Install Core Drupal on Acquia DAMP stack

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To run Drupal on your local computer requires that you install and configure the following four components: Drupal, Apache, MySQL and PHP. These components are collectively referred to as a DAMP stack. Acquia have made it a breeze to get up and running with their “Dev Desktop” DAMP stack which installs and configures all four components in one simple installation. One caveat is that it includes Acquia Drupal as opposed to the more commonly used core Drupal. After installing Acquia Drupal, you can easily import core Drupal as a new site. Here are instructions on how to do this:

  1. Download and install the latest version of Acquia Drupal Dev Desktop.
    2. Acquia Drupal Installer - Versions

    Acquia Drupal Installer - Versions

     

  2. Download and unpack the latest version of core Drupal it to a local directory.
  3. On the Acquia Dev Desktop Control Panel, select the ‘Localhost’ dropdown menu and choose ‘more’.
  4. Click the ‘Import’ button and fill in the details as follows:
    • Set the ‘site path’ folder to the location where the latest version of core Drupal resides.
    • Select the ‘Create new database’ radio button and give the database a name.
    • Choose a local server name to run your core Drupal installation from. It is not possible to use ‘localhost’.
    5. Acquia Drupal - Import Core Drupal

    Acquia Drupal - Import Core Drupal

  5. Click the Import button and wait for the import to complete successfully.
  6. Click on the ‘Go to my site’ button to view your core Drupal installation running on your local server.

Related Posts:

Drupal is a cost effective CMS solution that is built on an open platform. It allows complex websites to be built in a relatively short space of time. Once Drupal is up and running, even non-technical users can easily manage and maintain their online content. If you are a small business in Northern Ireland and would like a Drupal website, please contact us for more information.

The Top 3 Uses for Dropbox

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Dropbox

Dropbox

Extra Dropbox Storage

Introduction

A favorite tool of mine that helps me manage my myriad of scattered web design files and applications is Dropbox. This article discusses my top three uses for Dropbox. Before we get into that I would like to point out that Dropbox is a must have for every computer user for the following reasons:

    • Syncing

After you install Dropbox on your local machine you will have a Dropbox folder that behaves just like any other folder except that its contents are synced up to the Dropbox cloud in the background while you work.

    • Speed

The upload speed to the cloud can be astounding. This is because Dropbox is intelligent and will not upload the same file if someone else has already uploaded it. Rather, Dropbox will just cross-reference your account to the existing file. If the file has been changed recently, it will only upload/download the changes rather than the whole thing. What this means is that you can drop a 1GB file into your Dropbox and it is possible that it will be uploaded in just a few seconds!

    • Backups

Dropbox keeps a history of all deleted and earlier versions of files for 30 days minimum. Therefore, if your file becomes corrupt or gets deleted accidentally, you can easily return to a previously saved version using the web interface.

    • Secure Storage

Dropbox is secure. All transmission of file data occurs over an encrypted channel and all files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256)

    • Accessibility

Dropbox can be accessed from Mac, Windows, iPhone Android and Blackberry.

    • Sharing

You can share Dropbox folders to friends. Anything you put in your shared out Dropbox folder will also appear in your friend’s corresponding Dropbox folder. You can also share photos by providing a link. When friends click on the link they can view your photos as a slideshow.

Here are my top three uses for Dropbox:

    1. 1Password

1Password is the premier password management tool for Mac OSX, Windows, the iPhone and Android. It allows you to generate strong, unique passwords and store them with corresponding usernames and other login details. After opening 1Password and selecting the web page you want to log on to, 1Password will automatically open the browser, fill in username and password fields and log on for you.

1Password has been engineered to sync with Dropbox. With 1Password and Dropbox you are combining a robust and powerful password manager with the ability to share passwords between multiple computers including mobile devices such as the iPhone. Install 1Password on each computer / device and when you add a new password it will be automatically synced to the 1Password application installed on the other machines.

