2008-10-04:1305 [INSTALLATION]
Installed the Front module
http://drupal.org/project/front
wget
tar
mv (to modules directory)
enable on home > Administer > Site building page
home > administer >Site configuration > Advanced front page settings
  set up themed for anonymous visitors and themed for authenticated
home > administer > User management > Permissions
  allow for front_page module "access frontpage" for all

2008-10-04:1326 [NOTE]
The idea is that anonymous visitors will see a log-in request and explanations
about the website, while most information will be invisible to them
but not to search engine robots. Thus we have two different front pages,
the one showing whatever "home" information that cookies allow as an
authenticated User and the other demanding sign-in, with invisible links
to an entire set of Robot pages -- one for each 

2008-10-05:0646
Access from NYC is via 68-175-85-135


The joy of using open source software - I recently had a need to work locally on a server and setup some complex stuff. So I started with XAMPP and got it installed. The first part was pretty easy once I got the right version downloaded (which isn't clear, the smaller .EXE actually does contain everything you need, but not the light version, the full version). Took a few hours to get that setup - then I found out that Skype, in its default setup, conflicts with Apache (or, more accurately, Skype blocks port 80 which Apache needs to run the web services) - so, after another half hour, I found the solution in their FAQ.

Next day was all about mySQL - seems if you insert a password in to the database according to the option 2 instructions in the setup, it doesn't work. I think I figured out why, the password is setup as an MD5 field, encrypted (good idea), however, the software setup to log you in and manipulate the database, phpmyadmin, doesn't MD5 the password on the way to the database login (or mySQL doesn't, don't know who is at fault) - so I had a login that I couldn't use and it was for the root. Then the fun of trying to get the password reset (lots of information which may work for someone else, didn't work for me). Eventually, some more hours later, I got the mySQL password setup right and now I'm cracking away at it (setup Code Igniter on the server).

Another note, the XAMPP doesn't come with the .htaccess enabled for Windows. A quick edit to the configuration file in xampp/apache/conf/httpd.conf (removing the # infront of: LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so) and now the URLs are even the way I want them.

It is a blessing and a curse, I know more than I did before I started, but it took several productive hours away from me to get it accomplished and no place to turn for support (and be sure to get it...). Sometimes it is a good trade-off for the application received, sometimes it isn't. In this case, XAMPP and Code Igniter, I'm siding with open source, it was a good investment in time as I'll be able to use the experience anytime I need to setup another XAMPP setup and I didn't have to sign over my life to a server software company :)

2008-10-09:0133
Upgrade to drupal 6.5 (but see using ssh: http://drupal.org/node/297496)
take site offline via front page module
disable front page module
begin ssh
go to CMS directory
wget http://drupal.org/files/projects/drupal-6.5.tar.gz
tar -zxvf drupal-6.5.tar.gz
rm drupal-6.5.tar.gz
copy sites/default/settings.php to same in new drupal-6.5 directory
in browser, do the http://psymeet.com/CMS/update.php operations
enable front page module
put site back online via front page module
check that this worked
rmdir drupal-6.5
(done)

2008-10-09:1333
Install CCK
ssh
cd CMS
wget http://ftp.drupal.org/files/projects/cck-6.x-2.0-rc10.tar.gz
tar -zxvf cck-6.x-2.0-rc10.tar.gz
mv cck modules/
rm cck-6.x-2.0-rc10.tar.gz
(done)

2008-10-09:1401
consider installing (see http://drupal.org/project/Modules/category/88):
Addresses
Content Taxonomy
Content Templates (Contemplate)
Fivestar

consider also:
Invisimail http://drupal.org/project/invisimail

2008-10-09:1417
Install Contemplate
wget http://ftp.drupal.org/files/projects/contemplate-6.x-0.14.tar.gz
tar -zxvf contemplate-6.x-0.14.tar.gz
mv contemplate modules/
rm contemplate-6.x-0.14.tar.gz
(done)

2008-10-09:1446
to see current drupal version look in Home > Administer > Reports

2008-10-09:1607
try again to update to drupal 6.5
ssh
cd public_html
mkdir backups
mkdir backups/BK.2008-10-09
cp -rp CV backups/BK.2008-10-09
cp .htaccess .htaccessBAK