Difference between revisions of "Creating and Maintaining a Module Repository"

From CrossWire Bible Society
Jump to: navigation, search
(MacOS X zip)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
The most basic way to setup a remote repository is to simply point an anonymous
 +
FTP server to any working SWORD module installation (i.e. if
 +
/usr/share/sword works for your frontends, then expose this directory
 +
via your FTP server and your module repository is done).  All C++ SWORD
 +
frontends should function properly from this.
 +
 
== Layout of a Module repository ==
 
== Layout of a Module repository ==
  
In order to deal with all ways the various frontends use our module [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repository repository]  the following needs to be provided:
+
In order to deal with all ways the various frontends use our module [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repository repository]  the following should be provided:
  
 
An echo of the '''mods.d''' and '''modules''' area as found under any Sword module area on your system (e.g. '''~/.sword''') plus '''mods.d.tar.gz''', as created by:
 
An echo of the '''mods.d''' and '''modules''' area as found under any Sword module area on your system (e.g. '''~/.sword''') plus '''mods.d.tar.gz''', as created by:
Line 7: Line 13:
 
  tar czvf mods.d.tar.gz mods.d/*
 
  tar czvf mods.d.tar.gz mods.d/*
  
Also a directory with zipped mnodules for JSword derrived front ends. This can also serve as a repository for smaller devices without integrated module manager.
+
This latter is used to optimise finding and downloading modules from large repositories. If you only wish to offer few modules to your readers, this is not required.
 +
 
 +
Also required us a directory with zipped mnodules for JSword derrived front ends. This can also serve as a repository for smaller devices without integrated module manager.
  
 
This needs to be accessible both via FTP and via HTTP (for direct download and for JSword)
 
This needs to be accessible both via FTP and via HTTP (for direct download and for JSword)

Revision as of 17:34, 29 November 2008

The most basic way to setup a remote repository is to simply point an anonymous FTP server to any working SWORD module installation (i.e. if /usr/share/sword works for your frontends, then expose this directory via your FTP server and your module repository is done). All C++ SWORD frontends should function properly from this.

Layout of a Module repository

In order to deal with all ways the various frontends use our module repository the following should be provided:

An echo of the mods.d and modules area as found under any Sword module area on your system (e.g. ~/.sword) plus mods.d.tar.gz, as created by:

tar czvf mods.d.tar.gz mods.d/*

This latter is used to optimise finding and downloading modules from large repositories. If you only wish to offer few modules to your readers, this is not required.

Also required us a directory with zipped mnodules for JSword derrived front ends. This can also serve as a repository for smaller devices without integrated module manager.

This needs to be accessible both via FTP and via HTTP (for direct download and for JSword)

Zipped Modules

Some of the smaller devices running a sword frontend do not have a network enabled module manager. Users of these devices need to download their modules as zipped files and unzip them in the right place - e.g. a SD card.

It is also helpful for people who have no access to direct internet connections or live in countries with monitored access to the internet[1] to be able to download (and possibly distribute) zipped modules.

These come in three formats

  • rawzip (required by JSword derrived front-ends)
  • zip for MS Windows
  • zip for Mac OSX

rawzip

This is a zipped archive of a module in the file and directory layout used in the local module directory.

E.g. to create from your own module directory a zipped module of a uncompressed GenBook do this:

cd ~ftp/pub/sword
zip zip/mybook.zip mods.d/mybook.conf modules/genbook/rawgenbooks/mybook

MS Windows zip

This is a zip file which will selfextract on a MS Windows computer. To create it you require:

missing content

MacOS X zip

Earlier version of MacSword relied on these instead of the module manager. This is not anymore required for a module repository.

Registering your repository with CrossWire

Most frontends can install modules from a number of repositories. Several repositories are well established with CrossWire and are maintained by various developers. If you or your organisation have set up your own repository, please announce it on the mailing list (sword-devel@crosswire.org).

From libsword-1.5.12 onwards the module manager will also be able to load dynamically a list of active and accepted repositories. To enable your repository for this list please contact CrossWire

References

  1. Access Denied: The Practice and Policy of Global Internet Filtering (Information Revolution and Global Politics).