information):

      [root root]# ln -s /usr/lib/pgsql/ /var/lib/pgsql/lib
      -[root root]# ln -s /var/lib/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql
      -[root root]# ln -s /etc/init.d/postgresql /etc/init.d/postgres
      -[root root]# ln -s /usr/bin /usr/local/pgsql/bin
      -[root root]# service postgresql start
      +  information):

      [root root]# ln -s /usr/lib/pgsql/ /var/lib/pgsql/lib
      +[root root]# ln -s /var/lib/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql
      +[root root]# ln -s /etc/init.d/postgresql /etc/init.d/postgres
      +[root root]# ln -s /usr/bin /usr/local/pgsql/bin
      +[root root]# service postgresql start
       Initializing database:
                                                                  [  OK  ]
       Starting postgresql service:                               [  OK  ]
      -[root root]# echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      -[root root]# echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      -[root root]# groupadd web
      -[root root]# su - postgres
      +[root root]# echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      +[root root]# echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      +[root root]# groupadd web
      +[root root]# su - postgres
       -bash-2.05b$
       
       ln -s /usr/lib/pgsql/ /var/lib/pgsql/lib
       ln -s /var/lib/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql
       ln -s /usr/bin /usr/local/pgsql/bin
       service postgresql start
      -echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      -echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      +echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
      +echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile
       groupadd web
       su - postgres

      ... and then skip to 8. Something similar may work for other binary packages as well.

    • Safe approach: install from source

      1. Unpack PostgreSQL 7.4.7.�If you have not downloaded the postgresql tarball to - /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.gz, - get it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# tar xzf /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.gz
        +        /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.gz,
        +        get it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# tar xzf /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.gz
         [root src]# 
         cd /usr/local/src
         tar xzf /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.gz
      2. ALTERNATIVE: Unpack PostgreSQL 7.4.7.�If you have not downloaded the postgresql tarball to - /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2, - get it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# tar xfj /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2
        +        /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2,
        +        get it.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# tar xfj /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2
         [root src]# 
         cd /usr/local/src
        -tar xfj /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2
      3. Install Bison.�Only do this if bison --version is smaller than 1.875 and you install PostgreSQL 7.4 from cvs instead of tarball.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        -[root src]# wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bison/bison-1.875.tar.gz
        -[root src]# tar xfz bison-1.875.tar.gz
        -[root src]# cd bison-1.875
        -[root src]# ./configure
        -[root src]# make install
        +tar xfj /var/tmp/postgresql-7.4.7.tar.bz2
      4. Install Bison.�Only do this if bison --version is smaller than 1.875 and you install PostgreSQL 7.4 from cvs instead of tarball.

        [root root]# cd /usr/local/src
        +[root src]# wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bison/bison-1.875.tar.gz
        +[root src]# tar xfz bison-1.875.tar.gz
        +[root src]# cd bison-1.875
        +[root src]# ./configure
        +[root src]# make install
               
      5. Create the Postgres user.� Create a user and group (if you haven't done so before) for PostgreSQL. This is the account that PostgreSQL will run as since it will not run as root. Since nobody will log in directly as that user, we'll leave the password blank.

        Debian users should probably use adduser instead of - useradd. Type man adduser -

        [root src]# groupadd web
        -[root src]# useradd -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql postgres
        -[root src]# mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
        -[root src]# chown -R postgres.web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
        -[root src]# chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql
        +	  useradd. Type man adduser
        +	

        [root src]# groupadd web
        +[root src]# useradd -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql postgres
        +[root src]# mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
        +[root src]# chown -R postgres.web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
        +[root src]# chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql
         [root src]#
         groupadd web
         useradd -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql postgres
         mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
         chown -R postgres.web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
         chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql
        • Mac OS X: Do instead:�First make sure the gids and uids below are available (change them if -they are not).To list taken uids and gids:

          nireport / /groups name gid | grep "[0123456789][0123456789]"
          -nireport / /users name uid | grep "[0123456789][0123456789]"
          -          

          Now you can install the users

          sudo niutil -create / /groups/web
          +they  are not).To list taken uids and gids:

          nireport / /groups name gid | grep "[0123456789][0123456789]"
          +nireport / /users name uid | grep "[0123456789][0123456789]"
          +          

          Now you can install the users

          sudo niutil -create / /groups/web
           sudo niutil -createprop / /groups/web gid 201
           sudo niutil -create / /users/postgres
           sudo niutil -createprop / /users/postgres gid 201
          @@ -93,46 +92,46 @@
           sudo niutil -createprop / /users/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME uid 201
           mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
           chown -R postgres:web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
          -chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql
        • FreeBSD users:� need to add more parameters. -

          [root src]# mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
          -[root src]# pw groupadd -n web
          -[root src]# pw useradd -n postgres -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql -s /bin/bash
          -[root src]# chown -R postgres:web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
          -[root src]# chmod -R 750 /usr/local/pgsql
          +chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql
        • FreeBSD users:� need to add more parameters. +

          [root src]# mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
          +[root src]# pw groupadd -n web
          +[root src]# pw useradd -n postgres -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql -s /bin/bash
          +[root src]# chown -R postgres:web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
          +[root src]# chmod -R 750 /usr/local/pgsql
           [root src]#
           mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql
           pw groupadd -n web
           pw useradd -n postgres -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql -s /bin/bash
           chown -R postgres:web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
           chmod -R 750 /usr/local/pgsql
      6. Set up postgres's environment variables.�They are necessary for the executable to find its supporting - libraries. Put the following lines into the postgres user's environment.

        [root src]# su - postgres
        -[postgres ~] emacs ~postgres/.bashrc

        Paste this line into .bash_profile:

        source $HOME/.bashrc

        Paste these lines into .bashrc:

        export PATH=/usr/local/bin/:$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
        +	libraries.  Put the following lines into the postgres user's environment.

        [root src]# su - postgres
        +[postgres ~] emacs ~postgres/.bashrc

        Paste this line into .bash_profile:

        source $HOME/.bashrc

        Paste these lines into .bashrc:

        export PATH=/usr/local/bin/:$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
         export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib

        Test this by logging in as - postgres and checking the - paths; you should see /usr/local/pgsql/bin somewhere in the output (the total output is system-dependent so yours may vary)

        [root src]# su - postgres
        -[postgres pgsql]$ env | grep PATH
        +	postgres and checking the
        +	paths; you should see /usr/local/pgsql/bin somewhere in the output (the total output is system-dependent so yours may vary)

        [root src]# su - postgres
        +[postgres pgsql]$ env | grep PATH
         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:/usr/local/pgsql/lib
         PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin:/usr/local/pgsql/bin:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
        -[postgres pgsql]$ exit
        +[postgres pgsql]$ exit
         

        Don't continue unless you see correct output from - env | grep PATH

      7. Compile and install PostgreSQL.� - Change to the postgres user and run ./configure to set the compilation options automatically. This is the point at which you can - configure PostgreSQL in various ways. For example, if you are installing on "OS X" add the flags --with-includes=/sw/include/ --with-libraries=/sw/lib. If you want to see what the other possibilities are, run ./configure --help. -

        On debian woody (stable, 3.0), do ./configure --without-readline --without-zlib.

        [root src]# su - postgres
        -[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
        -[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ ./configure
        +      env | grep PATH

      8. Compile and install PostgreSQL.� + Change to the postgres user and run ./configure to set the compilation options automatically. This is the point at which you can + configure PostgreSQL in various ways. For example, if you are installing on "OS X" add the flags --with-includes=/sw/include/ --with-libraries=/sw/lib. If you want to see what the other possibilities are, run ./configure --help. +

        On debian woody (stable, 3.0), do ./configure --without-readline --without-zlib.

        [root src]# su - postgres
        +[postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7
        +[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ ./configure
         creating cache ./config.cache
         checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
         (many lines omitted>
         linking ./src/makefiles/Makefile.linux to src/Makefile.port
         linking ./src/backend/port/tas/dummy.s to src/backend/port/tas.s
        -[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ make all
        +[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ make all
         make -C doc all
         make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7/doc'
         (many lines omitted)
         make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7/src'
         All of PostgreSQL successfully made. Ready to install.
        -[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ make install
        +[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ make install
         make -C doc install
         make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4.7/doc'
         (many lines omitted)
        @@ -143,29 +142,29 @@
         ./configure 
         make all
         make install
      9. Start PostgreSQL.� - The initdb command initializes the - database. pg_ctl is used to start up + The initdb command initializes the + database. pg_ctl is used to start up PostgreSQL. If PostgreSQL is unable to allocate enough memory, see section 11 Tuning PostgreSQL (below). -

        [postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data
        -The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "postgres".
        +	

        [postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data
        +The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "postgres".
         This user must also own the server process.
         (17 lines omitted)
         or
             /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l logfile start
        -[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log start
        +[postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log start
         postmaster successfully started
         [postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$
         /usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data
         /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log start

        PostgreSQL errors will be logged in - /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log + /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log

      10. Install Pl/pgSQL.�Set up plpgsq and allow your user to have access. Plpgsql is a PL/SQL-like language. We add it to template1, which is the template from which all new databases are created. We can verify that it was created - with the createlang command in list mode.

        [postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ createlang plpgsql template1
        -[postgres pgsql]$ createlang -l template1
        +	  with the createlang command in list mode.

        [postgres postgresql-7.4.7]$ createlang plpgsql template1
        +[postgres pgsql]$ createlang -l template1
         Procedural languages
           Name   | Trusted?
         ---------+----------
        @@ -175,9 +174,9 @@
         [postgres pgsql-7.4.7]$
         createlang plpgsql template1
         createlang -l template1
      11. Test PostgreSQL (OPTIONAL).�Create a database and try some simple commands. The output should be as shown. -

        [postgres pgsql]$ createdb mytestdb
        +	

        [postgres pgsql]$ createdb mytestdb
         CREATE DATABASE
        -[postgres pgsql]$ psql mytestdb
        +[postgres pgsql]$ psql mytestdb
         Welcome to psql, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.
         
         Type:  \copyright for distribution terms
        @@ -186,24 +185,24 @@
                \g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
                \q to quit
         
        -mytestdb=# select current_timestamp;
        +mytestdb=# select current_timestamp;
                   timestamptz
         -------------------------------
          2003-03-07 22:18:29.185413-08
         (1 row)
         
        -mytestdb=# create function test1() returns integer as 'begin return 1; end;' language 'plpgsql';
        +mytestdb=# create function test1() returns integer as 'begin return 1; end;' language 'plpgsql';
         CREATE
        -mytestdb=# select test1();
        +mytestdb=# select test1();
          test1
         -------
              1
         (1 row)
         
        -mytestdb=# \q
        -[postgres pgsql]$ dropdb mytestdb
        +mytestdb=# \q
        +[postgres pgsql]$ dropdb mytestdb
         DROP DATABASE
        -[postgres pgsql]$ exit
        +[postgres pgsql]$ exit
         logout
         
         [root src]#
      12. Set PostgreSQL to start on boot. First, we copy the @@ -214,42 +213,42 @@ changes runlevels, postgresql goes to the appropriate state. Red Hat and Debian and SuSE each work a little differently. If you haven't untarred the OpenACS tarball, you will need to do so now to access the postgresql.txt file. -

        • Red Hat RPM:

          The init script is already installed; just turn it on for the appropriate run levels.

          [root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on
          -[root root]# 
        • Red Hat from source:

          [root src]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
          -[root src]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
          -[root src]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
          +	

          • Red Hat RPM:

            The init script is already installed; just turn it on for the appropriate run levels.

            [root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on
            +[root root]# 
          • Red Hat from source:

            [root src]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +[root src]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
            +[root src]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
             [root src]# 
            -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
             chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
            -chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql

            Test the script.

            [root root]# service postgresql stop
            +chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql

            Test the script.

            [root root]# service postgresql stop
             Stopping PostgreSQL: ok
             [root root]# 

            If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown. And turn it back on because we'll use it later. -

            [root root]# chkconfig --add postgresql
            -[root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on
            -[root root]# chkconfig --list postgresql
            +		

            [root root]# chkconfig --add postgresql
            +[root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on
            +[root root]# chkconfig --list postgresql
             postgresql      0:off   1:off   2:on    3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off
            -[root root]# service postgresql start
            +[root root]# service postgresql start
             Starting PostgreSQL: ok
             [root root]#
             chkconfig --add postgresql
             chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on
             chkconfig --list postgresql
            -service postgresql start
          • Debian:

            [root ~]# cp /var/tmp/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
            -[root ~]# chown root.root /etc/init.d/postgresql
            -[root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +service postgresql start
          • Debian:

            [root ~]# cp /var/tmp/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +[root ~]# chown root.root /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +[root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql
             [root ~]# 
            -cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
            +cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql
             chown root.root /etc/init.d/postgresql
            -chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql

            Test the script

            [root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql stop
            +chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql

            Test the script

            [root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql stop
             Stopping PostgreSQL: ok
             [root ~]# 

            If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown.

            -[root ~]# update-rc.d postgresql defaults
            +[root ~]# update-rc.d postgresql defaults
              Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/postgresql ...
                /etc/rc0.d/K20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql
                /etc/rc1.d/K20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql
            @@ -258,73 +257,73 @@
                /etc/rc3.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql
                /etc/rc4.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql
                /etc/rc5.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql
            -[root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql start
            +[root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql start
             Starting PostgreSQL: ok
            -[root ~]#
          • FreeBSD:

            [root ~]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            -[root ~]# chown root:wheel /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            -[root ~]# chmod 755 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            +[root ~]#
          • FreeBSD:

            [root ~]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            +[root ~]# chown root:wheel /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            +[root ~]# chmod 755 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
             [root ~]# 
            -cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            +cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
             chown root:wheel /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh
            -chmod 755 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh

            Test the script

            [root ~]# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh stop
            +chmod 755 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh

            Test the script

            [root ~]# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh stop
             Stopping PostgreSQL: ok
             [root ~]# 

            If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then turn it back on because we'll use - it later.

            [root root]# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh start
            +		  it later.

            [root root]# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh start
             Starting PostgreSQL: ok
             [root root]#
             /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql.sh start
          • SuSE:

            Note

            I have received reports that SuSE 8.0 is different from previous versions. Instead of installing the boot scripts in - /etc/rc.d/init.d/, they should - be placed in /etc/init.d/. If + /etc/rc.d/init.d/, they should + be placed in /etc/init.d/. If you're using SuSE 8.0, delete the - rc.d/ part in each of the + rc.d/ part in each of the following commands. -

            [root ~]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
            -[root ~]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
            -[root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql

            +

          [root ~]# cp /var/tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
          +[root ~]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql
          +[root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql

          Test the script. -

          [root ~]# /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql stop
          +        

          [root ~]# /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql stop
           Stopping PostgreSQL: ok

          If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown. -

          [root ~]# cd /etc/rc.d/init.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql K20postgresql
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql S20postgresql  
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc2.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc2.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc3.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc3.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc4.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc4.d 
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc5.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc5.d
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm K20postgresql
          -root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm S20postgresql
          +        

          [root ~]# cd /etc/rc.d/init.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql K20postgresql
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql S20postgresql  
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc2.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc2.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc3.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc3.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc4.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc4.d 
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc5.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc5.d
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm K20postgresql
          +root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm S20postgresql
           root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# 

          Test configuration. -

          root:/etc/rc.d/init.d # cd
          -root:~ # /etc/rc.d/init.d/rc2.d/S20postgresql start
          +        

          root:/etc/rc.d/init.d # cd
          +root:~ # /etc/rc.d/init.d/rc2.d/S20postgresql start
           Starting PostgreSQL: ok
          -root:~ # 
        • Mac OS X 10.3:

          1. Install the startup script:

            cd /System/Library/StartupItems/
            -tar xfz /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/osx-postgres-startup-item.tgz
            -
        • Mac OS X 10.4 can use Launchd:

          1. Install the startup script:

            cd /Library/LaunchDaemons
            -cp
            +root:~ # 
          2. Mac OS X 10.3:

            1. Install the startup script:

              cd /System/Library/StartupItems/
              +tar xfz /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/osx-postgres-startup-item.tgz
              +
          3. Mac OS X 10.4 can use Launchd:

            1. Install the startup script:

              cd /Library/LaunchDaemons
              +cp
               /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/osx-postgres-launchd-item.txt
              -org.postgresql.PostgreSQL.plist
              +org.postgresql.PostgreSQL.plist
               

              If postgres does not start automatically on reboot, see what error you get when manually starting it with:

              -$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.postgresql.PostgreSQL.plist
              -$ sudo launchctl start org.postgresql.PostgreSQL

        +$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.postgresql.PostgreSQL.plist +$ sudo launchctl start org.postgresql.PostgreSQL

    • From now on, PostgreSQL should start automatically each time you boot up and it should shutdown gracefully each time you shut down. (Note: @@ -334,11 +333,11 @@ little. This usually isn't a problem as Red Hat defaults to runlevel 3)

    • Tune postgres. (OPTIONAL).�The default values for PostgreSQL are very conservative; we can safely change some of them and improve performance.

