Installing Drupal in VitualBox on Debian. Part 2. Including basic use of Terminal. VICTORY!

Smoke has cleared. And Drupal is now installed in my virtual server. Unfortunately there was no perfect tutorial to be found. I ended up using these two sites:

• http://www.davidam.com/docu/installingdrupal.html
• http://wp.geeklab.com.ar/gl-en/2013/07/02/how-to-install-drupal-on-debian-wheezy/
• Also used http://stackoverflow.com/ to help me though some of the problems

If you are stuck, Just Google: "How to (insert what you want to do) in Debian"

First one lacks information about packages that need to be installed, and second has some incomprehensible inputs in VirtualHost-files. But sure enough after hours of grinding (16 to be exact) Drupal is on my server and is working. Those hours will teach you about Linux architecture and Debian system. A knowledge of how to use the command prompt and commands are essential. If you are completely new to this, you should look them up. (http://ss64.com/bash/)

Command Prompt (or Terminal) can be found at: Applications > Accessories > Terminal

Be sure to login as system administrator by entering command: su (stands for Super User) and give the administrative password you needed to make in the installation process. This will give you access to root, so your Terminal should now say [root@computername:]. Now you have full access to all the files and right to modify them via Terminal.

For basic navigation, use commands: 

• ls (to see what is in the current directory)
• cd [the name of the directory]* (to change directory)
• cd .. (to go back one folder in the directory tree)
• mkdir [directory name]* (to create a new folder with given name)
• rmdir [directory name]* (to remove a folder with given name)

*Do not add those brackets

File editing or making new files:
To avoid using "nano" text editor, I recommend using: sudo gedit [file to open or one you want to make]
This will open the wanted file or a new document in Gedit text editor in current directory. Remember to put [.php | .html | .css] or other file ending if needed.
Gedit is readily installed in your system, if you are using Debian 7

First thing you should do, input into termial the following command: sudo apt-get update
This will update Debian to the latest stable version. Secondly go to the second link and follow at least the packet installing part. That will get you started.

I will not go to detail on how I managed to make the whole thing work, but if you have any questions, please ask me in the comments.

Though changing rights to all of the [var/www/] folders using [chmod -R 777]-command  is a bit extreme and should not be done at any real instance, it got my project working. Since I wanted to install the system only to get authentic test-environment to our service to be, those settings shouldn't harm your process.

If you are using the first link as guidance, I recommend that instead of creating a [mysite] folder, you just paste all of the Drupal extracts into the [var/www/] folder and use localhost address [127.0.0.1]. It removes some of the problems in those pesky VirtualHost-files. And if you are not really setting up a server, and your main idea is just to get it running so you can make a prototype and learn about Drupal. That should be more than enough.

It also helps having friends who knows about Linux-environments. I'm still looking for the ultimate "Drupal in
Debian" -guide. If that can be found, I'll post it here in my blog. Who knows, maybe I'll produce one myself after I get to know this system a bit better.

The feeling of getting this piece of ****( as I referred it to be multiple times during this project) working was a moment of elation and relaxation. All that tenseness build up by constant errors or unexplained walls in process just gone in an instant. When you get to this point, rejoice! Breathe in this feeling! It will keep you going, and get you addicted. The kind of healthy addiction for a feeling of accomplishment. If you don't feel it, you're more than probably working in the wrong field.

You will need patience for your own incompetence (you will never know enough), tenacity to push forward to your goal, and curiousness about the system in whole. That is the toolkit for your future heroics in the field of information technology. So I bid you safe journey to the endless bytes and wish you lightning-fast internet-connection.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Over and out!
-Juho

Installing Drupal in VirtualBox on Debian. Day 1.

It has been a cold and stormy night. Not really, but the 8 hours of following instructions from: http://bit.ly/1leRt5A is really making it enough for me to create a some sort of internal raging storm.

It's not enough to have things that don't belong in the files, but some of the file changes are not explained at all. There should be a better tutorial. A simple step by step guide that just cannot go wrong if followed to the letter. Also explaining why are you doing these things and how is it relevant.

A single site where people can post links on tutorials and rate their usefulness. And only the shiny diamonds of a professional foolproof tutorials would get past the "shiv of endless wrath" that developers have for poor tutorials.

As a healthy masochist I am going back at it. If I find the crown jewel of Drupal-tutorials. The unsung hero of depressed tortured souls. I shall bring it forward to thee! And all can rejoice in it's everlasting awesomeness. At least till Drupal 8... But that my friends, is a completely another story.

