In addition to collaborative software, I've been exploring the exploding number of "get organized on the web" options out there. I like Remember the Milk quite a bit, but I've been inclined to explore the GTD way of, well getting things done.
I heard good things about Tracks, an open source GTD web application. I'm no stranger to installing web applications, but this one had a new requirement for me- Ruby on Rails. I've avoided web applications that require Ruby on Rails, primarily because of the overhead in getting Rails installed before even getting to the applications, but this time I decided to take the plunge.
I'm running CentOS 5. Ruby was already installed and running via an RPM. But for whatever reason (maturity?) the Rails part has a more complex installation path. Before getting to Rails, you need to get Gem going. Gem is sort of like a Ruby package manager. But it too needs to be installed, and usually from source. Adding to the complications are the http interface that Rails will connect with. Rails can use the built in Webrick. Many people use it with lighttpd. But it can also be used with Apache, which I already had running. Problem is that this seemed to be the least well documented path. Anyway, away I went...
I started with the documentation on the ruby on rails site for RHEL. It got me started but some parts fell short. I supplemented with some information from Redhat. Gem install and ran without a hitch, but I couldn't get the mysql component to work. After searching on the error I was getting, I found this site. No, I don't speak any Chinese variants, but fortunately I do speak Linux and the line of code was understandable. I did need to translate it to 64 bit language, and point it at the 64 bit mysql libraries, which are in a slightly different place. I found some supplementary information back on the ruby on rails site and another site with a bit more searching and then ruby on rails seemed to be ok.
Since a lot of what I read pointed towards lighttpd, I got that going too, running it on a different port than apache.
Back to the Tracks site for installation instructions, and the supplementary information for "other servers" (which included apache and lighttpd).
The Tracks install was quite easy, and after looking at the specified README, it turned out that using apache involved simply adding a virtual host to httpd.conf. That was clearly the easiest way to get Tracks deployed, and my short struggle with lighttpd was for nothing.
Tracks itself is a well done, Ajax-driven, minimalistic application.
I'll hold off further judgment until I better understand GTD, but I may stick with it. I'll put it on my "to do".
In the mean time I now have ruby on rails up and ready for testing future web applications.
I heard good things about Tracks, an open source GTD web application. I'm no stranger to installing web applications, but this one had a new requirement for me- Ruby on Rails. I've avoided web applications that require Ruby on Rails, primarily because of the overhead in getting Rails installed before even getting to the applications, but this time I decided to take the plunge.
I'm running CentOS 5. Ruby was already installed and running via an RPM. But for whatever reason (maturity?) the Rails part has a more complex installation path. Before getting to Rails, you need to get Gem going. Gem is sort of like a Ruby package manager. But it too needs to be installed, and usually from source. Adding to the complications are the http interface that Rails will connect with. Rails can use the built in Webrick. Many people use it with lighttpd. But it can also be used with Apache, which I already had running. Problem is that this seemed to be the least well documented path. Anyway, away I went...
I started with the documentation on the ruby on rails site for RHEL. It got me started but some parts fell short. I supplemented with some information from Redhat. Gem install and ran without a hitch, but I couldn't get the mysql component to work. After searching on the error I was getting, I found this site. No, I don't speak any Chinese variants, but fortunately I do speak Linux and the line of code was understandable. I did need to translate it to 64 bit language, and point it at the 64 bit mysql libraries, which are in a slightly different place. I found some supplementary information back on the ruby on rails site and another site with a bit more searching and then ruby on rails seemed to be ok.
Since a lot of what I read pointed towards lighttpd, I got that going too, running it on a different port than apache.
Back to the Tracks site for installation instructions, and the supplementary information for "other servers" (which included apache and lighttpd).
The Tracks install was quite easy, and after looking at the specified README, it turned out that using apache involved simply adding a virtual host to httpd.conf. That was clearly the easiest way to get Tracks deployed, and my short struggle with lighttpd was for nothing.
Tracks itself is a well done, Ajax-driven, minimalistic application.
I'll hold off further judgment until I better understand GTD, but I may stick with it. I'll put it on my "to do".
In the mean time I now have ruby on rails up and ready for testing future web applications.
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