WordPress MU

The developers of Gallery2 have developed an excellent "preinstaller." It is a small file (roughly 23K) that users upload to their site. This preinstaller connects to Gallery's servers (actually Sourceforge's, I think), downloads the zipped software directly to the host's computer, sets up the databases, and unzips the software.

I don't know enough about coding to contribute a similar tool to Wordpress, but I suspect that if somebody could develop such a tool, it would have these major advantages:

• Faster installation for folks using FTP without command line access (because it takes a while to download to my computer, unzip, then upload the unzipped Wordpress software to my host).
• Fewer problems in this forum

So, any developers want to take this up? Here's a link to the Gallery preinstaller.

Ideally, it would also check to see if certain conditions on the server are bet before install would run, too. Like mod_rewrite and whether virtual subdomains are enabled...

Just a tip on the zip/unzip parts because it took me a bit to clue in to it: on many servers, you can place a zipped file and unzip it right on the server itself. (Helloooooo Cpanel) Saves, like, dozens of minutes, if not hours over time.

[[[Just a tip on the zip/unzip parts because it took me a bit to clue in to it: on many servers, you can place a zipped file and unzip it right on the server itself. (Helloooooo Cpanel) Saves, like, dozens of minutes, if not hours over time.]]]

^^^

Very Very handy, it takes like ten minutes to FTP some scripts file by file, upload the whole file in FTP, goto file manager in cPanel, or Hsphere, and browse to the directory you uploaded main file to, click the file and unzip! Has saved me a hundred hours of uploading I bet.....

Good point andrea_r........

Unfortunately, I don't have Cpanel, so I did it the slow way. But speed is only one advantage of the preinstaller; it also makes installation easier.

yes, I have installed Gallery many times, it has a fantastic installer, and alot of modules you can use to help with the galleries, moving servers etc.

Simplemachines Forums has a great installer and updater as well. They also have something I'd like to see in WP/WPMU - adding plugins by just uploading a zip, and the backend unpacks & installs it for you.

Doesn't WP already have that Andrea?

While SMF's package manager is nice, at times, it also from time to time renders a site useless.

I think with a pre-installer script/updater script, my biggest concern would be if I wanted the install in the root public directory. Right now, placing the latest.tar.gz in this, results in the files being unpacked into a subdirectory.

Essentially, for this to work, it would require a package that was put together with all the files instead of just tarring up a directory.

With gallery or smf as an example, it's easier. Most people are putting them in a subdirectory like /gallery or /forum. WP, especially MU, would be a little more involved as I mentioned previously.

Just my 3 cents though.

Maybe we could donate this tool to donncha?: http://www.ioncube.com/ipf/index.php

Nope, WP doesn't already have it for plugins.

Excellent catch on the latest being in a folder already. Forgot to mention that.

We could offer that tool to Donncha, doesn't mean it'll get used.

It looks like it only creates a windows installer though, which would be a HUGE turn off.

WP doesn't have that automatic plugin feature thingy? I'd have swore I read about it somewhere...

Actually if a preinstaller could do a compare function when upgrading wpmu (checking for core files that have been edited based on version) it would make those of us (like DrMike and myself) who do edit core files have a slightly quicker time of it when wanting to upgrade from nightlies. Obviously that already is somewhat possible but not easily for the average layman to do.