MovableType is a very popular blog platform and having seen lots of publishing system, finally I choose this one.
It tooks me about 3 hours to install the Movable Type in my Windows xp machine while it just took me much fewer time in Linux. I’d like to record the steps for other’s reference. It is also a good resource for myself if I need to rebuild the server.
Here is the 4 main steps:
1.Web server software
You may choose the IIS(Internet Information Services) provided by Microsoft, however it is the most popular choice for the people who are not very familiar with the web server configuration knowledge.
Alternately you can choose Apache httpd for your web server.But it is much popular and works better in the Unix/Linux system. Just download the MSI package of Apache httpd and install it. But I have not figured out how to make the apache support Perl.So if you can do, could you tell me?
2 All necessary scripting support
2.1 Install Perl on Windows XP.
Download ActivePerl for Windows XP from ActiveState.Download the windows MSI package and Install the MSI package. I accepted all the default settings except changing the default install location.
2.2 (a)Configuring IIS for ActivePerl
Open the IIS Administration console, use the left-side navigation to go to: Local Computer > Web Sites > Default Web Site. Right-click on “Default Web Site” and choose “Properties”. Select the “Home Directory” tab, and then click “Configuration”. Click the “Add” button.
In the form, fill in these values for the fields displayed:
Executable: #C:Perlbinperl.exe “%s” %s
Extension: #.cgi
Verbs > Limit to: #GET,HEAD,POST
Hit “OK”.
2.2(b) Configuring Apache httpd for ActivePerl
… I do not know how to make it…
2.3 Install Perl modules which Movable Type will require
Before doing the following step, make sure you have connected to the Internet directly rather through a proxy.
Otherwise,if you access the Internet by a proxy, you should Set Environment Vars. You can find help by ActivePerl’s help document.
But when I try to install the Perl modules through proxy, it failed. Instead, you can download these Perl modules and install it manually.
From the Start menu, navigate to: Start > All Programs > ActivePerl > Perl Package Manager to run the PPM
At the PPM prompt command line, type command “install DBI”, “install DBD-mysql” and “install DB_File” to download and install the two modules.
Now check that these steps worked: visit http://localhost/MT/mt-check.cgi in your web browser.
Make sure you see a green message saying, “Movable Type System Check Successful” at the bottom of the page. If you don’t see this, a necessary prerequisite is missing, and you should review the output of http://localhost/MT/mt-check.cgi to see what is amiss.
3. A database server platform
3.1 install MySQL
Goto http://www.mysql.com/ to download and choose the MySQL 4.x.x Generally available release, and then select the most recent installer for Windows Essentials.When finishing downloading the file, I click it to install the MySQL and accepted all the default settings and the final installer question asks whether you want to Configure MySQL Now; I leave this option checked and click “Next.” Choose “Standard Configuration” with all defaults settings. Then Enter a root password and then click “Next >” and then click “Execute.” to finish the configuration.
3.2 Create database file and user for Movable Type
For convenience, I download the MySQL Administrator to manage database for Movable Type. You can get it at http://www.mysql.com/products/administrator/
a. In the empty lower-left pane, click your right mouse button to bring up a context menu, and from the menu, select “Create New Schema”.Name the new schema “mt”.And this database is used by Movable Type later.
b. Click on the “Startup Variables” icon and select the “Security” tab. Check the “Use old passwords” option and click on the “Apply changes” button.
c. Create a new user “mt_user” to manage the Movable Type’s database and pick a good password
Now select the “Schema Privileges” tab and assign the following privileges for user “mt_user”: SELECT, INSERT UPDATED DELETE CREATE ALTER CREATE_TMP_TABLE.
d. restart MySQL.
4 Install The Movable Type application itself
4.1 Get Movable Type from http://sixapart.com/movabletype and choose the “zip” format package.
Move the contents of the Movable Type zip file into the folder C:Inetpubwwwroot.
Unzip the package and rename this folder to “MT”. you’ll need to assign Execute permissions to the Web User for the MT folder.
And another point is give Internet Guest Read, Write and Browse permissions to the folder which your blog file actually locate
It is important, otherwise later everytime when you rebuild you blog site, it will get a error like this:
“Writing to ‘C:inetpubwwwrootindex.html.new’ failed: Opening local file ‘C:inetpubwwwrootindex.html.new’ failed: Permission denied”.
4.2 Edit your Movable Type Configuration
Open the file mt-config.cgi-original in a text editor.
Change the line CGIPath http://WWW.YOUR-SITE.COM/PATH/TO/MT To CGIPath http://localhost/MT(or where your MT located)
Remove the # characters in front of: ObjectDriver DBI::mysql set the variables like below (or your own choice):
ObjectDriver DBI::mysql
Database mt
DBUser mt_usr
DBPassword mt_usr
DBHost localhost
And save it as “mt-config.cgi”.
The LAST step is:
visit http://localhost/MT/mt.cgi for loading the Movable Type application for its first use.
OK! Now use the username: Melody (password: Nelson) to login and begin blogging!