Redmatrix Documentation

You want to contribute code?


...and don't know how to start to...

  • debug the red#matrix (php on the webserver),
  • contribute code to the project,
  • optionally - do it all from inside a virtual machine

This manual was tested for Debian (Wheezy) as virtual machine on Lubuntu (Ubuntu 14.0) as host.

Content



    Install a Virtual Machine (KVM)



    Here the installation guide for Linux Debian.
    The summary:

    • install KVM
      # apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin
    • add yourself to the group libvirt # adduser <youruser> libvirt
    • install gui to manage virtual machines # apt-get install virt-manager
    • download an operating system to run inside the vm (mini.iso)
    • start the virt manager
      - create new virtual machine (click on icon)
      - choose your iso image (just downloaded) as installation source
      - optional: configure the new vm: ram, cpu's,...
      - start virtual machine > result: linux debian starts in a new window.
    • (optional) avoid network errors after restart of host os
      # virsh net-start default
      # virsh net-autostart default




    Install Apache Webserver



    Open a terminal and make yourself root
    su -l

    Create the standard group for the Apache webserver
    groupadd www-data
    might exist already

    usermod -a -G www-data www-data

    Check if the system is really up to date
    apt-get update
    apt-get upgrade


    Optional restart services after installation
    reboot

    If you restarted, make yourself root
    su -l

    Install Apache:
    apt-get install apache2 apache2-doc apache2-utils


    Open webbrowser on PC and check localhost
    Should show you a page like "It works"

    (Source http://www.manfred-steger.de/tuts/20-der-eigene-webserver-mit-dem-raspberry-pi#)


    Install PHP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin



    PHP, MySQL



    su -l
    apt-get install libapache2-mod-php5 php5 php-pear php5-xcache php5-curl php5-mcrypt php5-xdebug
    apt-get install php5-mysql
    apt-get install mysql-server mysql-client

    enter and note the mysql passwort

    Optional since its already enabled during phpmyadmin setup

    php5enmod mcrypt


    phpMyAdmin



    Install php myadmin
    apt-get install phpmyadmin

    Configuring phpmyadmin
    - Select apache2 (hint: use the tab key to select)
    - Configure database for phpmyadmin with dbconfig-common?: Choose Yes

    (Source #^http://www.manfred-steger.de/tuts/20-der-eigene-webserver-mit-dem-raspberry-pi#)

    Enable rewrite



    The default installation of Apache2 comes with mod_rewrite installed. To check whether this is the case, verify the existence of /etc/apache2/mods-available/rewrite.load


    root@debian /var/www $ nano /etc/apache2/mods-available/rewrite.load


    (You should find the content: LoadModule rewrite_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_rewrite.so)
    To enable and load mod_rewrite, do the rest of steps.
    Create a symbolic link in /etc/apache2/mods-enabled


    cd /var/www
    root@debian /var/www $ a2enmod rewrite


    Then open up the following file, and replace every occurrence of "AllowOverride None" with "AllowOverride all".


    root@debian /var/www $nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

    or

    root@debian:/var# gedit /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default


    Finally, restart Apache2.


    root@debian /var/www $service apache2 restart


    Test installation



    cd /var/www

    create a php file to test the php installationnano phpinfo.php

    Insert into the file:

    <?php
      phpinfo();
    ?>

    (save CTRL+0, ENTER, CTRL+X)

    open webbrowser on PC and try #^http://localhost/phpinfo.php (page shows infos on php)

    connect phpMyAdmin with MySQL database nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

    - CTRL+V... to the end of the file
    - Insert at the end of the file:  (save CTRL+0, ENTER, CTRL+X)Include /etc/phpmyadmin/apache.conf

    restart apache
    /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
    apt-get update
    apt-get upgrade
    reboot


    phpMyAdmin

    open webbrowser on PC and try #^http://localhost/phpmyadmin

    (Source #^http://www.manfred-steger.de/tuts/20-der-eigene-webserver-mit-dem-raspberry-pi#)

    Create an empty database... that is later used by the red#matrix




    open webbrowser on PC and try #^http://localhost/phpmyadmin

    Create an empty database, for example named "red".
    Create a database user, for example "red".
    Grant all rights for the user "red" to the database "red".

    Note the access details (hostname, username, password, database name).


    Fork the project on github



    Please follow the instruction in the offiical documentation of git.
    It is a good idea to read the whole manual! Git is different to other version control systems in many ways.

    Now you should


    If you not want to use GIT from the command line - there is a usefull Eclipse plugin named ""Eclipse Mylyn to GitHub connector".


    Install RED and its Addons



    Git at your computer / vm



    You should have created an account on github and forked the projects befor you procceed.