      1. Change the kernel parameter for maximum shared memory - segment size to 128Mb:

        [root root]# echo 134217728 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
        +          segment size to 128Mb:

        [root root]# echo 134217728 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
         [root root]#

        Make that change permanent by editing - /etc/sysctl.conf to + /etc/sysctl.conf to add these lines at the end:

        # increase shared memory limit for postgres
        -kernel.shmmax = 134217728
      2. Edit the PostgreSQL config file, /usr/local/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf, to use more memory. These values should improve performance in most cases. (more information)

        #       Shared Memory Size
        +kernel.shmmax = 134217728
      3. Edit the PostgreSQL config file, /usr/local/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf, to use more memory. These values should improve performance in most cases. (more information)

        #       Shared Memory Size
         #
         shared_buffers = 15200      # 2*max_connections, min 16
         
        @@ -350,18 +349,18 @@
         #       Write-ahead log (WAL)
         #
         checkpoint_segments = 3     # in logfile segments (16MB each), min 1
        -

        Restart postgres (service postgresql - restart) or - (/etc/init.d/postgres - restart) so that the changes take effect.

      FreeBSD users: See man syctl, man 5 sysctl - and man 5 loader.conf.

      Performance tuning resources:

      • +

        Restart postgres (service postgresql + restart) or + (/etc/init.d/postgres + restart) so that the changes take effect.

      FreeBSD users: See man syctl, man 5 sysctl + and man 5 loader.conf.

      Performance tuning resources:

    • more information about PostgreSQL

      more information about PostgreSQL

      • Official PostgreSQL Docs Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/profile-code.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/profile-code.html,v diff -u -r1.8.2.1 -r1.8.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/profile-code.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.8.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/profile-code.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.8.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Profile your code

        Profile your code

        by Jade Rubick

        +Profile your code

        Profile your code

        by Jade Rubick

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

        There are several facilities for profiling your code in Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/programming-with-aolserver.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/programming-with-aolserver.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/programming-with-aolserver.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/programming-with-aolserver.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,66 +1,65 @@ - -Programming with AOLserver

        Programming with AOLserver

        By Michael Yoon, Jon Salz and Lars Pind.

        +Programming with AOLserver

        Programming with AOLserver

        By Michael Yoon, Jon Salz and Lars Pind.

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

        The global command

        +

        The global command

        When using AOLserver, remember that there are effectively two types of global namespace, not one:

        1. Server-global: As you'd expect, there is only one server-global namespace per server, and variables set within it can be accessed by any Tcl code running subsequently, in any of the server's -threads. To set/get server-global variables, use AOLserver 3's nsv API -(which supersedes ns_share from the pre-3.0 API). +threads. To set/get server-global variables, use AOLserver 3's nsv API +(which supersedes ns_share from the pre-3.0 API).

        2. Script-global: Each Tcl script (ADP, Tcl page, registered proc, filter, etc.) executing within an AOLserver thread has its own global namespace. Any variable set in the top level of a script is, by definition, script-global, meaning that it is accessible only by subsequent code in the same script and only for the duration of the current script execution.

        -The Tcl built-in command global +The Tcl built-in command global accesses script-global, not server-global, variables from within a procedure. This distinction is important to understand in order to use -global correctly when programming AOLserver. +global correctly when programming AOLserver.

        Also, AOLserver purges all script-global variables in a thread (i.e., Tcl interpreter) between HTTP requests. If it didn't, that would affect (and complicate) our use of script-global variables dramatically, which would then be better described as thread-global variables. Given -AOLserver's behaviour, however, "script-global" is a more -appropriate term.

        Threads and Scheduled Procedures

        -ns_schedule_proc and ad_schedule_proc each take a --thread flag to cause a scheduled procedure to run +AOLserver's behaviour, however, "script-global" is a more +appropriate term.

        Threads and Scheduled Procedures

        +ns_schedule_proc and ad_schedule_proc each take a +-thread flag to cause a scheduled procedure to run asychronously, in its own thread. It almost always seems like a good idea to specify this switch, but there's a problem. -

        It turns out that whenever a task scheduled with ns_schedule_proc --thread or ad_schedule_proc -thread t is run, AOLserver +

        It turns out that whenever a task scheduled with ns_schedule_proc +-thread or ad_schedule_proc -thread t is run, AOLserver creates a brand new thread and a brand new interpreter, and reinitializes the procedure table (essentially, loads all procedures that were created during server initialization into the new interpreter). This happens every time the task is executed - and it is a very expensive process that should not be taken lightly!

        The moral: if you have a lightweight scheduled procedure -which runs frequently, don't use the -thread +which runs frequently, don't use the -thread switch.

        Note also that thread is initialized with a copy of what was installed during server startup, so if the procedure table have changed since startup (e.g. using the APM watch facility), that will not be reflected in the scheduled -thread.

        Using return

        -The return command in Tcl returns control to the caller procedure. +thread.

        Using return

        +The return command in Tcl returns control to the caller procedure. This definition allows nested procedures to work properly. However, this -definition also means that nested procedures cannot use return to +definition also means that nested procedures cannot use return to end an entire thread. This situation is most common in exception conditions that can be triggered from inside a procedure e.g., a permission denied exception. At this point, the procedure that detects invalid permission wants to write an error message to the user, and completely abort execution of the -caller thread. return doesn't work, because the procedure may be -nested several levels deep. We therefore use ad_script_abort -to abort the remainder of the thread. Note that using return instead -of ad_script_abort may raise some security issues: an attacker could +caller thread. return doesn't work, because the procedure may be +nested several levels deep. We therefore use ad_script_abort +to abort the remainder of the thread. Note that using return instead +of ad_script_abort may raise some security issues: an attacker could call a page that performed some DML statement, pass in some arguments, and get a permission denied error -- but the DML statement would still be -executed because the thread was not stopped. Note that return -code -return can be used in circumstances where the procedure will only be +executed because the thread was not stopped. Note that return -code +return can be used in circumstances where the procedure will only be called from two levels deep. -

        Returning More Than One Value From a Function

        -Many functions have a single return value. For instance, empty_string_p +

        Returning More Than One Value From a Function

        +Many functions have a single return value. For instance, empty_string_p returns a number: 1 or 0. Other functions need to return a composite value. For instance, consider a function that looks up a user's name and email address, given an ID. One way to implement this is to return a three-element @@ -75,33 +74,33 @@

        AOLserver/Tcl generally has three mechanisms that we like, for returning more than one value from a function. When to use which depends on the circumstances.

        Using Arrays and Pass-By-Value

        -The one we generally prefer is returning an array -get-formatted list. It has all the nice properties of +The one we generally prefer is returning an array +get-formatted list. It has all the nice properties of pass-by-value, and it uses Tcl arrays, which have good native support.

         ad_proc ad_get_user_info { user_id } {
             db_1row user_info { select first_names, last_name, email from users where user_id = :user_id }
             return [list \
        -        name "$first_names $last_name" \
        +        name "$first_names $last_name" \
             email $email \
        -    namelink "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>" \
        -    emaillink "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"]
        +    namelink "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>" \
        +    emaillink "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"]
         }
         
         array set user_info [ad_get_user_info $user_id]
         
        -doc_body_append "$user_info(namelink) ($user_info(emaillink))"
        +doc_body_append "$user_info(namelink) ($user_info(emaillink))"
         

        You could also have done this by using an array internally and using -array get: +array get:

         
         ad_proc ad_get_user_info { user_id } {
             db_1row user_info { select first_names, last_name, email from users where user_id = :user_id }
        -    set user_info(name) "$first_names $last_name"
        +    set user_info(name) "$first_names $last_name"
             set user_info(email) $email
        -    set user_info(namelink) "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        -    set user_info(emaillink) "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
        +    set user_info(namelink) "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        +    set user_info(emaillink) "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
             return [array get user_info]
         }
         
        @@ -117,7 +116,7 @@
         milisecond. The time depends almost completely on the number of entries, and
         almost not at all on the size of the entries.

        You implement pass-by-reference in Tcl by taking the name of an array -as an argument and upvar it. +as an argument and upvar it.

         
         ad_proc ad_get_user_info { 
        @@ -126,30 +125,30 @@
         } {
             upvar $array user_info
             db_1row user_info { select first_names, last_name, email from users where user_id = :user_id }
        -    set user_info(name) "$first_names $last_name"
        +    set user_info(name) "$first_names $last_name"
             set user_info(email) $email
        -    set user_info(namelink) "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        -    set user_info(emaillink) "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
        +    set user_info(namelink) "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        +    set user_info(emaillink) "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
         }
         
         ad_get_user_info -array user_info $user_id
         
        -doc_body_append "$user_info(namelink) ($user_info(emaillink))"
        +doc_body_append "$user_info(namelink) ($user_info(emaillink))"
         
         

        We prefer pass-by-value over pass-by-reference. Pass-by-reference makes the code harder to read and debug, because changing a value in one place has side effects in other places. Especially if have a chain of -upvars through several layers of the call stack, you'll have -a hard time debugging.

        Multisets: Using ns_sets and Pass-By-Reference

        +upvars through several layers of the call stack, you'll have +a hard time debugging.

        Multisets: Using ns_sets and Pass-By-Reference

        An array is a type of set, which means you can't have multiple entries with the same key. Data structures that can have multiple entries for the same key are known as a multiset or bag.

        If your data can have multiple entries with the same key, -you should use the AOLserver built-in -ns_set. You can also do a case-insensitive lookup on an -ns_set, something you can't easily do on an array. This is +you should use the AOLserver built-in +ns_set. You can also do a case-insensitive lookup on an +ns_set, something you can't easily do on an array. This is especially useful for things like HTTP headers, which happen to have these -exact properties.

        You always use pass-by-reference with ns_sets, since they +exact properties.

        You always use pass-by-reference with ns_sets, since they don't have any built-in way of generating and reconstructing themselves from a string representation. Instead, you pass the handle to the set.

         
        @@ -158,34 +157,34 @@
             user_id
         } {
             db_1row user_info { select first_names, last_name, email from users where user_id = :user_id }
        -    ns_set put $set name "$first_names $last_name"
        +    ns_set put $set name "$first_names $last_name"
             ns_set put $set email $email
        -    ns_set put $set namelink "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        -    ns_set put $set emaillink "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
        +    ns_set put $set namelink "<a href=\"/shared/community-member?user_id=[ns_urlencode $user_id]\">$first_names $last_name</a>"
        +    ns_set put $set emaillink "<a href=\"mailto:$email\">$email</a>"
         }
         
         set user_info [ns_set create]
         ad_get_user_info -set $user_info $user_id
         
        -doc_body_append "[ns_set get $user_info namelink] ([ns_set get $user_info emaillink])"
        +doc_body_append "[ns_set get $user_info namelink] ([ns_set get $user_info emaillink])"
         
         

        -We don't recommend ns_set as a general mechanism for passing +We don't recommend ns_set as a general mechanism for passing sets (as opposed to multisets) of data. Not only do they inherently use pass-by-reference, which we dis-like, they're also somewhat clumsy to use, since Tcl doesn't have built-in syntactic support for them. -

        Consider for example a loop over the entries in a ns_set as +

        Consider for example a loop over the entries in a ns_set as compared to an array:

         
         # ns_set variant
         set size [ns_set size $myset]
         for { set i 0 } { $i < $size } { incr i } {
        -    puts "[ns_set key $myset $i] = [ns_set value $myset $i]"
        +    puts "[ns_set key $myset $i] = [ns_set value $myset $i]"
         }
         
         # array variant
         foreach name [array names myarray] {
        -    puts "$myarray($name) = $myarray($name)"
        +    puts "$myarray($name) = $myarray($name)"
         }
         
         

        @@ -205,9 +204,9 @@ ]

        -ns_sets are designed to be lightweight, so memory consumption -should not be a problem. However, when using ns_set get to +ns_sets are designed to be lightweight, so memory consumption +should not be a problem. However, when using ns_set get to perform lookup by name, they perform a linear lookup, whereas arrays use a -hash table, so ns_sets are slower than arrays when the number of +hash table, so ns_sets are slower than arrays when the number of entries is large.

        ($Id$)
        View comments on this page at openacs.org
        Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-for-emacs.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-for-emacs.html,v diff -u -r1.34.2.2 -r1.34.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-for-emacs.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.34.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-for-emacs.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.34.2.3 @@ -1,9 +1,8 @@ - -Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)

        Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)

        +Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)

        Add PSGML commands to emacs init file (OPTIONAL)

        If you plan to write or edit any documentation with emacs, install a customized emacs configuration file with DocBook commands in the skeleton directory, so it will be used for all new users. The file also fixes the backspace -> help mis-mapping that often occurs in - terminals.

        [root tmp]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.1/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/emacs.txt /etc/skel/.emacs
        -cp: overwrite `/etc/skel/.emacs'? y
        -[root tmp]# 

        Debian users:

        apt-get install psgml

        Note: The new nxml mode for emacs, when used in combination with psgml, provides a pretty good set of functionality that makes DocBook editing much less painless. In particular, nxml does syntax testing in real-time so that you can see syntax errors immediately instead of in the output of the xsltproc hours or days later. For debian, apt-get install nxml.

        View comments on this page at openacs.org
        + terminals.

        [root tmp]# cp /tmp/openacs-5.3.2/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/emacs.txt /etc/skel/.emacs
        +cp: overwrite `/etc/skel/.emacs'? y
        +[root tmp]# 

        Debian users:

        apt-get install psgml

        Note: The new nxml mode for emacs, when used in combination with psgml, provides a pretty good set of functionality that makes DocBook editing much less painless. In particular, nxml does syntax testing in real-time so that you can see syntax errors immediately instead of in the output of the xsltproc hours or days later. For debian, apt-get install nxml.

        View comments on this page at openacs.org
        Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-mode.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-mode.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-mode.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/psgml-mode.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,53 +1,52 @@ - -Using PSGML mode in Emacs

        Using PSGML mode in Emacs

        By David Lutterkort

        +Using PSGML mode in Emacs

        Using PSGML mode in Emacs

        By David Lutterkort

        OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

        Note: nxml mode replaces and/or complements psgml mode. More information.

        What it is

        PSGML Mode is a mode for editing, umm, SGML and XML documents in emacs. It +

        Note: nxml mode replaces and/or complements psgml mode. More information.

        What it is

        PSGML Mode is a mode for editing, umm, SGML and XML documents in emacs. It can parse a DTD and help you insert the right tags in the right place, knows about tags' attributes and can tell you in which contexts a tag can be used. If you give it the right DTD, that is. But even without a DTD, -it can save you some typing since pressing C-c/ will close an open -tag automatically.

        Where to get it

        Most newer emacsen come with PSGML mode preinstalled. You can find out -whether your emacs has it with the locate-library command. In Emacs, -type M-x locate-library and enter psgml. Emacs will tell +it can save you some typing since pressing C-c/ will close an open +tag automatically.

        Where to get it

        Most newer emacsen come with PSGML mode preinstalled. You can find out +whether your emacs has it with the locate-library command. In Emacs, +type M-x locate-library and enter psgml. Emacs will tell you if it found it or not.

        If you don't have PSGML preinstalled in your Emacs, there are two things you can do:

        1. On Linux: Get the psgml rpm from RedHat's docbook-tools and install it as usual.

        2. On other systems: Get the tarball from the PSGML Website. -Unpack it and follow the install instructions.

        Using CATALOG files

        The easiest way to teach PSGML mode about a DTD is by adding it to your -own CATALOG. Here is an example of how you can set that up for the +Unpack it and follow the install instructions.

      Using CATALOG files

      The easiest way to teach PSGML mode about a DTD is by adding it to your +own CATALOG. Here is an example of how you can set that up for the Docbook XML DTD.

      1. Get the Docbook XML DTD zip archive from docbook.org

      2. Go somewhere in your working directory and do

               mkdir -p dtd/docbook-xml
               cd dtd/docbook-xml
               unzip -a <docbook XML DTD zip archive>
            
        -
      3. Create a file with the name CATALOG in the dtd +

      4. Create a file with the name CATALOG in the dtd directory and put the line

        -      CATALOG "docbook-xml/docbook.cat"
        +      CATALOG "docbook-xml/docbook.cat"
         

        -in it. By maintaining your own CATALOG, it is easy to add more +in it. By maintaining your own CATALOG, it is easy to add more DTD's without changing your emacs settings. (How about that HTML 4.01 DTD you always wanted to get from W3C ? The DTD is in the zip archives and tarballs available on the site.)

