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[request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
I think a terrific plugin would let us work with files on an Amazon S3 account, just as you do files uploaded to your regular web site server storage, and manipulated with textpattern tags like txp:file_download_list and so on.
After some back and forth between me and the mods / developers, I think this post by Jeremie is a good description of the kind of thing we’re after:
Jeremie said:
A plugin could interrupt your images and files storing, ask you where you want to put those (in case you don’t want to go S3 all the way); at file/image browsing retrieve those from S3 and merge them with the others; and of course at display retrieve them.
Or, more simply, replace every calls to images and files and reroute them to S3.
But I wonder if there not a simpler way… it’s not possible to mount a S3 interface, and reroute at the file manager level (directly from unix, without even TXP knowing what S3 is)? A kind of remote directory alias/link.
Either way, nope, no plugin yet as far as I know. You’re certainly welcome to write one, or to hire someone to do it :)
My old first post:
This guy has made an interface that links MySQL to the Amazon S3 web storage service. Also see here. If anyone can make a plugin to somehow integrate this functionality into Textpattern, you will be a god to me and many others with limited web server storage.
If this method can be used in Textpattern to work with files on S3 as if they were regular files uploaded and given IDs, that would be amazing. Or if you think it could be integrated in some other way, please share your thoughts.
Last edited by aswihart (2007-04-26 15:32:00)
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#2 2007-04-25 01:17:50
- Mary
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- Registered: 2004-06-27
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
This isn’t something a cms can do; it requires making a custom build of MySQL.
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
So…can’t I make the custom build, then someone comes along with a plugin?
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#4 2007-04-25 01:47:13
- Mary
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- Registered: 2004-06-27
- Posts: 6,236
Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
If your host allows you to do such, then yes. I cannot think of any shared host that would do that though. A dedicated server, yes (you tend to be able to put whatever you want on those), but then you wouldn’t have limit space anyhow. Unless I’m missing something here?
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
Hm, I have a small account with A Small Orange, and MySQL is setup automatically through cPanel. Maybe I couldn’t do it? Not sure about that. Maybe if I was on a Media Temple Grid Server, but even then, do you think they would allow it?
I don’t know, sounds like a plugin like I’m looking for isn’t going to be feasible. I’m a real noob, so I didn’t even know that much. Thanks Mary.
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
What are you trying to do? Store uploaded files and images at S3? You don’t need a special MySQL to do this…
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
No, I know I can already do that, I just dreamed that I could use S3 exactly like I use my web server storage space (limited to 200mb), and have it fully integrated with Txp, so I could: make file lists, track download counts, etc…
Really the biggest thing is, I have lots of media files, and I want to track their download counts / play counts. I could just upload all my videos to Youtube and embed them on my site, and have that as the counter for them, but then I have a ton of music that I want to log as well. Any thoughts on how I should go about this would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by aswihart (2007-04-25 04:04:29)
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
The most simple solution would be a change of hosting providers. There’s whole bunch of them promising gigabytes of storage for a few $ per month.
All media contents which Textpattern handles is stored and retrieved from the file system and does not require any special connection with the database, so I think you require a plugin which counts downloads from an external storage location (S3 or any other big disk) by complementing, extending and replacing some of the file_download_* tags.
Am I interpreting your intentions properly?
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
Exactly, so you think this is possible? Are you saying such a plugin would not require people to have custom builds of MySQL? And do you think you could also generate file lists and sort them by category and stuff like that?
Yeah I probably should just switch hosts, but I feel like using S3 is more forward thinking perhaps, and maybe cheaper still? I haven’t gone shpping for hosts, but when I signed up for my ASO small account it was just about the best deal out there, just a limited amount of storage is the biggest drawback.
Last edited by aswihart (2007-04-25 11:51:19)
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
A thought: Dreamhost gives you 160 GB storage for 9.95 USD per month, that’ll be 24.00 USD at S3. If you use promo code TEXTPATTERN upon registration, your annual bill will be reduced by 77 US$, which leaves you with a total bill of 3.53 US$ per month for the first year. I have no experiences with the performance and stability of S3, so I cannot comment on that.
I wouldn’t bother someone with the task of programming a custom solution if changing providers would help just as much.
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
I don’t need THAT much! Just 1gb would be plenty. I’ll consider my options. Currently I pay $50 / year for ASO, 400mb storage and 10gb bandwidth / month. They have great support as well, which is obviously important, at least for me.
Is it possible to use space on a new web account and have that integrated into the Textpattern installation on my current ASO account? The reason is, there are deals for lots of web space, but many without scripting or email, and I wonder if I could sign up for one of those and somehow link to stored files there with file_download tags.
My other option would be to learn more about web programming, which would take a lot of time that I don’t have, and learn how to snag data tracking the number of downloads from say, S3, Youtube, eSnips, Flickr, and then just display the numbers and any other information I want on my site, while all the files are stored offsite. Any suggestions or links you can pass on would be much appreciated.
Last edited by aswihart (2007-04-25 13:28:23)
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Re: [request] Plugin Request: Textpattern to Amazon S3 interface
IMHO, you are making things more complex than they needed to be. Storage is cheap, and just about every semi-decent host has at least one database and some kind of PHP as a part of all but the most basic plan.
Frankly, I haven’t encountered a host without e-mail boxes for the past five or so years, you’ll even have one or two for free from your domain vendor if you shop around a little bit.
Is it possible to use space on a new web account and have that integrated into the Textpattern installation on my current ASO account?
Building a custom solution for distributed storage is – from my point of view – not worth the fuzz. And no, this wouldn’t work out of the box with Textpattern without sacrificing functionality.
Last edited by wet (2007-04-25 13:12:38)
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