Topic: How to install Phprojekt

[arne]

How to install Phprojekt.

Issued mostly for later refference and documentation purposes.

I have been using Phprojekt on the sme server for some years now, and it has been quite usable.

There have never been a bug or a problem.

Did a new installation this night and will try to write down what I remember.

The Phproject is a project management system with some usable functions.

(The one I use the most is the callender/planner, the ability to make notes on the web and to upload and to store files. Its practical for storing files when home and downloading them at work and the oposite way.)

Will try to correct and to revice it to be more complete on the next Phprojekt installation.

[arne]

1. Downloaded from this link:
http://www.phprojekt.com/index.php?name=Downloads&req=viewdownload&cid=1

2. extracted the fie content into a web folder.

3. Made a new empty mysql database using phpmyadmin

4. Runned the setup.php script, but installation stopped as it were missing one file: config.inc.php

5. Made this empry file in the root of the installation directrory and made also chmod 777 on this file.

6. Also made a new directory named "upload".

7. Runned setup.php again.

8. Made a mistake for applying the right compoter name. "localhost" vere the name that worked.

9. Started ip the system and everything was working.

Earlier versions was nicer, I think but they used to be difficult to install on the sme server. Especially the upload function used to be a problem. On SME 7.2 this works without a problem.

Some remaining possible problems:

1. I wonder if there should be made one more directory than the upload directory, but don't know at the moment what this other directory should be. Everything seems to be working like normal ..

2. I think that the application is running a bit slowly compared with the old installation. Possible a reboot or something could help. Dont know yet.

[wurzel]

hi,
i saw you succeeded in installing phprojekt. I was not able to get it run on SME 7.3.

In spite of creating an upload-directory, changing all directorys to 777 and creating an empty config.inc.php it was impossible to connect to the empty database (user: everybode without password).

did you install phprojekt with sme 7.3 and are there any hints for me?

Wurzel

[arne]

I can not guarentee that I do not give you a solution that will affect security, It's more correct I think to say it will affect security.

This is my note from en very old E-Smith HowTo:

qoute>

PHP applications running in i-bays can only access files within the same i-bay. Is there a way that the administrator can relax this restriction?
Yes. The administrator can change the PHP Base Directory by executing the following commands (as root):


/sbin/e-smith/db accounts setprop your_i-bay_name PHPBaseDir /
/sbin/e-smith/signal-event ibay-modify your_i-bay_name

Note that the PHPBaseDir argument can be more restrictive than the example shown above. For example PHPBaseDir can also be '/home/e-smith/files/'.

<unquote>

And this is the newer wiki related to PHP: http://wiki.contribs.org/PHP

What I think is the reason that it does not upload the file is that it will try to upload first to the /tmp folder that is not allowed.

The old prosdure does not work anymore, but this slightly modified seems to work for the primary ibay:

****

db accounts setprop Primary PHPBaseDir /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/:/tmp

signal-event ibay-modify Primary

****

Can not guarantee the security of this, buth nothing hapened during the years I used the old method.

There is also some editing needed in the configuration file:

$dateien = "/home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/phproject/upl"; //  File management no = leave empty,  yes = insert full path
$dat_rel = "./upl"; // and the relative path to the PHProjekt directory

****
 
Tested on SME 7.3 using a very old copy of the Phproject (An old security copy).

Could you leave a msg if it is tested and if it works ?

By the way, do not know what changed from 7.2 to 7.3.

[arne]

QUESTION:

I think this problem/question might be parallell to other aplications, as well, that contains a web based upload function (??!!).

Is this way of doing it safe enough ?: (For the usual trade off between functionality and security...)

db accounts setprop Primary PHPBaseDir /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/:/tmp

signal-event ibay-modify Primary

[wurzel]

First: thank you that you gave me these hints. I'll try it the next day and will tell you what happend. I think it's an important question for more applications.

best regards

Wolfgang

[wurzel]

No i tried to modifiy according to your hints.

but

$dateien = "/home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/phproject/upl"; //  File management no = leave empty,  yes = insert full path
$dat_rel = "./upl"; // and the relative path to the PHProjekt directory

I don_t unterstand this: there is no directory or file mit the name 'upl' - which file i shall modify??
i created a dir 'upload' but it ist empty

when i run the setup-check of phprojekt the comes the sentence:

No system configuration file has been found. Please continue for PHProject installation.

what to do now??

