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Installing dotLRN

part of dotLRN

Contents

Read the dotLRN FAQ

Especially important is the State of dotLRN Development section.

Install OpenACS v4.5 from CVS (not beta1!)

If you have a working OpenACS v4.5 installation from CVS, skip to the next section.

If you don't have a working copy of OpenACS v4.5 (from current CVS), follow the extensive installation documenation. At the point where the OpenACS installation instructions tell you to "download OpenACS", get a current CVS checkout of OpenACS v4.5 from the CVS server. Alternatively, it may be possible to use a nighly tarball of OpenACS v4.5 and avoid dealing with CVS, but we don't test this method and the warnings on the page apply.

dotLRN dosen't use all of the modules in the OpenACS cvs tree. If you are installing for dotLRN only, you can save lots of time during the installation by checking out only the following modules: acs-core acs-datetime acs-events acs-interface acs-reference calendar faq file-storage general-comments news ref-timezones simple-survey spam If you already have a CVS checkout or the nightly tarball, remove the packages not in the above list.

Another installation timesaver is to cut down the huge files in /packages/ref-timezones/sql/common/ to a few lines. This is fine for testing.

Get dotLRN from CVS

Getting dotLRN from CVS is just like getting OpenACS from CVS with a different CVSROOT.

In your /packages directory issue the following commands: 

       cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@dotlrn.openforce.net:/dotlrn-cvsroot login

       (hit return for prompted for password)

       cvs -z3 -d :pserver:anonymous@dotlrn.openforce.net:/dotlrn-cvsroot co dotlrn-core

Install dotLRN on your system

Go the the "ACS Package Manager" (APM) on your system at http://yourserver/acs-admin/apm and hit the "Install packages" link. After the installer loads, you will see a list of the dotlrn packages you just got from CVS. Install them, return to the main APM page, and restart your server. After a few moments, refresh the main APM, and you should see dotlrn, new-portal, etc. in the list.

Go to the "Site Map" on your system at http://yourserver/admin/site-map. Click the "new sub folder" link to the right of the "Main Site" link at the top of the table. Enter dotlrn in the textbox, and hit the button.

There will be a new entry in the URL column for "dotlrn" with "(none)" in the application column, to the right of this, click the "New Application" link. Enter dotlrn into the textbox and select "dotLRN" from the drop-down list and hit the button.

There will now be "dotlrn" in the application column to the right of the "dotlrn/" URL.

You must now restart your server

After the server restarts, refresh the "Site Map". You will see a "(+)" to the left of the dotlrn/ URL and a new URL: "portal/" with application "new-portal".

Aren't seeing "portal"? Did you restart your server?

Explore dotLRN

Go to dotLRN Administration at http://yourserver/dotlrn/admin. Make some dotLRN users, terms, departments, classes.

Here are some suggestions for things to check out in dotlrn:

Goto /dotlrn your "workspace". Click the "Control Panel" link at the top and try the "Customize this portal" link there. Goto the admin pages for a class or community and try the "Manage Membership" link. Create a new sugroup for a class or community. Edit or create new "Custom Portlets".

Enjoy!

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