COM3085: Content Management Systems Assignments


Design Portion(70%):
Step 1:
You will be installing a web server (Apache, MySQL, PHP) and a CMS using a virtual appliance aka “stack”Download and install MAMP.

Instal WordPress Locally on Your Mac With MAMP There is an easier install to get MAMP up and running with a CMS already built into the stack in 5 minutes.

Install WordPress with a “bitnami stack”. Tip: install a WordPress stack on a removable usb flash drive. After the install, connect to it with http://your.IP:8080/wordpress/wp-admin/. Find your Mac’s IP at ->System Preferences->Network->Advanced->TCP/IP.

The installation will require administrator privs and a fixed IP address on the host machine.

Step 2:
Install a favorite theme or two

  • customize it

Step 3:
Install a plugin or two

Step 4:
Export your existing STJ iblog in xml format, then import it into your MAMP install. (Do not use this activity to replace your existing blog, keep your existing blog up to date). Option: start your own blog at wordpress.com or edublogs.org and import your STJ iblog periodically into your new blog as a backup.

Step 5:
Upgrade your local WP install to a Network Multisite. Become a SuperAdmin. Option: Install a Drupal (or PHPBB or Gallery or other that is “AMP” only) stack, rinse and repeat.

Written Portion (20%):
Write a post in your blog discussing the features of your CMS install. Discuss some the the advanced features now available to you as a site administrator and a SuperAdmin. Discuss your theme and plugin installations. Link to discussion topics, questions, answers in the STJ forums.

Presentation (10%):
Present and discuss your CMS install with peers.

Notes to enable Network Multisite Worpdress:
Install with root permissions so Network upgrade is possible. ie url must be http://192.168.1.67/wordpress/ for multisite instead of the default
http://192.168.1.67:8080/wordpress/.

I renamed the downloaed bitnami stack installer “MAMP.app” for simplicity:
imac:~ student$ su root
Password: [root password that only Mr S knows]
sh-3.2# cd desktop
sh-3.2# sudo ./MAMP.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh

Open up wp-config.php and add this line above where it says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */:
‘define(‘WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE’, true);’

Nevermind, an advanced WP Network install requires root user access to the operating system to alter file permissions on invisible files. Editing config files in Apache and writing rewrite rules for htaccess is beyond the scope of this course. There is no easy peasy way to enable a USB drive to work as a web server without root access to the OS.

So, stick with the single user client version of WP or any of the other CMS stacks installed in the Applications directory using a regular iMac account with an administrator password (ie stjerome).

Tips:

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-local-wordpress-on-mac-os-x-106?replies=2