      That's it. Now you are ready to tell emacs all about PSGML mode and -that funky CATALOG

      What to tell emacs

      If you installed PSGML mode in a non-standard location, e.g., somewhere in -your home directory, you need to add this to the load-path by adding -this line to your .emacs file:

      -      (add-to-list 'load-path "/some/dir/that/contains/psgml.elc")
      +that funky CATALOG

      What to tell emacs

      If you installed PSGML mode in a non-standard location, e.g., somewhere in +your home directory, you need to add this to the load-path by adding +this line to your .emacs file:

      +      (add-to-list 'load-path "/some/dir/that/contains/psgml.elc")
          
      -

      To let PSGML mode find your CATALOG and to enable PSGML mode for -all your editing, add these lines to your .emacs:

      +

      To let PSGML mode find your CATALOG and to enable PSGML mode for +all your editing, add these lines to your .emacs:

             (require 'psgml)
       
      -      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.html" . sgml-mode))
      -      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.adp" . xml-mode))
      -      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.xml" . xml-mode))
      -      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.xsl" . xml-mode))
      +      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.html" . sgml-mode))
      +      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.adp" . xml-mode))
      +      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.xml" . xml-mode))
      +      (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.xsl" . xml-mode))
             
      -      (add-to-list 'sgml-catalog-files "/path/to/your/dtd/CATALOG")
      +      (add-to-list 'sgml-catalog-files "/path/to/your/dtd/CATALOG")
          
       

      If you want font-locking and indentation, you can also add these lines -into the .emacs file:

      +into the .emacs file:

             (setq sgml-markup-faces '((start-tag . font-lock-function-name-face)
                                       (end-tag . font-lock-function-name-face)
                       (comment . font-lock-comment-face)
      @@ -59,28 +58,28 @@
             (setq sgml-set-face t)
             (setq-default sgml-indent-data t)
             ;; Some convenient key definitions:
      -      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-e" 'sgml-describe-element-type)
      -      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-i" 'sgml-general-dtd-info)
      -      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-t" 'sgml-describe-entity)
      +      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-e" 'sgml-describe-element-type)
      +      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-i" 'sgml-general-dtd-info)
      +      (define-key sgml-mode-map "\C-c\C-x\C-t" 'sgml-describe-entity)
          
      -

      What is a DOCTYPE ?

      All SGML and XML documents that should conform to a DTD have to declare a -doctype. For the docbook XML, all your .xml files whould start with +

      What is a DOCTYPE ?

      All SGML and XML documents that should conform to a DTD have to declare a +doctype. For the docbook XML, all your .xml files whould start with the line

      -      <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "docbookx.dtd">
      +      <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "docbookx.dtd">
          
       

      If your document is only part of a larger XML document, you can tell PSGML mode about it by appending the following lines to your file. In this case, do not include a DOCTYPE declaration in your file.

             <!--
              Local Variables:
      -       sgml-parent-document: ("top.xml" "book" "sect1")
      +       sgml-parent-document: ("top.xml" "book" "sect1")
              End:
             -->
          
       

      Which says that the parent of this document can be found in the file -top.xml, that the element in the parent that will enclose the -current document is a book and that the current file's topmost -element is a sect1.

      How to use it

      Of course, you should read the emacs texinfo pages that come with PSGML -mode from start to finish. Barring that, here are some handy commands:

      KeyCommand
      C-c C-eInsert an element. Uses completion and only lets you insert elements that -are valid
      C-c C-aEdit attributes of enclosing element.
      C-c C-x C-iShow information about the document's DTD.
      C-c C-x C-eDescribe element. Shows for one element which elements can be parents, -what its contents can be and lists its attributes.

      Further reading

      Start with the Section�, “OpenACS Documentation Guide”

      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +top.xml, that the element in the parent that will enclose the +current document is a book and that the current file's topmost +element is a sect1.

      How to use it

      Of course, you should read the emacs texinfo pages that come with PSGML +mode from start to finish. Barring that, here are some handy commands:

      KeyCommand
      C-c C-eInsert an element. Uses completion and only lets you insert elements that +are valid
      C-c C-aEdit attributes of enclosing element.
      C-c C-x C-iShow information about the document's DTD.
      C-c C-x C-eDescribe element. Shows for one element which elements can be parents, +what its contents can be and lists its attributes.

      Further reading

      Start with the the section called “OpenACS Documentation Guide”

      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/release-notes.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/release-notes.html,v diff -u -r1.48.2.2 -r1.48.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/release-notes.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:56 -0000 1.48.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/release-notes.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:47 -0000 1.48.2.3 @@ -1,13 +1,16 @@ - -OpenACS Release Notes

      OpenACS Release Notes

      The ChangeLogs include an annotated list of changes (Section�, “Changelog (most recent release only)”) since the last release and in the -entire 5.3 release sequence Section�, “Changelog for oacs-5-3”.

      Release 5.3.1

      • Bug fixes.

        New TIPs implemented.

        All Core Automated Tests for Postgres pass.

        New Site and Blank master templates and CSS compatible with the .LRN Zen - work. Compatibility master templates are provided for existing sites.

      The ChangeLogs include an annotated list of changes (Section�, “Changelog (most recent release only)”) since the last release and in the -entire 5.3 release sequence Section�, “Changelog for oacs-5-3”.

      Release 5.3.0

      • Bug fixes.

        New TIPs implemented.

        All Core Automated Tests for Postgres pass.

      Release 5.2.0

      • Bug fixes.

        New TIPs implemented.

        This release does not include new translations.

      Release 5.1.4

      • Bug fixes.

        The missing CR TCL API has been filled in, thanks to Rocael and - his team and Dave Bauer.

        This release does not include new translations.

      Release 5.1.3

      • Bug fixes, primarily for .LRN compatibility in support of upcoming .LRN 2.1.0 releases. This release does not include new translations since 5.1.2. -

      Release 5.1.2

      Release 5.1.0

      • Lots of little tweaks and fixes

      • Complete Change list since 5.0.0 in Changelog

      • Many Bug fixes

      Release 5.0.4

      • New translations, including for .LRN 2.0.2.

      Release 5.0.1

      • All work on the translation server from 7 Nov 2003 to 7 Feb 2004 is now included in catalogs.

      • One new function in acs-tcl, util::age_pretty

      • Complete Change list since 5.0.0 in Changelog

      • Many documentation updates and doc bug fixes

      Release 5.0.0

      This is OpenACS 5.0.0. This version contains no known security, data loss, or crashing bugs, nor any bugs judged release blockers. This version has received manual testing. It has passed current automated testing, which is not comprehensive. This release contains work done on the translation server http://translate.openacs.org through 7 Nov 2003.

      Please report bugs using our Bug Tracker at the OpenACS website.

      You may want to begin by reading our installation documentation for - Section�, “a Unix-like system”. Note that the Windows documentation is - not current for OpenACS 5.3.1, but an alternative is to use John + the section called “a Unix-like system”. Note that the Windows documentation is + not current for OpenACS 5.3.2, but an alternative is to use John Sequeira's Oasis VM project.

      After installation, the full documentation set can be found by visiting - http://yourserver/doc. + http://yourserver/doc.

      New features in this release:

      • @@ -107,19 +110,539 @@ PostgreSQL 7.3.

      • The undocumented special handling of ~ and +variable+ in - formtemplates, found in packages/acs-templating/resources/*, + formtemplates, found in packages/acs-templating/resources/*, has been removed in favor of using <noparse> and \@variable\@ (the standard templating mechanisms). Locally provided formtemplate styles still using these mechanisms will break.

      • Serving backup files and files from the CVS directories is turned off by default via the acs-kernel parameter - ExcludedFiles in section request-processor (The variable provides a string match glob list of files and is defaulted to "*/CVS/* *~") -

      ($Id$)

      Changelog (most recent release only)

      ChangeLog missing
      + ExcludedFiles in section request-processor (The variable provides a string match glob list of files and is defaulted to "*/CVS/* *~") +

      ($Id$)

      Changelog (most recent release only)

      ChangeLog missing
      --> -

      Changelog for oacs-5-3

      +

      Changelog for oacs-5-3

      +2007-07-13 03:30  donb
      +
      +	* packages/search/search.info: Made search depend on service
      +	  contract package
      +
      +2007-07-13 02:53  donb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-subsite/www/: group-master.adp, group-master.tcl:
      +	  Hacked this to work with the new master template scheme.  This is
      +	  only a temporary solution (see my comments in the code for
      +	  details)
      +
      +2007-07-13 02:31  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-lang/: tcl/lang-widget-procs.tcl,
      +	  www/change-locale-include.tcl: Mark as Selected the current
      +	  locale in the select_locale widget
      +
      +2007-07-10 08:38  carlb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-subsite/www/shared/whos-online.tcl: Added missing
      +	  internationalization
      +
      +2007-07-10 08:36  carlb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml:
      +	  Made messages more consistent and added missing keys
      +
      +2007-06-26 01:29  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/search.info: Make search a singleton since it can
      +	  be mounted only once. Description updated too.
      +
      +2007-06-23 15:51  donb
      +
      +	* packages/: acs-admin/acs-admin.info,
      +	  acs-api-browser/acs-api-browser.info,
      +	  acs-authentication/acs-authentication.info,
      +	  acs-automated-testing/acs-automated-testing.info,
      +	  acs-bootstrap-installer/acs-bootstrap-installer.info,
      +	  acs-content-repository/acs-content-repository.info,
      +	  acs-core-docs/acs-core-docs.info, acs-kernel/acs-kernel.info,
      +	  acs-lang/acs-lang.info, acs-mail-lite/acs-mail-lite.info,
      +	  acs-messaging/acs-messaging.info,
      +	  acs-reference/acs-reference.info,
      +	  acs-service-contract/acs-service-contract.info,
      +	  acs-subsite/acs-subsite.info, acs-tcl/acs-tcl.info,
      +	  acs-templating/acs-templating.info,
      +	  acs-translations/acs-translations.info,
      +	  ref-timezones/ref-timezones.info, search/search.info: Bump
      +	  version numbers to 5.3.2b1
      +
      +2007-06-15 06:48  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl: Don't reset filters
      +	  if page is changed.
      +
      +2007-06-14 18:50  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl: Don't show page in
      +	  list of available filters in form
      +
      +2007-06-14 07:25  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-mail-lite/tcl/acs-mail-lite-procs.tcl: Remove
      +	  duplicated proc with_finally (also exists in
      +	  acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl) and remove unnecessary
      +	  with_finally block in the sweeper procs
      +
      +2007-06-14 05:24  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-mail-lite/tcl/acs-mail-lite-procs.tcl: Catch errors
      +	  when sweeping the mail queue to avoid notifications to remain
      +	  unsent until the bad message has been manually removed. With the
      +	  catch, the bad message remains in the queue and an error message
      +	  sent to the log, and the sweeper proceeds with the next ones.
      +
      +2007-06-14 02:12  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/www/doc/demo/: list5/add-edit.tcl,
      +	  list6/add-edit.tcl, list7/add-edit.tcl, list8/add-edit.tcl,
      +	  list9/add-edit.tcl: Remove obsolete wrap attribute (textarea)
      +
      +2007-06-14 01:52  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/richtext-procs.tcl: Fix richtext HTML
      +	  to pass 4.01 transitional validation
      +
      +2007-06-07 03:15  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/: tcl/element-procs.tcl,
      +	  tcl/form-procs.tcl, www/resources/forms.css: Zen: set a default
      +	  class for fieldset. Customized styles for fieldset and legend
      +	  tags now will be correctly applied.
      +
      +2007-06-06 11:35  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/: resources/forms/standard.adp,
      +	  tcl/element-procs.tcl, tcl/form-procs.tcl, tcl/tag-init.tcl: Zen:
      +	  fieldset/legend tags are not generated anymore if the legend tag
      +	  has no text
      +
      +2007-06-06 05:47  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-kernel/: acs-kernel.info,
      +	  sql/oracle/upgrade/upgrade-5.3.2d1-5.3.2d2.sql,
      +	  sql/postgresql/upgrade/upgrade-5.3.2d1-5.3.2d2.sql: Fix upgrade
      +	  to parameter datatype check constraint to work with either
      +	  variation of the constraint name. Bump version in info file so
      +	  upgrade will run.
      +
      +2007-06-05 08:30  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/www/search.tcl: Return a complain when no
      +	  keywords to search for have been entered
      +
      +2007-06-03 02:47  maltes
      +
      +	* packages/acs-authentication/tcl/local-procs.tcl: The username is
      +	  not always an email. So, lets use the email instead for sending
      +	  the mail
      +
      +2007-06-01 10:47  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/: acs-tcl/tcl/navigation-procs.tcl,
      +	  search/tcl/search-procs.tcl: Removing unused-deprecated
      +	  ad_choice_bar (only used in contrib/obsolete-packages/library)
      +	  and search::choice_bar (not used) procs
      +
      +2007-06-01 03:56  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/: search.info, www/search.adp, www/search.tcl,
      +	  www/resources/search.css: last shot (for now) of html cleanup.
      +	  choice_bar replaced by a multirow to be able to apply styles at
      +	  template level and produce valid HTML
      +
      +2007-05-30 10:21  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Added
      +	  form_id to section_id to build fieldset ID (was conflicting in
      +	  some case with others IDs)
      +
      +2007-05-28 08:13  maltes
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Revert
      +
      +2007-05-28 02:10  maltes
      +
      +	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Added form
      +	  legend div so the sections can remotely look as before...
      +
      +2007-05-26 05:19  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-subsite/www/shared/: parameters-oracle.xql,
      +	  parameters-postgresql.xql: Get the parameter datatype so we know
      +	  what type of form widget to use
      +
      +2007-05-24 09:19  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/: catalog/search.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  www/search.adp, www/search.tcl, www/resources/search.css: Created
      +	  styles for search results page and applied them to the results
      +	  list
      +
      +2007-05-24 06:37  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/www/: search.adp, search.tcl: Removed references
      +	  to (non-existent) dotlrn template
      +
      +2007-05-24 05:16  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/: acs-subsite/www/shared/parameters.tcl,
      +	  acs-admin/www/apm/parameter-add-2.tcl,
      +	  acs-admin/www/apm/parameter-add.tcl,
      +	  acs-admin/www/apm/parameter-edit-2.tcl,
      +	  acs-admin/www/apm/parameter-edit.tcl,
      +	  acs-kernel/sql/oracle/apm-create.sql,
      +	  acs-kernel/sql/oracle/upgrade/upgrade-5.3.2d1-5.3.2d2.sql,
      +	  acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/apm-create.sql,
      +	  acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/upgrade/upgrade-5.3.2d1-5.3.2d2.sql:
      +	  Allow a new parameter type "text" to show a textarea on the
      +	  parmeter form for parmaeter values that don't fit well within a
      +	  textbox.
      +
      +2007-05-24 04:55  daveb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl: Use meta-refrsh or
      +	  javascript to redirect when switching frm HTTPS to HTTP to avoid
      +	  security warining in IE
      +
      +2007-05-24 03:30  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/search/www/search.adp: First shot of HTML cleanup
      +
      +2007-05-24 03:12  emmar
      +
      +	* www/site-master.tcl: Added content-type
      +
      +2007-05-24 03:10  emmar
      +
      +	* www/blank-master.adp: Added missing @ for meta.http_equiv
      +
      +2007-05-24 03:04  emmar
      +
      +	* www/default-master.tcl: Edited to avoid empty UL when main and
      +	  sub navigations are empty (thanks to Lee who provides the code)
      +
      +2007-05-19 12:55  maltes
      +
      +	*
      +	  packages/acs-content-repository/sql/postgresql/upgrade/upgrade-5.2.1d1-5.2.1d2.sql:
      +	  This old version of the view update is superseeded by
      +	  upgrade-5.3.0d1, apart from the fact that on none of my sites
      +	  moving from pre 5.2 it has been working on an upgrade (usually
      +	  fails due to image content type)
      +
      +2007-05-17 10:52  avni
      +
      +	* www/default-master.adp: bug fix on 5-3 branch; emma fixed on
      +	  HEAD; master had a relative src. making absolute
      +
      +2007-05-11 17:39  donb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-tcl/tcl/00-database-procs.tcl: Fixed a caching bug
      +	  ...
      +
      +2007-05-09 03:20  emmar
      +
      +	* packages/acs-lang/www/admin/set-system-timezone.tcl: Apply new
      +	  format from timeanddate.com to retrieve UTC time
      +
      +2007-05-07 05:52  maltes
      +
      +	* packages/acs-kernel/acs-kernel.info: I think kernel is mature. At
      +	  least this is my hope :-)
      +
      +2007-04-25 03:27  leed
      +
      +	* www/: blank-compat.adp, blank-compat.tcl: Added xinha/rte
      +	  processing into blank-compat to unbreak .LRN.
      +
      +2007-04-23 04:10  leed
      +
      +	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl, site-master.adp,
      +	  site-master.tcl: Fixed typo in declared script type which
      +	  prevented xinha from loading.
      +
      +2007-04-22 22:54  victorg
      +
      +	* packages/:
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.el_GR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.fa_IR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ind_ID.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.pa_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.th_TH.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ar_EG.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ast_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.el_GR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.fi_FI.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ja_JP.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ko_KR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.pa_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.pt_PT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.sv_SE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-kernel/catalog/acs-kernel.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ar_EG.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ast_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.el_GR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.en_GB.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.fa_IR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.fi_FI.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ja_JP.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ko_KR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.pa_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.pt_PT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.sh_HR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.sv_SE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.th_TH.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/catalog/acs-lang.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-lang/sql/oracle/ad-locales.sql,
      +	  acs-lang/sql/postgresql/ad-locales.sql,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ar_EG.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ast_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.el_GR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.en_GB.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.fi_FI.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ja_JP.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ko_KR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.pa_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.pt_PT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.sh_HR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.sv_SE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.th_TH.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ar_EG.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ast_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.fa_IR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.fi_FI.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ind_ID.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ja_JP.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ko_KR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.pt_PT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.sh_HR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.sv_SE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ar_LB.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ca_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.da_DK.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.el_GR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.es_CO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.es_GT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.eu_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.fi_FI.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.fr_FR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.gl_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.hi_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.hu_HU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.it_IT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ko_KR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ms_MY.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.nn_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.no_NO.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.pa_IN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.pt_PT.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ro_RO.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.ru_RU.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.sh_HR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.sv_SE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.tr_TR.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.zh_CN.utf-8.xml,
      +	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.zh_TW.utf-8.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.de_DE.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.nl_NL.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.pl_PL.utf-8.xml,
      +	  search/catalog/search.pt_BR.ISO-8859-1.xml: Importing catalog
      +	  files from traslate.openacs.org for Openacs Core Packages (5.3.1)
      +	  and .LRN Packages (2.3.0).
      +
      +2007-04-22 03:21  donb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-core-docs/www/: acs-admin.html, aolserver.html,
      +	  aolserver4.html, automated-testing-best-practices.html,
      +	  backup-recovery.html, bootstrap-acs.html, complete-install.html,
      +	  configuring-configuring-packages.html,
      +	  configuring-configuring-permissions.html,
      +	  configuring-install-packages.html,
      +	  configuring-mounting-packages.html, credits.html,
      +	  cvs-guidelines.html, cvs-tips.html, db-api-detailed.html,
      +	  db-api.html, docbook-primer.html,
      +	  eng-standards-constraint-naming.html,
      +	  eng-standards-filenaming.html, eng-standards-plsql.html,
      +	  eng-standards-versioning.html, ext-auth-requirements.html,
      +	  filename.html, form-builder.html, high-avail.html, how-do-I.html,
      +	  i18n-convert.html, index.html, individual-programs.html,
      +	  install-cvs.html, install-daemontools.html,
      +	  install-full-text-search-openfts.html,
      +	  install-full-text-search-tsearch2.html,
      +	  install-next-add-server.html, install-next-nightly-vacuum.html,
      +	  install-openacs-keepalive.html, install-qmail.html,
      +	  install-redhat.html, install-steps.html, ix01.html,
      +	  mac-installation.html, maint-performance.html,
      +	  maintenance-deploy.html, object-identity.html, objects.html,
      +	  openacs-unpack.html, openacs.html, oracle.html, packages.html,
      +	  parties.html, permissions-tediously-explained.html,
      +	  permissions.html, postgres.html, programming-with-aolserver.html,
      +	  psgml-for-emacs.html, psgml-mode.html, release-notes.html,
      +	  releasing-openacs-core.html, request-processor.html,
      +	  requirements-template.html, security-notes.html,
      +	  style-guide.html, subsites.html, tcl-doc.html, templates.html,
      +	  tutorial-css-layout.html, tutorial-cvs.html,
      +	  tutorial-database.html, tutorial-debug.html,
      +	  tutorial-distribute.html, tutorial-etp-templates.html,
      +	  tutorial-newpackage.html, tutorial-pages.html,
      +	  unix-installation.html, upgrade-4.5-to-4.6.html,
      +	  upgrade-openacs-files.html, upgrade-overview.html,
      +	  variables.html, win2k-installation.html, xml/variables.ent,
      +	  xml/for-everyone/release-notes.xml: Generated documentation for
      +	  5.3.1 final
      +
      +2007-04-22 02:15  donb
      +
      +	* packages/acs-core-docs/www/xml/for-everyone/release-notes.xml:
      +	  Release notes for 5.3.1 final
      +
       2007-04-22 01:57  donb
       
