67 replies to this topic

[Martin]

This is the support topic for the tutorial How to install IP.Board on your computer
Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

[Depot]

Thank you m4rtin, well written with excellent screenshots.

[Sandi]

Installing XAMPP was a breeze.

What I am hazy on now is trying to figure out how to set up my local server file directories. Then latter sync them with Dreamweaver.

My online server has several sub-domains, and at least two of them I want to have available for working with the offline server.

/public_html/ ...................Main domain for Blog.
/public_html/testblog/......Sub-domain for testing blog changes.
/public_html/forum/..........Sub-domain for forum.
/public_html/testforum/....Sub-domain for testing forum changes.
/public_html/design/.........Sub-domain for testing blog skin design CSS layouts.

Hope I'm not getting ahead of the tutorial here, but it is something I would like to know fairly soon if I'm going to get started. From the phpinfo() file my guess is: _SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] C:/xampp/htdocs

Edit: After re-reading the tutorial slower this time, I see that my directory guess looks right. So I assume I setup my sub-domain files just like on the online server.

Edited by Sandi, 20 December 2007 - 12:39 AM.

[Martin]

That is correct. But you will not be able to use it as a regular sub-domain (http://testforum.localhost/) without editing some config files.


And, thanks Depot

[Sandi]

"m4rtin" said:

That is correct. But you will not be able to use it as a regular sub-domain (http://testforum.localhost/) without editing some config files.

Ah, that pops another question into my mind, and I'm thinking that I might need to edit a config file anyway (httpd.conf ?). It took me a while to figure out that on my new server I had to reference my path to image files a bit different. I wasn't sure if it was the server, or because I am a noob to PHP. I had only used HTML on the old site.

On my old server I would reference images in the image (next lower) directory.

<img src="/images/logo.gif">

On my new server I need to add the current directory to the path even though the calling program is inside it.

<img src="/design/images/logo.gif">

And similar with index.php loading header or sidebar HTML files which are in the /includes/ directory.

<?php require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]."/design/includes/header.html"); ?>

I guess it just seems weird having to add the current root directory to the path.

[Depot]

I am a little confused by Sandi's line of questioning. Is her situation unique, or will this be that difficult to install?

[Sandi]

Depot, on Dec 20 2007, 04:30 AM, said:

I am a little confused by Sandi's line of questioning. Is her situation unique, or will this be that difficult to install?

Depot my post isn't in reference to XAMPP as I was scratching my head over this before I downloaded and installed it. Also it doesn't affect my blog which is in _SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] or (/public_html/).

It appears to me that the paths in the ones I have trouble with like my Test blog are referenced from a directory one beyond server root. Hence my guess is the reason for the need for me to add the extra (current) directory to the path.

I don't run into this with the forum, but then I don't play with it much except for a few skin modifications. And I assume that Invision is quite thorough in setting path variables in their config files.

On a search I did find somewhat of a shortcut. Like $htmlPath = '/public_html/design/includes/', then reference it like: include ("$htmlPath/file.html");

I suppose I have gone a bit off topic with my query, but one doesn't lean if one never asks. And I am as confused as anyone and not really sure what I am talking about.

[Depot]

OK, that helps. I know m4rtin claims the XAMPP is easy to install, as well as the forums once that is done. I'm just playing the devil's advocate, interested in any possible hiccups before I try this.

After all, there is a LOT of stuff this one program is installing at once in order to facilitate forum installation.

[Martin]

Depot, on Dec 20 2007, 12:32 PM, said:

OK, that helps. I know m4rtin claims the XAMPP is easy to install, as well as the forums once that is done. I'm just playing the devil's advocate, interested in any possible hiccups before I try this.

After all, there is a LOT of stuff this one program is installing at once in order to facilitate forum installation.

It IS easy to install, I promise you.

And yes, it do install a few unnecessary programs, such as the FTP server and Mail server. But none of them are activated by default, so they only takes up a few MB of your HDD.


@Sandi: I can't really put a finger on your problem, and say "There's your problem!". What you can do, is to set up some sub-domains, like you have on your live website. By doing that, all paths and such will work as normally (at least, they should do).

To create a sub-domain, open C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf
Use one of the two dummies, and just put in your own information.

