TWiki Installer For Windows

Caveats

If you are using CygwinApache on Windows, use the TWikiUnixInstaller. If you are not using that combination then no this does not exist - at least not for a current version of TWiki.

MartinCleaver has been trying modify the Unix TWikiUnixInstaller to work under windows. MichaelSparks has moved Martin's suggestions and comments to here since MichaelSparks, maintainer of the Unix installer is not supporting them. If you have problems with using WindowsApache, (or you intend to experiment with WindowsIIS) with the installer please don't contact Michael, write your comments here.

NB. My apologies to those who tried my shorter set of instructions before. They were incomplete because I had not removed a previous installation from my machine and this installation was interacting with the new one.

These instructions are a work in progress. Please report your progress.

Using the Unix TWikiUnixInstaller To install Windows/Apache

I had some success using this to configure WindowsApache instead of CygwinApache. I've now tested this with view and edit and register and I made good progress!. Note that you still need a Cygwin for the one-off installation process, but I am trying to get CygWin out of the runtime.

I plan to automate as many of these steps but for now these are likely to be in a separate script. This is because Michael has stated that my changes for WindowsApache / ActiveStatePerl are not welcome in the TWikiUnixInstaller. (Indeed, he feels that he should have named the script TWikiUnixInstallerUnix). I am sorry that he sees my actions as non-cooperative but this will not stop me from releasing patches for as long as it suits me.

• And nor should it. Everyone is entitled to produce patches as they see fit that suit their purposes. I'm not obliged to accept them just as noone is obliged to use code from me -- MichaelSparks - 25 Jul 2003

Deep breath:

1. Install this patch that allows you to override the twiki.system-config file by putting it next to bootstrap.sh
   • bootstrap.from.specified.patch: Provide override twiki.system-config file
   • twiki.system-config: For WindowsApache instead of CygwinApache
2. Run your modified bootstrap.sh file (the apache restart will fail)
   1. Do not accept the option to take BetterDefaults
3. Modify your c:\program files\apache group\apache\conf\httpd.conf file:
   • Replace the cygwin path to the drive from
     • /cygwin/c/path-to-apache-include-config-file to
     • "c:/path-to-apache-include-config-file"
   • NB1: forward slashes are fine
   • NB2: it must be in double quotes
4. Edit the resulting include file:
   1. Cut out any *command* 1 not found messages at the beginning of the file

*command line*:1: invalid macro name
*command line*:1: invalid macro name
*command line*:1: invalid macro name

• • • I'll try and investigate these later, maybe.
    • I think one of them is that if you use BetterDefaults the TWikiRegistration URL needs to say System/TWikiRegistration not TWiki/TWikiRegistration
  1. replace all cygwin style paths (/cygwin/c/path-to-whatever) to windows style paths ("c:/path-to-whatever"), forward slashes are fine, but enclose in double quotes

1. Implement DataAndCodeTangling to undo the DataAndCodeSeparation
   1. Remove symlinks to system/data that reside in your alphaTIMESTAMP/twiki directory
      1. cd alphaTIMESTAMP/twiki
      2. rm bin data lib pub templates
   2. Move the directories back
      1. mv system/bin bin
      2. mv system/data data
      3. mv system/lib lib
      4. mv system/templates templates
      5. mv system/pub pub
      • Note that this is because although I support DataAndCodeSeparation, Windows doesn't support symlinks
      • The way forward here would be to get agreement for the DataAndCodeSeparation
      • chmod ug+rwx templates
   3. Gut the symlinks from the data, template and pub directories
      1. find . -type l -exec rm {} \;
   4. Implement DataAndCodeTangling
      1. cd alphaTIMESTAMP/twiki
      2. mkdir Daily
      3. twiki=`pwd`
      4. cd webs
      5. d=`pwd`
      6. for web in *; do cd $web; for dir in *; do echo `pwd` mv $dir $twiki/$dir/$web; done; cd $d; done
      7. rmdir *
         • Note this last command should work because by now everything should be back in the "tangled" state
2. Edit the path to the CygwinPerl executable to the ActiveStatePerl in the top of the testenv script:
   • The scripts come pointing to #! /usr/local/bin/perl -w
   • Change this to something like #! c:/perl/bin/perl -w
   • You can automate this with a line like:
     • perl -pi~ -e 's;#!/usr/bin/perl;#!c:/perl/bin/perl;' *[a-z]
3. Make /etc/twiki
   1. mkdir c:\etc
   2. echo c:/...blah.../alphaTIMESTAMP/twiki > c:\etc\twiki
4. Find your twiki.system-config file:
   1. alter the TWIKIBASELOCATION to use the c:/...blah.../alphaTIMESTAMP/twiki
5. Alter those attributes not yet customisable
   1. safeenv:
      1. uncomment # $safeEnvPath = 'c:\YOUR_RCSPROGDIR\bin;c:\YOURWINDOWSDIR\system32';
      2. $safeEnvPath='d:\twikiUnixSupportFiles;c:\YOURWINDOWSDIR\system32''
   2. rcsDir:
      1. *you need to alter this despite the comment that that it is not for windows
      2. comment out $rcsDir = ..; # Unix, Linux and Cygwin
      3. $rcsDir ='c:\twikiUnixSupportFiles";
   3. lsCmd, egrepCmd, fgrepCmd
      1. replace the prefixes so they point to the support dir:

$lsCmd            = 'c:\twikiUnixSupportFiles\ls.exe';
#                   Unix egrep command :
$egrepCmd         = 'c:\twikiUnixSupportFiles\grep.exe -E';
#                   Unix fgrep command :
$fgrepCmd         = 'c:\twikiUnixSupportFiles\grep.exe -F';

1. Unzip the twikiUnixSupportFiles.zip into c:\twikiUnixSupportFiles
2. Point your browser at http://localhost/twiki/bin/testenv
   1. Check that testenv Perl Version says Perl 5.6.x (ActiveState) i.e. ActiveStatePerl
   2. Check that testenv SERVER_SOFTWARE says Apache/1.3.x (Win32) i.e. WindowsApache
   3. Check for errors
   4. Report them here, not on TWikiUnixInstaller
3. Rejoice at the idea of no more spending hours to configure twiki, an increased userbase and the possibility of enthusiasm in participating a beta program
4. Thank MichaelSparks for the work he has done to date on making TWikiUnixInstaller a reality

• twiki.conf: Modified Include file for Apache
• testenvoutput.htm:

-- MartinCleaver - 22 Jul 2003

-- MartinCleaver - 25 Jul 2003

Notes on a Windows friendly Installer:

If anyone gets around to making a Windows installer, the most accepted way of delivering packages seems to be to use the MS Windows installer (MSI) system. A CPAN module (new version released 11 days ago) exists to build one:

• http://search.cpan.org/author/PMAREK/Win32-MSI-DB-1.02/DB.pm

-- MartinCleaver - 19 Apr 2003

Alternatively we could stealborrow the Window executable making process from AmphetaDesk:

• http://cvs.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/amphetadesk/AmphetaDesk/docs/build.html

-- MartinCleaver - 30 Apr 2003