TiddlyWeb from an usb stick?

[Måns]

Hi TwWizards

I've been playing around with a little usb server for a few days. I've
managed to setup BidiX's TiddlyHome and TiddlySpeck to run with apache
- and <a href="http://www.chsoftware.net/en/useware/mowes/
mowes.htm">mowe</a> ( the name of the compilation of mobile
servercomponents) also runs MySql and php... It works very well from
an usb stick!!.

I was inspired by this thread on the <a href="http://groups.google.dk/
group/ccTiddly/browse_thread/thread/
eb9cfe8e67de387a/6db0a95db13e1a68?
hl=da&lnk=gst&q=mowes#6db0a95db13e1a68">cctiddly group:</a> started by
"mattyc".

I asked for help regarding cctiddly in <a href="http://
groups.google.com/group/ccTiddly/browse_thread/thread/f701bf0efa3e28ae?
hl=en">this thread.</a>

I found <a href="http://www.portablepython.com/">python portable</a>
and installed it in mowes www-folder.
Now I'm wondering if I can install TiddlyWeb in this environment? - on
the usbstick i mean...
I'm using (Windows) xppro on a laptop (not personal computer
(jobrelated), but with administrative rights) and I want to test it in
this environment (with localhost) because it's so handy to be able to
work/test from two tabs in the browser - one with access to the local
files (on the usb stick) and the other showing the result - and I have
a internetconnection which is very bad - any kind of help
appreciated!

Could I just copy the sourcefiles into a directory and make
appropriate changes manually - or do I have to use the python tools
delivered by python portable? - If so - I need some serious
guidance...

YS Måns Mårtensson

[Måns]

Sorry about the <a hrefs - tried to shorten the links....

[tony]

On May 13, 11:46 am, Måns <humam...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Could I just copy the sourcefiles into a directory and make
> appropriate changes manually - or do I have to use the python tools
> delivered by python portable? - If so - I need some serious
> guidance...

Hi,

If the TiddlyWeb instance directory is copied to the usb drive it will
run fine but the requirement is that I had the whole tiddlyweb distro
running under cygwin on the local machine. Also this was back in oct
2008, but it think it should still work.
Thus I was able to access my tiddlyweb store at the hard drive and usb
drive by going into their directories and running twanager server from
there.

But it sounds like you want to run TiddlyWeb assuming the local
machine has nothing, with all Tiddlyweb distro , python,easy_install
setup on the usb. I think you're on the right direction.

I looked into a portable python at the time but it had a fee, but my
idea was to run TiddlyWeb off a jailborken iPod touch. The idea was
just to install python, then easy_install then TiddlyWeb but Redsn0w
had not come out yet. TiddlyWeb used to come as tarball on svn before
Chris implemented easy_install, but I think you can do the same by
getting Portable Python onto usb and then check for easy_install
module or install manually with setup_tools then install TiddlyWeb
from tarball http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/dist/ if you can't get
easy_install going (just found it from the handy TiddlyWeb home!)

hth

Best,
tony

[Måns]

Hi Tony
Thanks for answering - and thank you for th link to the tarballs.
I have downloaded tiddlyweb-0.9.32.tar.gz and unpacked it to my
usbdrive (7zip)
I haven't got any idea how to use python or the install tools. I've
looked for easy install to use it with portable python, - but all
instructions regarding download and implementation are for linux
commands or "people who know their way around with cmd"... - I'm
lost..

As told earlier I have installed portable python on the usb stick
(2.6.1) - but (maybe because I found it first) I also have Python 2.6
as a Windows local install on the pc.
The local install has a "nicelooking" commandprompt called: Idle
(Python Gui) and the usb installation has a normal "black" prompt - I
recon it doesn't matter which one I use?!

I've opened the Python command prompt and I believe that I 'somehow'
have to "cd" to the location where twanager is located . and then ...

I'm sorry if my questions show how completely lost and (maybe)
ignorant I am on this field - Maybe I should just be advised not to
try TiddlyWeb untill I have learned some Python and make a proper
Linux server install?!

However, I would really like to be able to find out what TiddlyWeb is
all about - and maybe be able to pickup on some of the possibilities
the use of tiddlers in bags and recipies has...

So please give me some very basic hints - or point me in a new
direction.

