[Xerte-dev] XoT 1.8 Install today for Suffolk Learning Consortium

Fri Jul 20 22:45:25 BST 2012

Good Evening everyone,

I did my first installation of 1.8 (v.393 from the SVN), there were three or
four issues as follows:

1)      Database.txt

There were problems with the initial installation because SLC are using a
hosted service and the MySQL server is different from the XoT/Web Server
(IIS). I took a while to register this fact but Database.txt does not appear
to update itself dynamically and I needed to edit it manually in order to
get it to recognise the MySQL Server. The XoT server appeared to have hard
coded itself into the file. After this had been done the installation
appeared to proceed smoothly

2)      SAVO are planning to launch the service using the inbuilt table of
users in the XoT database. At first I could not see this and only realised
it was there when it refused to allow me to create it. Logging out and
logging back in again appeared to show it, so I'm assuming that was a local
caching issue. However when I came to look at  the table the fields did not
appear to have been created properly as there was no provision for an
encrypted password field using SHA1 or MD5, it only offered VARCHAR. I
managed to correct this by doing a manual SQL insert to create a new user
and using the SHA1('password') in the command. I also changed the collation
from 'Latin-Swedish-ci' to 'UTF8-general-ci'. I'm not sure why it had
defaulted to Swedish. This worked, of course, but I'm not sure if it would
be easy for everyone.

3)      Now having got the table set up, I'm not sure how to set the SALT as
apparently required. It occurs to me that the intention was that the
passwords should be encrypted locally for enhanced security and the
encrypted data inserted into the regular varchar(50) field. However I
couldn't find anything in the supplied code to do this. Is this something
which still has to be done, or did I miss something?

4)      Now having created a coupled of users, it seems that the login page
is no longer displayed. Instead anyone going to the server is logged into
the Guest account. I am reluctant to delete the existing Guest account,
however, until I'm sure that the encryption will use the correct SALT as
required in db.php, otherwise it will not be possible to use the
installation at all. I've tried changing the username for the Guest account
rather than deleting it, but that doesn't seem to make any difference
either. I would very much appreciate some help with this as I am due to do
another installation on Monday in Peterborough and I think they are planning
to use local authentication as well. Moodle authentication is another
possibility and if there are some guidelines on how to do this, I would be
very pleased to have them rather than doing it by trial and error. SAVO are
running Moodle 2.2.1+ on the same server so it would work for them and
probably for City College Peterborough as well.

5)      Not really an issue but I could not find any trace of the
webctlink.php that the installation advises you to remove. Any advice on
where this is would also be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that from August 1st I am having to
cut my contracted hours by nearly 90% (from ~12 days per calendar month to
1.5) in order to help the RSC-Eastern meet its significant funding cutbacks
from the JISC. I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to do much with MAXOS
because of this and any installs/training after this will have to be paid
for the by the client, either directly to me or to the RSC (the price will
be the same and travelling costs will be built in so as not to disadvantage
the more remote providers). I am still hoping to attend the Developers'
conference in November under my own steam. I can also confirm that MAXOS 1.8
will work fine under Windows 8 Release Preview using IE 10 running in
compatibility mode under the desktop interface rather than the Metro one.
Without the compatibility side being set, it runs OK but the top banner
doesn't always display correctly, but this seems to be random and associated
with reloading a page.

Kindest Regards,

Thomas

==========================================================

Thomas Rochford, e-Learning Advisor, JISC Regional Support Centre - Eastern

Tel: 07500 669002, 01223 564749 

Eml: thomas.rochford at jiscadvance.ac.uk, 

Skype: cambridge.serendipity

RSCs - Stimulating and Supporting Innovation in Learning

RSC Eastern welcomes feedback on our services via support at rsc-eastern.ac.uk

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From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
Sent: 19 July 2012 09:58
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: list of issues from word doc

Brill, thanks. I've got some time today and tomorrow to test the server side
of things, be great if others could too.

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ron Mitchell
Sent: 19 July 2012 09:43
To: 'For Xerte technical developers'
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: list of issues from word doc

The techdis server test install is now up-to-date with all the committed
changes this morning and obviously any previous changes.

If there are any further xot committed changes this morning I'll be able to
update the server until about 12.30 today but after that will not be able to
update anything until Monday afternoon.

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
Sent: 19 July 2012 08:41
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: list of issues from word doc

I just updated the toolkits svn. I think everything that needs to be is
across, engine, wizard, models, and Fay built a new data.xwd for the main
template. IF you update the server, we can test everything there,

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ron Mitchell
Sent: 18 July 2012 17:40
To: 'For Xerte technical developers'
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: list of issues from word doc

Looking at this list of outstanding issues I'd comment on those I've pasted
below as follows:

Properties Panel

Should we either publish a file when export is hit, or prompt to publish if
not already (whatever is easiest). Seems to me that exporting implies
publishing, so force a publish?

I don't think this should be forced. As I responded previously I can see
times when an author wants to export the currently published version before
or after changes without publishing those changes. e.g. might think ok I've
made quite a few changes and I'm now not sure about all of theme so I think
I'll export a copy for safe keeping without publishing my recent changes.
It's been this way since toolkits began so why change it now?

Fix the missing publish button.

Isn't this fixed now? e.g. publish button in publishproerties pop-up should
show whether lo is public or not.

Publish

The publish button and process doesn't seem quite right, especially with
exporting files.

See above.

Delicious Bookmarks

Not sure what this is so may not be using it right - I add some words in
Search Term box but nothing appears in panel.

Xampp I think, doesn't use rss_proxy

Works fine on my xampp install

HTH

Ron

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
Sent: 18 July 2012 15:16
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: Updates to model and xwd files by JK 16th July

Attached latest,

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Fay Cross
Sent: 18 July 2012 15:13
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: Updates to model and xwd files by JK 16th July

I meant from the list of page model stuff I did...

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
Sent: 18 July 2012 15:07
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: Updates to model and xwd files by JK 16th July

>is there anything else for anyone to do Julian?

Plenty I suspect. we've gcome along way this week though.

I'd like to really test all the php / web app stuff so if the files are up
to date on the server, let's start testing that. Every piece of
functionality you can think of.

Also management.php?

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Fay Cross
Sent: 18 July 2012 14:07
To: For Xerte technical developers
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: Updates to model and xwd files by JK 16th July

Thanks Johnathan

I think most of the items on the list have been looked at now.

Julian has an updated version of the list showing what's been fixed - is
there anything else for anyone to do Julian?

From: xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-dev-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Kemp
Johnathan
Sent: 18 July 2012 14:04
To: Xerte Developers Discussion List
Subject: [Xerte-dev] Re: Updates to model and xwd files by JK 16th July

Fay,

With respect to your list of issues with pages.

I have now fixed the image size issue with the flickr page so that it
accommodates pictures with varying numbers of sizes available. The code now
either uses the first size that will need constraining so that the image
fills as much of the space available, or it uses the largest image
available.

Kind regards

Johnathan

On 16 July 2012 18:04, Kemp Johnathan <johnathan.kemp at ntlworld.com> wrote:

Hi Folks

I have just committed the rest of my changes for today.

I noticed that a lot of model files now have language="en_GB" back in them.

I will take that out again either tonight or tomorrow.

Attached is list of actions done today so you can update your main list.

Kind regards

Johnathan

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