Saturday 20 December 2008 1:54:00 am

Sorry for your bad experience.

It is quite hard to strike a balance between features, flexibility and simplicity of use, in any software product. The self-evident procedure for one user is the incomprehensible-brittle-procedure-from-hell for another one. And the button that one user does not need might be the do-it-or-else of another one.

A "cms" software is something that needs to be quite complex and flexible because the feature set is incredibly vague and vast - that's why sites like cmsmatrix are needed. Just figuring out of the features of a particular cms match the needs of a given project is a subproject on its own.

eZ Publish is clearly labeled as an "enterprise" cms. That means it favors flexibility and features over simplicity (securoty, stability and speed are goals for everybody).
It is not in the same league as most of the other open source php cms out there, really.

I have had personally a good experience installing and managing Drupal, but I would not describe it as a direct competitor to eZ Publish.
Wordpress is even simpler to install and manage, but of course it is not a cms anymore, just a blog engine.

Now, about your problems:

- the name of a node in the content tree is set by editing the object encapsulated in the node. Every object belongs to a class (as in ooo programming), and in the class definition you can decide which attribute of the object will be used to build its name. Of this sounds a bit complex, you can either go read the online docs, which are fairly complete, or just rely on the fact that most standard classes have an attribute aptly called 'title' that is used to derive the object name

- to change the existing root node with a different one a 'trick' is needed: click on the icon of the root node in the node tree menu on the left, and in the context-menu that pops up, go to 'advanced'->'swap node with another one'. For all other nodes it is easier, but since the root node cannot be missing ever for internal coherency, deleting/changing it is a bit more complex

Principal Consultant International Business
Member of the Community Project Board

Saturday 20 December 2008 10:57:29 am

I have to back up eZ here. When we took our first steps with the system, the first thing we seeked and easily found was the learning curve info, and the feedback turned out to be very consistent: it's very steep, it takes effort to master eZ Publish! So I really hope your only source of "easy" info did not come from the product's name.

But the name isn't totally false, either. From user's point of view, once you've mastered the basic concepts and content model, management becomes very simple and efficient. From developer's point of view, owing to the framework-like concept and consistency, it's also very friendly once you've covered enough material.

If you're unable to cope with environment-related problems, then you may find it difficult to locate any piece of software that will seem easy to install and run. I suggest another approach - tackle those problems, because you will have to deal with them more and more often. And those aren't eZ Publish related - learn more about PHP and Apache configuration, there are plenty of online tutorials and documentations, there are virtual machines, where you can test anything.

And search the forum, I'm more than certain than issues things have already been covered.

Good luck,
Piotrek

--
Company: mediaSELF Sp. z o.o., http://www.mediaself.pl
eZ references: http://ez.no/partners/worldwide_partners/mediaself
eZ certified developer: http://ez.no/certification/verify/272585
eZ blog: http://ez.ryba.eu

Sunday 21 December 2008 2:01:18 pm

Thank you for trying to help me. I really do appreciate it.

I'm speaking to my host about these other 2/3 problems. But my host isn't to blame for the email problem.

I've installed this twice now...trying sendmail once & smtp the second time. I've added a contact form & tried to register twice now. I don't get the form emails or the verification emails.

Were we supposed to do something special somewhere? According to what I'm reading I shouldn't touch the site.ini I should touch the site.ini append. Is this correct? Because I've edited it trying webmaster at dawnswebdesigns dot com & just plain webmaster (for account name). Neither one will work. I also added the from address of DawnsWebDesigns...it didn't help either.

I did notice in site.ini there's a place to add my site's email address as sending from but I was afraid to edit it cuz like I said...I've seen in 2/3 places not to touch it.

And the thing is I'm using website baker & vbulletin too...the contact forms work on both. And they're both using sendmail. So this has got to be some kind of lil edit somewhere & I'm not sure where.

If I could have access to your install instructions I'd fix them. It's as easy to say chmod these directories to 770 or 777 as it is all that unix stuff. It took me a few trial & errors to figure it out. Even so...I still had problems with autoload, settings, & settings/admin. I had to login to my host's control panel & use their file manager to re-save those. I had already chmod them with directFTP but the installer wouldn't recognize it 'til I re-saved them with the file manager???

Then after we're done installing shouldn't we chmod some directories &/or settings or config files back? Or delete some? Some of these softwares ask us to delete the entire install directory for security purposes. What do we do here?

Otherwise I have read & read & I can't figure out how to fix my email or where I'd install themes & be able to switch between them. I haven't even gotten around to plug-ins yet. Course I'm not sure your software's gonna need any...which is one reason I think it's very very cool.

I even told my host how cool it was while I was seeing about fixing these problems. I told them they might think about using it on their site. They have a site-builder plus an automatic installer that installs several programs like WordPress & such. Maybe they could add yours to it. It is actually one of the cooler software I've seen. I'm a designer & would like to use this software to do it. I'm also my host's affiliate so I'm trying to bring people to them & build them a site with your software. So I gotta get your software to work on their servers to do it.

Thanks for any help,

Dawn

Monday 22 December 2008 11:19:18 am

I think somebody asked where I got the impression software programs were supposed to be easy. From many of the software's themselves not to mention hosts. I've tried a few hosts & most if not all have not only had a sitebuilder they've had things like Fantastico or application managers that automatically install these "easy to use" software programs for you. So yeah...the implication is <b>everywhere</b>.

Please check this out: http://dawnswebdesigns.com/ezpublish/index.php/eng

After I switch out some images & add a lil content...it's done. All I have to do is fix these 3 lil things that I posted about when I first came in here & the email thing & it's done.