Thanks

YS Måns Mårtensson

> from tarballhttp://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/dist/ if you can't get

[tony]

On May 13, 2:15 pm, Måns <humam...@gmail.com> wrote:

> The local install has a "nicelooking" commandprompt called: Idle
> (Python Gui) and the usb installation has a normal "black" prompt - I
> recon it doesn't matter which one I use?!

hmm... I think IDLE is the python intepreter IDE to check out
commands. You need some unix tools for a shell to enter commands to.
Can you install cygwin on the laptop at http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe?
(download the setup.exe then double click to run, add python from the
package manager)

dollar sign is the shell prompt

You can check if you have easy install by running the command (the
dollar sign is the shell prompt)
$ which easy_install
/usr/bin/easy_install

if not check here to download and install: http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall
which will lead you to http://pypi.python.org/pypi/setuptools#windows

After you download a tarball
uncompress with $tar xvf file.tar
There should be some documentation at <your folder>/tiddlyweb-0.9.32/
README

and also the out of date docs/COOKBOOK which is what I used for a
manual install before but i think it is still relevant. Chris did
great documentation for the walkthrough.
Both are text files so you can do something like $less README or
$less docs/COOKBOOK to review after going into the distro with $ cd
tiddlyweb-0.9.32

Unfortunately I only was able to install TiddlyWeb using Cygwin on
WinXP. I don't have python standalone
Mac OS X and Linux were easier because they already have unix so I
just had to $easy_install -U tiddlyweb

You're right about making an instance in both places - create an
instance with $ twanager instance mywikistuff which creates a store at
the current directory you're in
then go over to your usb drive and create another instance

Depending on your location, usb instance or hard drive instance, you
can cd to your instance with cd mywikistuff then start the tiddlyweb
server with $twanager server 127.0.0.1 8080 and tiddlyweb will open up
that store when you open your browser to the localhost address
http://127.0.0.1:8080/

I'm sorry i haven't played with TiddlyWeb in a while but i think it
still should work

Best,
tony

[FND]

> I found <a href="http://www.portablepython.com/">python portable</a>

I didn't know this existed. Either way, it made me curious, so I fired
up a WinXP VM and tested it - and actually got TiddlyWeb working there!
The instructions are here:
http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/wiki/#%5B%5BInstalling%20on%20Windows%5D%5D
(I wrote them up after the fact, so they might be incomplete - will
review that later, and also make some changes regarding tiddlywebconfig.py.)

Let us know how you get on.

-- F.

[Måns]

Great! - Thank you for the quick repsonses.. :-)
I'm have converted all paths to my own - from FND's tutorial:
ie:
F:\PortableApps\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\python.exe F:
\PortableApps\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\Scripts\easy_install-
script.py selector simplejson BeautifulSoup html5lib wikklytext

F:\PortableApps\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\python.exe F:
\PortableApps\MoWes\www\TiddlyWeb\core\twanager instance F:
\PortableApps\MoWes\www\tiddlyweb\MyInstance

cd F:\PortableApps\MoWes\www\tiddlyweb\MyInstance
F:\PortableApps\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\python.exe F:
\PortableApps\MoWes\www\TiddlyWeb\core\twanager server localhost 8080

But it doesn't go past the first line where it says: "selector"- the
'c' in selector is marked and the errormessage is: SyntaxError:
invalid syntax..

What is the problem?

YS Måns Mårtensson

On May 14, 2:50 pm, FND <F...@gmx.net> wrote:
> > I found <a href="http://www.portablepython.com/">python portable</a>
>
> I didn't know this existed. Either way, it made me curious, so I fired
> up a WinXP VM and tested it - and actually got TiddlyWeb working there!

> The instructions are here:http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/wiki/#%5B%5BInstalling%20on%20Windows%5...

[FND]

> But it doesn't go past the first line where it says: "selector"- the
> 'c' in selector is marked and the errormessage is: SyntaxError:
> invalid syntax..

I'm not sure how or why this occurs. Could you:
a) Follow the instructions as described there, i.e. using C:\Portable.
This should help avoid any path confusion. (Since this is all portable,
you can move and rename the folder later on; it won't leave any traces
on your C drive.)
b) Copy and paste the command history (including output) so we can
analyze the problem.

-- F.

[FND]

> I'm not sure how or why this occurs.

Actually, is it possible you're using Python 3?
Please use version 2.4, 2.5 or 2.6 instead.*

-- F.

* http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/wiki/#%5B%5BInstalling%20TiddlyWeb%5D%5D

[Måns]

I use PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1 ie 2.6.1

I will try your suggestion and follow the paths in the tutorial - I'll
be back..

YS MM

[wolfgang]

> I'm not sure how or why this occurs. Could you:
> a) Follow the instructions as described there, i.e. using C:\Portable.
> This should help avoid any path confusion. (Since this is all portable,
> you can move and rename the folder later on; it won't leave any traces
> on your C drive.)

Does this mean with PortablePython and TiddlyWeb one could just copy
the whole thing and it should work anywhere without having to cmd
anything? - Apart from copyright issues - would this make a vanila
TiddlyWeb install as easy as it is to download a TiddlyWiki now?

[FND]

> Does this mean with PortablePython and TiddlyWeb one could just copy
> the whole thing and it should work anywhere without having to cmd
> anything?