       	* packages/: acs-admin/acs-admin.info,
      @@ -272,68 +795,68 @@
       	* etc/config.tcl: Added more parameters as they were posted on the
       	  AOLserver list.
       
      -2007-03-31 21:58  avni
      +2007-03-31 22:58  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/resources/site-master.css: adding 0.4em
       	  padding-left for system name
       
      -2007-03-31 21:54  avni
      +2007-03-31 22:54  avni
       
       	* www/default-master.adp: improving layout of header
       
      -2007-03-31 21:53  avni
      +2007-03-31 22:53  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/resources/site-master.css: Cleaning up
       	  css; changing colors; trying to make it more zen
       
      -2007-03-30 16:42  donb
      +2007-03-30 17:42  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl: Reluctantly moved the
       	  dotlrn toolbar here so it will work with existing sites.
       
      -2007-03-30 03:37  emmar
      +2007-03-30 04:37  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-tcl/tcl/table-display-procs.tcl: Zen: HTML cleanup
       
      -2007-03-29 16:20  victorg
      +2007-03-29 17:20  victorg
       
       	* packages/acs-api-browser/lib/search.tcl: Typo in var name (
       	  db_doc_serch_query_name )
       
      -2007-03-29 06:55  emmar
      +2007-03-29 07:55  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/: shared/whos-online.adp,
       	  user/portrait/comment-edit.adp, user/portrait/upload.adp: Zen:
       	  HTML cleanup
       
      -2007-03-27 01:02  emmar
      +2007-03-27 02:02  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/resources/: default-master.css,
       	  site-master.css: Move general styles definition to
       	  site-master.css. default-master.css now contains only styles for
       	  the calendar widget
       
      -2007-03-26 23:34  gustafn
      +2007-03-27 00:34  gustafn
       
       	* packages/acs-admin/www/install/index.adp: fix: add needed ending
       	  slash in link pointing to http://openacs.org/repository/
       
      -2007-03-26 09:49  donb
      +2007-03-26 10:49  donb
       
       	* www/site-master.tcl: Removed more link to css titles because the
       	  javascript switcher screws up
       
      -2007-03-26 09:45  donb
      +2007-03-26 10:45  donb
       
       	* www/blank-master.tcl: Removed title from dev sup css link because
       	  the javascript style switcher is really stupid.
       
      -2007-03-25 04:25  emmar
      +2007-03-25 05:25  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/www/resources/lists.css: Remove extra
       	  chars causing silly warning
       
      -2007-03-24 17:21  donb
      +2007-03-24 18:21  donb
       
       	* packages/: acs-admin/acs-admin.info,
       	  acs-api-browser/acs-api-browser.info,
      @@ -352,45 +875,45 @@
       	  ref-timezones/ref-timezones.info, search/search.info: Bumped to
       	  5.3.1a1.  I hope.  I never get this right!
       
      -2007-03-24 13:50  donb
      +2007-03-24 14:50  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, site-master.adp, site-master.tcl: Moved
       	  some stuff to blank master from site master.
       
      -2007-03-22 10:14  emmar
      +2007-03-22 11:14  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/tcl/email-image-procs.tcl: Forgot to escape
       	  quotes in my previous commit
       
      -2007-03-22 10:01  emmar
      +2007-03-22 11:01  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/tcl/email-image-procs.tcl: Zen: class portal
       	  HTML cleanup
       
      -2007-03-22 09:37  donb
      +2007-03-22 10:37  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl: Moved devsup here, it's
       	  css must be clashing with something else because the formating is
       	  non-existent.
       
      -2007-03-22 09:21  emmar
      +2007-03-22 10:21  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/resources/lists/table.adp: Zen: headers
       	  should refer to existing IDs
       
      -2007-03-22 08:03  emmar
      +2007-03-22 09:03  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Zen: don't
       	  generate label tag if the form mode is 'display'
       
      -2007-03-22 03:53  emmar
      +2007-03-22 04:53  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/:
       	  catalog/acs-templating.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
       	  catalog/acs-templating.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
       	  tcl/richtext-procs.tcl: i18n
       
      -2007-03-22 02:13  emmar
      +2007-03-22 03:13  emmar
       
       	* packages/: acs-admin/catalog/acs-admin.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
       	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      @@ -402,38 +925,38 @@
       	  acs-templating/catalog/acs-templating.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml,
       	  search/catalog/search.es_ES.ISO-8859-1.xml: Spanish translation
       
      -2007-03-21 05:48  emmar
      +2007-03-21 06:48  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/resources/lists/table.adp: Zen: add
       	  mandatory ACTION attribute to form tag
       
      -2007-03-21 04:27  emmar
      +2007-03-21 05:27  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/resources/core.js: Commas are not valid
       	  char for element identifier. Replaced with a dot in list builder
       	  and acs_ListCheckAll edited to parse correctly the IDs
       
      -2007-03-21 04:17  emmar
      +2007-03-21 05:17  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl: Fix typo in checkbox
       	  identifiers
       
      -2007-03-21 02:01  avni
      +2007-03-21 03:01  avni
       
       	* packages/search/catalog/search.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml: Zen: version
       	  bump
       
      -2007-03-21 01:45  avni
      +2007-03-21 02:45  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-tcl/catalog/acs-tcl.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml: Zen:
       	  version change
       
      -2007-03-21 01:45  avni
      +2007-03-21 02:45  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml:
       	  Zen: Adding new footer message key (carl)
       
      -2007-03-21 01:42  avni
      +2007-03-21 02:42  avni
       
       	* packages/:
       	  acs-authentication/catalog/acs-authentication.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml,
      @@ -442,68 +965,68 @@
       	  acs-mail-lite/catalog/acs-mail-lite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml: Zen:
       	  version change
       
      -2007-03-20 04:52  emmar
      +2007-03-20 05:52  emmar
       
       	* www/blank-master.tcl: Call to initRTE was missing
       
      -2007-03-20 03:08  emmar
      +2007-03-20 04:08  emmar
       
       	* www/blank-master.tcl: Add missing quotes that caused xinha not to
       	  render properly
       
      -2007-03-19 17:39  donb
      +2007-03-19 18:39  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl: got this stuff to load
       	  xinha stuff correctly however it's not rendering...
       
      -2007-03-19 16:47  donb
      +2007-03-19 17:47  donb
       
       	* www/blank-master.tcl: First cut at putting in RTE/Xinha js
       	  (incomplete)
       
      -2007-03-19 07:26  emmar
      +2007-03-19 08:26  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/richtext-procs.tcl: Remove duplicated
       	  NOSCRIPT tags for RTE widget
       
      -2007-03-18 15:39  avni
      +2007-03-18 16:39  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl: Zen: adding ID
       	  attributes for input button and file types.
       
      -2007-03-18 15:19  avni
      +2007-03-18 16:19  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Zen:
       	  removing label from inform widget type
       
      -2007-03-18 14:32  avni
      +2007-03-18 15:32  avni
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/tcl/widget-procs.tcl: Zen:
       	  template::widget::block bug fix - there was a th that was closed
       	  with a /td instead of a /th
       
      -2007-03-17 15:31  carlb
      +2007-03-17 16:31  carlb
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/catalog/acs-subsite.en_US.ISO-8859-1.xml:
       	  Zen: alt tag and message keys for envelope icons in notfications
       
      -2007-03-16 04:41  emmar
      +2007-03-16 05:41  emmar
       
       	* packages/acs-templating/resources/forms/standard.adp: Zen: label
       	  should not be used for element widgets that group several form
       	  elements (radio, checkbox, date)
       
      -2007-03-14 06:34  daveb
      +2007-03-14 07:34  daveb
       
       	*
       	  packages/acs-templating/www/resources/xinha-nightly/plugins/OacsAttach/oacs-attach.js:
       	  Pass selected text as title to insert link popup
       
      -2007-03-13 09:50  donb
      +2007-03-13 10:50  donb
       
       	* www/blank-master.tcl: Added core.js ...
       
      -2007-03-13 08:05  donb
      +2007-03-13 09:05  donb
       
       	* www/blank-compat.tcl: Changed blank-compat to always link
       	  forms.css and lists.css as was true in earlier versions.  Decided
      @@ -513,33 +1036,33 @@
       	  making this happen is something for a future release.  Therefore
       	  ... blank-compat for now.
       
      -2007-03-13 07:50  donb
      +2007-03-13 08:50  donb
       
       	* www/blank-master.adp: Removed more xml stuff
       
      -2007-03-13 07:44  donb
      +2007-03-13 08:44  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl: More stuff related to
       	  using html transitional rather than xhtml
       
      -2007-03-13 07:29  donb
      +2007-03-13 08:29  donb
       
       	* www/blank-master.adp: Removed extraneous meta tag, and trailing
      -	  "/" chars
      +	  "/" chars
       
      -2007-03-12 12:52  donb
      +2007-03-12 13:52  donb
       
       	* www/: blank-master.adp, blank-master.tcl, default-master.adp:
       	  Removed some xhtml-specific stuff as requested by emma, shouldn't
       	  be there now and when we do xhtml we'll need more than that
       	  minimal stuff so - gone for now.
       
      -2007-03-12 12:16  donb
      +2007-03-12 13:16  donb
       
       	* www/blank-compat.tcl: Fixed one area of backwards incompatibility
       	  with this backwards compatibility master template :)
       
      -2007-03-12 06:58  maltes
      +2007-03-12 07:58  maltes
       
       	* etc/config.tcl: Ups. no cognovis should be there...
       
      @@ -776,7 +1299,7 @@
       2007-02-21 18:19  donb
       
       	* packages/acs-subsite/www/permissions/perm-include.tcl: The
      -	  default perm list didn't include the top-level perm "delete"
      +	  default perm list didn't include the top-level perm "delete"
       	  (which is useful when this is called from file-storage, for
       	  instance!)
       
      @@ -896,13 +1419,13 @@
       	* packages/acs-mail-lite/tcl/acs-mail-lite-callback-procs.tcl: When
       	  i added documentation blocks to these callbacks, the call back
       	  def code started complaining that the body {\n} is not empty.
      -	  Replaced this with the "-" empty body marker.  Interestingly:
      +	  Replaced this with the "-" empty body marker.  Interestingly:
       
       	  ad_proc -callback {	  params } { }
       
      -	  apparenly does not trigger the "non-empty body" error.
      +	  apparenly does not trigger the "non-empty body" error.
       	  Apparently the callback def only checks if there's a docblock
      -	  passsed to ad_proc ... a "gotcha".
      +	  passsed to ad_proc ... a "gotcha".
       
       2007-02-16 03:21  emmar
       
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs-core.html
      ===================================================================
      RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs-core.html,v
      diff -u -r1.13.2.2 -r1.13.2.3
      --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs-core.html	22 Apr 2007 10:21:57 -0000	1.13.2.2
      +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs-core.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000	1.13.2.3
      @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
      -
      -OpenACS Core and .LRN

      OpenACS Core and .LRN

      1. Update Translations.�Section�, “How to Update the translations”

      2. Rebuild the Changelog.�Rebuild the Changelog. I use a tool called cvs2cl. Run this command from the package root to automatically generate a Changelog file in the same dir. We generate two changelogs, one for the minor branch and one for the most recent release. The example below is for OpenACS 5.0.2:

        cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +OpenACS Core and .LRN

        OpenACS Core and .LRN

        1. Update Translations.�the section called “How to Update the translations”

        2. Rebuild the Changelog.�Rebuild the Changelog. I use a tool called cvs2cl. Run this command from the package root to automatically generate a Changelog file in the same dir. We generate two changelogs, one for the minor branch and one for the most recent release. The example below is for OpenACS 5.0.2:

          cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
           cvs2cl -F oacs-5-0 --delta openacs-5-0-0-final:oacs-5-0 -f ChangeLog
          -cvs2cl -F oacs-5-0 --delta openacs-5-0-1-final:oacs-5-0 -f ChangeLog-recent
        3. Update Version Numbers.�The version numbers in the documentation and in the packages must be updated. This should only happen after a release candidate is approved.