    Delete the directory www
    root@debian:/var# rm -R www/


    Install git (and optionally git-gui a client gui)
    apt-get install git git-gui

    Download red#matri and addons



    Download the main project red and red-addons

    root@debian:/var# git clone https://github.com/yourname/red www
    root@debian:/var# cd www/
    root@debian:/var/www# git clone https://github.com/yourname/red-addons addon


    Make this extra folder

    root@debian:/var/www# mkdir -p "store/[data]/smarty3"


    Create .htconfig.php and make it writable by the webserver

    root@debian:/var/www# touch .htconfig.php
    root@debian:/var/www# chmod ou+w .htconfig.php


    Make user www-data (webserver) is the owner all the project files

    root@debian:/var/www# cd ..
    root@debian:/var# chown -R www-data:www-data www/


    Add yourself ("surfer" in this example) to the group www-data. Why? Later you want to modify files in eclipse or in another editor.
    Then make all files writable by the group www-date you are now a member of.

    root@debian:/var# cd www/
    root@debian:/var/www# usermod -G www-data surfer
    root@debian:/var# chmod -R  g+w www/


    Restart the computer (or vm)
    If you are still not able to modify the project files you can check the members of the group www-data with

    cat /etc/group


    Register yourself as admin



    Open http://localhost and init the matrix

    Befor you register a first user switch off the registration mails.
    Open /var/www/.htconfig.php
    and make sure "0" is set in this line

    $a->config['system']['verify_email'] = 0;

    You should be able to change the file as "yourself" (instead of using root or www-data).

    Cron and the poller



    Important!
    Run the poller  to pick up the recent "public" postings of your friends
    Set up a cron job or scheduled task to run the poller once every 5-10
    minutes to pick up the recent "public" postings of your friends


    crontab -e


    Add

    */10 * * * * cd /var/www/; /usr/bin/php include/poller.php


    If you don't know the path to PHP type

    whereis php



    Debug the server via eclipse



    Check the configuration of xdebug



    You shoud already have installed xdebug in the steps befor

    apt-get install php5-xdebug


    Configuring Xdebug

    Open your terminal and type as root (su -l)

    gedit /etc/php5/mods-available/xdebug.ini


    if the file is empty try this location

    gedit /etc/php5/conf.d/xdebug.ini


    That command should open the text editor gedit with the Xdebug configuration file
    At the end of the file content append the following text

    xdebug.remote_enable=on
    xdebug.remote_handler=dbgp
    xdebug.remote_host=localhost
    xdebug.remote_port=9000

    Save changes and close the editor.
    In you terminal type to restart the web server.

    service apache2 restart



    Install Eclipse and start debugging



    Install eclipse.
    Start eclipse with default worspace (or as you like)

    Install the PHP plugin
    Menu > Help > Install new software...
    Install "PHP Developnent Tools ..."

    Optionally - Install the GitHub connector plugin
    Menu > Help > Install new software...
    Install "Eclipse Mylyn to GitHub connector"

    Configure the PHP plugin
    Menu > Window > Preferences...
    > General > Webbrowser > Change to "Use external web browser"
    > PHP > Debug > Debug Settings > PHP Debugger > Change to "XDebug"

    Create a new PHP project
    Menu > File > New Project > Choose PHP > "PHP Project"
    > Choose Create project at existing location" and "/var/www"

    Start debugging
    Open index.php and "Debug as..."
    Choose as Launch URL: "http://localhost/"

    Expected:

    • The web browser starts
    • The debugger will stop at the first php line



    Contribute your changes via github



    Preparations



    There is a related page in this docs: Git for Non-Developers.
    As stated befor it is recommended to read the official documentation GitHub-Contributing-to-a-Project of git.

    Eclipse has a usefull plugin for GIT: "Eclipse Mylyn to GitHub connector".

    Make sure you have set your data

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git config --global user.name "Your Name"
    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git config --global user.email "your@mail.com"


    Your first contribution



    Create a descriptive topic branch

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git checkout -b dev_beginning


    Make sure your local repository is up-to-date with the main project.
    Add the original repository as a remote named “upstream” if not done yet

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git remote add upstream https://github.com/redmatrix/redmatrix


    Fetch the newest work from that remote

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git fetch upstream
    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git merge upstream/master


    Hint: You can list the branches

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git branch -v


    Make your changes. In this example it is a new doc file.

    Check your modifications

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git status


    Add (stage) the new file

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git add doc/dev_beginner.bb


    Commit the changes to your local branch. This will open an editor to provide a message.

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git commit -a


    Push back up to the same topic branch online

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git push


    Now you can go to your (online) account at github and create the pull request.

    Following contributions



    In case the main devolpers want you to change something.
    Fetch the newest work from the remote upstream/master to be sure you have the latest changes.

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git fetch upstream
    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git merge upstream/master

    Make your changes, test them, commit (to local repository), push (to online repository)

    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git status
    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git commit -a -m "added modification of branch"
    surfer@debian:/var/www$ git push



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