Drupal Now! - Introduction to Drupal

Get Started with Drupal...Now
Alozie Nwosu
- Setting up a local Drupal dev environment - Quick walkthrough: "From Install to Useful" - Using Drupal Multisite for Multiple Sites

What We'll Cover
What is Drupal?
Easy ways to install Drupal
Drupal directory structure and settings
Post-installation setup tips
Multiple sites with Multisite

What We Won't Cover...This Time
Module building
Theme building/customization
LAMP settings & tuning

About Drupal
“d.o” (dee-dot-oh): http://drupal.org
Created by Dries Buytaert in 1999
Latest version: Drupal 7.8
Drupal 6 still supported (current version: 6.22)
#3 CMS on top 1 million websites (after Wordpress and Joomla)
see 2010 OSCMS Report from Water and Stone)

Drupal's Moving Parts
http://drupal.org/download
Drupal Core
Modules
Themes
Sites folder
(Libraries)

The Core – Drupal's Brain
Contains index.php and other “brains”
Core modules and themes
Install, update, and cron scripts
Supporting scripts, include files, htaccess
Installs on (X)AMP stack
Unzip into webserver docroot or subfolder and go!
Can sub other web and db servers
Best on 'NIX machine

The Drupal Mantra Save a kitten...don't hack core.

Modules Make the World
Extend Drupal's functionality
Read “makes Drupal usable”
Core modules installed with main Drupal pkg
Contributed modules can be added to site(s) as needed
Available for free/libre from d.o: http://drupal.org/project/modules

Themes – more than good looks
At minimum, provide the site's styling and layout
Customize to differentiate:
Content types
Page sections (blocks)
Dynamic lists (views)
Implement theme functions
Enhance with jQuery/AJAX
HTML5 and CSS3 compatible

Sites Folder for...sites!
Sites folder for site-specific:
Modules
Themes
settings
Default folder out of box
Supports multiple sites for single core installation
Share modules, themes, and libraries across sites

Installing Drupal
Drupal Install Guide http://drupal.org/documentation/install
System Reqs: http://drupal.org/requirements
Search YouTube or Google for:
“Install Drupal”
“Install Drupal 7”
“Install Drupal 6”
Tons of video walkthroughs and articles/posts

Review an Active Installation
Let's look at local dev install of Drupal 6: http://d6test.local/
Also have a local install of Drupal 7: http://d7test.local/

Modules for D6 – Content
Listing critical modules for content creation and display:
CCK
Views
Images (image, imageapi, imagecache, imagefield)
Filefield
Date

Modules - Admin
Critical modules for administration:
Pathauto
Backup and Migrate
Poormanscron
Admin or Admin Menus
WYSIWYG (with TinyMCE or CKEditor lib)
Token
Workflow

Modules - Development
Helpful modules to use (and learn) for custom module development
Devel
SimpleTest

Learning Drupal
Google and d.o – search, search, search
YouTube – lots of tutorial videos
Lullabot videos and podcasts: http://www.lullabot.com/ideas/
GotDrupal videos: http://gotdrupal.com/
Learn by the Drop videos: http://learnbythedrop.com/
Acquia Drupal Connect podcasts: http://acquia.com/resources/podcasts

Additional Drupal-delia
Drush – the Drupal Shell!!!: http://drush.ws
Aegir Hosting System for Drupal: http://www.aegirproject.org/
Start using Drupal now @ Drupal Gardens: http://www.drupalgardens.com/

About Me
Alozie F. Nwosu
[email_address]
@theaphro
http://drupal.org/user/546026 (alozie)
Brown WebServices, Senior Web Developer
http://www.brown.edu/it/webservices
FreeGeek Providence, Teaching Committee Member, “Computing for Newbies” instructor
http://freegeekpvd.org

Drupal Now! - Introduction to Drupal

by Alozie Nwosu

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