          .LRN: this must be repeated for .LRN modules (dotlrn-core in the dotlrn cvs tree) and for any modified modules in the .LRN prerequisites (dotlrn-prereq in openacs cvs tree). My current working model is that I bulk-update .LRN and OpenACS core but that I don't touch dotlrn-prereq modules - I just use the most recent release and it's up to individual package developers to tag and release those packages when they change. This model is already broken because following it means that dotlrn-prereqs don't get new translations.
          1. Update /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/xml/variables.ent with the new version number. +cvs2cl -F oacs-5-0 --delta openacs-5-0-1-final:oacs-5-0 -f ChangeLog-recent

      3. Update Version Numbers.�The version numbers in the documentation and in the packages must be updated. This should only happen after a release candidate is approved.

        .LRN: this must be repeated for .LRN modules (dotlrn-core in the dotlrn cvs tree) and for any modified modules in the .LRN prerequisites (dotlrn-prereq in openacs cvs tree). My current working model is that I bulk-update .LRN and OpenACS core but that I don't touch dotlrn-prereq modules - I just use the most recent release and it's up to individual package developers to tag and release those packages when they change. This model is already broken because following it means that dotlrn-prereqs don't get new translations.

        1. Update /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/xml/variables.ent with the new version number.

        2. Add new section in /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/xml/for-everyone/release-notes.xml

        3. Regenerate all HTML docs

          cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-core-docs/www/xml
           make
        4. Update /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/readme.txt with the new version number

        5. Update version number and release date in all of the @@ -21,7 +20,7 @@

    • Tag the tree. If it's a final release of core, move or create the appropriate openacs-major-minor-compat tag. (Ie, if releasing 5.0.3 final, move the openacs-5-0-compat flag.)

      cd /var/tmp/openacs-4
       cvs tag -F openacs-5-0-0a1
       cvs tag -F openacs-5-0-compat
      -

      Branching

      When we feature-freeze on HEAD as part of the release process, we are blocking new development. To avoid this, we branch the code at this point, so that new work can continue on HEAD while the branch is stabilized for release. However, branching means that bug fixes have to be synchronized between HEAD and the branch, and bug fixes tend to be more frequent right at this time. Therefore, our actual branch point is as late as possible - essentially, we do not branch until and unless new feature work is actively blocked by the feature freeze. Branching is almost the same as tagging, except for the flag and slightly different tag nomenclature. To see the list of old branches, cvs status -v somefile.

      cvs tag -b oacs-5-0

      If doing .LRN: Since the .LRN packages aren't all in one +

    • Branching

      When we feature-freeze on HEAD as part of the release process, we are blocking new development. To avoid this, we branch the code at this point, so that new work can continue on HEAD while the branch is stabilized for release. However, branching means that bug fixes have to be synchronized between HEAD and the branch, and bug fixes tend to be more frequent right at this time. Therefore, our actual branch point is as late as possible - essentially, we do not branch until and unless new feature work is actively blocked by the feature freeze. Branching is almost the same as tagging, except for the flag and slightly different tag nomenclature. To see the list of old branches, cvs status -v somefile.

      cvs tag -b oacs-5-0

      If doing .LRN: Since the .LRN packages aren't all in one module, we iterate through all of the modules. Log in first (cvs login) so that you don't have to log in for each module.

      cd /var/tmp/dotlrn-packages
      @@ -30,7 +29,7 @@
       

      Note that for the compat tag we use the -F flag which will force the tag to the new version (just in case someone has created the tag already on another version). Excercise care when doing this since you don't want to inadvertently move a prior release tag. Also if the tagging goes horribly wrong - for some reason you can delete the tag via "cvs tag -d <symbolic_tag>".

    • Apply the final tag across the tree. First, check out the entire OpenACS tree, getting the most recent stable version of each package. This is most simply done on openacs.org:

      cd /var/tmp
      +          for some reason you can delete the tag via "cvs tag -d <symbolic_tag>".

    • Apply the final tag across the tree. First, check out the entire OpenACS tree, getting the most recent stable version of each package. This is most simply done on openacs.org:

      cd /var/tmp
       cvs -d /cvsroot checkout -r openacs-5-1-compat openacs-4
       cd openacs-4
       cvs tag openacs-5-1-2-final
    • Make the tarball(s).�

      • openacs-core.�

        1. Go to a new working space and export the tagged files.

          mkdir /var/tmp/tarball
          @@ -81,7 +80,7 @@
           BASE=/var/tmp/release-$OACS_VERSION
           mkdir $BASE
           if [ ! -d $BASE ]; then 
          -    echo "Failed creating base dir $BASE"
          +    echo "Failed creating base dir $BASE"
               exit 1
           fi
           
          Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs.html
          ===================================================================
          RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs.html,v
          diff -u -r1.22.2.1 -r1.22.2.2
          --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs.html	14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000	1.22.2.1
          +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-openacs.html	14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000	1.22.2.2
          @@ -1,2 +1 @@
          -
          -Chapter�16.�Releasing OpenACS
          View comments on this page at openacs.org
          +Chapter�16.�Releasing OpenACS
          View comments on this page at openacs.org
          Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-package.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-package.html,v diff -u -r1.8.2.1 -r1.8.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-package.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.8.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/releasing-package.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.8.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -How to package and release an OpenACS Package

          How to package and release an OpenACS Package

          In this example, we are packaging and releasing myfirstpackage as version 1.0.0, which is compatible with OpenACS 5.0.x.

          1. Update the version number, release date, and package maturity of your package in the APM.

          2. Make sure all changes are committed.

          3. Tag the updated work.:

            cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/myfirstpackage
            +How to package and release an OpenACS Package

            How to package and release an OpenACS Package

            In this example, we are packaging and releasing myfirstpackage as version 1.0.0, which is compatible with OpenACS 5.0.x.

            1. Update the version number, release date, and package maturity of your package in the APM.

            2. Make sure all changes are committed.

            3. Tag the updated work.:

              cd /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/myfirstpackage
               cvs tag myfirstpackages-1-0-0-final
               cvs tag -F openacs-5-0-compat
               

            Done. The package will be added to the repository automatically. If the correct version does not show up within 24 hours, ask for help on the OpenACS.org development forum.

            View comments on this page at openacs.org
            Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/remote-postgres.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/remote-postgres.html,v diff -u -r1.7.2.1 -r1.7.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/remote-postgres.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.7.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/remote-postgres.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.7.2.2 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Running a PostgreSQL database on another server

            Running a PostgreSQL database on another server

            To run a database on a different machine than the +Running a PostgreSQL database on another server

            Running a PostgreSQL database on another server

            To run a database on a different machine than the webserver requires changes to the database configuration file and access control file, and to the OpenACS service's configuration file.

            • Edit the database configuration file, which in a - Reference install is located at /usr/local/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf + Reference install is located at /usr/local/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf and change

              #tcpip_socket = false

              to

              tcpip_socket = true
            • Change the access control file for the database to permit specific remote clients to access. Access can be controlled ... (add notes from forum post)

            • Change the OpenACS service's configuration file to point to the remote database. Edit - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/config.tcl and change

              to

            View comments on this page at openacs.org
            Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/request-processor.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/request-processor.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/request-processor.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:57 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/request-processor.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,16 +1,15 @@ - -The Request Processor

            The Request Processor

            By Pete Su

            +The Request Processor

            The Request Processor

            By Pete Su

            OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

            Overview

            -This document is a brief introduction to the OpenACS 5.3.1 Request Processor; +

            Overview

            +This document is a brief introduction to the OpenACS 5.3.2 Request Processor; more details can be found in the OpenACS 4 Request Processor Design. Here we cover the high level concepts behind the system, and implications and usage for the application developer. -

            Request Processor

            -The 5.3.1 Request Processor is a global filter and set of Tcl procs that +

            Request Processor

            +The 5.3.2 Request Processor is a global filter and set of Tcl procs that respond to every incoming URL reaching the server. The following diagram summarizes the stages of the request processor assuming a URL -request like http://someserver.com/notes/somepage.adp. +request like http://someserver.com/notes/somepage.adp.

            @@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ After looking up the appropriate object, the RP stores the URL, the ID of the object it found, and the package and package instance the object belongs to into the environment of the connection. This -environment can be queried using the ad_conn procedure, +environment can be queried using the ad_conn procedure, which is described in detail in OpenACS 4 Request Processor Design. The page development tutorial shows you how to use this interface to make your pages aware of which instance was requested. @@ -36,9 +35,9 @@ extracts or sets up new session tokens for the user.

            Stage 3: Authorization

            Next, the Request Processor checks if the user has appropriate access -privileges to the requested part of the site. In OpenACS 5.3.1, access control +privileges to the requested part of the site. In OpenACS 5.3.2, access control is dictated by the permissions system. In -this case, the RP checks if the user has "read" priviledges on the +this case, the RP checks if the user has "read" priviledges on the object in the site map specified by the URL. This object is typically a package instance, but it could easily be something more granular, such as whehter the user can view a particular piece of content within @@ -47,16 +46,16 @@

            Stage 4: URL Processing, File Search

            Finally, the Request Processor finds the file we intend to serve, searching the filesystem to locate the actual file that corresponds to -an abstract URL. It searches for files with predefined "magic" -extensions, i.e. files that end with: .html, -.tcl and .adp. +an abstract URL. It searches for files with predefined "magic" +extensions, i.e. files that end with: .html, +.tcl and .adp.

            If the RP can't find any matching files with the expected extensions, -it will look for virtual-url-handler files, or .vuh -files. A .vuh file will be executed as if it were a Tcl +it will look for virtual-url-handler files, or .vuh +files. A .vuh file will be executed as if it were a Tcl file, but with the tail end of the URL removed. This allows the code -in the .vuh file to act like a registered procedure for -an entire subtree of the URL namespace. Thus a .vuh file +in the .vuh file to act like a registered procedure for +an entire subtree of the URL namespace. Thus a .vuh file can be thought of as a replacement for filters and registered procs, except that they integrate cleanly and correctly with the RP's URL mapping mechanisms. The details of how to use these files are @@ -65,64 +64,64 @@ Once the appropriate file is found, it is either served directly if it's static content, or sent to the template system or the standard Tcl interpreter if it's a dynamic page. -

            Basic API

            +

            Basic API

            Once the flow of control reaches a dynamic page, the Request Processor has populated the environment of the request with several pieces of useful information. The RP's environment is accessible through the -ad_conn interface, and the following calls should be +ad_conn interface, and the following calls should be useful to you when developing dynamic pages: -

            [ad_conn user_id] +

            [ad_conn user_id]

            The ID of the user associated with this request. By convention this is zero if there is no user. -

            [ad_conn session_id] +

            [ad_conn session_id]

            The ID of the session associated with this request. -

            [ad_conn url] +

            [ad_conn url]

            The URL associated with the request. -

            [ad_conn urlv] +

            [ad_conn urlv]

            The URL associated with the request, represented as a list instead of a single string. -

            [ad_conn file] +

            [ad_conn file]

            The actual local filesystem path of the file that is being served. -

            [ad_conn object_url] +

            [ad_conn object_url]

            If the URL refers to a site map object, this is the URL to the root of the tree where the object is mounted. -

            [ad_conn package_url] +

            [ad_conn package_url]

            If the URL refers to a package instance, this is the URL to the root of the tree where the package is mounted. -

            [ad_conn extra_url] +

            [ad_conn extra_url]

            If we found the URL in the site map, this is the tail of the URL following the part that matched a site map entry. -

            [ad_conn object_id] +

            [ad_conn object_id]

            If the URL refers to a site map object, this is the ID of that object. -

            [ad_conn package_id] +

            [ad_conn package_id]

            If the URL refers to a package instance, this is the ID of that package instance. -

            [ad_conn package_key] +

            [ad_conn package_key]

            If the URL refers to a package instance, this is the unique key name of the package. -

            [ad_conn path_info] +

            [ad_conn path_info]

            In a .vuh file, path_info is the trailing part of the URL not matched Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/requirements-template.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/requirements-template.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/requirements-template.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:57 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/requirements-template.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -System/Application Requirements Template

            System/Application Requirements Template

            By You

            +System/Application Requirements Template

            System/Application Requirements Template

            By You

            OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

            Introduction

            +

            Introduction

            Briefly explain to the reader what this document is for, whether it records the requirements for a new system, a client application, a toolkit subsystem, etc. Remember your audience: fellow programmers, @@ -11,50 +10,50 @@ everywhere, write clearly and precisely; for requirements documentation, write at a level that any intelligent layperson can understand. -

            Vision Statement

            +

            Vision Statement

            Very broadly, describe how the system meets a need of a business, group, the OpenACS as a whole, etc. Make sure that technical and non-technical readers alike would understand what the system would do and why it's useful. Whenever applicable, you should explicitly state what the business value of the system is. -

            System/Application Overview

            +

            System/Application Overview

            Discuss the high-level breakdown of the components that make up the system. You can go by functional areas, by the main transactions the system allows, etc.

            You should also state the context and dependencies of the system here, e.g. if it's an application-level package for OpenACS 4, briefly describe how it uses kernel services, like permissions or subsites. -

            Use-cases and User-scenarios

            +

            Use-cases and User-scenarios

            Determine the types or classes of users who would use the system, and what their experience would be like at a high-level. Sketch what their experience would be like and what actions they would take, and how the system would support them. -

            Optional: Competitive Analysis

            +

            Optional: Competitive Analysis

            Describe other systems or services that are comparable to what you're building. If applicable, say why your implementation will be superior, where it will match the competition, and where/why it will lack existing best-of-breed capabilities. This section is also in the Design doc, so write about it where you deem most appropriate. -

            Related Links

            Include all pertinent links to supporting and related material, - such as:

            • System/Package "coversheet" - where all documentation for this software is linked off of

            • Design document

            • Developer's guide

            • User's guide

            • Other-cool-system-related-to-this-one document

            • Test plan

            • Competitive system(s)

            Requirements

            +

            Related Links

            Include all pertinent links to supporting and related material, + such as:

            • System/Package "coversheet" - where all documentation for this software is linked off of

            • Design document

            • Developer's guide

            • User's guide

            • Other-cool-system-related-to-this-one document

            • Test plan

            • Competitive system(s)

            Requirements

            The main course of the document, requirements. Break up the requirements sections (A, B, C, etc.) as needed. Within each section, create a list denominated with unique identifiers that reflect any functional hierarchy present, e.g. 20.5.13. - for the first number, leave generous gaps on the first writing of requirements (e.g. 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.) because you'll want to leave room for any missing key requirements that may arise. -

            • 10.0 A Common Solution

              +

              • 10.0 A Common Solution

                Programmers and designers should only have to learn a single system that serves as a UI substrate for all the functionally specific modules in the toolkit. -

                10.0.1

                +

                10.0.1

                The system should not make any assumptions about how pages should look or function. -

                10.0.5

                +

                10.0.5

                Publishers should be able to change the default presentation of any module using a single methodology with minimal exposure to code. @@ -74,11 +73,11 @@ suited to handle combinations of inputs.

              • Flowcharts - easy to draw and understand, suited for event and decision driven systems. UML is the industry standard here.

              • Entity-Relationship diagrams - a necessary part of Design documents, sometimes a high-level ER diagram is useful for - requirements as well.

            Optional: Implementation Notes

            + requirements as well.

      Optional: Implementation Notes

      Although in theory coding comes after design, which comes after requirements, we do not, and perhaps should not, always follow such a rigid process (a.k.a. the waterfall lifecyle). Often, there is a pre-existing system or prototype first, and thus you may want to write some thoughts on implementation, for aiding and guiding yourself or other programmers. -

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.3Edited further, incorporated feedback from Michael Yoon9/05/2000Kai Wu
      0.2Edited8/22/2000Kai Wu
      0.1Created8/21/2000Josh Finkler, Audrey McLoghlin
      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.3Edited further, incorporated feedback from Michael Yoon9/05/2000Kai Wu
      0.2Edited8/22/2000Kai Wu
      0.1Created8/21/2000Josh Finkler, Audrey McLoghlin
      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-design.html,v diff -u -r1.30.2.1 -r1.30.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.30.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.30.2.2 @@ -1,54 +1,53 @@ - -Request Processor Design

      Request Processor Design

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      +Request Processor Design

      Request Processor Design

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -
    • Introduction

      The request processor is the set of procs that responds to every HTTP request made to the OpenACS. The request processor must authenticate the connecting user, and make sure that he is authorized to perform the given request. If these steps succeed, then the request processor must locate the file that is associated with the specified URL, and serve the content it -provides to the browser.

      Related Systems

      Terminology

      • -pageroot -- Any directory that contains scripts and/or +provides to the browser.

      Related Systems

      Terminology

      • +pageroot -- Any directory that contains scripts and/or static files intended to be served in response to HTTP requests. A typical -OpenACS installation is required to serve files from multiple pageroots.

      • global pageroot -(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/www) -- Files appearing under +OpenACS installation is required to serve files from multiple pageroots.

