APS Installer Questions

I searched the manual there wasn't much to go in just a site link, how do you work with the APS Installer in ISPConfig3?
Do I need to download the modules to a location on the server for them to work?
Are there any more information around that can explain?

 

Do you mean building an aps compliant package?

http://www.apsstandard.org/

Or do you mean deploying a package to a site on your server? in which case...

- update package list
- select the package you want to deploy
- pay some attention to the "settings" tab - required dependencies and compatibilty is listed there
- hit the big button that says "install this package"

- you will be given a choice of which site to install it on, optionally a subfolder in there. You might like to ensure you have "cleaned" necessary web folders first.
- each package has its own "predefined" settings for you to complete, eg username/password for any web admin, site title and other settings.
- the package will be installed to the required location in its "virgin" state
- log in to the package and begin configuring.

Most updates if provided would occur inside the package you installed. eg. Wordpress updates are handled when you log in as your wordpress admin. A reinstall from within ispconfig will redeploy the basic shell again, and *may* wipe out any database settings etc.

- if the package to be installed required a SQL database, the database name seems to be chosen automatically based upon client number and instance number, eg. c0aps1, c0aps2 etc.

- once the base package is installed, its up to you to check security, patches, updates etc.

- If you have a test config, eg vmware box or similar, you might like to play with that - install/reinstall/remove, configure etc to see exactly what the capabilities are and what to expect from the installer. The functionality is a big leap forward and well worth using ispconfig. For aps compatibilty alone I thank the developers!

- structure-wise, my understanding is that the aps package files are downloaded to and parsed from the ispconfig folder interface/web/sites/aps_meta_packages. When you select a package to install, the package itself is downloaded and deployed from the ispconfig folder server/aps_packages. There are also the tables inside ispconfig database - aps_instances for installed packages and aps_packages for available packages. VERY rarely I have to empty aps_packages table and remove files in aps_meta_packages folder before resyncing the packagelist. There's a separate discussion on glitches seen with the installer interface.

- finally, be aware that *some* packages may not show as current with aps installer. Again, there's a separate thread round here for glitches other users have seen.

 

Ok at this moment, I am logged into ISPConfig and I am under the Apps & Addons which have nothing except default, same for APS it is blank.
Do I need to download example: wordpress to a specific location "interface/web/sites/aps_meta_packages" or do I create a new Repository record?

 

Aha! You might be looking in the wrong place.

- Click on Sites on the top ribbon bar, you will see the APS installer options on the left-hand menu there.

- Start with the current available list - if you've just installed the server and never deployed a package it could be empty, in which case...

- click update packagelist and update. You'll get a window with a progress circle in it appear for a short time depending on how fast the list is processed.

- once complete click on available packages and you will see all the packages in turn. Selecting any one of these will give you the big "install package" button where you select an exisiting website to deploy to.

Happy packaging!

 

I attempted that but I get an error:

Error
The PHP CURL extension is not available.


I had to do the apt-get install php5-curl and restarted apache. but now it works....

So does a user have to download these software each time? or are they stored on the server?
Also I have a multi-server setup, which the ispconfig panel and web server are separate servers. will that be a problem or will it know to place the files in the right location?

 

I have to say, now that you have resolved your build errors, you can answer your last two questions yourself?

- create a dummy client if you have to with a test website, login as the admin user you create for that website and see what options you get?

- from your master server try deploying a package to a website - watch what happens with the jobs that get submitted and see what gets deployed to what server?

- if necessary create a test environment to play with, perhaps inside your own network with an internal dns, eg. vmware which will give you multiple servers. That may be preferable than tinkering with a live system?

 

Thank you for the response Till....