[contrib] The Textpattern brand

Gocom · 2009-10-05 14:14:07

jsoo wrote:

Wouldn’t that require making /textpattern/ world-writable? Then you’d have to change permissions after installation.

Folder is 777 (etc) only if the permissions and groups are setup incorrectly. Is your images or files folder 777? It shouldn’t be. If it is you should contact your host, as it means that anybody can write there. It should be 755 atmost.

masa wrote:

One thing, that would make it a lot smoother, is, if Textpattern could create the config.php automatically in the right location

That might be a bit hard. Not for the permissions, but instead, what the PHP can do. Can it create or edit executed code on it’s own, or can it edit system (/apache’s) files? Would you be fine if it had rights to do it? It might fail even when permissions/groups are setup correctly, that is, if host has zero tolerancy.

Bloke wrote:

EDIT: having said that, you have to go into your FTP client anyway and remove the setup directory after install so I guess you could argue that resetting the permissions on the /textpattern directory is only one small extra step.

Well removing the setup folder and creating the config file could be a option. If it fails it automatically defaults to the original one. It might also give you a option to download the config file.

artagesw · 2009-10-05 18:19:34

Allowing the web server to write to the /textpattern or /private folder would be a security issue. Much safer to ask the user to create the file than to ask the user to fix up permissions.

johnstephens · 2009-10-05 23:50:59

Anyone have any further thoughts on whether this is a big enough stumbling block to consider altering, or even if it’s technically possible

Since I use MAMP, I recently installed Living E’s CMS called webEdition. The user interface of the CMS was a glutted nightmare, but the install process was stunningly simple— you upload one small php file to your server (in my case, I installed it locally), and visit that in your browser. The script then downloads all the files you need and even generates config. Since webEdition is a monster of a CMS, the install script prompts you to choose modules you want to download. If this method were applied to Textpattern, such steps could be avoided.

In terms of theming Textpattern, which is tangentially related, I’m a huge fan of cnk_versioning. In addition to allowing you to export and import templates from the file system, it also auto-loads changed files on a page refresh when the site is in Testing or Debugging mode— when developing a site, this feature is immensely valuable.

Mary · 2009-10-06 03:14:11

Perhaps txpsql is the baseline and when you install from scratch it does an upgrade through each of the 4.0.1, 4.0.2, 4.0.3… updates files to build the pucker release?

The answer is yes.

I agree that having that extra file upload hurdle is less than optimal…

Sure, but keep in mind that there already exists a file – config-dist.php, so you don’t have to actually create a new file, you just have to rename one that already exists.

Allowing the web server to write to the /textpattern or /private folder would be a security issue. Much safer to ask the user to create the file than to ask the user to fix up permissions.

I agree.

…you upload one small php file to your server (in my case, I installed it locally), and visit that in your browser. The script then downloads all the files you need…

I’ve used something like that before, and I did not like it. It was a real headache.

it takes away the ability to inspect the software before you install it, which I always, always do with something new and not yet trusted
it means hammering the server for every single install, as opposed to allowing people to download a zipped file once and re-use it where needed
if download fails for some reason, install will puke

johnstephens · 2009-10-06 06:00:54

I’ve used something like that before, and I did not like it. It was a real headache.

- it takes away the ability to inspect the software before you install it, which I always, always do with something new and not yet trusted
- it means hammering the server for every single install, as opposed to allowing people to download a zipped file once and re-use it where needed
- if download fails for some reason, install will puke

Aha! Each of those would be deal-breakers, that would be serious issues were I installing this for anything other than idle curiosity.

I love having my local copies of Textpattern’s zip files going back to 4.0.5, as you said, and unpacking the latest one when starting a new project. From a developer perspective, it’s immensely helpful.

trenc · 2009-10-06 08:51:23

The script then downloads all the files you need and even generates config.

I don’t really like this. It’s maybe easy to use, but it’s a huge gate for security issues (see Wordpress and the online update function).

johnstephens · 2009-10-06 12:13:11

Yeah, I stand corrected! Please, don’t do anything to make Textpattern more like WordPress, especially in terms of security.

JimJoe · 2010-01-31 14:28:52

masa wrote:

jsoo wrote:

My suggestions are to clean up the installation process, […]

One thing, that would make it a lot smoother, is, if Textpattern could create the config.php automatically in the right location, rather than asking you to start a text editor, paste what’s on the screen in an empty document and then ftp it into the Textpattern folder. I always felt, these three extra steps somehow interrupt the installation process.

I’m sure, if these steps could be skipped, Textpattern would quickly gain a reputation for being exceptionally easy to install.

