NAME
    README - all about ePortal

WHAT IS ePortal?
    ePortal is a set of perl packages and HTML::Mason components to easy
    implement intranet WEB site for a company. ePortal is writen with a help
    of Apache, mod_perl, HTML::Mason. The current version of ePortal use
    MySQL as database backend.

    The ePortal server is distributed under the GPL license for
    non-commercial use. Contact me if you want do business with ePortal or
    some of it's part. Send me a postcard if you like it ;-) (Ask for
    address by e-mail)

FEATURES
    *   Customizable home page for for each user. Any registered user may
        construct his home page from a list of available sections.

    *   ePortal's API is documented. You can write your own modules and
        components.

    *   Support of applications. There are a number of applications
        available ready for use.

    *   ePortal may run in either Russian or English mode

    *   Support for directory browsing

    *   Special file folders. A nice calendar is displayed for easy
        navigation. Directory structure for Calendar folder like this:

         CalendarFolder    - root directory
           autohandler.mc  - this file is needed to specify folder properties
           2002      - year folder
             1       - month number
               10    - day number
               12

    *   Access control system

DOWNLOAD ePortal
    The latest information about ePortal can be found at:
    http://eportal.sourceforge.net/

REQUIREMENTS
    (this version of ePortal is known to run with it):

            Apache 1.3.xx - http://www.apache.org/
            perl 5.6.1 - http://www.perl.com/
            mod_perl 1.26 - http://perl.apache.org/
            HTML::Mason 1.15 - http://www.masonhq.com/

INSTALLATION
    * Install Apache, mod_perl, HTML::Mason
        Install and test all of them. It's the most important part of
        installation!

    * make ePortal
                perl Makefile.PL  [HOME=/home/ePortal] [PREFIX=/usr/local]
                make 
                make install

        Here HOME is home of ePortal where bin, comp_root, samples, images
        directories will be created and files copied.

         $HOME -- bin
            |-----comp_root
            |-----images
            |-----samples

    * Create datastore
        Before you run any of ePortal's utility set some environment
        variables:

        Unix/Linux:

            export EPORTAL_DBI_SOURCE=dbi:mysql:mysql_read_default_group=<...>;database=<...>;
            export EPORTAL_DBI_USERNAME=<username>
            export EPORTAL_DBI_PASSWORD=<...>

        WindowsNT: Use Control Panel/System to set system wide variables

        Now you may create datastore:

                cd bin
            perl ePortal.pl

    * crontab
        Install crontab. See samples/crontab as example.

    * logrotate
        Install logrotate script. See samples/logrotate.d/ePortal as
        expample.

    * httpd.conf
        Modify your httpd.conf file. See samples/httpd-eportal.conf as
        example.

    * Browse it
        Point your browser to http://your_server_name/admin/index.htm and
        setup menu, users and other things.

    * Speed UP
        You may need to set anvironment variable for speed up (see
        Params::Validate)

         export PERL_NO_VALIDATION=1

APPLICATIONS
    Every application does it's own task, e.g. OffPhones is a telephone
    directory with editor.

    Do application installation us usual:

            download Application-ver.tgz
            tar zfxv Application-ver.tgz
            cd Application-ver

            perl Makefile.PL HOME=/home/ePortal
            make
            make install

    Now restart Apache server and point your browser to
    http://your.server.com/admin/index.htm

    Look at list of installed Applications. Setup new application and create
    datastore here.

  KNOWN APPLICATIONS

   MsgForum

    This application may be used for news band with ability to discuss news
    items.

    Customizable settings are:

     - Who may write new message
     - Who may respond to existing message
     - Who may edit it's own messages
     - A special section for ePortal's home page
     - Support for smiles inside messages

   OffPhones

    Telephone Directory with editor.

     - Create and edit subdepartments
     - Create and edit entries
     - Every entry may have unlimited number of phones
     - Different types for phones (internal, external, modile, fax)
     - Registered user may add it's own personal memo for every entry
     - Any user may report to administrator about mistakes in directory
     - A special section for ePortal's home page
     - Search by any part of department name, entry name, job name, phone number

   Organizer

    Private organizer for every registered user and public organizers for
    shared access.

    *   Personal notepad for every user

    *   Personal address book for every user

    *   Personal To Do list for every user

    *   Personal dairy for every user. Event notification with popup message
        box.

    *   Anniversaries

   CompInventory

    Computer and other technics iventory database, autoscanning.

    This application is under development. Do not install it on production
    server!

   Diskoteka

    CD-ROM and floppy inventory database. Save full file list in database.
    Assign a set of disks to a Product. Full text search.

ePortal and Win32
    You need Apache binaries, ActivePerl (http://activestate.com/), MySQL
    for Win32.

    Do not install ePortal under Wni9x, use WinNT instead.

    It works on my home computer under Windows 2000 ;-)

AUTHOR
    Sergey Rusakov, <rusakov_sa@users.sourceforge.net>. Kemerovo, Russia.