OT? website on a CD

[Jeff Thies]

I've been asked about porting a site to a CD. Target audience is windows
users.

This poses a few questions.

Can this be made to autorun? Is that an "Autorun.inf" config file placed
in the root? Hints on this?

I usually use absolute paths (ie /path from root), will I have to switch
to all relative paths?

I'm thinking that use of a database is not going to be doable, is there a
way to use a database?

Anything else?

Jeff

 

[rf]

I've been asked about porting a site to a CD. Target audience is windows
users.

This poses a few questions.

Can this be made to autorun? Is that an "Autorun.inf" config file placed
in the root? Hints on this?

Yes. Quite easily. In your autorun.inf launch the index.html file. Do not
attempt to launch a browser, launch the file. The OS will determine what
program .html is associated with.

I usually use absolute paths (ie /path from root), will I have to switch
to all relative paths?

Yes, relative paths are a very good idea, especially if you were considering
mentioning the drive, as in d:/index.html. You can not determine what the
CD's drive letter is.

When you launch the file the browser will be handed the URL to the file,
something like file://d:/index.html. It will then quite happily find files
relative to this.

Relative paths are also a very good idea for a real web site as well. What
if you want to move the entire site one level down on your server (from
example.com to example.com/subsite)? With relative paths all you have to do
is change the link to the index file. With absolute paths you have to change
every single link and you *will* miss one.

I'm thinking that use of a database is not going to be doable, is there a
way to use a database?

No. A browser can not use a database, this is server side stuff. You would
have to install an HTTP server on your viewers computer. While this is quite
easily doable it is not going to happen for most of your users.

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Richard]

I've been asked about porting a site to a CD. Target audience is windows
users.

This poses a few questions.

Can this be made to autorun? Is that an "Autorun.inf" config file placed
in the root? Hints on this?

I usually use absolute paths (ie /path from root), will I have to switch
to all relative paths?

I'm thinking that use of a database is not going to be doable, is there a
way to use a database?

Anything else?

Jeff

Most certainly it can be done, but at which level?
The user in his home or the vistor on the internet?
Unless you are in total control of the CD unit at all times, do not even
consider running an online website entirely from a CD.

Since a CD is nothing more than a storage device, the same as your hard
drive, of course the paths to the images and all other pages, would have to
be kept within the CD itself.
Absloute paths as in a domain name, would be of little use.

As for autorun, yes it can be done. Just another CD.
Again though, this should be done only for the home user.

 

[rf]

there

Most certainly it can be done, but at which level?

There is more than one level on a CD? Not the last time I looked.

The user in his home or the vistor on the internet?

Just what has the internet to do with storing a bunch of web pages on a CD?

Unless you are in total control of the CD unit at all times,

One would assume that the user (ie the owner of the CD drive) is in total
control of the CD at all times.

Oh, you mean the author. Why would the author require total control of the
CD? Please give one, even one, reason.

The author shouldn't even *care* about the CD. It is up to the user to work
out how to plug it into a CD drive.

do not even
consider running an online website entirely from a CD.

The web site is *NOT* online. It is on a CD you bloody idiot! The user
sticks the CD into a computer and it runs. The computer need not even be
connected to the internet so the concept of "online" in relation to a CD is
absurd.

Since a CD is nothing more than a storage device, the same as your hard

Yeah, most people know that.

drive, of course the paths to the images and all other pages, would have to
be kept within the CD itself.

Of course. How else would it run?

Absloute paths as in a domain name, would be of little use.

What does a web site on a CD have to do with domain names. Domain names are
for the internet, not a CD.

In any case absolute paths on a CD *will* work, it's just not recommended.
Absolute paths will even work if the drive letter is mentioned, providing
the drive letter is in fact correct for that particular computer. This is,
of course not recommended at all.

As for autorun, yes it can be done. Just another CD.

Finally, a spark of truth, however I doubt if you know exactly *how* it is
done.

Again though, this should be done only for the home user.

