                      Faq-O-Matic Faq-O-Matic: README

<a href="">Faq-O-Matic Faq-O-Matic</a> : <a href="">Administrators' Guide</a> : <a href="">Install</a> :
README
    ====================
    What is FAQ-O-Matic?
    ====================
    
    The Faq-O-Matic is a CGI-based system that automates the process of
    maintaining a FAQ (or Frequently Asked Questions list). It allows
    visitors to your FAQ to take part in keeping it up-to-date. A
    permission system also makes it useful as a help-desk application,
    bug-tracking database, or documentation system.
    
    This documentation itself is, naturally, maintained with Faq-O-Matic:
    
      <http://faqomatic.sourceforge.net/>
    
    ===============
    Latest Version:
    ===============
    
    Before you get in too deep, make sure you have the latest version
    of the FAQ-O-Matic. Check the main website to see which version it is
    running:
    
      <http://faqomatic.sourceforge.net>
    
    Especially the Administrators' Guide:
    
      <http://faqomatic.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/fom?file=3>
    
    And check the download site for the most recent revision:
    
      <http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=10674>
      <http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/faqomatic/>
    
    
    ===========
    Quickstart:
    ===========
    
    % perl Makefile.PL
    % make
    % make install
    % mv fom /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/fom
             (or wherever your CGIs live.)
    % netscape http://localhost/cgi-bin/fom
      (or whatever browser you prefer)
               (or whatever the URL would be to execute the CGI)
    
    * subscribe to faqomatic-users (see link to FOMFOM at bottom).
    
    * add your Faq-O-Matic (a description is fine if it's not public) to
    the List of Faqomatics (on the FOMFOM).
    
    * send Jon a postcard, if you're feeling generous.
    
    ======================
    Themes and Variations:
    ======================
    
    * If you don't have the privilege to install the modules in an "official"
      place, tell Makefile.PL that before you start:
    
        % mkdir ~/user_perl
        % perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=~/user_perl
        % make
            ...
    
    * If your web server requires CGIs to have a certain suffix, simply
      rename the generated file "fom" to something like "fom.cgi":
    
            ...
        % mv fom /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/fom.cgi
        % netscape http://localhost/cgi-bin/fom.cgi
    
    * If the user that CGIs run as can't write to the directory in which
      CGIs reside (a wise security move), create a writable meta/ directory
      (or a link to one) there in advance:
    
            ...
        % mv fom /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/fom
        % mkdir /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/meta
        % chown nobody /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/meta
        % netscape http://localhost/cgi-bin/fom
        
        or
        
            ...
        % mv fom /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/fom
        % mkdir /somewhere/else/meta
        % chown nobody /somewhere/else/meta
        % ln -s /somewhere/else/meta /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/meta
        % netscape http://localhost/cgi-bin/fom
    
    * If you'd rather not even put a link in that directory, modify the
      fom CGI stub to name the meta directly:
    
        % vi fom
        % cat fom
        #!/usr/local/bin/perl
        use Faq::Omatic::dispatch
        Faq::Omatic::dispatch::main('/somewhere/else/meta/');
            % mv fom ...
    
      Either of the above two techniques are also suitable for running
      multiple FAQ-O-Matics on one server. Keep in mind that if the FAQs
      are related, they should probably be kept together as one FAQ with
      a few main categories, so searches will search the entire lot.
    
    
    =====
    Bugs:
    =====
    
      Bugs and problems are best reported at
      <http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=add&group_id=10674&atid=110674>
    
    
    
    ============
    Author Info:
    ============
    
            Jon Howell
            jonh@cs.dartmouth.edu
            http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~jonh


This document is at: http://www.jonh.net/cgi-bin/faqomatic/fom?file=1026
Generated by FAQ-O-Matic 2.715d,
available at http://faqomatic.sourceforge.net/
