Source Release Installation

Building and installing Zope from source

This document describes building and installing Zope on Unix. We will provide Windows instructions in later releases. We will also provide binary releases for some platforms.

Building Zope

There are some python scripts in the top-level directory that should help you get started. You must run these scripts from the top-level directory.

If you want to try out Zope in the simplest fashion using a Python web server, then run the script wo_pcgi:

    python wo_pcgi.py

If you want to use PCGI and an existing web server, run w_pcgi:

    python w_pcgi.py

Notes

• You should be using Python 1.5.1 to run the build scripts. * To build python extensions you need to have Python configuration information available. If your Python comes from an RPM you may need the python-devel RPM installed too. If you built Python from source all the configuration information should already be there. * If you just want to use Zope components it's not necessary to build Zope but it's a good idea since it will compile Python C extensions for you.

Setting the Zope "super manager" name and password

Because Zope is managed through the web, user names and passwords must be used to assure that only authorized people can make changes to a Zope installation. User names and passwords are normally defined by creating and modifying user folders within Zope.

A special "super manager" user name and password are defined outside the application for two reasons:

• Some user name and password are needed to enable creation of initial normal managers of your Zope site.

• The "super manager" provides an all-powerful user that can do anything in the application and whose password cannot be changed through the application user interface.

This user name and password is defined in the access file located in the Zope directory. It should be readable only by the user as which your web server runs.

The super manager username and password should only be used when defining the normal management users and passwords and when dealing with unusual situations, like lost (or hacked) manager user names and passwords.

The access file should consist of a single line of the form:

name:password

The build scripts automatically create an access file for you, using a default username and password of:

superuser:123

It is highly recommended that you change the default super manager name and password by editing your access file after running the build script. When you begin managing your Zope installation you will need to enter the superuser name and password when prompted.

Note that you may also add an optional third component to the line in the access file to restrict super manager access by domain. For example, the line:

mario:nintendoRules:*.mydomain.com

in your access file will only allow super manager access to your installation from *.mydomain.com machines. Attempts to access the system from other domains will fail, even if the correct superuser name and password are used.

Setting permissions ons on the var directory.

You need to set permissions on the Zope var directory. Zope needs to read and write data from its var directory. Before running Zope you should ensure that you give adequate permissions to the Zope var directory for the userid Zope will run under.

Depending on how you choose to run Zope you will need to give different permissions to the var directory. For example if you are using ZopeHTTPServer which normally runs as your userid, you need only ensure that your userid has read and write permissions to the var directory. If you use Zope with an existing web server, it will probably run Zope as nobody. In this case nobody needs read and write permissions to the var directory.

If you change the way you run Zope you may need to modify the permissions of the var directory and the files in it to allow Zope to read and write under its changed userid.

Using Zope with ZopeHTTPServer

ZopeHTTPServer is a simple web server written in Python and it allows you to run Zope without using PCGI and another web server. The build script automatically creates a shell script named serve.sh which will run the built-in server. To start Zope using ZopeHTTPServer cd to the Zope directory and issue the command:

    serve.sh

Starting Zope with an existing web server

See the WEBSERVERS.txt file for more information about configuring Zope with an existing web server.

Accessing Zope through the web

After you either start ZopeHTTPServer or set up Zope with your web server you should be able to start using Zope through the web. Point your browser to either:

http://localhost:9673/manage

if you are using ZopeHTTPServer or whatever the relevant URL is, if you are using PCGI. If you're using PCGI make sure to tack /manage on after the name of the Zope CGI script so that you go to the management screen. For example the URL may be something like:

http://localhost/cgi-bin/Zope.cgi/manage

You will be prompted to enter a user name and a password. Enter the super user name and password you specified in the access file.

Now your off and running! You should be looking at the Zope management screen which is divided into two frames. On the left you can navigate between Zope object and on the right you can edit them by selecting different management functions with the tabs at the top of the frame.

If you haven't used Zope before, you should head to the Zope web site and read some documentation. The Zope Manager's Guide is a good place to start. You can access the Zope site at:

http://www.zope.org/

Have fun!