History: UsbTiki

Tiki could run from a USB memory stick, even if there is not internet connection on the computer.

Use cases:

• teach how to use or administer a Tiki site without the fear to have your server or common Multitiki install broken with your students attempts to do it!
• your personal portfolio recorder (or your students')
• demo on places without internet access (built in TikiMovies, your own information, ...)
• ...

1.2. Implementations

1.2.1. Based on Ubuntu: LubunTikiR-USB

A customized Lubuntu 11.04 distribution 32 bits (Ubuntu with LXDE, a really lightweight desktop environment).

The main user account is:
u: tiki
p: ikit

mysql root:
u: root
p: toor

tiki admin user:
u: admin
p: nimda

This LubunTikiR-USB includes:

• lamp stack, with some extra packages
  mysql-server mysql-client apache2 php5 php5-tidy php5-pear memcache php-xcache php5-xmlrpc phpmyadmin subversion
• Tiki6.x
  (based on subversion)
• PluginR 0.62 installed
• A folder on the desktop with "Tiki docs" in pdf
  • Tiki User Guide
  • Tiki Reference Guide
  • Tiki promo sheet
• Subversion
• R 2.12:
  • r-base r-recommended r-xml
  • a few others.
• Ubuntu one
• R-Studio 0.94
• Some extra apps:
  • parcellite mc htop sshfs davfs gdiskdump isomaster
  • some extra drivers for wireless cards and for webcams.
• dropbox package (downloaded in ~/Downloads but not installed)
• some other useful packages for sites behind a proxy:
  • gconf-editor corkscrew filezilla

Todo
(as of August 7th, 2011)

• chmod 777 /usr/local/lib/R/site-library
• R:
  
  Copy to clipboard

  install.packages("XML")
  install.packages("tm") 
  install.packages("wordcloud") 
  install.packages("RColorBrewer")

• sudo apt-get install libxml2-dev imagemagick tofrodos
• wget geshi and put it in place

Useful tools which helped to make this LubunTikiR-USB package:

• gdiskdump, to create the .img file from the whole usb disk (with its own 2 partitions, etc). Size of .img file: 3.7 Gb.
• imagewriter: to restore the .img file into another USB key.
• remastersys (couldn't use it because the 4Gb usb key didn't have enough space for the remaserization, and symlinks to other disks didn't seem to work).

1.2.2. Based on Slax 6.1.1: TikiLiveCD to UsbTiki

One implementation is through making TikiLiveCD to be installed on a USB, with the built in programs inside the TikiLiveCD (either from it's own Slax Linux OS or from a Window$ box).

TikiLiveCD up & running

For older computer which can't boot from a usb unit, there is a companion .iso file inside the TikiLiveCD to burn an special CD to let the computer boot initially from this CD, and quickly change to the usb unit.

Changes can be saved for one session using the built in utility within Slax for saving session changes.

You can save your changes onto a new module .mo so that they can be recovered at new startup once you save them under your modules directory, when using a TikiLiveUSB

In oder to save further sessions, you have to move the file from your saved session to the directory "modules" and renamed to whatever name which ensures that they are the last module to be loaded (rename it to something starting from "Z", for instance). This way, next time that you start your UsbTiki those changes are taken into account after the base UsbTiki is loaded, and the live session takes them into account.

Additionally, when working with Tiki, you can export the mysql database and record it on your USB unit, and import it back whenever you need to work again with you updated Tiki. Phpmyadmin is included in the UsbTiki for your convenience.

Phpmyadmin is included to easily manage your database through a web interface

Finally, you can create a new iso file or a new usb disk including your modifications.

There also some utilities to allow creating a new iso file from this one, or to create a TikiLiveUSB stick out of this TikiLiveCD

1.2.3. Other implementations

There are other changes to implement a USBTiki solution, but none done yet (afaik).

Xavi

TikiUSB