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another_beginner_s_experience_dealing_with_php-residence_-_and_using_ubuntu_workstation_-_with_server_installed_for_office_added_reservations [2018/04/15 04:40] – k-grahamanother_beginner_s_experience_dealing_with_php-residence_-_and_using_ubuntu_workstation_-_with_server_installed_for_office_added_reservations [2019/12/03 13:42] (current) – marco
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 I can see where this could be an issue - building on a hosting site your database will have your user name appended so a name you provide locally won't likely be possible on a shared site. I think it could be a good idea to do a basic setup on the web using your domain name, you don't have to add the links to your sites web pages so you can play with it on line to your hearts content, but depending on your connection to the internet you may wish to be able to work offline. Use the same database name, password and user for your offline site. Also its not enough to simply put the backup file in the dati directory, you must create a basic working site and install the file which puts it back into the MYSQL database and then restores all the data. I can see where this could be an issue - building on a hosting site your database will have your user name appended so a name you provide locally won't likely be possible on a shared site. I think it could be a good idea to do a basic setup on the web using your domain name, you don't have to add the links to your sites web pages so you can play with it on line to your hearts content, but depending on your connection to the internet you may wish to be able to work offline. Use the same database name, password and user for your offline site. Also its not enough to simply put the backup file in the dati directory, you must create a basic working site and install the file which puts it back into the MYSQL database and then restores all the data.
  
-My Internet connection varies considerably - in Canada where I currently live and work I have a decent connection. However the hotel http://PlayaLindaHotel.com is located in Southern Mexico with no phone lines present. A year ago I was able to get G3 digital Cellular access by use of a External Antenna and Router, this was fast enough to almost allow fluid Skype conversations but the provider IUsaCell then decided to go GSM and have moved some transmitters. By aiming at a antenna 35 kilometers away we seem to have re-established contact but good transmissions seem to be limited to evening - I'm not sure if this is a result of Solar Radiation or simply high business use during the day.+My Internet connection varies considerably - in Canada where I currently live and work I have a decent connection. However the hotel http://PlayaLindaHotel.com is located in Southern Mexico with no phone lines present. A year ago I was able to get G3 digital Cellular access by use of a External Antenna and Router, this was fast enough to almost allow fluid Skype conversations but the provider IUsaCell then decided to go GSM and have moved some transmitters. By aiming at a antenna 35 kilometers away we seem to have re-established contact but good transmissions seem to be limited to evening - I'm not sure if this is a result of Solar Radiation or simply high business use during the day. (in 2017 was fortunate to have a internet provider locate a rebroadcast tower on our hotel, we still pay but bandwidth equals or exceeds the Telmex ADSL in a nearby city)
  
 I did experiment with Windows with easyphp (the linux webserver running with Windows)and its a brilliant system except it isn't a email server so I am guessing you will need to add something to enable email functionality. The other drawback is Windows has extra costs in requiring a Antivirus  system and generally employees can screw it up too many ways. As we are dealing with a small hotel - 10 rooms I wanted to keep to a single computer, there is a temptation for a dedicated server which could cache other hotel traffic if going that route I would have used SME server from www.contribs.org but instead am trying a single Linux Computer providing desktop and server functions using Ubuntu Workstation.  I did experiment with Windows with easyphp (the linux webserver running with Windows)and its a brilliant system except it isn't a email server so I am guessing you will need to add something to enable email functionality. The other drawback is Windows has extra costs in requiring a Antivirus  system and generally employees can screw it up too many ways. As we are dealing with a small hotel - 10 rooms I wanted to keep to a single computer, there is a temptation for a dedicated server which could cache other hotel traffic if going that route I would have used SME server from www.contribs.org but instead am trying a single Linux Computer providing desktop and server functions using Ubuntu Workstation. 
  
-1. Download the latest long term release of Ubuntu Workstation and make a install disk, you want a good ADSL connection for this and setup as you are dealing with 100's of megabytes of information. I specify a long term release as you are using this for business use.+1. Download the latest long term release of Ubuntu Workstation and make a install disk, you want a good ADSL or Cable connection for this and setup as you are dealing with 100's of megabytes of information. I specify a long term release as you are using this for business use.
  
-1a. Optional - download a pdf of http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download_main.html so you have a Ubuntu-Linux manual - recommended.+1a. Advisable - download a pdf of http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download_main.html so you have a Ubuntu-Linux manual .
      
