NAME

README - all about ePortal

WHAT IS ePortal?

ePortal is a set of perl packages and HTML::Mason components to easy implement intranet WEB site for a company. ePortal is writen with a help of Apache, mod_perl, HTML::Mason. The current version of ePortal use MySQL as database backend.

The ePortal server is distributed under the GPL license for non-commercial use. Contact me if you want do business with ePortal or some of it's part. Send me a postcard if you like it ;-) (Ask for address by e-mail)

FEATURES

Customizable home page for for each user. Any registered user may construct his home page from a list of available sections.
ePortal's API is documented. You can write your own modules and components.
Support of applications. There are a number of applications available ready for use.
ePortal may run in either Russian or English mode
Support for directory browsing

Special file folders. A nice calendar is displayed for easy navigation. Directory structure for Calendar folder like this:

 CalendarFolder    - root directory
   autohandler.mc  - this file is needed to specify folder properties
   2002      - year folder
     1       - month number
       10    - day number
       12

Access control system

DOWNLOAD ePortal

The latest information about ePortal can be found at: http://eportal.sourceforge.net/

REQUIREMENTS

(this version of ePortal is known to run with it):

        Apache 1.3.xx - http://www.apache.org/
        perl 5.6.1 - http://www.perl.com/
        mod_perl 1.26 - http://perl.apache.org/
        HTML::Mason 1.15 - http://www.masonhq.com/

INSTALLATION

Install Apache, mod_perl, HTML::Mason
Install and test all of them. It's the most important part of installation!

make ePortal

        perl Makefile.PL  [HOME=/home/ePortal] [PREFIX=/usr/local]
        make
        make install

Here HOME is home of ePortal where bin, comp_root, samples, images directories will be created and files copied.

 $HOME -- bin
    |-----comp_root
    |-----images
    |-----samples

Create datastore
Before you run any of ePortal's utility set some environment variables:

Unix/Linux:

    export EPORTAL_DBI_SOURCE=dbi:mysql:mysql_read_default_group=<...>;database=<...>;
    export EPORTAL_DBI_USERNAME=<username>
    export EPORTAL_DBI_PASSWORD=<...>

WindowsNT: Use Control Panel/System to set system wide variables

Now you may create datastore:

        cd bin
    perl ePortal.pl

crontab
Install crontab. See samples/crontab as example.
logrotate
Install logrotate script. See samples/logrotate.d/ePortal as expample.
httpd.conf
Modify your httpd.conf file. See samples/httpd-eportal.conf as example.
Browse it
Point your browser to http://your_server_name/admin/index.htm and setup menu, users and other things.
Speed UP
You may need to set anvironment variable for speed up (see Params::Validate)
```
 export PERL_NO_VALIDATION=1
```

APPLICATIONS

Every application does it's own task, e.g. OffPhones is a telephone directory with editor.

Do application installation us usual:

        download Application-ver.tgz
        tar zfxv Application-ver.tgz
        cd Application-ver

        perl Makefile.PL HOME=/home/ePortal
        make
        make install

Now restart Apache server and point your browser to http://your.server.com/admin/index.htm

Look at list of installed Applications. Setup new application and create datastore here.

KNOWN APPLICATIONS

MsgForum

This application may be used for news band with ability to discuss news items.

Customizable settings are:

 - Who may write new message
 - Who may respond to existing message
 - Who may edit it's own messages
 - A special section for ePortal's home page
 - Support for smiles inside messages

OffPhones

Telephone Directory with editor.

 - Create and edit subdepartments
 - Create and edit entries
 - Every entry may have unlimited number of phones
 - Different types for phones (internal, external, modile, fax)
 - Registered user may add it's own personal memo for every entry
 - Any user may report to administrator about mistakes in directory
 - A special section for ePortal's home page
 - Search by any part of department name, entry name, job name, phone number

Organizer

Private organizer for every registered user and public organizers for shared access.

Personal notepad for every user
Personal address book for every user
Personal To Do list for every user
Personal dairy for every user. Event notification with popup message box.
Anniversaries

CompInventory

Computer and other technics iventory database, autoscanning.

This application is under development. Do not install it on production server!

Diskoteka

CD-ROM and floppy inventory database. Save full file list in database. Assign a set of disks to a Product. Full text search.

ePortal and Win32

You need Apache binaries, ActivePerl (http://activestate.com/), MySQL for Win32.

Do not install ePortal under Wni9x, use WinNT instead.

It works on my home computer under Windows 2000 ;-)

AUTHOR

Sergey Rusakov, <rusakov_sa@users.sourceforge.net>. Kemerovo, Russia.