Scalar

Scalar is a content management system with the idea of creating non-linear books on the web.

Installation

To get started, login to the Plymouth Create page with your PSU CampusID and password. Once you’ve logged in, go to the dashboard.

Navigate to the Application section and select Scalar. You can also use the search function as well.

When you click on the Scalar icon, you will be taken to the Scalar information page. Click install this application.

On the next page, fill in the different sections. First in location, decide on the domain or sub-domain for your Scalar site. You can create a sub-domain by following directions in the section Setting up Subdomain. The directory is optional. If you are using a sub-domain, you may not need to use a sub-directory. You can learn more by reading Subdomains vs Subdirectories.

In the version section, select to most resent version. By default the installer will automatically backup your website and update it anytime a new version comes out. While we recommend you keep this option, it is possible to only do minor updates, or turn them off completely. The installer will also create a database for you automatically, but if you’ve already created one for this website you can choose Let me manage the database settings and enter the details.

Finally, in Settings, you’ll need to create a username and password for the WordPress install. A password can be generated for you, but you should try to create your own. Enter that information in final section and click Install.

Once the installer is finished loading, you will be taken to the My Apps section of the dashboard. Here you’ll find links to login to your install.

Creating a book

To get started in Scalar, you will need to create a book. Log in to Scalar using the username and password you set up during the installation process.

Go to the top right corner and click, Dashboard.

Select the My Account tab and at the bottom of the page type in a title for you book. Don’t worry this title can be changed later if needed. Click Create.

From there you will be able to build your Scalar book. We recommend visiting the Scalar guide (http://scalar.usc.edu/works/guide/index) and the Scalar forums for more support information (http://scalar.usc.edu/scalar/forums/).