 2. Install Ubuntu Workstation. Some Graphics cards don't work well with Linux - on my portable I needed to minimize graphics capabilities or portions of my screen blank out. If installed on a regular computer you may want to try and use a computer with 2 video monitor ports on the same video card - this will give you a 50% increase in productivity as you can be copying and pasting from help files and emails to your applications, both in Windows and in Ubuntu if you have set up duel booting. 2. Install Ubuntu Workstation. Some Graphics cards don't work well with Linux - on my portable I needed to minimize graphics capabilities or portions of my screen blank out. If installed on a regular computer you may want to try and use a computer with 2 video monitor ports on the same video card - this will give you a 50% increase in productivity as you can be copying and pasting from help files and emails to your applications, both in Windows and in Ubuntu if you have set up duel booting.
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 sudo apt-get install apache2 sudo apt-get install apache2
  
-Verify its running by going to http://localhost+Verify its running by going to %%http://localhost%%
  
 3a. Install mysql-server 3a. Install mysql-server
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 or or
  
-http://localhost/phpmyadmin should work+%%http://localhost/phpmyadmin%% should work
  
 If not you probably did something wrong  -  If not you probably did something wrong  - 
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 make sure you have a mark appear beside the mysql database. make sure you have a mark appear beside the mysql database.
  
-phpmyadmin will allow you to create, edit, and drop databases more visually, just access via your local web http://localhost/phpmyadmin or http://127.0.0.1/phpmyadmin .Use if you have difficulties with command line use of MYSQL.+phpmyadmin will allow you to create, edit, and drop databases more visually, just access via your local web http://localhost/phpmyadmin or %%http://127.0.0.1/phpmyadmin%% .Use if you have difficulties with command line use of MYSQL.
  
 4. I think its a good idea in terminal to type apt-get update watch your hard drive light you could be updating for quite a few minutes before control is returned to you in terminal, this updates your linux files to the most recent. 4. I think its a good idea in terminal to type apt-get update watch your hard drive light you could be updating for quite a few minutes before control is returned to you in terminal, this updates your linux files to the most recent.
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 7. As per Marcos you need to set permissions on php-residence/data, if in Graphical Nautilus  with root permissions you could right click on directory /var/www/php-residence/dati and provide read right permissions or perhaps better in terminal type sudo chmod 755 /var/www/php-residence/dati  This gives the owner READ Write Execute permissions but the Group and User Read and Execute Permissions only. 7. As per Marcos you need to set permissions on php-residence/data, if in Graphical Nautilus  with root permissions you could right click on directory /var/www/php-residence/dati and provide read right permissions or perhaps better in terminal type sudo chmod 755 /var/www/php-residence/dati  This gives the owner READ Write Execute permissions but the Group and User Read and Execute Permissions only.
    
-8. Upon 1st entry to the php-residence directory http://localhost/php-residence you will be asked to provide setup info. +8. Upon 1st entry to the php-residence directory %%http://localhost/php-residence%% you will be asked to provide setup info. 
  
  
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 I would love to say I have PHP-Residence up and actively managing the hotel but I still have a business in Canada and so it may yet be till I retire before I can be there enough weeks to train employees. I would love to say I have PHP-Residence up and actively managing the hotel but I still have a business in Canada and so it may yet be till I retire before I can be there enough weeks to train employees.
  
- 
-Items I noted in set up with a older version of PHP Residence was that one should set up extra employees to begin with perhaps 10 or 100 then only give extra permissions as needed I don't think there is a feature built in to PHP Residence for cloning a employee permissions though maybe with PHPmyadmin? 
- 
-Also the inventory feature seems to be in progress, I look forward to the day it can be used as a small Store Cash Register. 
  
 Please feel free to update this Wiki info or add comments (preferably in Bold or italicized so I can easily see the corrections). I am an amateur to this so am hopeful other new users of Linux will find this helpful and yet veterans of Linux and PH-Residence may develop this guide further. Please feel free to update this Wiki info or add comments (preferably in Bold or italicized so I can easily see the corrections). I am an amateur to this so am hopeful other new users of Linux will find this helpful and yet veterans of Linux and PH-Residence may develop this guide further.
  