Thks

Wolfgang

[arne]

I am just doing my first virtual SME 7.3 on Xen/Centos5.1/64, and finally it is working...

Will see if I can make a installation of the new and latest revision of the Phprojekt asap. Usually I have got it working before.

If one directory has a strange name it might be because I have just invented it myself. Don't know because it is years since I made that old installation. (And it has survived via automated bacups.)

By the way, do you know ehere to find new .. don't know whats the correct name .. "thems" or "layout" for the Phprojekt`?
(I like the old blue one, but not the new yellow/orange.)

[wurzel]

you think of 'skins' or 'themes'

http://phprojekt.com/index.php?name=Downloads&req=viewdownload&cid=7

I would be very happy when you could help me to get running phprojekt. I testes serveral groupware-packages which ware recommended for sme-Server (contribs ..) but i remember a self-made test years ago that phprojekt is the best of all - very flexible - even when i compare the old version of phprojekt an die new versions of die other packages

best Regards

Wolfgang

[arne]

Will se if I find some time. Just storing the link to the admin manual for later use (see chapter 4, page 69 ..)
http://www.phprojekt.com/documentation/manual_en_40.pdf

One more note .. think I used phpadmin to make the database ..
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=38803.0

[arne]

It worked. First you have to install the phprojekt and do this:

db accounts setprop Primary PHPBaseDir /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/:/tmp

signal-event ibay-modify Primary

Then you have to make a directory in the phpprojekt folder /upload and give it 777

Then it should be working.

(Actually tested on Virtually SME 7.3 running under Xen, but there should be no diference.)

By the way .. the last "skin" of phpprojekt is really not nice, but I can see that there is some options:
http://www.phprojekt.com/index.php?name=Downloads&req=viewdownload&cid=7&newlang=eng

By the way, I think the Phish skin looks not so bad.

Do you know some other alternatives expet for those on the homepage ?

[cactus]

It worked. First you have to install the phprojekt and do this:

Code: [Select]

db accounts setprop Primary PHPBaseDir /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/:/tmp

signal-event ibay-modify Primary

You should try not to add the /tmp folder to the PHPBaseDir section as this is a security issue as all kind of things that should not be readable from ibays might be laying around in the /tmp folder. A better solution should be to see if your application allows for a custom temporary directory and point that to the /files folder of your ibay or create a seperate diectory or it in the /var folder.

[arne]

You should try not to add the /tmp folder to the PHPBaseDir section as this is a security issue as all kind of things that should not be readable from ibays might be laying around in the /tmp folder. A better solution should be to see if your application allows for a custom temporary directory and point that to the /files folder of your ibay or create a seperate diectory or it in the /var folder.

I do agre. It is a risk and it would be a bether solution to modify the upload directoty, if it can be done. If it can not be done, then it will allways be a trade off between security and functionality. On the other hand, "security" is not one single factor that is buildt into your server. The more important factor about "security" is who you are and how important your datas is, how you do your backup routines, etc,

I used such a solution like this, or actually less secure (setting the base dir to / ) for something like 4 or 5 years, because the phpprojekt with the loadup functions for file was actuelly the most important reason why I had any sme server (in my home) at all. I used it on regulary basis for storing documents and files that should be available from anywhere and I never lost a single byte.

On the other hand I wouldn't use such a solution any more, today, if there was a option, for alternative storage, and actually there is. Things can be done in the one way or the other, but it will allways be neccessary to make a evaluation about risk, and make the contermessures as required. If the datas is not "business critical" and you have a fully working backup, all the time, and you are looking into what happens on the server on regulary basis, it helps. 

This web place has 50 Gb of free storage, but it will also be on your (smaller or bigger ?) risk for loosing your datas, or that someone might look into it  http://www.adrive.com/

[wurzel]

thank you very much for your Help - it was successfull

The complete way was the following

- creating a directory 'phprojekt' in /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html
- copying all file of phprojekt therein
- creating an directory upload inside phprojekt - Permissions 777
- changing phpBaseDir
db accounts setprop Primary PHPBaseDir /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/html/:/tmp
signal-event ibay-modify Primar
- creating by phpmyadmin an new Database 'phpro' an creating one user 'egon' PW 'egonp' with alle privileges
- starting browser
- URL: http//myserver/phprojekt/setup.php
- .. filling in according the setup-manual .. running

fine software - not so nice looking but very powerfull

Wolfgang

[arne]

Comfirmed here as well. I did exately the same.