OpenLink Data Spaces (ODS) Quick Start


Configuring ODS


ODS is now delivered as part of the Virtuoso Open Source 5.0 edition. This page provides instructions on installation of the ODS suite of Data Space applications.

Please note that ODS is preinstalled into the Virtuoso Demo Database. Thus, you do not need to perform the installation steps below if working with a Virtuoso 5.0 (or higher) demonstration database.

Configuration Parameters

ODS depends on certain parameters in the Virtuoso Database Initialization File (INI file), e.g. "demo.ini" for the demonstration database. The settings in this file are appropriate for most installations. Thus, prior to starting the Virtuoso server, you need to verify that the following parameters in the INI file are set:

For example:

[URIQA]
DefaultHost = demo.mydomain.com:1112


See the URIQA section in the documentation for more details.


{{{Load5    = plain,creolewiki
... other plugins ...


Locate and install the VAD packages

VAD Packages

Once you have verified the server settings, the next step is to install the VAD packages.

For binary distributions and the tree made by make install, packages are located in the share/virtuoso/vad directory under the installation root. If you are using the demo database, the packages are preinstalled.

The ODS VAD packages for this release include:

  1. OpenLink Data Space (ODS) Framework (ods_framework_dav.vad)
  2. ODS-WebBlog (ods_blog_dav.vad)
  3. ODS-Briefcase (ods_briefcase_dav.vad)
  4. ODS-Feed Manager (ods_feedmanager_dav.vad)
  5. ODS-Wiki (ods_wiki_dav.vad)
  6. ODS-Mail (ods_webmail_dav.vad)
  7. ODS-Calendar (ods_calendar_dav.vad)
  8. ODS-Bookmark Manager (ods_bookmark_dav.vad)
  9. ODS-Gallery (ods_gallery_dav.vad)
  10. ODS-Community (ods_community_dav.vad)
  11. ODS-Polls (ods_polls_dav.vad)
  12. ODS-Addressbook (ods_addressbook_dav.vad)
  13. ODS-Discussions (ods_discussions_dav.vad)
VAD Installation

The next step is to install the VAD packages. Run the following command with isql:

SQL> VAD_INSTALL('<path of the VAD file>',0);


Install the files in the order of the above listing. The web pages of the packages will go into the server's WebDAV repository.

DNS Settings

If you wish to offer virtual host names for applications, as in myblog.example.com, then the DNS has to be set up to direct *.example.com to the host where Virtuoso is running. If users will not choose virtual host names for their applications, this step can be skipped.

Configure ODS

The larger part of configuration is performed through the browser:

You can skip these steps, but the map-related features will be disabled.

  1. "Allow WA Default-Site Registrations": If registration is not allowed. only users created by a site admin will be able to login.
  2. "Verify registration by email" - Specifices whether to send a confirmation mail to new users or create the account immediately.

ODS is now ready for use.

Note: If you disable the default site registration, then in addition to the above, the ODS admin will need to create user accounts for site members.

Configuring the ODS domain(s)

In order to allow ODS users to create their own sub-domains (e.g. user.sample.domain, where the ODS domain is sample.domain), the ODS should be configured via the Conductor UI.

The following steps describe how you may enable an ODS domain :

After performing the above steps, the new domain will be selectable when choosing a virtual host name for new application instances.

Customization

The ODS pages can be modified by editing the *.vspx and *.css files in <Virtuoso OpenSource>/appsrc/ODS-Framework/ and then re-building the ods_dav.vad and re-installing it. Alternately, you can install the ods_filesystem.vad package which will put the dynamic web pages in the filesystem. You can edit the pages while the server is running, just as you would edit any dynamic web pages under PHP or similar.

The users in ODS may wish to change the look and feel of their own home pages in ODS. To do so, the user should go to the 'Settings' page and enter the 'Home Page Template Selection'. In the presented text area, he or she can edit the home page without special permissions from the ODS administrator.

Note: The current version of ODS contains one 'default' home page template, which can serve as a basis for customization.

Adding users with Conductor

IMPORTANT: Below are instructions for adding new user accounts, if registrations are disabled.

This can be performed in the Conductor (pre-installed on the Demo Database):

Configuring the Virtuoso mail handler

Virtuoso provides a local mail delivery program (virt_mail) for SMTP servers. This program is used to store received mail into the Virtuoso database.

The following instructions are applicable to UNIX systems using sendmail as a mail server.

Virtuoso Mail Handler Configuration

  1. Copy virt_mail to /usr/bin/virt_mail.
  2. Copy /binsrc/maildrop/odbc_mail.default.ini to /etc/odbc_mail.ini.
  3. Edit /etc/odbc_mail.ini and change the login settings to match your current database installation:

[Options]
DSN = DSN=Virtuoso; HOST=localhost:1111;UID=dba;PWD=dba
;MaxMessageSize = 2097152
Verify = DB.DBA.WA_MAIL_VALIDATE ('$local')
Deliver = DB.DBA.WA_NEW_MAIL('$1', $message)


(You can probably leave the rest of the odbc_mail.ini alone.)

Note that the DSN contains reference to the VOS server SQL port. This should be modified, if a non-default SQL port (1111) is used.

Sendmail program configuration

Replace the default local mailer in your sendmail.cf:

...
#Mlocal,        P=/usr/bin/procmail, F=lsDFMAw5:/|@qSPfhn9, S=EnvFromL/HdrFromL, R=EnvToL/HdrToL,
#               T=DNS/RFC822/X-Unix,
#               A=procmail -t -Y -a $h -d $u
Mlocal,         P=/usr/bin/virt_mail, F=lsDFMA5:/|@qSPhn9, S=10/30, R=20/40,
                T=DNS/RFC822/X-Unix,
                A=virt_mail -c /etc/odbc_mail.ini -l $u -h $h -s $g
...


IMPORTANT: Make sure that ODS packages are installed prior to making the above changes.

Verify Mail Settings

Send an e-mail to the 'dav' user account:

bash$ mail dav@<domain>
Subject: virt-mail-test
.
Cc:


Using the ISQL tool, check the mailbox of the 'dav' user account:

SQL> select mm_subj from mail_message where mm_own = 'dav';
MM_SUBJ
VARCHAR
_______________________________________________________________________________

virt-mail-test


If you see the subject of the mail which was sent in the previous step, then the handler works correctly. Otherwise, you should check the log of the sendmail program.


Other SMTP Servers

For the other mail server programs, please consult the INSTALL document in the <Virtuoso Open Source>/binsrc/maildrop/ directory.

Setting the VOS SMTP Mail handler on Win32 platforms

Before starting, make sure that STMP services for Internet Information Services (IIS) are installed on your windows box.

To check, open Control Panel

>Add or Remove Programs

>Add/Remove Windows Components. In "Internet Information Services," review Details. There, you must have "SMTP Service" installed. If not check the service and proceed with a windows installation update. Please note that the windows installation disk may be requested.

If SMTP Service is installed, proceed with the following steps:


   DSN = DSN=Virtuoso; HOST=localhost:1112;UID=dba;PWD=dba



SQL> smtp_send ('localhost:25', 'dba@testdomain', 'dba@testdomain', 'Subject: test\r\n\r\ntest');

Done. -- 26 msec.
SQL> select MM_SUBJ from mail_message;
MM_SUBJ
VARCHAR
_______________________________________________________________________________

test

1 Rows. -- 0 msec.
SQL>


You should see a row with the text "test" in the result. Please note that "testdomain" should be replaced by your domain (see above).


Verify = DB.DBA.WA_MAIL_VALIDATE ('$local')
Deliver = DB.DBA.WA_NEW_MAIL('$1', $message)