-Lastly I neglected to mention Local Backups - Marcos backup within PH-Residence seems to work fine, I would suggest downloading multiple dated backups possibly including version number as one can only restore to the same version number. One also wants to backup the entire Workstation - a useful free backup system is available at www.clonezilla.org which works with Windows and Linux file systems, requiring only a external USB drive. A Graphical backup in beta is http://redobackup.org/ , much easier to use but there seem to have been complaints of corrupted backups - I did note that Clonezilla requires no spaces in names, I suggest the same if trying redobackup and never rely soley on 1 backup  - you should have at least 2. Also if doing a restore always try to use the same backup program or a later version but never a previous version of the backup program, its a good idea to put the revision number of your backup program on the disk when made.+Lastly I neglected to mention Local Backups - Marcos backup within PH-Residence seems to work fine, I would suggest downloading multiple dated backups possibly including version number as one can only restore to the same version number. One also wants to backup the entire Workstation - a useful free backup system is available at www.clonezilla.org which works with Windows and Linux file systems, requiring only a external USB drive. A Graphical backup in beta is http://redobackup.org/ , much easier to use but there seem to have been complaints of corrupted backups (note-2017 I have experienced failures with redobackup restores and only use Clonezilla) - I did note that Clonezilla requires no spaces in names, I suggest the same if trying redobackup and never rely soley on 1 backup  - you should have at least 2. Also if doing a restore always try to use the same backup program or a later version but never a previous version of the backup program, its a good idea to put the revision number of your backup program on the disk when made.
  
 If you are using Cell G3 access like me you may need a dedicated router as the G3 devices here in Mexico seem to be made for PC's. I would have considered another Internet Cell supplier Telcel which supplies GSM devices or even IUsacells new GSM devices but they did not have wired Routers and I wanted maximum signal to the office. Signal on our hotel is only acceptable on the highest point of the hotel about 15 meters up and I did not want to have a computer tied up sitting up there with a access card in it. Its tough enough having a card or router sealed in a watertight plastic container with ethernet cable running to a network switch and on to the office. If you are using Cell G3 access like me you may need a dedicated router as the G3 devices here in Mexico seem to be made for PC's. I would have considered another Internet Cell supplier Telcel which supplies GSM devices or even IUsacells new GSM devices but they did not have wired Routers and I wanted maximum signal to the office. Signal on our hotel is only acceptable on the highest point of the hotel about 15 meters up and I did not want to have a computer tied up sitting up there with a access card in it. Its tough enough having a card or router sealed in a watertight plastic container with ethernet cable running to a network switch and on to the office.
 +
 +
 +
 +My 2018 suggestion, this year with retirement from printing business to that of hotel I decided to invest in a 10 room purchase of Marco's system. This allowed me to use his Https: certificate so I could for instance put a link such as Booknow (though I used,"Learn More") directly to the booking form. Facebook requires a SSL security for a direct link like this. Part of the reason I did this was the wording Google was going to start penalizing regular sites. I also created short link in http://Bit.ly  to add the reservation link as a robot reply message to Facebook Messenger http://bit.ly/plh_availability and to the free and recently released Whatsapp business edition available for Android phones. In addition to a similar link to our hotel for GoogleMaps http://bit.ly/PlayaLindaHotel-map, because the 1st problem is providing pricing and availability and the 2nd is giving them a map to get here when everyone is using a Cellphone
 +
 +Anyway it seems some use this software only for taking reservations online and then use a different backend. I suggest you may want to see if you can get a 10 room version from Marco for the above reasons and get the advantage of his support.
 +
 +If it works out for you then you will be set to implement the reservation system hotel or campsite wide.
 +
 +Thanks,
 +
 +K_Graham PlayaLindaHotel.com
  
 References -  References - 
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 PeterP's - A Total Beginner's Experience with Php-Residence located in Wiki PeterP's - A Total Beginner's Experience with Php-Residence located in Wiki
  
-Installing and configuring Apache2 web server -  https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/httpd.html+Installing and configuring Apache2 web server -  %%https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/httpd.html%%
  
-Installing and starting  mysql-server  - https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/mysql.html+Installing and starting  mysql-server  - %%https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/mysql.html%%
  
 Installing php-myadmin - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/phpMyAdmin Installing php-myadmin - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/phpMyAdmin
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 http://redobackup.org/ http://redobackup.org/
- 
-Thanks, 
- 
-K_Graham 
- 
- 
  
  
another_beginner_s_experience_dealing_with_php-residence_-_and_using_ubuntu_workstation_-_with_server_installed_for_office_added_reservations.txt · Last modified: 2019/12/03 13:42 by marco