Helpful Optional Software
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| Many other applications and utilities can make management of PostNuke much easier. Besides having the everyday compression and FTP tools needed to install and maintain PostNuke, some really great applications and scripts are available that you can use to easily resolve any problems that might come up. FTP ApplicationsPostNuke content is updated mainly through the built-in online web forms, but even after the install, you still need to transfer files directly to the server. If your server is local on your local area network (LAN), you can do this using a drive share or mount, but in most cases, your server will be hosted remotely and you need to use FTP. A variety of clients are available for both Linux and Windows XP. Windows users should start with one of these popular FTP utilities:
Tip Many Unix servers run Secure SHell (SSH) and require you to connect with SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or Secure Copy Protocol (SCP). If you need an SFTP-capable client, try WinSCP (winscp.sourceforge.net). For Linux users, if you are not running X Windows, you are probably already familiar with the FTP that comes standard. Whether you prefer X or not, you might still want a more full-featured FTP client, such as one of the following:
EditorsPostNuke is incredibly powerful right out of the proverbial box, but if you expect to make a site yours both in form and function, you must do some web development. And that means you need an HTML/PHP editor. Developers with web experience undoubtedly already have their personal set of tools installed and ready, but if you're new to the Web, you certainly have plenty of options. Note PostNuke is a tool for rapid website development, but like any tool, you must put it to work to see a real benefit. That means customizing. The more effort you put into the postinstall development, the better your website becomes. Some of the applications in the following list are full-featured Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), and some are simple text editors. Selection of an editor that's right for you is very much a personal choice. Try many editors before you settle; the differences are often subtle but very important. Those developing on a Windows XP platform can start with one of these handy applications:
HomeSite, PHPEdit, and Zend all have support for PHP, whereas the others are more strictly HTML focused. Simple Windows Notepad is fine for edits if you have to use it, but it's generally easier and faster to have an application that includes at least some syntax highlighting. Note Other larger-scale development suites, such as Dreamweaver and FrontPage were purposely left out of the list of recommended tools. Although WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) code-generating applications can be easy to use, they can also be "too smart," adding or changing code for you. Unless you are very comfortable and familiar with the application and how it performs, unexpected changes such as these might end up hindering your development with PostNuke. The vi editor will always be popular with diehard Unix and Linux users, but if you prefer a Linux editor with an X Windows graphical user interface (GUI), try one of these:
Compression ToolsYou need a compression tool to extract PostNuke and additional separate modules for install. Windows XP and Linux both provide this standard utility, but many users have found other third-party applications to be more full-featured or user-friendly. Good options for Windows XP include the following:
Linux users might want to try out one of the following:
Mail ServersIt's a good idea to have a working mail system installed or at least available to your PostNuke server. Integrated components of PostNuke, such as the account registration module, use mail, and you might find it easier to have a server running on the same host. Both Linux and Windows XP provide mail servers you can use. Alternate standalone mail servers for Windows XP include the following:
Any of these Linux alternatives are equally effective:
PostNuke uses PHP to send mail. You need to edit your php.ini file to make changes to how PostNuke sends out email, including the setup of a separate mail server. A full mail module with more configuration options is planned for the next release of PostNuke, 0.8. The default mail server setting in PHP is localhost, so having a local mail server might be easier for you. Administration ToolsYou need a tool to easily manage your PostNuke MySQL database. One commercial option is cPanel (www.cpanel.net) and if you are using an external hosting service, you might find that cPanel support is part of your package. phpMyAdmin (www.phpmyadmin.net) is another very popular management option and is distributed under the General Public License (GPL). It provides a web-based client for administration from any location. The MySQL Control Center (MySQLCC; www.mysql.com) is a client application, also available under the GNU GPL, which provides even more features in a platform-independent GUI. Other MySQL management options include
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