UniServer CD: Introduction

UniServer CD:   Introduction | Components

Uniform Server 4.1-Mona UniServer CD

UniServer CD plugin

The following plugin turns Uniform Server 4.1-Mona into a working CD development system. I have covered this to a certain degree in the Oily-Rag 1 series, however never got around to producing a complete plugin. This plugin addresses that by assembling all components required into a functional product.

Strictly speaking it’s not a true plugin because it irreversibly modifies the original server into a dedicated CD development system.

Overview

Portable Firefox has been integrated into this plugin providing a consistent method for displaying content and removing the need to use a host PC's browser.

Similarly the need to use a host PC,s "hosts" file to resolve local Internet addresses has been replaced with a PAC file (my_hosts.pac). Firefox has been pre-configured to look in the root folder www for this file.

The above provides a working environment that mimics CD operation. The development system is fully portable copy folder UniServer and all its content to any location and you are ready to continue development from that new location.

Burning CD’s for testing is environmentally unfriendly and time consuming a better method is to copy the entire contents of folder udrive to a USB memory stick. Simulate a CD by setting all folders and files to read only access and perform a dry run.

When you are ready, burn the entire content of folder udrive to a CD.

Download and Install

Options 1:

1. Unpack a new copy of Uniform Server 4.1-Mona.
2. Download file UniServer_CD_1.0.exe from Sourceforge
3. Save it to folder UniServer.
4. To extract files, double click on file UniServer_CD_1.0.exe, no need to change the path.
5. A new folder mona_cd is created in the plugins folder.
6. New files are added to folders UniServer and udrive.
   Note: Several Uniform Server files are updated.
   Portable Firefox is extracted to folder udrive.
7. Navigate to folder UniServer and run CLEAN.bat, this removes all unnecessary files including UniController which is replaced by UniTray.

Options 2:

1. Unpack a new copy of Uniform Server 4.1-Mona.
2. Download file UniServer_CD_1.0.zip from Sourceforge
3. Save to any folder
4. Extract files, navigate to folder UniServer_CD_1.0
5. Copy its entire contents to the installed Uniform Server folder UniServer
6. A new folder mona_cd is created in the plugins folder.
7. New files are added to folders UniServer and udrive.
   Note: Several Uniform Server files are updated.
   Portable Firefox is extracted to folder udrive.
8. Navigate to folder UniServer and run CLEAN.bat, this removes all unnecessary files including UniController which is replaced by UniTray.

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Development

With the plugin installed Uniform Server becomes a complete CD development system.

Install packages as required, procedure is identical to a standard installation of Uniform Server.

• Start Servers: To start the servers use Server_Start.bat this also runs UniTray
• Stop Servers: Use UniTray to stop the servers (alternatively use Stop.bat)

Note: When run from a CD the servers will automatically start.

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USB Test

After completing development before burning to a CD it is best to perform a dry run on a USB stick.

Copy the entire content of folder udrive to the top-level of a USB memory stick

Set all folders and files to have read only permission (simulates a CD)

Start Servers:

Using a USB memory stick the servers will not automatically run, inserting the memory stick a pop-up is displayed click ok to run.

Alternatively double click on file AutorunPro.EXE, for testing this removes the need for re-inserting the memory stick (Its this file that is automatically run from a CD)

After a successful test you can burn the entire content of folder udrive to a CD or DVD.

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Conflicts

One thing to remember even when run from a CD these are live servers, as a consequence the servers will fail to start if the host machine has servers running on the standard ports. In addition if the host is running PHP with eAccelerator again Uniform Server will fail.

A solution is to close any sunning servers on a host machine. However this may be inconvenient hence preferred solution is to move Uniform Server to different ports before burning a CD.

Move Servers

Uniform Server has a pre-installed plugin that moves the servers to different ports and an option to disable eAccerator note it also updates portable Firefox to these new ports.

1. Navigate to folder UniServer\udrive\plugins\move_servers and run Run.bat
2. To accept proposed values press enter at all prompts or enter new values as required.

Note: Run the script before adding applications, take a note of each new value displayed these will be required when installing new application.

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Temporary folder

Uniform Server provides an option to change the temporary folder created on the host PC. You can change both the drive and folder name used. In addition disable copying of the MySQL databases.

Note:

   Majority of applications that use a MySQL database cannot run directly from a CD
   they require write access hence the need to copy over the database.    
   That said it is relatively quick to switch between copy and no-copy and perform
   a dry run on a USB memory stick to determine if an application will directly
   run from a CD.

Switching and change Temp folder

• Navigate to folder UniServer\udrive\plugins\mona_cd and run cd_options.bat
• To accept proposed values press enter at prompts or enter new values as required.
  • First option allows you to change drive and folder name.
  • Second option allows you to copy or not to copy MySQL database to temp folder.

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Summary

To all intense and purpose development of a CD is straightforward however you may want to tailor the system for your specific use. The next page describes components used and how to modify or update them.

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