Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Talk about new features for CMSMS and modules.
Post Reply
xaviermusson
New Member
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:36 am

Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by xaviermusson »

I did a search for the keywords above in the forum and didn't seem to bring up anything that I was thinking of.

Would it be possible in a future release to have CMSMS be able to be pre-installed with a certain batch of modules?
Or have the ability to install a package of modules?

For instance Calguy1000's website (http://goo.gl/C6qYz) has a list of modules that need to be downloaded and installed for an e-commerce site - in other parts he goes on to say why multiple modules are the best way to achieve a goal with CMSMS and programming in general.

But for common and compatible configurations like the solution linked above it would be nice to have that bulk process automated.

I don't think storing modules in an XML file like with themes would be the best way; perhaps an XML file that links to the projects in the forge or a link, or have the module packages available to browse the same way.

Any comments/discussion?

Cheers
gocreative
Power Poster
Power Poster
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:16 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by gocreative »

I think this is a great idea. Functionally/programmatically I'm not sure of the best way to achieve it (I'm not a developer), however the ability to automate this process to some degree would be excellent. 90% of my websites use the same basic set of modules - news, forms, captcha, gallery.

Mind you, another option would be to set up a local copy of CMSMS, install the modules you wish to use, set your general configuration options and keep that installation up to date. Then whenever you need to create a new site, take a copy of that.
xaviermusson
New Member
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:36 am

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by xaviermusson »

That method probably wouldn't work, in the installation process you must specify the database, and database user and a few other key bits.

So unless you plan on trawling through the source files and changing those references manually each time... that seems like an effective counter to streamlining the installation process.
gocreative
Power Poster
Power Poster
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:16 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by gocreative »

Install the default version then upload your copy, leaving the config files intact. Done.

But yeah, that solution isn't as elegant as your feature idea. I was just suggesting a short-term option for you.
uniqu3

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by uniqu3 »

Even if modules are popular and commonly used, this is not the idea of core package, as well as there is no package "one fits all" (ok maybe if we were Apple).
When you find yourself using some modules very ferquently you can simply create your own package.

1. Pull latest copy of CMSMS
2. Pull modules of choice as zip/tar file from Forge
3. Unpack those modules and copy these to /modules folder
4. Repack CMSMS (zip/tar) or don't, it's up to you
5. SSH or FTP your custom package
6. Go through install process, modules in /modules directory will be installed
7. Configure what you need

Repeat these steps on every new Core/Module release, verify that it works.

Imagine Dev-Team does create a commonly used package, a module dies, you download a copy with that module and whole package doesn't work as Core was changed?
Well just look at 1.10.x ;)

Idea is good, but not manageable, DEV-Team does not have the time to investigate, pack, proof, chase inactive developers, you know there is also regular life but OpenSource ;)
gocreative
Power Poster
Power Poster
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:16 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by gocreative »

uniqu3 wrote:Idea is good, but not manageable, DEV-Team does not have the time to investigate, pack, proof, chase inactive developers, you know there is also regular life but OpenSource ;)
I don't think xaviermusson meant that the development team would have anything to do with it, other than allowing other developers to write module installation scripts that would be run at the time of installing CMSMS.

I think he just wanted to know a way that a user could install CMSMS along with a bunch of modules at the same time by using some kind of self-developed script/system. Of course we can do it ourselves (as I suggested earlier), but being able to install several common modules in one go would be very handy.
xaviermusson
New Member
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:36 am

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by xaviermusson »

I will adopt the process you specified! Thank you!

It wasn't a system I was intending the dev-team to pick up, but a feature to allow community autonomy about keeping active.
Module Packages could be created by web-developers and managed by the community.
It would be different to the Drupal implementation in that sense.

It just seems like it would be a convenient tool, and if it were dynamically linked to an ID number in the Forge it could automatically retrieve the most recent version of each module.
Wishbone
Power Poster
Power Poster
Posts: 1369
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:39 pm

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by Wishbone »

What I do is create a template install with all the modules that I normally use, configured the way I want with all my normal UDTs. I also install my usual jQuery libraries with working examples. I then do a SQL dump and zip up the install, and use this as my base. I install this instead of a fresh install, and have already saved a bunch of time configuring and getting things to work.
calguy1000
Support Guru
Support Guru
Posts: 8169
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:44 pm
Location: Fernie British Columbia, Canada

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by calguy1000 »

@wishbone... that's perfect.

And since you are testing the 'upgrades' in an offline way you can make sure that everything is peachy for your clients before rolling it out... therefore no hassles.
Follow me on twitter
Please post system information from "Extensions >> System Information" (there is a bbcode option) on all posts asking for assistance.
--------------------
If you can't bother explaining your problem well, you shouldn't expect much in the way of assistance.
gocreative
Power Poster
Power Poster
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:16 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Installation Profiles || Module Packages

Post by gocreative »

calguy1000 wrote:@wishbone... that's perfect.
It's also exactly what I said to do in the first reply to this topic... lol
Post Reply

Return to “Feature ideas”