August 2002 - Koha-devel - lists.koha-community.org

RE: [Koha] One day to go to get this running on Windows
by Nicholas Rosasco 06 Aug '02

06 Aug '02

George has a _good_ question... actually, I've got a similar question. Has anyone else been running koha as a "standalone" (ie, not networked)? I've had some issues on Mandrake box that the install worked quite well on... except it don't seem to work right. Machine in question running on a network whose only link to outside world is MS Win connection sharing feature (which I'm guessing is NAT, or NAT like, as the linux machine claims a 192.168 ip). I'm wondering if somehow the lack of true nameserving is the issue? Or something in the virtual hosts config? Vital info: 1.2.2 Koha, Install script, Mandrake (I think 8.0 or 8.1, worst case 7 series). >I think that the install page has lagged behind the install script at this >point. the script is really 'the right way to go' at this point. If anyone knows of any issues... PLEASE tell me :) Nick ...has the httpd.conf, hosts, and assorted other files. > Is there anything else I need to do in the apache config that's > not noted on the install page. The install script for linux > shows more complicated changes being made. > Do virtual hosts have to be running properly or can I just link > to it using http://localhost??= >

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hacking Koha
by Daniel Holth 05 Aug '02

05 Aug '02

I would like to enhance Koha and contribute my changes. How should I get started? My issue is not so much Perl (shield my Pythonic eyes!), it is that the downloaded source has an entirely different structure than the installed program, and if I submit a patch what's the best way to generate it, or, what is the preferred method for editing Koha? I'm using Koha with my small (50 books in the database) library. I wanted to collect the LC Call numbers for all my books so I could organize them that way. I have and they're lovely. Photo on request. Each book now bears a little label with its call number; some unnecessarily have Koha-number barcodes fastened inside. A declawed CueCat (transmits barcodes in plaintext!) example: 314293 scans; since my library doesn't circulate this is just for fun. I think I'm using RC7 right now, the database upgrade was a little scary but all in all I like it. Well, I can add members now, but my OPAC is broke. FWIW, here's (a subset of) my wishlist in rough priority order: - LC call numbers in database, display - Properly ordered collection browsing - ISBN code should handle Bookland ISBN, Bookland+5 (price) codes, then the CueCat would be useful for acquisitions. The Perl is difficult for me here. Way down the list: - More interesting info for each book (like summaries). It could be nice to be able to back up different parts of the database separately (making upgrades easier) - perhaps books, members, preferences. The rationale would be to separate the version-specific data from the more permanent data. I imagine someone is already working on separating the data edit forms into their own widget modules. It's a good idea, because right now there seem to be different versions of a couple of very similar forms. On another note, the other day I went to the public library. Mentioned 'free library system' to a librarian (after a futile quest to extract LC Call No. related information from him), librarian responds "Koha? I was thinking about using it in my church.". Great radio bit! - Daniel Holth

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Re: (Fwd) Ideas for Koha
by Pat Eyler 05 Aug '02

05 Aug '02

On Mon, 5 Aug 2002, Rachel Hamilton-Williams wrote: > ------- Forwarded message follows ------- > Date sent: Mon, 05 Aug 2002 00:42:34 +1200 > From: Des <deslov(a)infogen.net.nz> > To: rachel(a)katipo.co.nz > Subject: Ideas for Koha > > Hi Rachel, > > I saw your Koha Library software site at; > http://www.koha.org/index.html > > I do not use Koha, but I have some ideas you might like; Thanks for the ideas. I wonder why you're not using Koha (yet?). Is Koha something you might consider at some point? If not, why not? (Not trying to be argumentative, just looking for places we need to improve.) > > 1) Have an interface for the data entry section that can read the > catalogue files of publishers and sales catalogues. This would save some > time for the data entry process, and also can be used to find books that > the library system does not have by an author, or on a certain topic. > > 2) Retain the older HTML page versions, for those who do not have the > latest browser, and are using old PCs. (Is this about the www.koha.org pages, or Koha itself? I'm assuming you're talking about Koha.) Using the templates (a feature that's emerging in the 1.2 release series), it would certainly be possible to create web pages that were 'old browser friendly (to a point -- if you don't support forms, it's not going to work). > > 3) What is the lowest spec PC that is reasonable for use as a client? > Can dumb clients be made up using PCs as old as 2,3,or 486? > This depends on which interface you want to use. If you can get a resonable browser running on the PC, you can run the HTML interface on nearly anything (I'm hoping to hear from someone that they've used koha on a palmtop system). If you are willing to run a telnet interface, there's no reason you couldn't run a 286 or even a dumb terminal attached to a terminal server. The telnet interface has lagged a bit, and is in need of some love at this point, but is certainly an option. > 4) Transfer of database data from one database to another. > Useful for system and hardware upgrade processess, backing up, and > sending to other branches (It is much quicker to delete the records of > non-existant books , than to have to enter the details of the books that > are present.) Some branch libraries can all be relied upon to carry > similar stock in some categories (reference, council and regional > reports, basic reader books, magazines). > > 5) The Koha website did not appear to have any email address address for > an open ended approach (which is why I used yours). It should not be > mandatory that I should fill in a two screen length form, just to give > you a few ideas. Please feel free to send email to kaitiaki(a)koha.org (or to subscribe to any of our mailing lists) to talk about ideas, Koha, or other (hopefully related) topics. thanks, Pat Eyler manager/Kaitiaki the Koha project > > Yours > Alasdair Lovatt > deslov(a)infogen.net.nz > > ------- End of forwarded message ------- > _____________________________________________________________ > > Rachel Hamilton-Williams Katipo Communications > WEBMISTRESS ph 021 389 128 or +64 04 934 1285 > mailto:rachel@katipo.co.nz PO Box 12487, Wellington > http://www.katipo.co.nz New Zealand > Koha Open Source Library System > http://www.koha.org > > >

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Koha on the Radio
by Rachel Hamilton-Williams 04 Aug '02

04 Aug '02

Hi, For any of you in New Zealand, Digital Life on National radio (7pm Tuesday night), has done a piece on Open Source, and Koha is the "anchor" for the segment. If you'd like to know what I sound like tune in to National Radio, or you can download it from the digital life webpage... http://www.radionz.co.nz/digitallife/index.html Cheers Rachel _____________________________________________________________ Rachel Hamilton-Williams Katipo Communications WEBMISTRESS ph 021 389 128 or +64 04 934 1285 mailto:rachel@katipo.co.nz PO Box 12487, Wellington http://www.katipo.co.nz New Zealand Koha Open Source Library System http://www.koha.org

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From the Kaitiaki
by Pat Eyler 01 Aug '02

01 Aug '02

2 Aug, 2002 To the Koha community; Guten Tag, Birthdays (at least in my family) are over and vacations have begun. While the development pace may have slackened a bit, there is still plenty going on. 1.2.3 is in pre-release testing mode, and represents some nice improvements over 1.2.2. The developers at Katipo are also adding shine and polish to the 1.2 tree. We're continuing to get publicity from Linux Weekly News (in the Aug 1st, 2002 Edition this time). In addition, I've now received a copy of an article slated to appear in InCite, the magazine of ALIA. The author, Christophe Augias is also a librarian at Bibliotheque Bernham in New Caledonea. He says that they will be evaluating Koha this fall. If all goes well, they should join the ranks of Koha equipped libraries quite soon. Danke, -pate Pat Eyler Kaitiaki of the Koha Project

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