Running parallel installations but on one database

[jamief]

Here is the situation (keeping in mind I'm trying to get maximum integration of the OCS/OJS into other CMS systems like Joomla):

In a Joomla integration (utilizing wrapper content - which is like an iframe) with OCS/OJS we trim out the navigation bar (TOP - this we hack) and we remove the side bar navigation (left or right - which can be done through the OCS rather than hacked). We hack out all the breadcrumbs, titles etc. We do this in the templates physically.

So we get a nice integration of OCS/OJS utilizing the most minimal template style.

Now we want our admins to have full control over the setup and management of the OCS (for example). This would be better handled, in my mind, by installing a second instance of OCS without all the HACKS and changes in the physical files, but ensuring the template style is installed in both sites. THEN we connect this second installment to the joomla OCS mysql. IN theory, we want this:

ocs.joomlaversion.com (hacked and fully integrated version of OCS running inside a joomla shell) using mysql called ocs_and_joomla
(all the menus call the specific conference for which the joomla is the public website.

admin.myocsserver.com (a clean, secure, and completely unhacked installation of OCS) so that admins work free of joomla and make any and all changes/updates etc. that will be reflected on the public site. This uses the same mysql as the one above, meaning we edit here so that the changes reflect THERE.

The issue is the URL and DIRECT PATH in the configuration are not going to be the same.

Are the conficts too great to surpass to achieve this kind of setup?

[asmecher]

Hi jamief,

As long as both installations have the same database configuration and files path (both configured in config.inc.php), you should be OK. Just make sure that any URLs you enter into the system (i.e. on the setup pages) don't specify the domain name and you shouldn't jump between the two contexts.

However, keep in mind that you'll have to maintain two separate installations. Your modifications don't sound too invasive -- you might consider adding conditional statements to your modified templates so that they behave in two different ways ("Joomla mode" vs. "regular mode") based on a session variable or something similar.

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

[jamief]

Interesting ideas, Ill give it a go, thanks.