Ex.:

NameVirtualHost *:80
<VirtualHost *:80>
	ServerName default
	DocumentRoot "c:/xampp/htdocs/"
</VirtualHost>
<VirtualHost *:80>
	ServerName sub.domain.tld
	DocumentRoot "c:/xampp/htdocs/ipbdev/"
</VirtualHost>

The first part is required (The one with ServerName default), if you don't have it, all requests will go to your sub-domain whatsoever.
However, this will not work if you don't have any domain names pointing all requests to your machine. You must therefor add a own domain pointing to 127.0.0.1 in \WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. This file is protected and hidden by default. Since my OS is in norwegian, it'll be hard for you to understand the screenshot below, but you may find it.
 1.png   75.22K   0 downloads

Then open "hosts", and follow the examples there.

You have to restart the Apache service to activate the sub domain.

[Sandi]

M4rtin, thanks for the info.

My domain is pointing to 127.0.0.1 in \WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. I didn't set it so I assume that either Dreamweaver or XAMPP set it.

127.0.0.1 localhost

But I think adding sub-domains IPs to the file may be a problem. Originally I officially set up sub-domains on my server, but when I installed my forum I slipped up and gave the install "http://vistaoncurrentevents.com/forum/" instead of "http://forum.vistaoncurrentevents". Since then I have removed my sub-domains in my cPanel and just reference the directories for the various blogs, forums and work areas through the main site with a /whateverdir appended.

Maybe this is why I am having a problem with paths? If so I don't know that I can correct it without re-installing the forum after.

Edited by Sandi, 20 December 2007 - 06:55 PM.

[Martin]

To change the base path to the forum, just edit conf_global.php, and there should also be a few paths in General Configuration in your ACP.

[Sacred]

Excellent work m4rtin
Can i use this tutorial on my site and i will keep ur full credits?!
plz let me know

[Sandi]

Why not just link it?

[Tom]

Thank you very much for this excellent tutorial!

[Sacred]

Sandi, on Mar 9 2008, 09:51 AM, said:

Why not just link it?

i thought M4rtin wrote this tutorial
nvm i'm not linkin' it, its either post it as how "m4rtin" wrote ( looks AWESOME) or don't use it at all..

Again thx alot "m4rtin" for the tutorial keep em comin' mate!

[Depot]

Sacred, on Mar 9 2008, 04:48 AM, said:

Sandi, on Mar 9 2008, 09:51 AM, said:

Why not just link it?

i thought M4rtin wrote this tutorial
nvm i'm not linkin' it, its either post it as how "m4rtin" wrote ( looks AWESOME) or don't use it at all..

Again thx alot "m4rtin" for the tutorial keep em comin' mate!

I'm with Sandi on this, just link it.

If for no other reason than to draw visitors to Invision Modding.

[Sandi]

"Depot" said:

If for no other reason than to draw visitors to Invision Modding.

Well, that was my point exactly and I thought he would get the hint.

Proper etiquette dictates that you should credit the author's tutorial with traffic as well as an atta boy, not divert the traffic to one's own board.

[Sandi]

BTW I finally got XXAMP working locally. Last attempt must have been a bad install as I couldn't get anything to work. After a couple of weeks of frustration I un-installed it and gave it up as a lost cause.

Last night I decided to try again. This time I used the installer and all went as smooth as a good brandy. Got IPB 2.3.4 installed on localhost and transferred down most of the forum and blog skins that I have been working on.

The only thing that isn't working is Filezilla Server. It connects (or so it says) but I only get a blank window to stare at. Added some shared folders but that didn't help either. Before I installed my local forum, I ended up having to upload the entire upload directory to my server to CHMOD the files. Then do the reverse to have the proper CHMOD for install.

Any suggestions on Filezilla Server?

Edited by Sandi, 09 March 2008 - 01:18 PM.

[Sacred]

Sandi i did get the hint but my site is not IPB site related so no point in linkin itr to IM.. i would link m4rtin t IM thats for sure
and the tutorial is NOT just for ipb, it can be used for so many diff. things ..so Again no pont in linkin to IM.. after all its all up to m4rtin please let me know if i can use it on my site.
Regards

[China J]

@Sandi - Filezilla server is running fine - The tut is lacking information that you use your own ftp client in addition to Filezilla Server to access the local server... So you would do Hostname = localhost in filezilla and login = normal and whatever user/pass you set for the permissions on ftp/database.

@ Sacred - You don't have to explain yourself as your question was directed to M4rtin only. Just wait for his reply or contact him via PM privately.