Why? The CD could be used anywhere. In a library. On the train. Down at the
local pub. It could even be stuck on a web server and be used to serve web
pages over the internet. What the "user" does with his newly purchased CD is
immaterial.

It is quite bizarre how you can continuously get things so totally wrong.

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Nik Coughin]

Why? The CD could be used anywhere. In a library. On the train. Down
at the local pub. It could even be stuck on a web server and be used
to serve web pages over the internet. What the "user" does with his
newly purchased CD is immaterial.

It is quite bizarre how you can continuously get things so totally
wrong.

Cheers
Richard.

The Portugese have a saying, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing".

 

[Hywel]

No. A browser can not use a database, this is server side stuff. You would
have to install an HTTP server on your viewers computer. While this is quite
easily doable it is not going to happen for most of your users.

Do a google for MicroWeb - a non-installing HTTP server that runs Perl,
PHP, etc., from the CD without installation. It even has support for
MySQL if the server is included on the CD.

 

[Nico Schuyt]

I've been asked about porting a site to a CD. Target audience is
windows users .............. <snip>
I'm thinking that use of a database is not going to be doable, is
there a way to use a database?

Look at http://www.indigostar.com/microweb.htm
Nico

 

[rf]

Do a google for MicroWeb - a non-installing HTTP server that runs Perl,
PHP, etc., from the CD without installation. It even has support for
MySQL if the server is included on the CD.

Now there is a good idea.

Thanks for the heads up

Cheers
Richard.

 

[Toby A Inkster]

Do a google for MicroWeb - a non-installing HTTP server that runs Perl,
PHP, etc., from the CD without installation. It even has support for
MySQL if the server is included on the CD.

Though of course the user may already have an application listening on TCP
port 80.

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

The Portugese have a saying, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing".

In this case, "No knowledge is a dangerous thing".

 

[Hywel]

Though of course the user may already have an application listening on TCP
port 80.

Then tell MicroWeb to listen on a different port.

 

[Richard]

There is more than one level on a CD? Not the last time I looked.


Just what has the internet to do with storing a bunch of web pages on a CD?

One would assume that the user (ie the owner of the CD drive) is in total
control of the CD at all times.

Oh, you mean the author. Why would the author require total control of the
CD? Please give one, even one, reason.

The author shouldn't even *care* about the CD. It is up to the user to work
out how to plug it into a CD drive.


The web site is *NOT* online. It is on a CD you bloody idiot! The user
sticks the CD into a computer and it runs. The computer need not even be
connected to the internet so the concept of "online" in relation to a CD is

Yeah, most people know that.


Of course. How else would it run?


What does a web site on a CD have to do with domain names. Domain names are
for the internet, not a CD.

In any case absolute paths on a CD *will* work, it's just not recommended.
Absolute paths will even work if the drive letter is mentioned, providing
the drive letter is in fact correct for that particular computer. This is,
of course not recommended at all.


Finally, a spark of truth, however I doubt if you know exactly *how* it is
done.


Why? The CD could be used anywhere. In a library. On the train. Down at the
local pub. It could even be stuck on a web server and be used to serve web
pages over the internet. What the "user" does with his newly purchased CD is
immaterial.

It is quite bizarre how you can continuously get things so totally wrong.

Cheers
Richard.

I was trying to point out that running a website directly off of a cd online
was not such a good idea.
What if you have 10,000 visitors all online? How would you keep track of
whom is reading which page?
Then you get complaints that a page took forever to load and it wasn't the
right page.

That's why, totally screwed up brainiac, I also mentioned it should only be
done on the users local machine where there are no such problems to deal
with.

Feel free to read my post again, jerk.

 

[Kathy]

I was trying to point out that running a website directly off of a cd online
was not such a good idea.

???
Maybe I'm just too dumb to understand this conversation, but what on earth
is meant by running a website off a cd online?

The original question never referred to running any sort of website that
was open to internet connections from a CD. Where on earth did you get that
idea?

What if you have 10,000 visitors all online? How would you keep track of
whom is reading which page?

???
Every day I realize a little more just how much I don't understand.

