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Abstract

Make it really easy to install

Goal

Install Roller with minimal user interaction by and asking user only bare minimum number of questions.

Requirements

• Easy installation, meaning:
  • Ask users to provide minimum information to get Roller up and running
  • Create and upgrade tables automatically for user
• It must be possible to disable automatic upgrade
• It must be possible to specify DB and mail via properties or JNDI names

...

Issues: four options

The Roller installation process is unacceptably complex and I'd like to fix that. I've been thinking about the problem for a couple of weeks now and I've talked to folks in Sun, at ApacheCon and JavaOne about the problem. I looked at configuration features in Tomcat and Glassfish. I also looked at installation instructions for popular Java webapps Confluence, JIRA, Liferay Portal and Blojsom. So far, I've identified four these options:

1) Property file based configuration

• User puts JDBC and mail-session connection parameters in roller-custom.properties
• If no DB and mail properties found, Roller falls back to JNDI names
• Roller can create/upgrade tables as needed
  Pros:
• Easy, just one properties file for all Roller configuration
  Cons:
• To use JNDI, user still needs to configure resources

2) Separate installer for each Servlet container / app server

• Installer prompts user for configuration parameters
• Installer sets properties or sets up JNDI resources
• Installer does all setup and deploys Roller
• Roller can create/upgrade tables as needed
  Pros:
• Easy UI driven installation
• Can support properties or JNDI resources
• Complements option #1
  Cons:
• Need to develop separate installer for each Servlet container / app server

3) Standalone bundle with Roller, Servlet container / app server and database

• User downloads, unpacks, runs startup script... done!
  Pros:
• Amazingly easy for user
• We can steal creation script from Blogapps project for Roller, Derby, Tomcat bundle
  Cons:
• We'll need a separate bundle for each server
• Not a complete solution if user wants database other than one we bundle

4) Roller completely handles it's own installation

• Roller prompts user for configuration parameters, does all setup
  • Creating JNDI data-source and mail-session if needed
  • Or creating property file for non-JNDI based installation
• Roller can create/upgrade tables as needed
  Pros:
• Easy UI driven installation
• Does everything!
  Cons:
• Need to develop separate logic for each Servlet container / app server
• May be difficult or impossible for some servers
• May require application server jars in Roller's WEB-INF/lib directory

Consensus on the Roller dev list is that option #1 is a must have, #2 and #3 are nice to have and #4 is too complex.

The Note that the options are not mutually exclusive. Once #1 is in place, #2 is easier to implement because all of the options can take advantage of property-based configuration and automatic database creation and update.

So, this proposal covers option #1 and those who wish to development #2, #3 and #4 installers can propose those separately.

.h2 Option #1: Property file based configuration

...

• Tell user that tables need to be updated, offer to upgrade them
• Upgrade tables, show user output from running upgrade script
• Ask user to redeploy or restart server

Option #2: Separate installers

These can be developed on an as needed basis and are not covered by this proposal.

Option #3: Standalone bundle

These can be developed on an as needed basis and are not covered by this proposal.

Option #3: Roller completely handles it's own installation

Too complex for consideration at this point.

Issues to be considered

Design

List and describe new manager methods, Struts actions, JSP pages, macros, etc.

Comments

Other can leave commments here.

Goal