Scalar

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

Installation

Login to usccreate.org with your network username and password.

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 recent 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  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. 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/).

Omeka

Installing Omeka

Omeka is an open-source web application that can be used to create and display online digital collections. Developed by programmers at George Mason University, Omeka was designed to be user-friendly, both during installation and setup and during daily usage. To install Omeka, use these simple steps:

  1. Login to usccreate.org with your network username and password.

    log in

  2. Once logged in you’ll be at the homepage of your control panel. Navigate to the Applications section of the cPanel then select Omeka.

    applications

  3. This page gives you more information about the Omeka software. To begin the install click install this application in the upper-righthand corner. 

    install this application

  4. On the next page the installer will ask for some information about this install. The first thing you’ll want to do is decide where to install it. If you want to install Omeka on your main domain, you can leave the directory area empty. If you created a subdomain, you can select it from the dropdown menu. You also have the option of installing Omeka in a subfolder by typing in the folder name in the Directory field. Click here for more information about subdomains and subfolders.

    Omeka install

  5. 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. Click Install to continue.

    advanced setting management

  6. The installer will take just a few moments to install Omeka and a progress bar will keep you updated. When it is complete you will see a link to your new Omeka site as well as a link to the backend administrative section for your Omeka site. Click the image of the website and then the Overview tab to configure your new Omeka installation.

    omeka installation

  7. Enter the UsernamePassword, and Email you would like to use. The Administrator email is the address that messages from the system (e.g. forgot password email reminder) will appear to come from. The Site Title will appear at the top of your visitors’ browser windows. Select Save All.

    Omeka setup

  8. Congratulations! Omeka is now installed. Use the buttons to either proceed to the Public Site, or to begin adding content, go to the Admin Dashboard.

Installing Plugins

There are a variety of plugins that enable additional functionality in Omeka. All the plugins available for Omeka and their descriptions can be found on this page.

1. Find the plugin, and click the green button on the right to download the zip file.

download

2. Next, open up your cPanel Dashboard and click on the File Manager. You can find the File Manager under ‘Files’ or by typing “File Manager” in the upper right search bar.

file manager

3. Go to the public_html > omeka > plugins folder by clicking on the folder icons in the file menu, or by typing “public_html/omeka/plugins” into the navigation bar at the top and clicking ‘Go’.

search files

Omeka files

4. Next you will need to upload the zip file you downloaded into the plugins folder. Select the Upload option in the top menu to open up a new tab where you can upload the zip file. When the upload is complete, click the ‘Go back to home/yourdomain/public_html/omeka/plugins’ link at the bottom of the page to return to the File Manager. You will see that the zip file has appeared in the plugins folder.

file manager

back to home

5. Make sure the zip file is selected (it should be highlighted in blue), then click Extract from the menu at the top of the page. A small window will open up to confirm where the file will be extracted to. If you were in the plugins folder, it should say public_html/omeka/plugins, if not, type that into the box before you hit Extract File(s).

extract

6. Another window will open that outlines the contents of the file. Just hit the Close button and the installation will be complete.

 7. The plugin should now be available in the plugins tab in your Omeka.

Using Omeka

You can learn how to use this application in the official Omeka Support Documentation. This support guide will help you get started and begin creating your Omeka site.

Mediawiki

MediaWiki is an open-source publishing platform that can be used for creating a collaborative document repository. It’s the software that drives the Wikipedia website. Setting up a MediaWiki install on your own domain can be done by following these steps:

  1. Login to plymouthcreate.net with your Plymouth username and password, after clicking “Login with Shibboleth”.

  2. Once logged in you’ll be at the homepage of your control panel. Navigate the Web Applications section of the cPanel and click All Applications to find the Featured Applications. Then find and select MediaWiki

  3. The next page gives you more information about the MediaWiki software. To begin the install, click install this application in the upper-righthand corner.


  4. On the next page the installer will ask for some information about this install. The first thing you’ll want to do is decide where to install it. If you’re wanting to install MediaWiki on your main (the root) domain, you can leave the directory area empty.

    If you created a subdomain, you can select it from the dropdown menu.

    You also have the option of installing MediaWiki in a subfolder by typing in the folder name in the Directory field.

    (By default the installer will automatically backup your MediaWiki 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.)

  5. Finally, you’ll need to create an initial username and password for the WordPress install. Enter that information in final section and click Install (Note: A default username and password are provided for you.)

    The installer will take just a few moments to install WordPress and a progress bar will keep you updated. When it is complete you will see a link to your new MediaWiki site as well as a link to the back end administrative section for your MediaWiki site.

6. Congratulations, you have now completed the installation of MediaWiki! You can now start to create collaborative documents on your own domain.

