23rd World

Summary: If it was just one click I probably wouldn’t be writing about it ;) This is really for the ADD peeps and newbs out there, there’s nothing too challenging about this install.

Here’s a quick guide to starting an Open Atrium (Drupal-based “intranet in a box”) site if you happen to be a lucky Dreamhost customer. Dreamhost just added this feature today and it is pretty slick, but there’s still a couple bits of manual configuration.

Here’s what you’ll get:

How to Install Open Atrium on Dreamhost

1. DH Panel: Go to Domains > Manage > Add New Domain / Subdomain, and create a spot to put your Open Atrium install. For example: oa.23rdworld.com. You can make your subdomain anything you want.
2. DH Panel: Goodies > One-Click Installs > OpenAtrium. Select your new subdomain and leave option set to ‘Automatically create database’.
3. You will receive an automated email from Dreamhost that will include an link to your new site and information about your database that you will need later. Save this info!
4. Set file permissions. Access your server files (FTP or shell, etc) to your new site. Just as the actually quite helpful error message says:

   # Copy the ./sites/default/default.settings.php file to ./sites/default/settings.php.
# Change file permissions so that it is writable by the web server. If you are unsure how to grant file permissions, please consult the on-line handbook

   For you newbs, an easy way to do this is to use an FTP client (like Filezilla) to access your new site.

   • Download /sites/default/default.settings.php
   • Rename default.settings.php settings.php
   • Upload settings.php to /sites/default/
   • Right-click settings.php and select file permissions (in Filezilla, will be similar in other FTP clients) and set it to 744 (server/owner can read-write)
5. Go to your new site, for example: oa.23rdworld.com, this is where the prompts begin. Follow them.
6. You will get an error message (at right) if you skipped the ‘Set file permissions’ step (above). That’s ok, you can just go back and do that now and then click ‘Try again’.
7. Database settings: Fill in the database settings based on the email mentioned earlier. Make sure to open the ‘Advanced options’ menu group and enter the hostname (also provided in the email).
8. The rest of the configuration settings should be pretty obvious.

Hope this was useful for someone, I’m curious to see/hear what folks are using their Open Atrium installs for. Obviously not an intranet…unless you made it private…there’s loads of ways to do that (if there’s interest I’ll expand). I’m using mine to organize house projects with my roommate and husband. What are you using Open Atrium for?

P.s. If anyone is looking to get a new Dreamhost account I have a $100 off invitation if you’re ready to commit to two years and there’s plenty of referral codes out there too, so find one before you sign up!