Hey - what do you guys think about this

I just had an idea spring up in my head. I can build a standalone client side GUI application for configuring Apache and PHP (the configuration files) and provide help topics for all the specific values. I would build it using Mozilla and the related technologies. So, I can take the base mozilla tree and strip it down of all the browser code and all uneeded code and rebuild the source, wrap my XUL code around the engine and package it as an executable installer for windows and a zipped source for unix.

Using the above, I can write an article on how I did the application and others can use the article for a starting point in creating thier own standalone GUI applications using mozilla.

Hows that sound? Give me some feedback - or some other possibles for small standalone administration applications that may be helpful to users...

Erm, sounds like a good thing to do for yourself to learn mozilla stuff further, but I really doubt it will be of any use to anyone else. Simply because when you install php and apache, they intergate so nicely you don't even have to edit anything (besides may be AddType, but even newbies can do that)

Actually, I think it would be kind of cool.

That's true, if you are happy with the default install. There are those of us who enjoy tweaking things, and I do get tired ot SSH-ing to my server, navigating to /usr/local/lib/php.ini or /etc/apache/php.ini, firing up vi or pico, editing, and then running 'apachectl restart'.

Also, remember that the php.ini file is an INI file. Thus, this program could be expanded to work on any INI file. PHP itself has functions for using INI files, and I find it very convenient to use them to configure some of my larger applications. Thus, you could use Joe's application as a generic client for your users to configure PHP apps that you distribute.

So, I say do it, but also think about making it a more generic "configuration management" library, instead of just an Apache/PHP configuration system.

OK stop twisting my arm. I'll do it with you

Lol... (twisting my rycamor voodoo doll's arm)

lets do the PostgreSQL GUI Admin. Like phpMyAdmin, only a GUI'ized desktop standalone version - that would be awesome.

<stateOfConfusion>
Is GUI'ized even a word
</stateOfConfusion>

*sigh* I'm still sceptical. Those who can tune apache and php for best performance under their conditions don't need such app. Those who don't know how to config either one of those, most of the times can't be bothered with another app...

There're about 10 things I change in php.ini from default install. As for apache - ****loads of chagnes, but they differ from server to server. There's just now way you can create one app for take care of all cases.

Well, whole idea behind it would be to answer alot of questions (and I mean alot of questions) that users have for specific settings. We all see questions asked over and over about certain settings in the config ini file (using php as example); what setting changes this, what setting changes that. Now, using such an application we can present the user with an administration center where each setting can be easily changed and provide help keys (or explanations) integrated into the app for each of the settings in a pop-up gui window; showing normal settings and examples of custom settings. The app can also be plugged to roll back settings to the default values.

I think I can strip down moz enough to where the application core would only weigh in at a couple megs max (if that) - the overlays and documentation wouldn't weigh much at all.

Speaking of stripping down moz - I will try to strip a release and create a core this weekend; keep it on hand for other apps also - maybe post a link to the core in the XUL forum...

I wouldn't be interested in the use of the application, I don't run any real servers myself (except localhost test ones). But I'd love to get my feet wet learning how to program Mozilla.

I've gotten fairly deep into Explorer, and I'd love to do the same for a...less Microsoftish browser since it would lend my app's much more portability.

If I was going to create a configuration / managment tool for Apache, I would take a look at the products from Covalent. They have an online demo which will let you look at all the screens to setup and monitor Apache. While it may not be possible to incorporate all the features of this product, I thought looking at it might give you some ideas.

Interesting idea. It would be a great project in XUL masturbation (no offense) but I have to agree with Al. The practical application is limited. "REAL" servers running *nix aren't likely to have a GUI running anyway.

What would be more interesting to see would be an app which could do this remotely (speaking to a deamon on the server perhaps?)

I could also see the benefit of having this edit configuration directives that are available via .htaccess for shared servers. Of course, THIS could be done via a web interface.

Ok - what about a GUI'ized (there I go with that word again) standalone for DB administration - like phpmyadmin, only a double duty one that works for both PostgreSQL and MySQL that can be plugged for multiple database servers. Does that sound like a good one? Is that a little overkill, or does it sound like it could be a winning application? Let me know, the mind is open for some quality feedback from you guys.....

This is how I was thinking anyway. But it wouldn't really need a daemon. Just connect by SSL to a Perl script with some sudo rights. Require strong passwords, give the ability to restrict by IP address, and there you go.

I think its a good project because it could be a generic system for managing many different config files, instead of just Apache/PHP. That could prove useful. Also, it would be a fairly simple project to work on. Nice way to get started with XUL.

The database GUI project is one jpenn & I were discussing earlier. I definitely want to do that also, but it will require some serious work.

What about making it (or maybe part of it) a distributed app? Since mozilla can load XUL files over HTTP, you could serve the GUI for the app from the same server where the PERL backend was running. It would save the download of the stripped-down gecko engine.

Maybe two apps here, a local, larger, desktop app, capable of monitoring/configure apache/php/rdbms/etc, and a handful of smaller XUL/PERL setups just for each one. So you want apache, you go to apache.xul, php is php.xul, etc. The desktop app would be bundling of all the .xul files, along with the ability to connect to multiple arbitrary servers, rather than a predefined one the way the served files would operate.

Yes - I think that would turn out to be a long term project...


Sounds great - didn't even think about that. The overlays/xul/script files wouldn't wiegh much at all with that scenerio. That would also make application updates and plugging new features in on the fly simplistic....

Have any of you heard of webmin?
http://www.webmin.com/

It is perl based (I believe) you can do just about full remote administration of a server with it.