Some people can read techie manuals & with photographic memories & such they somehow get it. They're genius'. I'm not one of those people. I learn by pushing buttons & if I crash something then I know better then to push that button again. I've crashed a few sites in 5 years. Hosts & also the other people on a shared server don't want people like me having access to much of nothing...which is why there is none.

Which is why I handed those other 3 problems over to my hosts & asked them to fix them.

OK...I've left the site.ini file alone. I've checked out everything under settings/override & added my email wherever I saw blanks. I've tried both sendmail & smtp & neither one work. I've also (from the admin panel under set-up & ini settings) tried to add things wherever I saw blanks...nothing. Anymore ideas?

Monday 22 December 2008 12:03:54 pm

no switching ports didn't work either.

Tuesday 23 December 2008 7:27:01 am

"If you are the kind of person who does not care to read manuals or learn how things work before using them"

Don't care to read manuals? I guess I mis-worded myself because I'm here to tell you I have no problem reading help files, tutorials, manuals or books. I've been into reading & teaching myself things all my life. I didn't know jack about computers 'til I got a job & had to teach myself how to use one to keep it. I taught myself Word, the net, email; <b>all of it</b>. I also taught myself how to fix computers & office equipment cuz I couldn't afford to pay anybody else to do it for me.

I taught myself DTP, photo restoring, image editing, digital photography, website design, web graphic design, & installing online software programs...<b>all with help files, tutorials, manuals & books</b>. I know how to read AND comprehend. I'm someone who actually likes the library.

There are manuals that are well written & understandable & actually instruct &/or direct then there are manuals simply written that have words & possibly even explain a bit but they don't really instruct &/or direct. Which would explain all these postings around here about email & images not working. Even in this very thread: "settings/override & some various other files". There could be some under var somewhere. There's ini files various places & also for 3 areas of the same site...admin, users & eng. I can read your manuals all the live long day & they're still not going to tell me exactly where to go/what to do. Instead I'm supposed to go fishing & basically check every ini file there is just in case it has something about email in it? Or what? Pay for $60/mo or so hosting, pay somebody to install it for me, or pay for classes/training?

For almost 5 years now I've concentrated on installing softwares, mods & themes. 5 years. Don't that make me like a pro beta tester by now? I've got a working version of Drupal @ http://dawnswebdesigns.com/drupal & a working version of vBulletin @ http://dawnswebdesigns.com/forum & a working version of Website Baker @ http://dawnswebdesigns.com. I've also got a working version of WordPress somewhere. Wherever there's contact forms they work. It's mostly sendmail too & I believe one is in SMTP. I've even gotten Drupal's pretty URL's to work this time. I'm also an expert with SMF & have had experience with genealogy softwares. I'm self taught but <b>I'm no newbie</b>.

I got a new customer so I wanted a new software & I went here: http://www.opensourcecms.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=401&Itemid=160 & checked out that list. There's a few on it with problems. And the first thing they want to do is blame me &/or my host. Then of course it's "you can switch to our hosting where we know it'll work". If it's not their hosting it's some host they know of & I'm sure they're affiliated with & see some cash from. If you have to switch to an expensive host, pay a pro to install it, or pay for classes/training to use it then it's no longer "free software". Then it don't belong on that list along with the truly free softwares that will work on <b>any server</b> except maybe a free one. And when/if that's the case the free hosts need to tell people free software won't work. How much of my life did I waste there?

I've never said you all shouldn't make your money some way. I'm just saying <b>you should tell people</b>. Instead you sit here & tell me to learn programming/coding & download this & that & learn it too. To build a website for a customer here in the next couple of days?

Could you read a book & build yourself a house from the ground up? Or go mechanic your own car? Or go perform open-heart surgery? Are you stupid or retarded because maybe you can't? Of course not. We were all made for a reason & given gifts. Some people can sit down & read a book & memorize it & learn a whole new language...which is what programming/coding is. Some people have to see things first hand. The alphabet in sign language is the only one I ever taught myself & that's cuz the book had pics. ;-)

I can't really "get" the programming/coding so I rely on the software programs to bring me the dynamic pages with the bells & whistles that I want. If I could've figured out the programming/coding I would've cuz then I wouldn't have "powered by" at the bottom of all the pages. But like I said...I can't. Between the health problems & the ADD & PTSD & such I think I'm doing good to know what I know.

2 weeks of trying softwares & people telling me it's my fault or y host's fault & to switch to their stuff. I'm just tired of people blaming me for not having more gifts then the Great Spirit already gave me &/or my host like it's at all our fault when the fact is your manual won't tell me what I need to know & neither will anybody here unless I cough up some dough. I wish I could but I live on next to nothing. This is an "at home" biz. I just got the first customer I've seen in a while & have yet to actually put anything on his server & see if he'll be a "paying" one. I have neither the health, patience nor the time for fishing. With a cool software maybe he'll pay plus I'll drag in some more <b>paying</b> customers? And at least myself if not my future customers will hopefully be "tipping" somebody for it.

If you care to connect via PM or something & I let you into my site to fix whatever this email problem is I would certainly keep your software. I will be your crazy old beta testing hag. I have no problem reading/comprehending & I also have no problem writing & telling you exactly what's wrong. Ain't that what you want beta testers for? What if I fished & found all the right files but this is actually a bug or something? Stranger things have happened ya know? Otherwise I'm going to have to stick with the tried/tested/known to be truly free & work on even the cheap-ass probably shared several times over servers.