My post:

I didn’t find the extra steps to be a problem. I have found Textpattern to be much easier to deal with than other blogs/cms I have tried. Certainly better support than Movable Type and Work Press. I did do the tutorials and foind some things confusing around step 6 or 7. I’ll post about that when I have time to go back over that page and write down what didn’t work for me.

Overall I give tp a ‘ta-dah !’ or maybe a ‘yippeee !’. Far easier to install than even going through Fantastico on my domain, which I am trying to stop using. Fantastico, not my domain.

els · 2010-01-31 14:34:53

JimJoe wrote:

I’ll post about that when I have time to go back over that page and write down what didn’t work for me.

Thanks JimJoe, that would be helpful! And glad you like Txp :)

JimJoe · 2010-01-31 17:53:41

The basic config worked fine. No problems there.

My MT blog has 1,606 entries and over 200 categories. The Importer into TP brought 364 entries and about 100 categories over. may not seem like many made it over… but its better than many of the importers i have dealt with in the past. I used the ‘type in database name, IP, username, password’ and run it method. None of my 11 static faq pages copied over that I see so far.

Here is the url for First steps where i tried the tutorials:
http://textpattern.net/wiki/index.php?title=Textpattern_First_Steps

Task 6: I got rhubarb rhubarb to show up but not the cabbags bit.

Task 7: the fun page template part didn’t seem to work for me. I was kinda tired, so I may have mistyped or something.

The plugin part worked fine. I use other methods of adding images so I skipped that part.

When the tasks asked me to look at RSS and Atom links, I saw blank center part of pages. The sidebars showed like they did on other pages, just fine.

Task 10: section 7 where it talks about the tag builder, that didn’t show up. I don’t use tags, so it doesn’t matter to me, but I mention it as I know many others use tags.

While I have been puzzled by a few things… (typical of new user to a program as far as I can tell), I have had an easier time of it than the other 10 blogs/cms I have tried to deal with in the past. I have over 20 years of computer tech support experience, so I do wonder why some blogs, not textpattern, uses obfuscation in their manuals. Shrug, I hadn’t noticed anyone trademarking or copyrighting the words ‘article, entry, post, category’ and a few others.

So when someone creates a blog/cms set and talks about ekieki instead of categories, I tend to not use such software. I have enough to do, without having to reinterpret the Rosetta Stone all over again. :-)

els · 2010-01-31 18:32:57

JimJoe wrote:

I don’t use tags,

Hmm… funny, how does your site work then? ;)

JimJoe · 2010-01-31 18:58:16

With categories. Unless someone snuck one in on me and categories are actually tags in textpattern… :-)

My prior experience with tags is a ‘tag cloud’ of a blob of words. Seems a way to miss something. I prefer an alphabetized, or categorized, list of words that don’t go away if few posts are made to that particular subject.

JimJoe · 2010-01-31 19:02:20

Lets see, for the categories and articles that didn’t copy over. Some of the categories were place holders, no data/entries were tied to them yet. Some sub-categories with data/entries copied over, but not their parent categories. Or categories with data/entries copied over, but some lost entries. For example on the last, a category might have 12 entries, but less than 10 made it over. Doesn’t seem to have a pattern to it.

els · 2010-01-31 19:10:44

JimJoe wrote:

With categories. Unless someone snuck one in on me and categories are actually tags in textpattern… :-)

Aha ^{(lightbulb goes on)}, we’re talking about different tags ;) The tagbuilder is meant to build Txp tags (like <txp:whatever />) :)

Edit: I think you’d better post in Developer support about the things that didn’t work well using the import script. The devs probably won’t notice it in this topic.

Last edited by els (2010-01-31 19:14:20)

JimJoe · 2010-01-31 19:46:27

I just posted there about the importer. I’ll mention the task steps that didn’t work for me.

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#16 2009-10-05 14:14:07

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#17 2009-10-05 18:19:34

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#18 2009-10-05 23:50:59

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#19 2009-10-06 03:14:11

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#20 2009-10-06 06:00:54

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#21 2009-10-06 08:51:23

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#22 2009-10-06 12:13:11

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#23 2010-01-31 14:28:52

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#24 2010-01-31 14:34:53

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#25 2010-01-31 17:53:41

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#26 2010-01-31 18:32:57

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#27 2010-01-31 18:58:16

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#28 2010-01-31 19:02:20

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#29 2010-01-31 19:10:44

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

#30 2010-01-31 19:46:27

Re: [contrib] The Textpattern brand

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