Comments on: Video: Install Movable Type In 3 Steps

By: Movable Type Monday: New MT5 Beta, Single Sign-On, Easy Install Video, and Theme Tips | The Blog Herald

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:11:15 +0000

[...] help installing MT?, Sahas Katta has created a video to walk you through the process. His process includes a shell script that does most of the work for [...]

By: Beau Smith

Beau Smith — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:15:04 +0000

Are you looking for simplicity or speed?

Does simplicity mean a short, easy to read and understand script?

If your requirement is that the user has SSH/Shell access, then “simple” can possibly be a little more advanced than what the novice user may desire.

I would prefer an instal script which:

prompts me for individual variables (offering default values)
then summarizes what the script is about to do
provides me with an option to proceed or abort
ability to configure mt-config.cgi
checking to see if files/directories to be created are already exist (error-checking during prompts)
offering choice between common install

Something like this:

$ ./mt_install.sh --- VERSION --------------------------------------------------------- Install MTOS 4.31? (y/n) [y]: n MT package url [http://www.movabletype.org/downloads/stable/MTOS-4.31-en.tar.gz]: http://movabletype.org/downloads/betas/MT-5.0b2-en.zip Directory to install MT [/cgi-bin/]: http://my-awesome-site.com/cgi-bin/ Create "mt" alias to this version of MT in install directory? (y/n) [y]: Web root directory [/]: http://my-awesome-site.com/ Alias or move mt-static directory to web root directory? (alias/move) [alias]: Create MT config file? (y/n) [y]: --- CONFIGURATION --------------------------------------------------------- CGI path to MT [/cgi-bin/mt/]: StaticWebPath [/mt-static]: Database type (mysql/sqlite/postgresql) [mysql]: Database name [mt]: Database host [localhost]: Database user: mt Database password? : asdfasdf --- READY TO INSTALL --------------------------------------------------------- Perform installation? (y/n) [y]: * Downloading "http://movabletype.org/downloads/stable/MTOS-4.31-de.zip"... * Decompressing MT archive... * Moving MT to install directory... * Creating alias... * Aliasing mt-static to web root... --- INSTALL COMPLETE --------------------------------------------------------- Edit mt-config.cgi in vi? (y/n) [n]: Visit http://my-awesome-site.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt.cgi to finish installation. Enjoy!

Even better?

An upgrade script which installs specified new version and copies all non-stock files, folders, plugins from old install to new install!

Noticed error previously submitted link. Correct link: Shell Script Installer

By: Sahas Katta

Sahas Katta — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:34:20 +0000

Thanks Beau,
I was going to add the chmod permissions to the script and a few other minor modifications, but couldn’t figure out which things need to be changed. It all seemed to work just fine on both servers I tested it on. What changes do you suggest I make to this script to make it work better, without compromising on simplicity?

By: Beau Smith

Beau Smith — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:31:58 +0000

Quite helpful. I've been automating my local installs for quite some time. Here's a few links to resources for more complex install scripts: Shell Script Installer Movable Type Bleeding Edge Updates Via Subversion I've made quite a few updates since publishing the above. I should update with my most recent code. It should be noted that you've made a few assumptions... that permissions are such that MT is able to write the mt-config.cgi file, the location of various directories, that the server has all the necessary perl modules, etc.

By: Tweets that mention Video: Install Movable Type In 3 Steps | Skatter Tech -- Topsy.com

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:24:47 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Grace Athayde, Sahas Katta, Chris Ernest Hall, Skatter Techand others. Skatter Tech said: Install Movable Type In 3 Steps – http://bit.ly/Frlxn #mt [...]