But if you find it my friend, and come forth with it. Your tales will be told form here to.... the next post at least. So please, young traveler of the endless road of Linux proficiency. Tell us your secrets, and let it be known that the journey to the promised land of open source software, is not an endeavor in vain.

All hail the PENGUIN!

Prelude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC7iR577OQw

Breakfast seminar @ Restaurant Mauno, User Experience driven design.

Picture from: http://on.fb.me/1cpsJSZ

I took part in breakfast seminar held by Turku Technology Properties.
It was a feast consisting of multiple type of bread, fruit, eggs. Oh, and BACON for days! Herbal avocado butter, mint and mango smoothies and different kind of cheeses were also supplied. Coffee, apple-, and orange juice were the choice for beverages. And all of this completely free of charge! I'm already liking this. Easy going music sets the mood in the space.



A mix of people fills the room filled with portable, lime colored workstations with an individual movable desks and a little space for your bag underneath the bench. Already liking the design concepts presented.

The first speaker began with the topic:

The Designing of usable and visually proficient Business Intelligence Solutions. 

(Matti Helenius, Adage Oy)

Picture from: http://on.fb.me/1cpsJSZ

He gave several pointers for why and how to design the BI solution. Below I tell some of them.

- Reports inefficient in companies for some of the branches. One BI solution is not enough for whole of the company.
- Compare a cars user interface to one found in space shuttles, complexity. Which one needs hours of training before efficient use
- User should be in center of the design
- Old dashboards with tacky meters are not self explanatory.
- Customer usually wants multiple capabilities on the dash, and it makes things difficult for end user.
- Adage uses mainly bar graphs to illustrate comparable data.
- Define user, and the main actions software is used for.
- Wire frame, and concept design -> iterative process with users
- Visual Design 5-10 from what to choose from.
- Tips for layout, Simplicity! Who uses in center? Tamed use of color 2 main colors + few from same pallet also lighter shades. Layout consistent.
- Guidelines for future use and consistency in navigation and design in general.
- Mobile, what data to show in limited space and how?
- Tablet, use of icons, icons relevant to data.
- Data more and more in lower tier leading and decision making.

User centered design, mobile user interfaces 

Picture from: http://on.fb.me/1cpsJSZ 

(Mikko Kämäräinen, CEO, Infinity)

Mikko talked with ferocious speed but to the point and without wasteful words. A couple of curse words were a welcome Finnish way to give his presentation a little flare and personality. Very entertaining speech with very good graphical presentation infused with clever ideas all around.

- Markets from B2B & B2C -> H2H, Human to Human is the only viable market.
- Why? What? Where? How? Serve the needs of the end user.
- User testing -> GooB (Get out of the Building) Go to your customer and see for yourself.
- Observe -> Design, test (iterate) -> implement (make decisions and iterate)
- Before knowing are you doing the things right, you should figure if you are doing the right things.
- Check -> Think -> Make -> Iterate. Make sure your conclusions are right. Ask your customers humbly.
- Minimal minimal minimal solutions.
- First design mobile then make them adaptable to bigger screens.
- Best interface is no interface at all. All that can be automated, should be.
- Lean -> how to test and create something new efficiently.
- Be as adaptable as possible. Everything should be up to be changed.
- Working prototype -> better than documentation. Prototype is best for testing, design, and time saving.

Contextual considerations for mobile situations - Insights from academic explorations.

(Eyal Eshet)

Picrure from: http://on.fb.me/1cpsJSZ

Israeli talker cracked a joke about Finns not being able to pronounce his name. "Total Hebrew" to some of us. Get it? Because he's from Israel. Also made a joke from demise of the all powerful Nokia. And it not being a reason for coming here anymore.

- Context matters:
- Convert an undesired situation into a desired one. Define problem, and for whom it is a problem.
- Design is about creating a fit between form and context

• Form: the solution, part of the world over which we have control over, and can decide the shape. 
• Context: the problem, anything in the world that puts demands on the form.
• Fit: mutual acceptability between the two.

- Better-informed design decisions -> more likely to meet user expectations
- Mobile shift: Elimination of time and space restrictions.
- Mobile is first mobile mass media

• Always carried
• Always connected
• Built-in payment system
• Available at the point of creative inspiration
• Most accurate audience measurement

- Moving towards wearable, everywhere computing.

All of the pictures were taken with permission from Turku Technology Properties Facebook-page.
All Of the days presentation can be found @ Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/YritystaKehiin 
 Do you have any questions about what was talked about? Ask! :)