      • global pageroot +(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/www) -- Files appearing under this pageroot will be served directly off the base url -http://www.servicename.com/

      • package root -(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/packages) -- Each subdirectory of +http://www.servicename.com/

      • package root +(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/packages) -- Each subdirectory of the package root is a package. A typical OpenACS installation will have several -packages.

      • package pageroot -(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/packages/package_key/www) --- This is the pageroot for the package_key package.

      • request environment (ad_conn) -- This is +packages.

      • package pageroot +(/var/lib/aolserver/servicename/packages/package_key/www) +-- This is the pageroot for the package_key package.

      • request environment (ad_conn) -- This is a global namespace containing variables associated with the current -request.

      • abstract URL -- A URL with no extension that doesn't -directly correspond to a file in the filesystem.

      • abstract file or abstract path -- A URL +request.

      • abstract URL -- A URL with no extension that doesn't +directly correspond to a file in the filesystem.

      • abstract file or abstract path -- A URL that has been translated into a file system path (probably by prepending the appropriate pageroot), but still doesn't have any extension and so does -not directly correspond to a file in the filesystem.

      • concrete file or concrete path -- A file -or path that actually references something in the filesystem.

      System Overview

      Package Lookup

      One of the first things the request processor must do is to determine +not directly correspond to a file in the filesystem.

    • concrete file or concrete path -- A file +or path that actually references something in the filesystem.

    • System Overview

      Package Lookup

      One of the first things the request processor must do is to determine which package instance a given request references, and based on this information, which pageroot to use when searching for a file to serve. During this process the request processor divides the URL into two pieces. The first portion identifies the package instance. The rest identifies the path into the package pageroot. For example if the news package is mounted on /offices/boston/announcements/, then a request for /offices/boston/announcements/index would be split into the -package_url (/offices/boston/announcements/), and the +package_url (/offices/boston/announcements/), and the abstract (no extension info) file path (index). The request processor must be -able to figure out which package_id is associated with a +able to figure out which package_id is associated with a given package_url, and package mountings must be persistent across server restarts and users must be able to manipulate the mountings on a live site, -therefore this mapping is stored in the database.

      Authentication and Authorization

      Once the request processor has located both the package_id and concrete +therefore this mapping is stored in the database.

      Authentication and Authorization

      Once the request processor has located both the package_id and concrete file associated with the request, authentication is performed by the session security system. After authentication has been performed the user is authorized to have read access for the given package by the OpenACS 4 Permissions Design. If authorization succeeds then the request is served, otherwise it is -aborted.

      Concrete File Search

      To actually serve a file, the request processor generates an ordered list +aborted.

      Concrete File Search

      To actually serve a file, the request processor generates an ordered list of abstract paths and searches each path for a concrete file. The first path searched is composed of the package pageroot with the extra portion of the URL appended. The second abstract path consists of the global pageroot with @@ -59,22 +58,22 @@ directory. Files take precedence over directory listings, so an index file in the global pageroot will be served instead of a directory listing in the package pageroot, even though the global pageroot is searched later. If a -file is found at any of the searched locations then it is served.

      Virtual URL Handlers

      If no file is found during the concrete file search, then the request -processor searches the filesystem for a virtual url handler -(.vuh) file. This file contains normal tcl code, and is in +file is found at any of the searched locations then it is served.

      Virtual URL Handlers

      If no file is found during the concrete file search, then the request +processor searches the filesystem for a virtual url handler +(.vuh) file. This file contains normal tcl code, and is in fact handled by the same extension handling procedure that handles .tcl files. The only way this file is treated differently is in how the request processor searches for it. When a lookup fails, the request processor generates each valid prefix of all the abstract paths considered in the concrete file search, and searches these prefixes in order from most specific to least specific for a matching .vuh file. If a file is found then the -ad_conn variable path_info is set to the portion of the url +ad_conn variable path_info is set to the portion of the url not matched by the .vuh script, and the script is sourced. This facility is intended to replace the concept of registered procs, since no special distinction is required between sitewide procs and package specific procs when using this facility. It is also much less prone to overlap and confusion than the use of registered procs, especially in an environment with -many packages installed.

      Site Nodes

      The request processor manages the mappings from URL patterns to package +many packages installed.

      Site Nodes

      The request processor manages the mappings from URL patterns to package instances with the site_nodes data model. Every row in the site_nodes table represents a fully qualified URL. A package can be mounted on any node in this data model. When the request processor performs a URL lookup, it @@ -87,16 +86,16 @@ performed by starting with the full request URI and successively stripping off the rightmost path components until a match is reached. This way the time required to lookup a URL is proportional to the length of the URL, not to the -number of entries in the mapping.

      Request Environment

      The request environment is managed by the procedure -ad_conn. Variables can be set and retrieved through use of +number of entries in the mapping.

      Request Environment

      The request environment is managed by the procedure +ad_conn. Variables can be set and retrieved through use of the ad_conn procedure. The following variables are available for public use. If the ad_conn procedure doesn't recognize a variable being passed to it for a lookup, it tries to get a value using ns_conn. This guarantees that -ad_conn subsumes the functionality of ns_conn.

      Request processor
      [ad_conn urlv]A list containing each element of the URL
      [ad_conn url]The URL associated with the request.
      [ad_conn query]The portion of the URL from the ? on (i.e. GET - variables) associated with the request.
      [ad_conn file]The filepath including filename of the file being served
      [ad_conn request]The number of requests since the server was last started
      [ad_conn start_clicks]The system time when the RP starts handling the request
      Session System Variables: set in -sec_handler, check security with ad_validate_security_info
      [ad_conn session_id]The unique session_id coming from the sequence -sec_id_seq
      [ad_conn user_id]User_id of a person if the person is logged in. Otherwise, it is -blank
      [ad_conn sec_validated]This becomes "secure" when the connection uses SSL
      Database API
      [ad_conn db,handles]What are the list of handles available to AOL?
      [ad_conn db,n_handles_used]How many database handles are currently used?
      [ad_conn db,last_used]Which database handle did we use last?
      [ad_conn db,transaction_level,$db]Specifies what transaction level we are in
      [ad_conn db,db_abort_p,$dbh]Whether the transaction is aborted
      APM
      [ad_conn xml_loaded_p]Checks whether the XML parser is loaded so that it only gets loaded once. -Set in apm_load_xml_packages
      Packages
      [ad_conn package_id]The package_id of the package associated with the URL.
      [ad_conn package_url]The URL on which the package is mounted.
      Miscellaneous
      [ad_conn system_p]If true then the request has been made to one of the special directories +ad_conn subsumes the functionality of ns_conn.

      Request processor
      [ad_conn urlv] A list containing each element of the URL
      [ad_conn url] The URL associated with the request.
      [ad_conn query] The portion of the URL from the ? on (i.e. GET + variables) associated with the request.
      [ad_conn file] The filepath including filename of the file being served
      [ad_conn request] The number of requests since the server was last started
      [ad_conn start_clicks] The system time when the RP starts handling the request
      Session System Variables: set in +sec_handler, check security with ad_validate_security_info
      [ad_conn session_id] The unique session_id coming from the sequence +sec_id_seq
      [ad_conn user_id] User_id of a person if the person is logged in. Otherwise, it is +blank
      [ad_conn sec_validated] This becomes "secure" when the connection uses SSL
      Database API
      [ad_conn db,handles] What are the list of handles available to AOL?
      [ad_conn db,n_handles_used] How many database handles are currently used?
      [ad_conn db,last_used] Which database handle did we use last?
      [ad_conn db,transaction_level,$db] Specifies what transaction level we are in
      [ad_conn db,db_abort_p,$dbh] Whether the transaction is aborted
      APM
      [ad_conn xml_loaded_p] Checks whether the XML parser is loaded so that it only gets loaded once. +Set in apm_load_xml_packages
      Packages
      [ad_conn package_id] The package_id of the package associated with the URL.
      [ad_conn package_url] The URL on which the package is mounted.
      Miscellaneous
      [ad_conn system_p] If true then the request has been made to one of the special directories specified in the config file (somewhere), and no authentication or -authorization has been performed.
      Documentation
      [ad_conn api_page_documentation_mode_p]
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +authorization has been performed.
      Documentation
      [ad_conn api_page_documentation_mode_p]
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.26.2.1 -r1.26.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.26.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/rp-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.26.2.2 @@ -1,14 +1,13 @@ - -Request Processor Requirements

      Request Processor Requirements

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      +Request Processor Requirements

      Request Processor Requirements

      By Rafael H. Schloming

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Introduction

      The following is a requirements document for the OpenACS 4.0 request +

      Introduction

      The following is a requirements document for the OpenACS 4.0 request processor. The major enhancements in the 4.0 version include a more sophisticated directory mapping system that allows package pageroots to be mounted at arbitrary urls, and tighter integration with the database to allow -for flexible user controlled url structures, and subsites.

      Vision Statement

      Most web servers are designed to serve pages from exactly one static +for flexible user controlled url structures, and subsites.

      Vision Statement

      Most web servers are designed to serve pages from exactly one static pageroot. This restriction can become cumbersome when trying to build a web -toolkit full of reusable and reconfigurable components.

      System Overview

      The request processor's functionality can be split into two main +toolkit full of reusable and reconfigurable components.

      System Overview

      The request processor's functionality can be split into two main pieces.

      1. Set up the environment in which a server side script expects to run. This includes things like:

        • Initialize common variables associated with a request.

        • Authenticate the connecting party.

        • Check that the connecting party is authorized to proceed with the request.

        • Invoke any filters associated with the request URI.

      2. Determine to which entity the request URI maps, and deliver the content @@ -18,9 +17,9 @@ for the connecting party. Eventually this may also require determining the capabilities of the connecting browser and choosing the most appropriate form for the delivered content.

      It is essential that any errors that occur during the above steps be -reported to developers in an easily decipherable manner.

      Requirements

      10.0 Multiple Pageroots

      10.10 Pageroots may be combined into one URL space.

      10.20 Pageroots may be mounted at more than one location in the URL -space.

      20.0 Application Context

      20.10 The request processor must be able to determine a primary context +reported to developers in an easily decipherable manner.

      Requirements

      10.0 Multiple Pageroots

      10.10 Pageroots may be combined into one URL space.

      10.20 Pageroots may be mounted at more than one location in the URL +space.

      20.0 Application Context

      20.10 The request processor must be able to determine a primary context or state associated with a pageroot based on it's location within the URL -space.

      30.0 Authentication

      30.10 The request processor must be able to verify that the connecting -browser actually represents the party it claims to represent.

      40.0 Authorization

      40.10 The request processor must be able to verify that the party the -connecting browser represents is allowed to make the request.

      50.0 Scalability

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +space.

      30.0 Authentication

      30.10 The request processor must be able to verify that the connecting +browser actually represents the party it claims to represent.

      40.0 Authorization

      40.10 The request processor must be able to verify that the party the +connecting browser represents is allowed to make the request.

      50.0 Scalability

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-design.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-design.html,v diff -u -r1.28.2.1 -r1.28.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-design.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.28.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-design.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.28.2.2 @@ -1,8 +1,7 @@ - -Security Design

      Security Design

      By Richard Li and Archit Shah

      +Security Design

      Security Design

      By Richard Li and Archit Shah

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Introduction

      +

      Introduction

      This document explains security model design for OpenACS 4. The security system with the OpenACS core must authenticate users in both secure and insecure environments. In addition, this subsystem provides sessions on top of the @@ -18,15 +17,15 @@

    • SSL with server authentication: SSL v3

      SSL provides the client with a guarantee that the server is actually the server it is advertised as being. It also provides a secure transport. -

    • Design

      Sessions

      +

      Design

      Sessions

      A session is defined as a series of clicks in which no two clicks are separated by more than some constant. This constant is the parameter SessionTimeout. Using the expiration time on the signatures of the signed cookies, we can verify when the cookie was issued and determine if two requests are part of the same session. It is important to note that the expiration time set in the cookie protocol is not trusted. Only the time inserted by the signed cookie mechanism is trusted. -

      Authentication

      +

      Authentication

      Two levels of access can be granted: insecure and secure. This grant lasts for the remainder of the particular session. Secure authentication tokens are only issued over secured connections. @@ -40,86 +39,86 @@ password can be sniffed from the system, after which the sniffer can apply for a secure authentication token. However, the basic architecture here lays the foundation for a secure system and can be easily adapted to a more secure -authentication system by forcing all logins to occur over HTTPS.

      Details

      The authentication system issues up to four signed cookies (see below), -with each cookie serving a different purpose. These cookies are:

      namevaluemax-agesecure?
      ad_session_idsession_id,user_idSessionTimeoutno
      ad_user_loginuser_idInfinityno
      ad_user_login_secureuser_id,randomInfinityyes
      ad_secure_tokensession_id,user_id,randomSessionLifetimeyes
      • ad_session_id

        • reissued on any hit separated by more than SessionRenew seconds from the +authentication system by forcing all logins to occur over HTTPS.

        Details

        The authentication system issues up to four signed cookies (see below), +with each cookie serving a different purpose. These cookies are:

        namevaluemax-agesecure?
        ad_session_idsession_id,user_idSessionTimeoutno
        ad_user_loginuser_idInfinityno
        ad_user_login_secureuser_id,randomInfinityyes
        ad_secure_tokensession_id,user_id,randomSessionLifetimeyes
        • ad_session_id

          • reissued on any hit separated by more than SessionRenew seconds from the previous hit that received a cookie

          • is valid only for SessionTimeout seconds

          • is the canonical source for the session ID in ad_conn

        • ad_user_login

          • is used for permanent logins

        • ad_user_login_secure

          • is used for permanent secure logins

          • contains random garbage (ns_time) to prevent attack against the secure hash

        • ad_secure_token

          • is a session-level cookie from the browser's standpoint

          • its signature expires in SessionLifetime seconds

          • contains random garbage (ns_time) to prevent attack against the secure -hash

          • user_id is extraneous

        Authentication Process

        The Tcl function (sec_handler) is called by the request +hash

      • user_id is extraneous

      Authentication Process

      The Tcl function (sec_handler) is called by the request processor to authenticate the user. It first checks the -ad_session_id cookie. If there is no valid session in progress, -a new session is created with sec_setup_session. If the user -has permanent login cookies (ad_user_login and -ad_user_login_secure), then they are looked at to determine what +ad_session_id cookie. If there is no valid session in progress, +a new session is created with sec_setup_session. If the user +has permanent login cookies (ad_user_login and +ad_user_login_secure), then they are looked at to determine what user the session should be authorized as. Which cookie is examined is determined by whether or not the request is on a secure connection. If neither cookie is present, then a session is created without any -authentication. If the ad_session_id cookie is valid, the -user_id and session_id are pulled from it and put into ad_conn.

      Authenticating Secure Connections

      Secure connections are authenticated slightly differently. The function -ad_secure_conn_p is used to determine whether or not the URL +authentication. If the ad_session_id cookie is valid, the +user_id and session_id are pulled from it and put into ad_conn.

      Authenticating Secure Connections

      Secure connections are authenticated slightly differently. The function +ad_secure_conn_p is used to determine whether or not the URL being accessed is requires a secure login. The function simply checks if the -location begins with "https". (This is safe because the location is -set during the server initialization.)

      If secure authentication is required, the ad_secure_token +location begins with "https". (This is safe because the location is +set during the server initialization.)

      If secure authentication is required, the ad_secure_token cookie is checked to make sure its data matches the data stored in -ad_session_id. This is true for all pages except those that are +ad_session_id. This is true for all pages except those that are part of the login process. On these pages, the user can not yet have received -the appropriate ad_secure_token cookie, so no check against it +the appropriate ad_secure_token cookie, so no check against it is performed. The set of pages that skip that processing are determined by -determined by ad_login_page. Since the -ad_secure_token cookie is a session cookie, it is deleted by the +determined by ad_login_page. Since the +ad_secure_token cookie is a session cookie, it is deleted by the browser when the browser exits. Since an attacker could conceivably store the secure cookie in a replay attack (since expiration date is not validated), the data in the secure cookie is never used to set any data in ad_conn; user_id and session_id is set from the ad_session_id cookie.

      It is important to note that the integrity of secure authentication rests -on the two Tcl function ad_secure_conn_p and -ad_login_page. If ad_secure_conn_p is false, secure -authentication is not required. If ad_login_page is false, -secure authentication is not required.

      Login Process

      The Tcl function ad_user_login does two things. First it +on the two Tcl function ad_secure_conn_p and +ad_login_page. If ad_secure_conn_p is false, secure +authentication is not required. If ad_login_page is false, +secure authentication is not required.

      Login Process

      The Tcl function ad_user_login does two things. First it performs the appropriate manipulation of the permanent login cookies, and then it updates the current session to reflect the new user_id. The manipulation of the permanent login cookies is based on 3 factors:

      • previous login: other user, same user

      • permanent: was a permanent login requested?

      • secure: is this a secure connection?