Managing Permissions

The default Mediawiki installed has been customized to make it a bit harder for spammers to overwhelm wikis with illegitimate content and comments. This is done by modifying the LocalSettings.php file (a file that is included in every install in which it is possible to provide configurations details).

By default, Mediawiki allows anonymous users to create pages and edit pages in the wiki. The modifications change this in the following ways:

  • Anonymous users cannot edit existing pages
  • Anonymous users cannot create pages
  • Registered users must click the confirmation link in the registration email in order to edit or create pages

This approach should drastically reduce unsolicited content and comments on Mediawiki installations. One further step that administrator might take is to turn registration off after a predetermined amount of time. Users must create accounts by this date; after that, the settings are changed so that registrations are no longer open.

To add this setting, you must edit LocalSettings.php in your Mediawiki install:

  1. Login to cPanel and browse to your File Manager.
  2. In the File Manager, browser to the folder within publichtml that contains your Mediawiki install. If you installed the wiki at the root of your domain, you won’t need to go any further than publichtml. If you installed the wiki in a subdomain or subdirectory, you’ll need to find the directory that is associated with that space.

  3. Locate LocalSettings.php and click the Edit or Code Editor icon at the top of the File Manager.

  4. Browse to the bottom of the document, and locate the custom settings that were added during the Mediawiki install and the line “$wgGroupPermissions[‘*’][‘createaccount’] = false;”
    11953831465_8e29aea940_z

Using MediaWiki

You can learn how to use this application at the official MediaWiki Help Pages. This support documentation wiki will show you how to manage all aspects of your wiki, including customizing its appearance, editing content, and changing user settings.

WordPress

WordPress is an open source blog application. WordPress forked from b2/cafelog in 2003, and WordPress Mu multiple website functionality has been integrated since 2010. Today WordPress is the most used blog application, powering millions of blogs and being used by tens of millions of people every day.

Installing WordPress

WordPress is an open-source publishing platform that can be used for setting up a blog or website easily. It’s one of the most popular publishing platforms on the web. Setting up a WordPress install on your own domain can be done by following these simple steps:

Login to usccreate.org with your network username and password.

log in

Then, scroll down and look under Web Applications, then click the WordPress button.

applications

This page gives you more information about the WordPress software. To begin the install click Install this Application in the upper-righthand corner.

install this application

On the next page the installer will ask for some information about this install. The first thing you’ll want to do is decide where to install it. For example, you could install it in a subdomain you have created by selecting it from the dropdown menu. You also have the option of installing WordPress in a subfolder by typing in the folder name in the Directory field. Click here for more information about subdomains.

install wordpress

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, you’ll need to create an initial username and password for the WordPress install. Enter that information in final section and click Install.

username password install

The installer will take just a few moments to install WordPress and a progress bar will keep you updated. When it is complete you will see a link to your new WordPress site as well as a link to the backend administrative section for your WordPress site.

installing wordpress

wordpress administrative dashboard

Congratulations, you’ve now installed WordPress! Now you can start customizing it with themes, plugins, and more.

Getting to Know Your WordPress Dashboard

Now that you have your WordPress installed and running, it’s time to look at some basic settings for your site. The place that you will access the settings for your site is called the Dashboard, and it provides the starting point for accessing all of your sites dials and knobs.

Read More

Map Your Domain to Blogger

Mapping your domain is an important part of usccreate.org; it reinforces the idea that you don’t necessarily need to host all your own applications. You should, however, be mindful of making your web presences part of a domain you control. If you would like to map a subdomain and have not yet created it, use this tutorial on creating subdomains before proceeding. To map your domain, or a subdomain, to Blogger, use these steps:

  1. Login to usccreate.org with your network username and password.
  2. Once logged in you’ll be at the homepage of your control panel. The easiest way to navigate the panel is using the search feature in the top right panel. Click the Search box and type “DNS” (without the quotes). Click on Advanced Zone Editor and you will automatically be directed to the DNS Advanced Zone Editor page.
  3. Find the domain, or subdomain, you want to map to Blogger in the list of Zone File Records. Under the Action column, click Edit
  4. Leave the Name, and TTL fields set to their defaults. Update the Type drop-down menu to CNAME, and the Address field to ghs.google.com. Click Edit Record when you are done. Keep this window open; you will need it in later steps. 
  5. In a new window, go to the Blogger website, and login with your Blogger/Google username and password.
  6. From your Blogger Dashboard, find the blog you’d like to use, expand the More Options menu, and click Settings.
  7. On the “Basic Settings” page, find the Publishing section, and click the Setup a 3rd party URL for your blog link.
  8. Under Advanced Settings, type the full subdomain or domain you are mapping into the box, leave the Use missing files host? option set to No, then click Save.
  9. You will be presented with a message that your domain cannot be verified, along with information about your existing DNS entry, and an additional DNS entry that needs to be made. This is normal. Copy the second entry under the Name, Label, or Host entry to your clipboard.
  10. Go back to the window or tab containing the Advanced DNS Zone Editor in your usccreate.org cPanel. In the Add a Record section, paste the text you just copied into the Name field. This information will be different for each domain. Set the TTL field to 14400, and the Type drop-down menu to CNAME
  11. Go back to the window or tab containing the Blogger Advanced settings panel, and copy the second entry under the Destination, Target, or Points to column to your clipboard.
  12. Go back to the window or tab containing the Advanced DNS Zone Editor in your usccreate.org cPanel. In the Zone File Records section, find the domain you were editing Action for and paste the text you just copied into the CNAME field. This information will be different for each domain. Click Edit record when you are done. 
  13. Return to the window or tab containing the Blogger Advanced settings panel, and click Save.
  14. If everything was successful, your domain will now appear as the Blog Address. Keep in mind that it may take up to 72 hours for your domain or subdomain to correctly point all visitors to the correct location.

