[MKDoc-dev] Improving MKDoc Installation

[Chris Swaine]

I think Sam raises a very interesting point. However, I would go one step
further. There are many open source CMS out there - a number are listed on
www.opensourcecms.com. This simple reality is that if we are going to be
totally serious about providing a free, open source CMS that has the
accessibility features and ease of use of MKDOC - which are significant and
are dedicated to truely enabling and empowering communities we need to think
about who this is for and what are their needs.

I would suggest that the vast majority of certainly community and voluntary
groups who would like to build their own website - and enable multiple
community authors do not have huge amounts of technical skills. It is likely
they will hire 'Virtual' server space and not have their own dedicated
server and they certainly won't have money to pay installers or experts to
'customise their templates' etc.

Therefore, there needs to be a reality that what is required is a
downloadable zip file, which can be unzipped and then uploaded to their
webspace. It is very likely that through a virtual control panel, they can
enable an MySQL database. The idea then is that they upload through FTP the
folders [which unzip automatically into the required structure] and then
call an install script - mysite.com/folder/install

The whole process should be quick and simple with the software doing much of
the work, including finding paths and chmds.

There then needs a simple and easy method to select and modify a range of
templates to allow customisation and personalisation.

Is this unrealistic - no - it is already out there.

The only problem with CMS like Mambo, TYPO3, ezcontents etc etc is the great
accessibility issues that MK Doc can offer and enact.

In Southcote we have just moved our community website to ezcontents
[www.ezcontents.org] - www.southcote.info - it is a very good CMS, was very
very simple to install and provides for multiple authors and a good
structure - is it as good as MK Doc - absolutely not, but it does have a far
greater number of features....

The simple choice is that MKDoc needs to define who it wants to empower -
local communities, or a smallish number of techies who get turned on through
complex installs - the average punter will look at the install of krang and
just walk away........

If we want to be serious and changing the culture of accessibe and usable
CMSs, we must make it available and affordable to the masses, not the select
few who can make sense of complex installs.

I hope this doesn't appear to be too outrageous a post, as it is not
intended to be offensive. It is more of a frustrated post - willing those
who can make it happen - MAKE IT HAPPEN for the many!

Best regards...Chris...

Home:
Chris Swaine
105 Silchester Road
Southcote
Reading
RG30 3EJ
Tel: 0118 9391736
Email: chris at reading-city.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sam Tregar" <sam at tregar.com>
To: <mkdoc-dev at lists.webarch.co.uk>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 8:18 PM
Subject: [MKDoc-dev] Improving MKDoc Installation


> Hello all.  I'm looking into the possibility of joining the MKDoc team
> so I'll be posting questions and suggestions here as they occur to
> me.
>
> As I'm sure you're all aware MKDoc installation could be a lot easier.
> Right now I would guess that installing MKDoc requires both
> significant technical experience and several hours of work.  This is
> very similar to the problem I faced when I constructed the
> installation systems for Bricolage (http://bricolage.cc) and, later,
> Krang (http://krang.sf.net).  Both of these are large Apache/mod_perl
> database apps which make extensive use of CPAN modules.
>
> Before beginning the design of the Krang installation system I posted
> my design notes on PerlMonks which helped crystallize my thinking on
> the topic:
>
>   http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=307399
>
> The system I created for Krang is quite similar to the description in
> the PerlMonks post, and I think it has been very successful.  It is
> possible to install Krang in just a few minutes on a fresh system with
> Perl and MySQL installed.  The install documentation is suitably
> simple and easy to follow:
>
>   http://krang.sf.net/docs/ops_install.html
>
> I think one possibility for MKDoc would be the wholesale adoption of a
> Krang's installation system.  Krang is under a BSD license, so there's
> no reason we couldn't take the code and use it in MKDoc with minimal
> changes.  The biggest differences from the current system would be:
>
>   - MKDoc would run in its own Apache on a separate IP/port, not in a
>     shared Apache process.  For users that need to do virtual hosting
>     we could provide documentation on setting up a mod_proxy front-end.
>
>   - MKDoc would come with copies of all the CPAN modules it requires.
>     A license audit would be needed to make sure all the modules allow
>     for this kind of distribution.  Most open-source licenses include
>     the GPL, Artistic and BSD do.
>
> The advantage would be an easier install process with less room for
> error.  Easier installation means more users and there's nothing an
> open-source project needs more than users!
>
> -sam
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