Well, one would still have to start the server, but that could be done
with a simple batch file using relative paths[1].

> Apart from copyright issues - would this make a vanila TiddlyWeb
> install as easy as it is to download a TiddlyWiki now?

While I doubt Chris wants to create a Windows-specific distribution that
contains PythonPortable, anyone in the community could provide this
service[2].

-- F.

[1] start.bat located in Portable\, which contains TiddlyWeb\ and Python\:
cd Tiddlyweb\MyInstance
..\..\Python\App\python.exe ..\core\twanager server localhost 8080
[2] provided, of course, this sort of redistribution is permitted under
PortablePython's licensing terms (given that Python itself uses a
BSD-style license, that's not necessarily the case - IANAL)

[Måns]

Hi again

FND - which version of portable python are you using for the tutorial?
In my version PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1 - the directories and files,
haven't quite the same names or paths...
ie:
1.PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1
2. App (directory) and easy_install.py (not easy_install-script.py)
are at the same level
3. In the App directory i don't have easy_install-script.py

Should I somehow install easy_install-script.py into the App directory
first???

If you could point at the portable version you used for the test- I
might get on the right track..

YS Måns Mårtensson

On May 14, 10:21 pm, FND <F...@gmx.net> wrote:

[tony]

On May 14, 1:28 pm, Måns <humam...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I use PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1  ie 2.6.1
>
> I will try your suggestion and follow the paths in the tutorial - I'll
> be back..
>

Whew, just for fun, I too tried FND's tutorial and it works! well sort
of..

I threw both PortablePython and the TiddlyWeb dist into a spare USB
drive E: (i should have started at C: like FND said)

I got it to work with cygwin but not DOS. I even added the USB drive
letter to the environmental variable but no dice.

I couldn't get it to work with DOS as in:

E:\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App>python.exe easy_install.py selector
simplejson
BeautifulSoup html5lib wikklytext
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "easy_install.py", line 4, in <module>
from setuptools.command.easy_install import main
File "E:\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\setuptools\command
\easy_install.py", l
ine 21, in <module>
from setuptools.package_index import PackageIndex,
parse_bdist_wininst
File "E:\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\setuptools
\package_index.py", line 145
, in <module>
urllib2.__version__, require('setuptools')[0].version
File "E:\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\pkg_resources.py", line 626,
in requir
e
needed = self.resolve(parse_requirements(requirements))
File "E:\PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1\App\pkg_resources.py", line 524,
in resolv
e
raise DistributionNotFound(req) # XXX put more info here
pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound: setuptools


but if I used cygwin as in:

cd /cygdrive/e/PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1/App

$ python.exe easy_install.py selector simplejson BeautifulSoup
html5lib wikklytext

Searching for selector
Best match: selector 0.8.11
Processing selector-0.8.11-py2.5.egg
selector 0.8.11 is already the active version in easy-install.pth
...
Using /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/WikklyText-1.5.0-py2.5.egg
Processing dependencies for wikklytext
Finished processing dependencies for wikklytext

Then make the instance as in:

/cygdrive/e/PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1/tiddlyweb-0.9.32
$ twanager instance MyTweb
handling http://svn.tiddlywiki.org/Trunk/association/adaptors/TiddlyWebAdaptor.js
...

then start the server in the instance as in:
/cygdrive/e/PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1/tiddlyweb-0.9.32/MyTweb
$ twanager server localhost 8080
Starting CherryPy at localhost:8080

voila!

it runs solely in the USB drive.

Mans if cygwin can't be installed or if DOS is a no go, you might try
unixKit, a set of unix tools over at http://quadlasers.com/wp/?p=423

I used to use that for a shell before i learned of cygwin.

I'll keep trying on the DOS end, post if any update.

Best,
tony

[FND]

> which version of portable python are you using for the tutorial?

I'd tested v2.5.4 (works fine) and 3.0.1 (no good).
Will update the docs to recommend using the former.

-- F.

[Måns]

I've mailed the Portable Python about the license matter:
"Hi Perica
I was wondering which kind of license Portable Python has.
We are discussing a possible implementation of Portable Python in a
distribution of TiddlyWeb, at the TiddlyWiki Google Group at the
moment.
Please comment on this thread:
http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWiki/browse_thread/thread/7d884cd36a099c10?hl=en
"

It would be great to have the possibility to test and run TiddlyWeb
from an usbstick... If someone could make this happen ...

YS Måns Mårtensson

[chris...@gmail.com]

On May 14, 9:45 pm, FND <F...@gmx.net> wrote:
> > Apart from copyright issues - would this make a vanilaTiddlyWeb
> > install as easy as it is to download a TiddlyWiki now?
>
> While I doubt Chris wants to create a Windows-specific distribution that
> contains PythonPortable, anyone in the community could provide this
> service[2].

