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Posts with tag contentmanagementsystem

Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing

small apache2 install graphicThere was a toss up this week about whether it would be better to dig right in to the Linux HTML editors, or to wax poetic about setting up LAMP so that those choosing to go the content management system (CMS) route could test any changes they made with such editors on their local machines.

We ultimately decided to tackle setting up a LAMP testing ground. This will certainly not be necessary for every single person out there who just wants to put up a web site. If your site is not using PHP-driven content that interacts with or requires a database backend, and you just plan on designing static web pages, there is absolutely no need to do any of this.

If you are perfectly content to upload your site and integrate any supporting elements (once again, things like databases) live and on the web and make changes there, where it is possible that everyone can see your style sheet testing or things may be temporarily broken, you don't need to do this either.

Some people, though, really like to get things on their CMS tweaked to near perfection before releasing their content on the world. Other people need to know exactly what a dynamic site is going to look and act like before it goes live. The combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) makes this possible.

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing

Drupal 5, a major update to a major player

The field of Content Management Systems (CMS) mirrors what my grandfather always said, "Cream rises to the top." Scores of open source products jockey for position among the field and only a very few rise to the occasion. Joomla (formerly Mambo), Typo, and Drupal stand out among the field and, of those, Drupal mostly wins the overwhelming support of the FOSS community. Drupal can be seen in action at sites like OurMedia, SaveThe76Ball, and Spread Firefox, all of which receive regular traffic poundings.

Michael Stutz of Linux.com has taken Drupal 5 for a thorough test drive and put together a medium-depth look at installation, changes to the new version, Drupal's new CSS caching engine and other wide ranging upgrades.

It's an impressive overhaul, over 500 developers submitted 1000 patches to the popular framework. The final verdict? Drupal is easier but, still not easy. Stutz writes, "Installing and running Drupal is fairly easy now, but configuration of a first-class site still takes work and ultimately a programmer's hand -- you have to know your PHP and CSS, and you have to spend time learning how it all interacts in Drupal." Fortunately for the brave souls tasked with developing first-class CMS backed websites and web applications, Drupal's community is strong, and very helpful.

[Thanks Dolores!]

Moodle: an open-source learning management system

MoodleIf you ever have need for an online learning center of any kind, Moodle is most likely one of the best options you have. It is a full-blown pedagogical learning managment system that has everything you could want and more. It is "easy" to configure if you know what you're doing. It is written in PHP and uses MySQL as a backend, but can be used with other database systems if needed. Many universities and K-12 schools have setup online learning centers using Moodle. I have personally used it for corporate projects, including hacking it to give me exactly the data I want for integration with an existing training tracking application. It plays nice with many types of content including SCORM, flash, and many more. Moodle also supports many types of modules that are easy to install through it's clean interface. It is a bit easier to install and use than many other learning systems I have tried, and is more stable. Moodle is free for download. Open-source LMS baby!

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