ArsDigita Community System FAQ

Questions

• I have a site made of static html pages. How can I add some collaboration features without setting up my own webserver?
• I would like to use the ArsDigita Community System. How do I set up the basic infrastructure (Unix/Linux, Oracle, and AOLServer)?
• I have a machine with Unix/Linux, Oracle and AOLServer installed. How do I install the ArsDigita Community System and the ArsDigita Server Architecture?
• Where can I find ArsDigita Community System documentation?
• I am stuck. Where can I ask a question?
• What teaching and training is available? How can I sign up?
• What resources are available for learning and reference?
• Where do I make feature suggestions, report bugs, and look for patches?
• What ISPs and independent developers support the ArsDigita Community System?
• How can I contribute to the development of ArsDigita Community System?
• Where can I learn about ArsDigita, the company?
• How can I work at ArsDigita?

I have a site made of static html pages. How can I add some collaboration features without setting up my own machine?

• Spam will allow you to maintain mailing lists
• LUSENET will run a discussion group for you
• BooHoo link manager will allow your users to post related links
• Loquacious will allow your users to post comments
• clickthrough.net will track how many people follow links from your site to sites that you recommend
• Vox Populi will allow you to add polls to your site
• Telegraph will allow forms on your site to send email

I would like to use the ArsDigita Community System. How do I set up the basic infrastructure?

We have written an installation guide to aid you in the process. It takes you through the detailed steps necessary to build a working system from a bare hard drive through a basic ACS install. Followed closely on a reasonably fast machine, this document will give you a complete system in 4-5 hours.

The ArsDigita Community System can now be run under Windows 2000. However we advise the use of Unix, as it is the most well-tested and best documented platform for ACS.

Those who wish to pursue the 100% open-source route will want to check into the OpenACS project. This is a port of the ACS headed up by a group of external developers. It currently uses PostgreSQL as its relational database of choice, though there are plans to make OpenACS work with other open-source databases in the future.

I have a machine with Unix/Linux, Oracle and AOLServer installed. How do I install the ArsDigita Community System and the ArsDigita Server Architecture?

We strongly recommend that you thoroughly examine the step-by-step ACS installation guide, even if you already have a working Unix and Oracle installtion.

The guide contains up-to-date information on the default settings that ArsDigita uses to generate properly running sites. Deviations from these defaults are recommended only if you are an expert system administrator.

Once you have a working ACS installation, there are several utilities written by ArsDigita that can be installed to ensure that the server keeps running reliably.

The overview of the ArsDigita Server Architecture is a good starting point for the development of a reliable service. The following documents will also help you keep your system running properly:

• Keepalive Installation
• Uptime Installation
  
• Reporte Installation
• ArsDigita Server Architecture Audit (mainly for ACS 3.x)

Where can I find ArsDigita Community System documentation?

• The latest developer resources are always available at arsdigita.com

What teaching and training is available? How can I sign up?

• The One day web course will be offered in several cities. (Latest schedule and registration)
• ArsDigita Community System Conventions are held quarterly in Cambridge and San Franscisco. (Latest schedule and registration)
• We conduct 1-3 week boot camps covering the core skills needed to install, configure and extend the ArsDigita Community System and the ArsDigita Server Architecture. These are available to people who:
  1. are planning to do something for a non-profit organization
  2. are willing to commit their time to support or extend the ArsDigita Community System and its community
  3. are MIT students
  4. are considering employment at ArsDigita
  If interested, please apply online.
• Software Engineering for Web Applications is taught by ArsDigita at MIT and Caltech. Students cover several problem sets and then complete a gallery of student projects. Materials for this course may be used at other Universities or for other programs at no charge. The problem sets have been used as course work at the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UCLA.
• The ArsDigita Systems Journal is an online publication is designed to share the knowledge acquired during the construction and operation of Web-based information systems.

What resources are available for learning and reference?

• Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing
• SQL for Web Nerds (tutorial for the SQL language; links into online Oracle docs for completeness)
• Tcl for Web Nerds (tutorial for the Tcl language; in rough shape right now and you might consider using the Welch book (below))
• Common errors made by database backed web developers
• Tips for using Oracle

• Problem Set 1 (basic db-backed Web sites; AOLserver, Tcl, SQL) Question and answer forum
• Problem Set 2 (extending the ArsDigita Community System, Web sites to support collaboration) Question and answer forum
• Problem Set 3 (content management) Question and answer forum
• Problem Set 4 (all about metadata) Question and answer forum
• Problem Set 5 (how to build collaborative authoring environment, Oracle full text indexing system) Question and answer forum

• AOLServer Documentation
• Oracle Documentation
• Tcl Quick Reference Manual

Recommended purchases

• Unix Power Tools (helps students with the mechanics of the Unix shell and Emacs)
• Oracle 8: The Complete Reference (more concise than the online Oracle docs)
• Practical Programming in Tcl and Tk (Brent Welch 1997; Prentice-Hall;)
• Visual Explanations : Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative (Edward Tufte 1997; Graphics Press; order directly by calling (800) 822-2454) - general design principles

I am stuck. Where can a ask a question?

• Problem set 1 questions
• Problem set 2 questions
• Problem set 3 questions
• Database backed web site discussion forum

Where do I make feature suggestions, report bugs, and look for code patches?

Go to the ArsDigita developer site for the latest details on how to contribute..

What ISPs and independent developers support the ArsDigita Community System? (aside from ArsDigita.com) How can I let ArsDigita know that i'm an ACS developer?

The most current list of outside firms and people who implement and host ACS-based systems is available on the ArsDigita developer site.

If you're an ACS developer and would like to publicize your work, please send email.

How can I contribute to the development of the ArsDigita Community System

• ACS buddies: Many interested users need a little help with the first installation and initial questions.
• Module experts: We need experts for both existing and modules in development to suggest extensions, test new releases, write documentation and answer questions.
• Module creators: individuals and firms have created and publicized new modules.
• Teachers: Use our teaching materials to teach your company, friends, or at a University.

Where can I learn about ArsDigita, the company?

How can I work at ArsDigita?

See Job Openings.