[Koha] Re: Woes and tribulations...

[Roger Buck]

> On Thu, 12 Sep 2002, Pierrick wrote:
[--snip--]
> > I am trying an installation of Koha on a RedHat 7.2 box.
> > I am doing the manual install so I can monitor (and possibly even
> > understand) what's going on and I've reached a point of impasse:
> >

Pat Eyler wrote:
> Please understand that the manual installation is *much* more
> difficult/error prone than the install script.  In the future, we will be
> deprecating the manual method.

No criticism of the install script, but another option may be to make
the manual method easier?

I think there are three main problems:
[--snip--]

> > I assume I should follow the directory structure
> > listed in "Installation without Virtual Hosts"?

To RedHat users:
1. IMHO, _many_ RedHat users implicitly think that RedHat style
directory structure is the "norm" - for more detail see:
http://www.pathname.com/fhs/2.2/  and 
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.2-Manual/ref-guide/s1-filesystem-fhs.html

To RedHat and other first-time koha users:

2. The default koha virtual host configuration is "unusual" in the sense
that there is an implicit assumption that koha will be installed on a
dedicated web server(s)... whereas, most koha newbies would probably
start by installing an evaluation copy on a shared web server.

3. The default koha (CVS) directory structure is counter-intuitive.
By comparison, the directory structure of the release candidates is
logical and IMHO far more intuitive no matter what your chosen flavour
of OS/distro, or whether you run a shared or stand-alone server. The
script is great... but IMHO the more logical default directory structure
is the best feature of the script!

I have the same problem with CVS structure - I have stuff I'd like to
contribute (be it ever so humble :) but find the current CVS system
unfathomable from the perspective of an enthusiastic novice.

There have been similar threads here within last 6 - 12 months so I
won't repeat.

Any comments?

R.