Then you get complaints that a page took forever to load and it wasn't the
right page.

???
How's that? Even if a website was running from a CD, please explain how the
web server would return a page different from the one the user requested.

That's why, totally screwed up brainiac, I also mentioned it should only be
done on the users local machine where there are no such problems to deal
with.

I must be totally screwed up too, because I understood his post, but can't
even begin to fathom what you are talking about.

Feel free to read my post again, jerk.

I've read it twice now, and the second iteration only brings more questions
to mind, with no answers to be found.

What about the original question didn't you understand? Please explain how
autorun.inf would have any effect except on a single local machine? Please
explain how you translated that to mean anything to do with an internet
connection.

- Kathy

 

[JayB]

"Richard", PhD. wrote...

CD

I was trying to point out that running a website directly off of a cd online
was not such a good idea.
What if you have 10,000 visitors all online? How would you keep track of
whom is reading which page?
Then you get complaints that a page took forever to load and it wasn't the
right page.

That's why, totally screwed up brainiac, I also mentioned it should only be
done on the users local machine where there are no such problems to deal
with.

Feel free to read my post again, jerk.

The OP never said he wanted to run the website online from a CD.

 

[Jeff Thies]

The OP never said he wanted to run the website online from a CD.

Yes, that never occured to me.

We all misunderstand each other from time to time... I'd leave it go...

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[rf]

Feel free to read my post again, jerk.

Given how spectacularly wrong you still are I am overjoyed that you have
chosen to call me a jerk

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

Just like world wide web servers, then?

I was trying to point out that running a website directly off of a cd online
was not such a good idea.

You really are an idiot. Do you ever lie in bed pondering that? The
OP did *not* mention running the site *online* you fscking muppet.

What if you have 10,000 visitors all online? How would you keep track of
whom is reading which page?

The server logs would do that you pleb. Whether the files are served
from a hard drive, a USB flash drive, an SD memory card, a CD, a ZIP
drive, etc. is irrelevant. The web server doesn't store the log files
(for tracking) in the same place as the web content.

Then you get complaints that a page took forever to load and it wasn't the
right page.

STFU. You really have *no* idea, do you?

That's why, totally screwed up brainiac, I also mentioned it should only be
done on the users local machine where there are no such problems to deal
with.

You really didn't understand the OP, did you? Why do you bother to
reply to questions when it's clear that you have no understanding of
either fundamental concepts of web development, nor the English
language. It's hardly surprising that you have such a loyal following
of usenet friends. I've never known anyone so incredibly stupid that
they don't even realise that they're wrong when so many people are
telling them that. There's an old Native American saying, "When three
people tell you you're ill, lie down." Do you need me to translate
that into a phrase you can understand?

Feel free to read my post again, jerk.

Feel free to think before you write, jerk. If brains were made of
chocolate you wouldn't have enough to fill a Smartie.

To anyone reading anything Richard writes (this "Richard", not "rf")
ignore any advice he gives. He's an idiot and will undoubtedly lead
you in to more harm than good. There's a reason for his usual name:
Richard the Stupid.

OTOH, *I'm* always right, so pay attention at the back

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

???
Maybe I'm just too dumb to understand this conversation, but what on earth
is meant by running a website off a cd online?

The original question never referred to running any sort of website that
was open to internet connections from a CD. Where on earth did you get that
idea?


???
Every day I realize a little more just how much I don't understand.

Kathy, spare yourself. Regardless of how much you don't understand at
the moment, you're still steps ahead of RTS. It appears to me that
you have the advantages of being able to learn, and to comprehend.

 

[rf]

"Richard" <[email protected]> wrote in message

Feel free to think before you write, jerk. If brains were made of
chocolate you wouldn't have enough to fill a Smartie.

Like it

To anyone reading anything Richard writes (this "Richard", not "rf")

Phew, I'm glad we cleared *that* up

 

[Hywel]

Like it

It was a close call between that and "If brains were dynamite you
wouldn't have enough to blow your nose" or "If you had any brain cells
it would die of loneliness."