[documentation] Some thoughts

Fri Aug 7 22:00:34 UTC 2009

Sheri and Elyse,

I'd offer to be in IRC or available by email as you install your site... but
I turn off my computer for 25 hours starting in about 45 minutes to observe
the Jewish sabbath. This is a great respite from all my screen time. But if
it were another time, I would be available.

In the instructions I wrote, I mentioned that long cvs command to download a
fresh Drupal install. I mentioned you use that command to download to your
computer or the web hosts computer. Presumably you want to do that at your
web host's computer... and you need to be logged into that computer via SSH
in order to do that.

Good luck with your install,

best,

Shai

On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 5:53 PM, Shai Gluskin <shai at content2zero.com> wrote:

> Shari and to Ilyse also.
>
> Jennifer and Ilyse addressed a lot of what you said and I agree with them.
>
> I'm really glad you posted. Sherri, I really appreciate your returning to
> Drupal and your willingness to "hang in there."
>
> Just to clear up a couple things. The command line is not for people who
> have web servers at home. I don't know any developers with web servers at
> home. Some Drupal developers do like working on local installs of sites (on
> their own computer) while in development. But those sites are not accessible
> to the web.). For most web hosting accounts, even the super cheap ones, you
> can get command line access to your remote server by logging into it from
> your own computer via "SSH" (see below).
>
> I agree with you about the instructions that there should be a version that
> is completely without command line.
>
> However, I want to empower you to consider working at the command line...
> even if you don't consider yourself a geek.
>
> I'm about to tell you what the command line is and how to get there...
>
> But I first want to say that I'm a rabbi by training and I just starting
> coding a couple of years ago (I'm 51 years old). I still mostly build my
> Drupal sites by turning on modules, clicking settings etc all through the
> browser. However, for some stuff like installing and updating sites... I
> have found working at the command line absolutely* liberating*. (Just one
> example... when you install Drupal at your web hosting company while being
> logged in to the command line at your remote host... you are moving files
> from the drupal.org server to your web host's server. The files never go
> through your home Internet connection or touch your computer. It takes about
> 15 seconds to install Drupal core this way, and it is extremely reliable.
> After that... FTP looks pretty pathetic. And it really isn't hard to do, see
> below.)
>
> My willingness to get a *little bit* geeky, in small increments, and with
> a lot of help... have been very rewarding.
>
> On a Mac you get to the "command-line" simply by opening up the application
> "Terminal." Terminal is found in the Utilities folder inside the
> "Applications" folder. By simply opening the Terminal application... you are
> at the command line.
>
> If you are on a PC, I think the best way to start is by downloading a free
> program called PuTTY. I know for sure that is what you use for the SSH part,
> getting access to your remote server. Here is where you get PuTTY:
> http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/<http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/%7Esgtatham/putty/>
>
> When you make a choice in a graphical user interface, you are sending a
> command. With the "command line" you simply send those commands directly.
> There are certain advantages for doing certain things that way.
>
> The main command you need to know is the one you use to navigate around
> your computer or a remote computer like your web server: cd nameoffolder
> Replace "nameoffolder" with the name of the folder you want to move into.
> "cd"  stands for change directory.. To go "up" a level (go outside the
> 'folder' you are currently in), you type: cd ../
> or to go up two levels: cd ../../
> Also helpful is: ls
> which lists all the files in your current directory.
>
> I'll try to send later a good web site that has a very simplified command
> line cheat sheet.
>
> You typically get access to your web server via the following: ssh
> webacccountusername at example.com and then you are prompted for the
> password.
> Replace webaccountusername with your hosting account user name and
> example.com with your domain name. You need to have SSH enabled on your
> web hosting account if it isn't already. Submit a help ticket to your web
> host
>
> You paste the following command to download Drupal, to either your own
> computer or to your remote host:
>
> cvs -z6 -d:pserver:anonymous:anonymous at cvs.drupal.org:/cvs/drupal co -r
> DRUPAL-6-13 drupal
>
> That entire drupal installation will be inside a folder called, "drupal."
> You need to get the entire contents of that directory into the public root
> level of your web site. I often do that with FTP cause the GUI on my FTP
> software makes that easy. So FTP software is good for some things.
>
> NOTE (this applies to FTP installations as well): Avoid problems by not
> installing Drupal into a sub-directory on your server. Or if you do,
> hopefully you'll know how to create a sub-domain on your server so that
> Drupal thinks you are at the domain root even if you aren't.
>
> Notice  the "6-13" part in the command above. Later, when 6.14 comes out,
> and you want to install that for a *new* web site, you replace the "6.13"
> with "6.14"
>
> To update your current site when 6.14 comes you navigate to inside the main
> drupal directory on your server and paste:
>
> cvs update -r DRUPAL-6-14 -dP
>
> and voila, your site is updated (in about 3 seconds). Always go to
> example.com/update.php logged in as user/1 (the person who created the
> site initially) after you update the Drupal core or modules files. (Replace
> example.com with your domain name).
>
> I didn't put this all here to dismiss AT ALL your seeing the need to have
> instructions that are 100% FTP oriented. I just wanted to hopefully
> encourage you to try the command line (as someone who came to the command
> line very late in life) and I want to debunk the idea that it is only for
> geeks.
>
> Have a great weekend...
>
> Shai
>
> On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 3:57 PM, Shari <webweaver64 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>  Hi my name is Shari, and I've been a member of this group for a long
>> while (actually forgot). I joined drupal.org over 2 years ago. I've
>> started and stopped working with Drupal over and over. I am however
>> recommitting myself to actually sticking with it. I plan to do this by
>> investing my time & money, and that means also giving back to the community.
>> However it's been my experience in the past, and again that although it's
>> everywhere that Drupal wants people to join in, and to make Drupal user
>> friendly, this isn't my experience.
>>
>> I joined the documentation originally because this is the 1st thing anyone
>> new sees, if it doesn't make someone feel included & that it is
>> understandable, they're gone.
>>
>> Out of the CMS's that are out there that I've tried and looked into I
>> chose Drupal originally for 2 reasons.
>> 1. It can grow as my experience grows.
>> 2. People actually answered my questions in the forum.
>>
>> I've walked away from Drupal for 2 main reasons.
>> 1. Documentation is way over my head.
>> 2. Outside of the forum, it feels unfriendly.
>>
>> I got started today by looking for something I could do, and went with the
>> Documentation Issues for D7. Review and update the Installation guide. So
>> started at the installation instructions and downloading D7. Right off the
>> bat, I noticed it saying "This documentation focuses on performing tasks at
>> the command line." Maybe I missed something but, that right there is not
>> user friendly. I've installed Drupal any number of times, and I still don't
>> know what the command line is. Most people who know nothing about Drupal and
>> want to install it, are going to start with the Installation Guide, and
>> right off it's made Drupal feel like if your not a programmer or someone who
>> is familiar with the "back end" of a system you should turn around.
>>
>> So I wondered where should I discuss this, I jumped into the IRC channel
>> posted just that question "Where is the best place to discuss
>> documentation?" There were 25 people sitting in the channel, I waited over
>> 25 minutes and never received a response. Why are you in the channel if your
>> not going to chat?
>>
>> Unfriendly feeling... again.
>>
>> If Drupal truly intends to appeal to people outside the "geek" community,
>> this is the 1st thing that needs to be addressed.
>>
>> What can I, what is the 1st step, I can take towards making that happen?
>> Do I post a comment to the issue about my thoughts on it. Do I go into the
>> IRC channel, do I post to this mailing list. Where does the discussion
>> begin, and happen?
>>
>> I'm willing to do something, I just need a bit of help getting there.
>>
>> Shari
>> WebWeaver64 @ Drupal.org
>>
>> --
>> Pending work: http://drupal.org/project/issues/documentation/
>> List archives: http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/documentation/
>>
>
>
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