      Both the secure and insecure permanent login cookie can have one of three actions taken on it: -

      • set: cookie with no expiration is set

      • delete: set to "" with max age of 0, so it is expired +

        • set: cookie with no expiration is set

        • delete: set to "" with max age of 0, so it is expired immediately

        • nothing: if the cookie is present, it remains

        The current state of the permanent login cookies is not taken into account when determining the appropriate action. -

        previous login statepermanent login requestedsecure connectionaction on insecureaction on secure
        otheryysetset
        sameyysetset
        otherynsetdelete
        sameynsetnothing
        samenynothingdelete
        othernydeletedelete
        othernndeletedelete
        samenndeletedelete

        ad_user_login -callssec_setup_session which actually calls -sec_generate_session_id_cookie to generate the +

        previous login statepermanent login requestedsecure connectionaction on insecureaction on secure
        otheryysetset
        sameyysetset
        otherynsetdelete
        sameynsetnothing
        samenynothingdelete
        othernydeletedelete
        othernndeletedelete
        samenndeletedelete

        ad_user_login +callssec_setup_session which actually calls +sec_generate_session_id_cookie to generate the new cookie with refer to the appropriate user_id. If the connection is secure -the ad_secure_token cookie is generated by a -call to sec_generate_secure_token_cookie. This +the ad_secure_token cookie is generated by a +call to sec_generate_secure_token_cookie. This function is only called from -sec_setup_session. Only -sec_handler and -sec_setup_session call -sec_generate_session_id_cookie. +sec_setup_session. Only +sec_handler and +sec_setup_session call +sec_generate_session_id_cookie. -

        ad_user_logout logs the user out by deleting all 4 cookies -that are used by the authentication system.

      Session Creation

      The creation and setup of sessions is handled in -sec_setup_session, which is called either to -create a new session from sec_handler or from -ad_user_login when there is a change in +

      ad_user_logout logs the user out by deleting all 4 cookies +that are used by the authentication system.

      Session Creation

      The creation and setup of sessions is handled in +sec_setup_session, which is called either to +create a new session from sec_handler or from +ad_user_login when there is a change in authorization level. The session management code must do two things: insure that session-level data does not float between users, and update the users table -which has columns for n_sessions, -last_visit, and -second_to_last_visit.

      If there is no session already setup on this hit, a new session is -created. This happens when sec_setup_session is -called from sec_handler. If the login is from a +which has columns for n_sessions, +last_visit, and +second_to_last_visit.

      If there is no session already setup on this hit, a new session is +created. This happens when sec_setup_session is +called from sec_handler. If the login is from a user to another user, a new session is created, otherwise, the current session is continued, simply with a higher authorization state. This allows for data associated with a session to be carried over when a user logs in.

      The users table is updated by -sec_update_user_session_info which is called +sec_update_user_session_info which is called when an existing session is assigned a non-zero user_id, or when a session is -created with a non-zero user_id.

      Passwords

      ad_user_login assumes a password check has already been +created with a non-zero user_id.

      Passwords

      ad_user_login assumes a password check has already been performed (this will change in the future). The actual check is done by -ad_check_password. The database stores a salt and a hash of the +ad_check_password. The database stores a salt and a hash of the password concatenated with the salt. Updating the password -(ad_change_password) simply requires getting a new salt +(ad_change_password) simply requires getting a new salt (ns_time) concatenating and rehashing. Both the salt and the hashed password -field are updated.

      Performance Enhancements

      A session is labeled by a session_id sequence. Creating a session merely +field are updated.

      Performance Enhancements

      A session is labeled by a session_id sequence. Creating a session merely requires incrementing the session_id sequence. We do two things to improve the performance of this process. First, sequence values are precomputed and cached in the Oracle SGA. In addition, sequence values are incremented by 100 with each @@ -128,41 +127,41 @@ command per thread. This minimizes lock contention for the session ID sequence and also minimizes the number of DB requests, since each thread can allocate 100 sessions before requiring another DB hit. This cache works by keeping two -counters: tcl_max_value and -tcl_current_sequence_id. When -tcl_current_sequence_id is greater than -tcl_max_value a new value is requested from the -db and tcl_max_value is incremented by +counters: tcl_max_value and +tcl_current_sequence_id. When +tcl_current_sequence_id is greater than +tcl_max_value a new value is requested from the +db and tcl_max_value is incremented by 100. This is done on a per-thread basis so that no locking is required.

      In addition, two procedures are dynamically generated at startup in -security-init.tcl. These two procedures use -ad_parameter to obtain the constant value of a given parameter; +security-init.tcl. These two procedures use +ad_parameter to obtain the constant value of a given parameter; these values are used to dynamically generate a procedure that returns a constant. This approach avoids (relatively) expensive calls to -ad_parameter in sec_handler. The impact of this +ad_parameter in sec_handler. The impact of this approach is that these parameters cannot be dynamically changed at runtime -and require a server restart.

      Session Properties

      +and require a server restart.

      Session Properties

      Session properties are stored in a single table that maps session IDs to named session properties and values. This table is periodically purged. For maximum performance, the table is created with nologging turned on and new extents are allocated in 50MB increments to reduce fragmentation. This table -is swept periodically by sec_sweep_session which removes +is swept periodically by sec_sweep_session which removes sessions whose first hit was more than SessionLifetime seconds (1 week by default) ago. Session properties are removed through that same process with cascading delete. -

      Secure Session Properties

      Session properties can be set as secure. In this case, -ad_set_client_property will fail if the connection is not -secure. ad_get_client_property will behave as if the property -had not been set if the property was not set securely.

      Digital Signatures & Signed Cookies

      +

      Secure Session Properties

      Session properties can be set as secure. In this case, +ad_set_client_property will fail if the connection is not +secure. ad_get_client_property will behave as if the property +had not been set if the property was not set securely.

      Digital Signatures & Signed Cookies

      Signed cookies are implemented using the generic secure digital signature mechanism. This mechanism guarantees that the user can not tamper with (or construct a value of his choice) without detection. In addition, it provides the optional facility of timing out the signature so it is valid for only a certain period of time. This works by simply including an expiration time as part of the value that is signed. -

      The signature produced by ad_sign is the Tcl list of -token_id,expire_time,hash, where hash = +

      The signature produced by ad_sign is the Tcl list of +token_id,expire_time,hash, where hash = SHA1(value,token_id,expire_time,secret_token). The secret_token is a forty character randomly generated string that is never sent to any user agent. The scheme consists of one table:

      @@ -174,7 +173,7 @@
           token_timestamp             sysdate
       );
       
      -

      ad_verify_signature takes a value and a signature and +

      ad_verify_signature takes a value and a signature and verifies that the signature was generated using that value. It works simply by taking the token_id and expire_time from the signature, and regenerating the hash using the supplied value and the secret_token corresponding to the @@ -186,111 +185,111 @@ signature, RFC 2109 specifies an optional max age that is returned to the client. For most cookies, this max age matches the expiration date of the cookie's signature. The standard specifies that when the max age is not -included, the cookie should be "discarded when the user agent -exits." Because we can not trust the client to do this, we must specify +included, the cookie should be "discarded when the user agent +exits." Because we can not trust the client to do this, we must specify a timeout for the signature. The SessionLifetime parameter is used for this purpose, as it represents the maximum possible lifetime of a single -session.

      RFC 2109 specifies this optional "secure" parameter which -mandates that the user-agent use "secure means" to contact the +session.

      RFC 2109 specifies this optional "secure" parameter which +mandates that the user-agent use "secure means" to contact the server when transmitting the cookie. If a secure cookie is returned to the client over https, then the cookie will never be transmitted over insecure -means.

      Performance

      Performance is a key goal of this implementation of signed cookies. To +means.

      Performance

      Performance is a key goal of this implementation of signed cookies. To maximize performance, we will use the following architecture. At the lowest -level, we will use the secret_tokens table as the canonical set +level, we will use the secret_tokens table as the canonical set of secret tokens. This table is necessary for multiple servers to maintain the same set of secret tokens. At server startup, a random subset of these secret tokens will be loaded into an ns_cache called -secret_tokens. When a new signed cookie is requested, a random +secret_tokens. When a new signed cookie is requested, a random token_id is returned out of the entire set of cached token_ids. In addition, a thread-persistent cache called tcl_secret_tokens is maintained on a per-thread basis.

      Thus, the L2 ns_cache functions as a server-wide LRU cache that has a -minimum of 100 tokens in it. The cache has a dual purpose:

      • LRU cache Note that cache misses will only occur in the +minimum of 100 tokens in it. The cache has a dual purpose:

        • LRU cache Note that cache misses will only occur in the multiple server case, where a user agent may have a signature guaranteed by a -secret token issued by another server in the cluster.

        • signature cache Since the cache always maintains a +secret token issued by another server in the cluster.

        • signature cache Since the cache always maintains a minimum of 100 (set by a parameter) tokens populated at startup, it can be used to provide a random token for signature purposes.

        The per-thread cache functions as an L1 cache that indiscriminately caches -all secret tokens. Note that this is not an LRU cache +all secret tokens. Note that this is not an LRU cache because there is no cache eviction policy per se -- the cache is cleared when the thread is destroyed by AOLserver. -

      Security

      Storing information on a client always presents an additional security +

      Security

      Storing information on a client always presents an additional security risk.

      Since we are only validating the information and not trying to protect it as a secret, we don't use salt. Cryptographic salt is useful if you are -trying to protect information from being read (e.g., hashing passwords).

      External SSL

      +trying to protect information from being read (e.g., hashing passwords).

      External SSL

      External SSL mechanisms (firewall, dedicated hardware, etc.) can be used by creating two pools of AOLservers. In one pool the servers should be configured with the location parameter of nssock module set to -"https://yourservername". The servers in the other pool are +"https://yourservername". The servers in the other pool are configured as normal. The external SSL agent should direct SSL queries to the pool of secure servers, and it should direct non-SSL queries to the insecure servers. -

      PRNG

      +

      PRNG

      The pseudorandom number generator depends primarily on ns_rand, but is also seeded with ns_time and the number of page requests served since the server was started. The PRNG takes the SHA1(seed,ns_rand,ns_time,requests,clicks), and saves the first 40 bits as the seed for the next call to the PRNG in a thread-persistent global variable. The remaining 120 bits are rehashed to produce 160 bits of output. -

      API

      Login/Password

      -ad_user_login user_id Logs the user in as user +

      API

      Login/Password

      +ad_user_login user_id Logs the user in as user user_id. Optional forever flag determines whether or not permanent cookies are issued. -

      ad_user_logout Logs the user out.

      ad_check_password user_id password -returns 0 or 1.

      ad_change_password user_id new -password

      Digital Signatures and Signed Cookies

      -ad_sign value Returns the digital signature of this +

      ad_user_logout Logs the user out.

      ad_check_password user_id password +returns 0 or 1.

      ad_change_password user_id new +password

      Digital Signatures and Signed Cookies

      +ad_sign value Returns the digital signature of this value. Optional parameters allow for the specification of the secret used, the token_id used and the max_age for the signature. -ad_verify_signature value signatureReturns +ad_verify_signature value signatureReturns 1 or 0 indicating whether or not the signature matches the value specified. The secret parameter allows for specification of a different secret token to be used.

      -ad_set_signed_cookie name data Sets a -signed cookie name with value data.

      ad_get_signed_cookie name Gets the signed cookie +ad_set_signed_cookie name data Sets a +signed cookie name with value data.

      ad_get_signed_cookie name Gets the signed cookie name. It raises an error if the cookie has been tampered with, or if -its expiration time has passed.

      Session Properties

      ad_set_client_property module name -data Sets a session property with name to value +its expiration time has passed.

      Session Properties

      ad_set_client_property module name +data Sets a session property with name to value data for the module module. The optional secure flag specifies the property should only be set if the client is authorized for -secure access (ad_secure_conn_p is true). There is also an optional -session_id flag to access data from sessions other than the current one.

      ad_get_client_property module name -data Gets a session property with name to for the +secure access (ad_secure_conn_p is true). There is also an optional +session_id flag to access data from sessions other than the current one.

      ad_get_client_property module name +data Gets a session property with name to for the module module. The optional secure flag specifies the property should only be retrieved if the client is authorized for secure access -(ad_secure_conn_p is true). There is also an optional -session_id flag to access data from sessions other than the current one.

      Parameters

      -SessionTimeout the maximum time in seconds (default 1200) -between requests that are part of the same session

      SessionRenew the time in seconds (default 300) between +(ad_secure_conn_p is true). There is also an optional +session_id flag to access data from sessions other than the current one.

      Parameters

      +SessionTimeout the maximum time in seconds (default 1200) +between requests that are part of the same session

      SessionRenew the time in seconds (default 300) between reissue of the session cookie. The minimum time that can pass after a session cookie is issued and before it is rejected is (SessionTimeout - SessionRenew). This parameter is used so that only one session_id cookie is set on a single page even if there are multiple images that are being -downloaded.

      SessionLifetime the maximum possible lifetime of a -session in seconds (default 604800 = 7 days)

      NumberOfCachedSecretTokens the number of secret tokens to -cache. (default 100)

      Future Improvements

      PRNG implementation

      +downloaded.

      SessionLifetime the maximum possible lifetime of a +session in seconds (default 604800 = 7 days)

      NumberOfCachedSecretTokens the number of secret tokens to +cache. (default 100)

      Future Improvements

      PRNG implementation

      The pseudorandom number generator used in the OpenACS is cryptographically weak, -and depends primarily on the randomness of the ns_rand function +and depends primarily on the randomness of the ns_rand function for its randomness. The implementation of the PRNG could be substantially improved. -

      ad_user_login

      +

      ad_user_login

      Add a password argument. It is non-optimal to make the default behavior to assume that the password was provided. -

      Secret Tokens

      +

      Secret Tokens

      The secret tokens pool is currently static. Ideally, this pool should be changed on a random but regular basis, and the number of secret_tokens increased as the number of users come to the web site.

      Since the security of the entire system depends on the secret tokens pool, access to the secret tokens table should be restricted and accessible via a strict PL/SQL API. This can be done by revoking standard SQL permissions on the table for the AOLserver user and giving those permissions to a PL/SQL -package.

      Robots

      +package.

      Robots

      Deferring session to creation until the second hit from a browser seems to be a good way of preventing a lot of overhead processing for robots. If we do this, send cookie on first hit to test if cookies are accepted, then actually allocate on second hit. To preserve a record of the first hit of the session, just include any info about that first hit in the probe cookie sent. Look at how usca_p (user session cookie attempted) is used in OpenACS 3.x ecommerce. -

      Client properties

      +

      Client properties

      Currently there are only session properties. Because sessions have a maximum life, properties have a maximum life. It would be nice to expand the interface to allow for more persistent properties. In the past, there was a @@ -303,7 +302,7 @@ can be shared between concurrent sessions). The applications should have control over the deletion patterns, but should not be able to ignore the amount of data stored. -

      Session information

      +

      Session information

      It would be nice to keep some info about sessions: first hit, last hit, and URLs visited come to mind. Both logging and API for accessing this info would be nice. WimpyPoint is an application that already wants to use this @@ -312,7 +311,7 @@ analyzers (leaving it in server memory for applications to access). Putting it into the database at all is probably too big a hammer. Certainly putting it into the database on every hit is too big a hammer. -

      Cookieless Sessions

      Two trends drive the requirement for removing cookie dependence. WAP +

      Cookieless Sessions

      Two trends drive the requirement for removing cookie dependence. WAP browsers that do not have cookies, and publc perceptions of cookies as an invasion of privacy. The rely on the cookies mechanism in HTTP to distinguish one request from the next, and we trust it to force requests from the same @@ -331,21 +330,21 @@ Both of these problems can be mitigated by doing detection of cookie support (see the section on robot detection). To help deal with the first problem, One could also make the restriction that secure sessions are only allowed over -cookied HTTP.

      Vulnerability Analysis

      +cookied HTTP.

      Vulnerability Analysis

      This section is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis of the vulnerabilities of the security system. Listed below are possible attack points for the system; these vulnerabilities are currently theoretical in nature. The major cryptographic vulnerability of the system stems from the pseudorandom nature of the random number generators used in the system. -

      • Cryptographically weak PRNG see -above.

      • Dependence on sample -SQL command The list of random token that are placed in the secret +

        • Cryptographically weak PRNG see +above.

        • Dependence on sample +SQL command The list of random token that are placed in the secret tokens cache is randomly chosen by the Oracle -sample command. This command may not be +sample command. This command may not be entirely random, so predicting the contents of the secret tokens cache may not -be as difficult as someone may anticipate.

        • Dependence on -ns_rand The actual token that is +be as difficult as someone may anticipate.

        • Dependence on +ns_rand The actual token that is chosen from the cache to be used is chosen by a call to -ns_rand.

