Installing Process Maker on Ubuntu 8.04

This is being installed on a vanilla VM image with LAMP and OpenSSH server installed. The first thing you will want to do is:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

This will ensure that your base system is fully updated before we get started. If you didn't install LAMP or OpenSSH, you can run:

sudo apt-get install openssh-server mysql-server php5 apache2 php5-mysql

and this will install the software you need. Let's start by getting the software. Go to the URL:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=215099&package_id=259471&release_id=602178

and copy the link to pmos-1.1-1999.tar.gz. You run the following:

cd /opt; sudo wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/processmaker/pmos-1.1-1999.tar.gz?modtime=1225133280&big_mirror=0

Your URL at the end of the wget may be different depending on the version of the package and the mirror site that SourceForge provides you. Run the following:

sudo tar zxvf pmos-1.1-199.tar.gz

so that the files extract in the /opt mount, you should see that this extracts a directory: processmaker. After this has completed, you will run:

sudo a2enmod expires
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 force-reload

and because we are going to use Joe:

sudo apt-get install joe

Now we need to configure apache2 to read from the configuration files. To do this, you will run:

sudo cp /opt/processmaker/etc/pmos.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/
sudo joe /etc/apache2/sites-available/pmos.conf
sudo a2ensite pmos.conf

and add in the following line to the pmos.conf file:

php_value magic_quotes_gpc 0

once these have been added, reload apache2:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload

Now we need to create a superuser on the MySQL database. This is done by running:

mysql -p
mysql> grant all on *.* to 'USER@localhost' identified by 'PASSWORD' with grant option;

Change the USER to the name of the new user, and PASSWORD to the new password.

cd /opt/processmaker
sudo mkdir shared compiled
sudo chmod 777 shared compiled
sudo chmod 777 -R workflow/engine/content/languages
sudo chmod 777 -R workflow/engine/js/labels
sudo chmod 0777 -R workflow/engine/config/
sudo chown www-data:www-data -R /opt/processmaker

Finally you will want to open the site in a browser:

http://servername:port/

You may need to disable the default site in apache2, you can do this by running:

sudo a2dissite default
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload

The installation configuration page should appear and test your configuration. You should expect that MySQL fails, until you enter in the username/password that you created previously in this guide. You can click on the TEST button to verify that it's configured properly. Also you will get a warning that the memory_limit for PHP is too low. By default PHP will install with the memory_limit = 16M. To change this run:

sudo joe /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini

and change the 16M to 40M. Once this is done you have to reload apache2 for the changes to take effect. Once this is done you should have green across the board, and be ready to move forward with the install. If everything installed properly, you should get to a login screen, at which point you will enter using the default login information of:

Username: admin
Password: admin

Obviously once you login, you'll want to change this information to something more secure. That should be, it, if you've followed everything here, the software should be installed and ready for you to go to work and play with it! The below URL will get you started on configurations. This is my first time using this software, so I'll write up a post regarding configuration and integration with other systems after I get to that juncture in my process.

Note, if you are logging in from another machine, you might get a 3rd option during the login asking for workspace. By default, the default workspace is: workflow. 

http://wiki.processmaker.com/index.php/User_Manual

Reference 1

Installing MindTouch DekiWiki on Ubuntu 8.04

I installed mine on a clean 8.04 VM image, so your environment may be slightly different, but going back to a vanilla install, this guide should be completely accurate. 

The first thing you will want to do is make sure that LAMP is installed on your machine and configured. You will also need to make sure you know the password to the 'root' user for MySQL. The next thing you need to do is:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

This will make sure your system is up2date with the existing software before you go ahead and update it further with Dekiwiki. Next you will want to run:

sudo apt-get install joe

As most of you know by know, joe is one of my favorite text editors on Linux, so the rest of the guide will use joe. Next run the following:

sudo apt-get joe /etc/apt/sources.list

and add in the following:

deb http://repo.mindtouch.com xUbuntu_8.04/

Once you save the file, run:

sudo apt-get update

Next run:

apt-get install html2ps poppler-utils html2text wv gs tidy links msttcorefonts cabextract

You want to respond 'YES' to everything that you get prompted for. Next you will want to run:

sudo wget http://www.princexml.com/download/prince_6.0r6-1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i prince_6.0r6-1_i386.deb

sudo apt-get install dekiwiki

and finally you will run:

a2ensite dekiwiki

a2dissite default

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload

Then once Apache reloads you can go to the URL:

http://<servername>:/config/index.php

and go through the form to enter in information such as the title of the dekiwiki instance, administrator username/password, and database connection information. Once that gets configured you should get to a success page where you will then run some commands to clean up your installer.

Reference

Link 1

Link 2

How to fix the automotive industry?

As most American's and the world for that matter know, the automotive industry here in America is not doing so well. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are all pleading with the federal government to afford them $25 billion in tax payer monies from the $700 billion dollar bailout, to help them through their hard financial times.

Really I do empathize with them, companies now are looking at hard time whether its services and goods that are consumer driven, or if your consumers are governments like it is with my company, we are all feeling the pinch. But most companies don't have the luxary to look to someone like the US government for assistance to help coderize the bleeding that is occurring within their business. Business sure up their practices by looking inward for things like MUDA (Japanese for waste) improvements, process, documentation, training or they look at reductions such as travel, operating costs, and the dreaded head count. Surely there are a variety of ways, more than are even listed here, for a business to look at improving itself to be able to weather through these hard times.

But when we look at companies like the big three, take GM for instance, they are a multi-national conglomerant with many different brands. For instance GM's active brands include:

• Buick
• Cadillac
• Chevrolet
• Daewoo
• GMC
• Holden
• Hummer
• Opel
• Pontiac
• Saab
• Saturn
• Vauxhall

If I was in a position to look at ways to limit my exposure, here are a list of things that I would start to do. First off, the Hummer brand to consumers needs to end immediately. Given the cost and ecological footprint, its just not a brand that should weather through these economic times. All consumer locations should be closed and another brand, such as GMC should take over the servicing of existing Hummers that are out there.

Second, I would look for ways to synergize my line of vehicles. SUV's in all the lines should be looked at and reduced. Start eliminating diversity and consolidate into a core line of products that can be retooled and made better. If you look at the GMC line for instance, there are 4 SUV's that are currently active--and that's just one GM company. Buick and Saturn both also have SUV's. These aren't selling, so if they aren't hybrid or have a positive value in the marketplace, stop making them and stop selling them immediately. There are a lot of high cost lines within GM:

• Cadillac
• Saab
• Buick

Get rid of one of the brands and consolidate. Or reduce the overall line to focus in on core values.

Also if I was CEO of GM, instead of asking Congress for a crapload of cash, I'd go to them with a proposal to help stimulate the economy, that is provide economical, fuel efficient vehicles and have the government subsedize them to the consumers. I.e. make a car that costs less than 10k, will last at least 5 years, and has a MPG higher than 50. Ask Congress for monies to develop this type of vehicle, retool, and backend into some sort of tax credit for folks who purchase these types of vehicles. This is the car of the future, where you get a lot but less emphasis is put on the fashion trendy aspects of what we've come to expect of a vehicle.