Before You Begin
First review the System Requirements before attempting to install ATutor.
Installing on a Unix machine requires some knowledge of file and directory permissions. You will be asked to create a content directory and set permissions for the directory and for the include/config.inc.php file, so the web server can write to them. If the these are not writable the install process will produce error messages with instructions on making them writable. At this point set the permissions on the listed files/directories as described below, then resubmit the step until the error messages go away.
Changing Unix file permissions from shell prompt: chmod a+rwx filename or chmod a+rwx directoryname and chmod g+s directoryname. Administrator may alternately use octal numbers to set permissions (i.e. chmod -R 2777 directoryname). Note that in both cases, the directory has been set with a sticky bit that allows both the webserver and the shell user that created the directory, to write and/or delete that directory.
Changing Unix file permissions from an FTP client: Many FTP clients allow you to change a file's permissions. The option may be labled as "Unix Permissions", "CHMOD", or simply as "Properties" or "Attributes" and will display a window with Read, Write, and Execute checkboxes for Owner, Group, and World; checking the appropriate boxes will change that file's permissions.
Changing Windows file permissions: Right click on a file or folder, select Properties, then check or uncheck the Read-only box.
WARNING: Do not unpack the ATutor distribution on your local computer then upload the files to the server one-by-one. This will very likely cause corruptions in the files that randomly break functionality. Instead upload the entire ATutor distribution as a single file, then unpack the distribution on the server.
System Check
On the introduction screen the installer checks that your system has all the requirements needed to run ATutor. Review the feedback, and make adjustments to your system if necessary, and when all requirements are met, start the Install or Upgrade process. Don't be concerned if the MySQL version is listed as Unknown.
Fresh Installation
Download the latest version of ATutor and extract it into a web-enabled directory. On Windows you may use WinZip or WinRar, while on Unix you will have to use the command tar -zxvf ATutor-version_number.tar.gz. Once extracted, an ATutor directory will be created. Open a web browser and enter the address to your installation, http://your_server.com/path_to_atutor/ATutor/, then follow the step-by-step instructions.
The following eight steps describe the installation process as they are presented by the ATutor installer:
Terms of Use
The usage of ATutor is regulated by the GNU General Public License (GPL). Your agreement with the GPL is required if you wish to modify or distribute ATutor. See Licensing for more details.
Database
ATutor requires a MySQL database to function. Enter the required details needed to connect to your database in Step 2 of the installation process. The optional Table Prefix (e.g. "AT_") option allows ATutor to share an existing database with other applications and tables. The ATutor installation script will attempt to create the database that is defined in Step 2, if it does not already exist. This requires that your MySQL user account has permission to create databases, and permission to create tables. If this step fails, contact your system administrator to have your MySQL account upgraded to allow creation of new databases, or ask your administrator to create the database for you. Return to the installation after the database has been created, or your MySQL account upgraded, enter the database name into the approriate field in Step 2, then the installation script will insert the ATutor tables.
Administrator Account & System Preferences
The Administrator account is used for managing ATutor user accounts and courses. The System preferences affect hosted courses and the general operation of ATutor.
Personal Account & Defaults
The personal account can be used to enroll into or create courses, it does not have any special privileges. At this step you may also choose to create a personal instructor account along with the basic Welcome course.
Directories
Create a content directory, preferably outside your web server's document directory for added security, and set permissions as described above. On a Unix machine you will need to manually change the permissions on the listed files and directories in this step. No action is usually required on a Windows server, though in some circumstances Windows users may need to adjust the properties of the specified files and directories to make them writable. Copy the path of the directory into the text box provided. Ensure there are no shortcuts (Windows), or symbolic links (Unix) contained in the path.
Save configuration
Before reaching the final step the include/config.inc.php file needs to be writable, otherwise an error will appear. Follow the instructions on the screen if the file permissions need to be changed
Submit Usage Information
To assist the development team in serving the ATutor community, submit some basic information about the system you are running. All information is private. Though you are encouraged to list the location of your ATutor installation, you may remain anonymous by choosing not to submit the URL to your ATutor server during this step.
Done!
ATutor installation has been successful and you may now log-in with your personal account created in Step 4, or the administrator account created in Step 3.