    1. TrueCrypt

Using TrueCrypt you can create a secure, encrypted volume inside your Dropbox. Alternatively, you can have your Dropbox folder inside a TrueCrypt volume. Each method offers different advantages:

TrueCrypt volume inside Dropbox folder
This method offers ultimate security and ensures that files will be stored in an encrypted state in the Dropbox cloud and also on each computer. Install TrueCrypt on each of your computers with which you use Dropbox and then create an encrypted TrueCrypt volume inside one Dropbox folder. Wait for all your computers to sync up and then test mounting and dismounting the volume on each computer to ensure everything is working as expected. The initial sync may take some time, but subsequent syncs should be fast. With this method you must unmount the TrueCrypt volume before it can be uploaded by Dropbox.

Dropbox folder inside TrueCrypt volume
This method ensures that files in your Dropbox folder on your computer are encrypted. They will not be encrypted in the Dropbox cloud or on other computers that sync with Dropbox unless you encrypt those Dropbox folders also. This can be useful for example, if you have one computer in particular that is more vulnerable to theft (maybe a laptop that is out on the road a lot) and you don’t feel the need or want the hassle of installing TrueCrypt on the other computers. Install TrueCrypt on the machine that is to have the Dropbox folder encrypted. Mount the volume and then install Dropbox. Specify the mounted volume as the location where you would like to have your Dropbox folder.

    1. Portable Apps

Rather than carry all your portable apps around on a USB Key, you can share them between different computers using your Dropbox folder.

It can be very convenient to have certain utility apps available to you on the all the computers that you use without having to install them on each one. Small and useful applications such as Beyond Compare, NotePad++, SnagIt and Toad etc can all be installed once into a folder on your Dropbox and automatically synced across all the machines you use.

Extra Dropbox Storage

If you don’t already have Dropbox you can get a free 2GB account plus 256MB EXTRA free by clicking here.

Happy Syncing!

Automate Twitter – Follow / Unfollow for Free

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TweetAttacks SocialOomph HootSuite

As part of my recent Internet Marketing strategy to promote my Web Design, I decided to get more involved with twitter.

Unlike Facebook, I set out to use Twitter first and foremost as a business tool in conjunction with my blog, where people interested in Web Design, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization etc would flock happily to my website to read my latest offerings.

I didn’t really know a lot about the whole Twitter automation thing. I stumbled upon it by manually following some people based on the “InternetMarketing” search term and I noticed that I was getting automated replies from them. I started googling about Twitter Automation and a couple of days (and several hundred followers) later, I decided that this automated route was a great way to build up a semi-targeted audience with a sizable proportion interested in what I had to say.

I am going to share with you the tools that I use to automate my twittering. The functionality I mention is what I see as the most important and interesting free parts of each of these tools. There is a lot more to these tools, especially if you upgrade to their premium package.

Tweet Attacks

Tweet Attacks is an amazing tool! It lets you do for free what Social Oomph and others charge a premium for.

You can automatically follow another user’s followers or following. Alternatively you can follow based on a search phrase.

Tweet Attacks can also be used to automatically unfollow anyone who is not following you back. Followers will only be unfollowed if they fall outside the specified number of days they have to follow you back.

The user interface consists of drop-down menus and a very powerful grid. The grid allows you to create a number of tasks where one task takes up one row on the grid. A task might be something like Follow a particular user’s followers or Follow based on the search term “SEO”. You can insert a delay interval between each task.

Social Oomph

Social Oomph (formally known as Tweet Later) lets you do some things that Tweet Attacks does not. Firstly, it has a great customer service tool that allows you to send a welcome message to those who follow you. You can use this message to provide a warm introduction or alternatively provide a link to your website or the latest article on your blog etc. In addition, you can vet new follows and schedule updates. Most of the other useful stuff is for paid subscribers only.

Hoot Suite

Hoot Suite is useful to allow you to see the clout of your followers and following. It also allows you to follow and track conversations based on search terms. Although more a manual process, rather than fully automated, it makes it very easy to find people to follow based on interest, brand or other keyword.

This post lays out my humble beginnings into the world of automated Twitter. If you can share any other tools that can be used in conjunction with or as a replacement for these tools, then please post a comment below.