Map Your Domain to Tumblr

Mapping your domain is an important part of usccreate.org; it reinforces the idea that you don’t necessary need to host all your own applications. You should, however, be mindful of making your web presences part of a domain you control. If you would like to map a subdomain and have not yet created it, use this tutorial on creating subdomains before proceeding. To map your domain, or a subdomain, to Tumblr, use these steps:

  1. Login to usccreate.org with your network username and password.
    log in
  2. Once logged in you’ll be at the homepage of your control panel. The easiest way to navigate the cPanel is using the search feature in the top right panel. Click the Search box and type “DNS” (without the quotes). As you type, the cPanel page will begin to narrow down results. Find and click on Zone Editor to continue.
    zone editor
  3. To the right of your domain, click “Manage“.  manage
  4. Find the domain, or subdomain, you want to map to Tumblr in the list of Zone File Records. Under the Action column, click Edit  zone file records
  5. Leave the Name, and TTL fields set to their defaults. Update the Type drop-down menu to CNAME, and the Address field to domains.tumblr.com. Click Save Record when you are done.   cname
  6. Visit the Tumblr website, and login with your Tumblr username and password. 

  7. After logging in, click the Tumblr Settings icon.

    Settings

  8. In the right panel, select the blog you’d like to map.    tumblr connect
  9. On the Tumblog you’d like to use, under Username, click the pencil icon to edit.

    username

  10. Check the Use a custom domain checkbox. Type the name of the domain or subdomain you want to map to Tumblr into the box, then click Test your domain.

    tumblr username

  11. If your domain mapping was successful, you’ll see a message that your domain is now pointing to Tumblr. Click the Save button before leaving the page. Keep in mind that it may take up to 72 hours for your domain or subdomain to correctly point all visitors to the correct location.

What is Domain Mapping?

Domain mapping, simply put, is deciding where visitors should be directed when they visit various pieces of your website. Domains and subdomains can be mapped directly to folders located within your webhosting account, where you may have installed WordPress, Omeka, MediaWiki, or other web applications.

What is a subdomain?

A subdomain is one way of organizing and separating content on your site. You’re already familiar with the concept of subdomains, even if you don’t know it. A subdomain is a prefix on the URL of a domain.

Domains serve two purposes: they help to organize the site from a technical perspective, but they also serve as indications to the users that they are in a new/different space.

We have resources that demonstrate setting up subdomains and illustrate the difference between subdomains and subdirectories.

What is DNS?

Remember back before everyone had computers that fit in their pocket, how companies would ship a book full of phone numbers to your doorstep? We might have known who we were looking for, but we needed to look up phone numbers to reach them unless we had the number memorized. When you get your own domain name, by default it’s nothing more than a shortcut, an address, or (to fit this very imperfect analogy) a phone number. When you type a domain name into the address bar of your browser, someone has to identify it and tell it what to display. That’s where a name server comes in.

A name server is a computer, running as a server, that keeps a record of all the domain names that are associated with it and keeps track of where those domains should go. In the case of usccreate.org the name server is the same computer that runs the hosting. DNS stands for Domain Name System and the name server on usccreate.org gives control to it to identify what should be displayed when someone types in your domain. Consider the fact that you might have one or more subdomains in your account. The name server and DNS are able to identify those subdomains and let the world wide web know that they exist and point to some files/folders on a computer somewhere.

When you signed up for a domain through the usccreate.org system your name servers were chosen for you. So when people type in your address, the server responds with information about your account. When you migrate an account away from one hosting platform like Create Digital and onto a new service, it will require you to change the name servers so that your domain name points to a new server with its own files and structure. It’s also possible to have subdomains that point to entirely different servers than usccreate.org. For example, you could have a subdomain that looks to Tumblr for files.