        • ad_secure_conn_p +ns_rand.

        • ad_secure_conn_p As discussed above, the security of the secure sessions authentication system is dependent upon this function.

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-notes.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-notes.html,v diff -u -r1.42.2.2 -r1.42.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-notes.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:57 -0000 1.42.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-notes.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.42.2.3 @@ -1,12 +1,11 @@ - -Security Notes

      Security Notes

      By Richard Li

      +Security Notes

      Security Notes

      By Richard Li

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff.

      The security system was designed for security. Thus, decisions requiring trade-offs between ease-of-use and security tend to result in a system that may not be as easy to use but is more secure. -

      HTTPS and the sessions system

      +

      HTTPS and the sessions system

      If a user switches to HTTPS after logging into the system via HTTP, the user must obtain a secure token. To insure security, the only way to @@ -21,21 +20,21 @@ issues a secure token, the method of authentication must be as strong as the method of transmission.

      If a developer truly does not want such a level of protection, this system can be disabled via source code modification only. This can be accomplished -by commenting out the following lines in the sec_handler -procedure defined in security-procs.tcl:

      +by commenting out the following lines in the sec_handler
      +procedure defined in security-procs.tcl:

       
           if { [ad_secure_conn_p] && ![ad_login_page] } {
      -        set s_token_cookie [ns_urldecode [ad_get_cookie "ad_secure_token"]]
      +        set s_token_cookie [ns_urldecode [ad_get_cookie "ad_secure_token"]]
               
               if { [empty_string_p $s_token_cookie] || [string compare $s_token_cookie [lindex [sec_get_session_info $session_id] 2]] != 0 } {
               # token is incorrect or nonexistent, so we force relogin.
      -        ad_returnredirect "/register/index?return_url=[ns_urlencode [ad_conn url]?[ad_conn query]]"
      +        ad_returnredirect "/register/index?return_url=[ns_urlencode [ad_conn url]?[ad_conn query]]"
               }
           }
       
       

      The source code must also be edited if the user login pages have been moved out of an OpenACS system. This information is contained by the -ad_login_page procedure in security-procs.tcl:

      +ad_login_page procedure in security-procs.tcl:

       
       ad_proc -private ad_login_page {} {
           
      @@ -44,7 +43,7 @@
       } {
       
           set url [ad_conn url]
      -    if { [string match "*register/*" $url] || [string match "/index*" $url] } {
      +    if { [string match "*register/*" $url] || [string match "/index*" $url] } {
           return 1
           }
       
      @@ -54,5 +53,5 @@
       

      The set of string match expressions in the procedure above should be extended appropriately for other registration pages. This procedure does not use -ad_parameter or regular expressions for performance reasons, as +ad_parameter or regular expressions for performance reasons, as it is called by the request processor.

      ($Id$)
      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-requirements.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-requirements.html,v diff -u -r1.28.2.1 -r1.28.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-requirements.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.28.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/security-requirements.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.28.2.2 @@ -1,47 +1,46 @@ - -Security Requirements

      Security Requirements

      By Richard Li

      +Security Requirements

      Security Requirements

      By Richard Li

      OpenACS docs are written by the named authors, and may be edited by OpenACS documentation staff. -

      Introduction

      +

      Introduction

      This document lists the requirements for the security system for the OpenACS. -

      Vision Statement

      +

      Vision Statement

      Virtually all web sites support personalized content based on user identity. The level of personalization may be as simple as displaying the name of the user on certain pages or can be as sophisticated as dynamically recommending sections of site that the user may be interested in based on prior browsing history. In any case, the user's identity must be validated and made available to the rest of the system. In addition, sites such as ecommerce vendors require that the user identity be securely validated. -

      Security System Overview

      +

      Security System Overview

      The security system consists of a number of subsystems. -

      Signed Cookies

      +

      Signed Cookies

      Cookies play a key role in storing user information. However, since they are stored in plaintext on a user's system, the validity of cookies is an important issue in trusting cookie information. Thus, we want to be able to validate a cookie, but we also want to validate the cookie without a database hit. -

      • 10.0 Guaranteed Tamper Detection Any tampering of cookie -data should be easily detectable by the web server.

      • 10.1 Performance and Scalability Validation and +

        • 10.0 Guaranteed Tamper Detection Any tampering of cookie +data should be easily detectable by the web server.

        • 10.1 Performance and Scalability Validation and verification of the cookie should be easily scalable and should not require a -database query on every hit.

        Session Properties

        +database query on every hit.

      Session Properties

      Applications should be able to store session-level properties in a database table. -

      • 11.0 Storage API Session-level data should be accessible -via an API.

      • 11.1 Purge Mechanism An efficient pruning mechanism +

        • 11.0 Storage API Session-level data should be accessible +via an API.

        • 11.1 Purge Mechanism An efficient pruning mechanism should be used to prevent old session level properties from filling up the -table.

        Login

        +table.

      Login

      The security system should support the concept of persistent user logins. This persistence takes several forms. -

      • 12.0 Permanent Login Users should be able to maintain a -permanent user login so that they never need to type their password.

      • 12.1 Session Login The security system should support +

        • 12.0 Permanent Login Users should be able to maintain a +permanent user login so that they never need to type their password.

        • 12.1 Session Login The security system should support the concept of a session, with authentication tokens that become invalid -after a certain period of time.

        • 12.2 Session Definition A session is a sequence of +after a certain period of time.

        • 12.2 Session Definition A session is a sequence of clicks by one user from one browser in which no two clicks are separated by -more than some constant (the session timeout).

        • 12.3 Stateless The security system should not require +more than some constant (the session timeout).

        • 12.3 Stateless The security system should not require state that is stored in the server. Required state may reside only in the user request (including cookies), and in the database. A single user should be able to log in to the system even if the user is sent to a different -AOLserver for each step of the login process (e.g., by a load balancer).

        • 12.4 Secure The security system should not store -passwords in clear text in the database.

        • 13.0 SSL Hardware The system must work when the SSL +AOLserver for each step of the login process (e.g., by a load balancer).

        • 12.4 Secure The security system should not store +passwords in clear text in the database.

        • 13.0 SSL Hardware The system must work when the SSL processing occurs outside of the web server (in specialized hardware, in a firewall, etc.).

      View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/snapshot-backup.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/snapshot-backup.html,v diff -u -r1.8.2.1 -r1.8.2.2 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/snapshot-backup.html 14 Jan 2007 04:20:11 -0000 1.8.2.1 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/snapshot-backup.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.8.2.2 @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ - -Manual backup and recovery

      Manual backup and recovery

      This section describes how to make a one-time backup and +Manual backup and recovery

      Manual backup and recovery

      This section describes how to make a one-time backup and restore of the files and database. This is useful for rolling back to known-good versions of a service, such as at initial installation and just before an upgrade. First, you back up the @@ -8,28 +7,28 @@ including the AOLserver config files, is then in tree for regular file system backup.

      1. Back up the database to a file.�

        • Oracle.�

          • Download the backup script. Save the file export-oracle.txt as - /var/tmp/export-oracle.txt + /var/tmp/export-oracle.txt

          • Login as root. The following commands will install the export script: -

            [joeuser ~]$ su -
            -[root ~]# cp /var/tmp/export-oracle.txt /usr/sbin/export-oracle
            -[root ~]# chmod 700 /usr/sbin/export-oracle
          • +

            [joeuser ~]$ su -
            +[root ~]# cp /var/tmp/export-oracle.txt /usr/sbin/export-oracle
            +[root ~]# chmod 700 /usr/sbin/export-oracle
          • Setup the export directory; this is the directory where backups will be stored. We recommend the directory - /ora8/m02/oracle-exports.

            [root ~]# mkdir /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
            -[root ~]# chown oracle:dba /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
            -[root ~]# chmod 770 /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
          • + /ora8/m02/oracle-exports.

            [root ~]# mkdir /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
            +[root ~]# chown oracle:dba /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
            +[root ~]# chmod 770 /ora8/m02/oracle-exports
          • Now edit - /usr/sbin/export-oracle and - change the SERVICE_NAME and - DATABASE_PASSWORD fields to + /usr/sbin/export-oracle and + change the SERVICE_NAME and + DATABASE_PASSWORD fields to their correct values. If you want to use a directory other than - /ora8/m02/oracle-exports, you + /ora8/m02/oracle-exports, you also need to change the - exportdir setting. + exportdir setting.

            Test the export procedure by running the command: -

            [root ~]# /usr/sbin/export-oracle
            +              

            [root ~]# /usr/sbin/export-oracle
             mv: /ora8/m02/oracle-exports/oraexport-service_name.dmp.gz: No such file or directory
             
             Export: Release 8.1.6.1.0 - Production on Sun Jun 11 18:07:45 2000
            @@ -64,70 +63,70 @@
               . exporting dimensions
               . exporting post-schema procedural objects and actions
               . exporting statistics
            -Export terminated successfully without warnings.
        • PostgreSQL.�Create a backup file and verify that it was created and has a reasonable size (several megabytes).

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ pg_dump -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ ls -al /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp 
          +Export terminated successfully without warnings.
      2. PostgreSQL.�Create a backup file and verify that it was created and has a reasonable size (several megabytes).

        [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ pg_dump -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ ls -al /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp 
         -rw-rw-r-x    1 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME  $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME   4005995 Feb 21 18:28 /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
        +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ exit
         [root root]#
         su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
         pg_dump -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp openacs-dev
         ls -al /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/before_upgrade_to_4.6.dmp
         exit
    • Back up the file system.�Back up all of the files in the service, including the database backup file but excluding the auto-generated - supervise directory, which is - unneccesary and has complicated permissions.

      In the tar command,

      • c create a - new tar archive

      • p preserves permissions.

      • s preserves file sort order

      • z compresses the output with gzip.

      • The --exclude clauses skips some daemontools files that + supervise directory, which is + unneccesary and has complicated permissions.

        In the tar command,

        • c create a + new tar archive

        • p preserves permissions.

        • s preserves file sort order

        • z compresses the output with gzip.

        • The --exclude clauses skips some daemontools files that are owned by root and thus cannot be backed up by the service owner. These files are autogenerated and we don't - break anything by omitting them.

        • The --file clause + break anything by omitting them.

        • The --file clause specifies the name of the output file to be generated; we manually add the correct extensions.

        • The last clause, - /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/, + /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/, specifies the starting point for backup. Tar defaults to - recursive backup.

        [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ tar -cpsz --exclude /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/supervise \
        -   --file /var/tmp/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-backup.tar.gz /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/
        +            recursive backup.

      [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ tar -cpsz --exclude /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools/supervise \
      +   --file /var/tmp/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-backup.tar.gz /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/
       tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
      -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    • Suffer a catastrophic failure on your production system.�(We'll simulate this step)

      [root root]# svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[root root]# mv /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/ /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.lost
      -[root root]# rm /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$
    • Suffer a catastrophic failure on your production system.�(We'll simulate this step)

      [root root]# svc -d /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]# mv /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/ /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.lost
      +[root root]# rm /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       rm: remove symbolic link `/service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME'? y
      -[root root]# ps -auxw | grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]# ps -auxw | grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       root      1496  0.0  0.0  1312  252 ?        S    16:58   0:00 supervise $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[root root]# kill 1496
      -[root root]# ps -auxw | grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      -[root root]# su - postgres
      -[postgres pgsql]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]# kill 1496
      +[root root]# ps -auxw | grep $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]# su - postgres
      +[postgres pgsql]$ dropdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       DROP DATABASE
      -[postgres pgsql]$ dropuser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[postgres pgsql]$ dropuser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
       DROP USER
      -[postgres pgsql]$ exit
      +[postgres pgsql]$ exit
       logout
       [root root]#
    • Recovery.�

      1. Restore the operating system and required software. You can do this with standard backup processes or by keeping copies of the install material (OS CDs, OpenACS tarball and supporting software) and repeating the install - guide. Recreate the service user ($OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME).

      2. Restore the OpenACS files and database backup file.

        [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ tar xzf /var/tmp/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-backup.tar.gz
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chmod -R 775 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.web $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      3. Restore the database

        • Oracle.�

          1. Set up a clean Oracle database user and - tablespace with the same names as the ones exported from (more information).

          2. Invoke the import command

            imp $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME FILE=/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/nighty_backup.dmp FULL=Y
        • Postgres.�If the database user does not already exist, create it.

          [root root]# su - postgres
          -[postgres ~]$ createuser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -Shall the new user be allowed to create databases? (y/n) y
          -Shall the new user be allowed to create more new users? (y/n) y
          +            guide.  Recreate the service user ($OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME).

        • Restore the OpenACS files and database backup file.

          [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME]$ cd /var/lib/aolserver
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ tar xzf /var/tmp/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME-backup.tar.gz
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chmod -R 775 $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME aolserver]$ chown -R $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME.web $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
        • Restore the database

          • Oracle.�

            1. Set up a clean Oracle database user and + tablespace with the same names as the ones exported from (more information).

            2. Invoke the import command

              imp $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME FILE=/var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/nighty_backup.dmp FULL=Y
          • Postgres.�If the database user does not already exist, create it.

            [root root]# su - postgres
            +[postgres ~]$ createuser $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            +Shall the new user be allowed to create databases? (y/n) y
            +Shall the new user be allowed to create more new users? (y/n) y
             CREATE USER
            -[postgres ~]$ exit
            -

            Because of a bug in Postgres backup-recovery, database objects are not guaranteed to be created in the right order. In practice, running the OpenACS initialization script is always sufficient to create any out-of-order database objects. Next, restore the database from the dump file. The restoration will show some error messages at the beginning for objects that were pre-created from the OpenACS initialization script, which can be ignored.

            [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            +[postgres ~]$ exit
            +

            Because of a bug in Postgres backup-recovery, database objects are not guaranteed to be created in the right order. In practice, running the OpenACS initialization script is always sufficient to create any out-of-order database objects. Next, restore the database from the dump file. The restoration will show some error messages at the beginning for objects that were pre-created from the OpenACS initialization script, which can be ignored.

            [root root]# su - $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ createdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
             CREATE DATABASE
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ psql -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ psql -f /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
             (many lines omitted)
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME < /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/database-backup.dmp
            +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ psql $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME < /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/database-backup/database-backup.dmp
             (many lines omitted)
            -[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ exit
            -[postgres ~]$ exit
            -logout
        • Activate the service

          [root root]# ln -s /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
          -[root root]# sleep 10
          -[root root]# svgroup web /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    • View comments on this page at openacs.org
      +[$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME ~]$ exit +[postgres ~]$ exit +logout
    • Activate the service

      [root root]# ln -s /var/lib/aolserver/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME/etc/daemontools /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
      +[root root]# sleep 10
      +[root root]# svgroup web /service/$OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
    • View comments on this page at openacs.org
      Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/style-guide.html =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/style-guide.html,v diff -u -r1.21.2.2 -r1.21.2.3 --- openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/style-guide.html 22 Apr 2007 10:21:57 -0000 1.21.2.2 +++ openacs-4/packages/acs-core-docs/www/style-guide.html 14 Jul 2007 12:34:48 -0000 1.21.2.3 @@ -1,9 +1,6 @@ - -OpenACS Style Guide

      OpenACS Style Guide

      +OpenACS Style Guide

      OpenACS Style Guide

      By Jeff Davis -

      Motivation

      +

      Motivation

      Why have coding standards for OpenACS? And if the code works why change it to adhere to some arbitrary rules?

      @@ -12,7 +9,7 @@ lines of tcl code, about 460,000 lines of sql (in datamodel scripts and .xql files), about 80,000 lines of markup in .adp files, and about 100,000 lines of documentation. All told, just - about a million lines of "stuff". In terms of logical units + about a million lines of "stuff". In terms of logical units there are about 160 packages, 800 tables, 2,000 stored procedures, about 2,000 functional pages, and about 3,200 tcl procedures. @@ -28,7 +25,7 @@ over a long period by a lot of different people, OpenACS sometimes lacks this basic guessability and in the interest of bringing it into line we have advanced these guidelines. -

      Commandments

      +

      Commandments

      Here is a short list of the basic rules code contributed to OpenACS should follow...

      1. Follow the file naming and the package structure rules.� @@ -75,8 +72,8 @@ toolkit more useful for everyone and more easily extended.

      2. Make sure your datamodel create/drop scripts work.� Break the table creation out from the package/stored - procedure creation and use create or - replace where possible so that scripts + procedure creation and use create or + replace where possible so that scripts can be sourced more than once. Make sure your drop script works if data has been inserted (and permissioned and notifications have been attached etc). @@ -90,6 +87,6 @@

      3. Solicit code reviews.� Ask others to look over your code and provide feedback and do the same for others. -

      Revision History

      Document Revision #Action Taken, NotesWhen?By Whom?
      0.1Creation12/2003Jeff Davis
      ($Id$)