starting a website open source, the easy way?

howarddevore · 12-16-2006, 06:26 PM

hi,

I'd like some opinions and advice if possible, I've got my head in a pickle.

I want to start a website soon, and don't feel up to hosting it myself just yet, so i need a host. I love the open source philosophy and want to use it as much as possible.

I want a site with a forum, and am most attracted to athenaeum because they're eco-friendy,solar powered and that really fits the site (it'll be a pagan homeschooling site) but they are really into php it seems, and i have invested some time and effort into learning python because I'm really into blender.

(( I spent ages trying to figure out which computer language to focus my efforts on learning, because I don't have enough time to truly become a hacker, and suss out several. A friend of mine is a strong perl advocate, and strongly advocates i learn perl, but i settled on python because i like it, and its embeded in blender. I basically have some theoretical level python knowledge; I've maybe done the 'wrong' thing and read a load about it without having written anything. I also spent a while learning c++ but decided to learn easier stuff first..))

Anyway, with seriously limited time on my hands, it seems like a dumb idea to start learning a whole new language, like perl, or php...but most web hosts seem to be using php...and i get the impression that running a php based site/forum would be easier - more blogger.com like - than running a zope/plone site, or cherrypy.
I know enough xhtml, css to get started. I can author flash to a degree that will spice the site up some.
Gosh this is getting long winded...
ok..
Is there a way of getting it all; failing that, is there a way of running a python based site/forum thats dumbed down enough that i (a noob, really) can just *do* it? I've put up functional but experimental geocities sites, I can handle that kind of website interface...I can't do the whole linux thing just yet...I'm studying too many things at once really. Can python sites be as easy as geocities?
Or should i forget python and just rent some space using phpBB/ppmyadmin and learn that?
Obviously i want linux hosting as the central technology..

phew!
any thoughts at all would be appreciated!

regards, and thanks in advance,
howard

ps - shamefacedly, i can't even get my linux box online at my new address, and have to use my xp one, as its a cable isp here. I've been told to 'just dhcp it' to get my kubuntu pc back online (and be able to start learning linux again) but have been procrastinating after a couple of failed attempts to do that via the gui. I'm into animation, see, thats what I'm *really* into on computers, and flash and blender work ok on my xp box...before this cable/dhcp/mac address thingum, flash was the only thing keeping me from kissing m$ goodbye forever..i can't afford an apple.. any idea how to 'dhcp it'? or is this the wrong forum? Well, that gives you an idea of my linux skills anyway...

SweetLou · 12-16-2006, 10:11 PM

Well, if you know python and that is what you want to use, just use it. As for "Is there a way of getting it all", do you mean a host that has php, perl and python? Most likely most hosts (using Linux) will have all of these capabilities.
I don't know about the python forums, since I don't use them. You could do your site in python and use a php forum.
Why would you need to know php or python to run a forum? Are you planning on modifying the forum or do you want to build your own forum?

trickykid · 12-16-2006, 10:46 PM

Moved, more appropiate in General..

howarddevore · 12-17-2006, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetLou

Well, if you know python and that is what you want to use, just use it. As for "Is there a way of getting it all", do you mean a host that has php, perl and python? Most likely most hosts (using Linux) will have all of these capabilities.
I don't know about the python forums, since I don't use them. You could do your site in python and use a php forum.
Why would you need to know php or python to run a forum? Are you planning on modifying the forum or do you want to build your own forum?

Hi SweetLou,
Python and php...thats a good thought, thankyou!

Why woul i need to know python or php to run a forum...i just assumed i did..
I pretty much don't want to rebuild/modify a forum so much as just use one.

regards,
Howard

SweetLou · 12-17-2006, 07:29 AM

No, you really don't need to know the language to admin a forum. Think of it as any other program. You can change settings and options in a control panel and just use it.
Saying that, it is useful to know the language if you want to modify it, but even then, it isn't needed. For example, phpBB has a lot of modifications you can add to your board, the "official" ones go through a testing process. There are instructions on how to apply it. Something like:

Code:

## open functions.php
Replace echo "hello";
with
echo "hello, steve";

In this example, all you need to do is open the file functions.php and find the line

Code:

echo "hello";

and change it to the new line.

howarddevore · 12-17-2006, 08:01 AM

Cool..
I just googled 'python forum' and the top result was:

python-forum.org/py/index.php

its phpBB

regards,
Howard

huwnet · 12-17-2006, 08:39 AM

I'd run a through searching at WHT. Most shared Linux hosting uses cpanel and most cpanel hosts provide perl, python and php

howarddevore · 12-17-2006, 09:44 AM

Thanks, Huw
'cpanel' sounds like its going to be a useful google!

And I'll check out that link..

regards,
howard

SweetLou · 12-17-2006, 04:19 PM

I would agree that cPanel is good, though it is really the only one I have used except for my rugby team's site, which is on a Windows server.