FND's right, I wouldn't want to create such a thing myself (I don't
and won't use windows) but I'd be very happy if someone wanted to
create such a distribution. In fact it would be ideal if there were
single click distributions for:

* All the various operating systems people might like.
* All the various styles of installations people might like (e.g.
TiddlyWeb on a USB stick, simple TiddlyWebWiki[1] install, various
collections of TiddlyWeb and TiddlyWiki plugins)

TiddlyWeb has been built with these sorts of things in mind. It is a
core on top of which all kinds of fun and games ought to be possible.
It, itself, is not entirely user friendly to install, but it is fairly
user friendly for being able to create installers. It's a building
block.

I'm really looking forward to the time when people start building
things. I suspect there will be some very cool stuff.

[1] http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/wiki/#TiddlyWebWiki

[Perica Zivkovic]

Hi there

I followed the FND's advice and also got it installed with Portable
Python (PP) 2.5.4.

There is no need to install setuptools because they are already
included in PP. Just go to the App\Scripts and you will see
easyinstall scripts there (like FND recomends).

PP specific scripts and configuration is GPL and all other parts
(Python core, modules and IDE's) are under license of their owners. So
all in all you are free to modify and redistribute it if you keep it
open source.

Someone mentioned that PP was not free few years back. I think you are
refering there to "movable python" which is indeed pay and use. PP was
always free and it will stay that way.

Good luck with it and let me know if I can help.

p.s. if there are modules or python libraries you would like to see in
the next release of PP please request them on the PP google group and
I will see what I can do for the next version.

keep pythoning!

Perica Zivkovic
http://www.PortablePython.com

[FND]

Thanks for looking into this, Perica!
As previously mentioned, I was quite delighted to learn about PP.

> if there are modules or python libraries you would like to see in
> the next release of PP please request them on the PP google group and
> I will see what I can do for the next version.

Since you're making easy_install available, I think that covers all our
needs (though it requires an internet connection for the initial setup,
of course).

-- F.

[tony]

On May 14, 2:10 pm, tony <cca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 14, 1:28 pm, Måns <humam...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I use PortablePython_1.1_py2.6.1  ie 2.6.1
>

> I'll keep trying on the DOS end, post if any update.

Hi Måns,

Try again, it works.

Update:
I finally got Tiddlyweb 0.9.38 using a SQLite store to run under
PortablePython (PP)2.5.4 like Perica and FND using FND's instructions
as a guide:
http://tiddlyweb.peermore.com/wiki/recipes/docs/tiddlers/Installing%20on%20Windows

I mispoke/mistaken when I got Tiddlyweb running in PP2.6.1.

Since I had twanager already installed on desktop Windows and Mac, it
really isn't truly portable.

The real test is having the whole thing run from some internet cafe
machine that doesn't have anything; just what is on the removable
drive.

The kicker was I tried using Python 2.5 like in the instructions, but
that mirror is empty: http://elvis.rowan.edu/mirrors/portablepython/v1.1/PortablePython1.0.zip

PortablePython_1.1_py2.5.4 is what is needed: http://www.portablepython.com/releases/

Install PP
After I ran the installer, I saved the PP to C:\Portable/
PortablePython_1.1_py2.5.4

Now this installs PP to my desktop

Get tiddlyweb
then I downloaded the tiddlyweb distribution to C:\Portable
then I cheated and did a tar xvzf from cygwin to unpack the tiddlyweb
distro (no 7-zip on hand)

Get tiddlyweb dependencies (follow FND instructions)
Tip: Adding the TiddlyWeb dependencies, I made sure to use:
easy_install-script.py as there are many versions of "easy_install"

Make a Tiddlyweb instance:
Win-R then 'cmd' got the DOS prompt then ran the C:\Portable
\PortablePython_1.1_py2.5.4\App\python.exe C:\Portable
\tiddlyweb-0.9.38\twanager instance wiki
(wiki is my instance name)

Tip: it was tough doing all that tab completion in DOS sometimes you
might want to do blah/blah/python.exe blah/blah/twanager to see that
is the right path when it spits out the help. Switching between cygwin
and dos windows to get the paths straight was dizzying.

Anyway >cd wiki then start the server as usual: blah/blah/twanager
server localhost 8080

After I got tired of tab completion, i threw it into a batch file
(don't mind the E:\ that is my USB drive)

Here's the start_server.bat file:
@ECHO OFF
REM - change the drive letter to suit your own
E:\Portable\PortablePython_1.1_py2.5.4\App\python.exe E:\Portable
\tiddlyweb-0.9.39\twanager server 127.0.0.1 8080

After I got it working on the desktop at C: (confirm saving to a
recipe of system+bag), I then moved the whole C:\Portable to my USB
drive at E: and changed the drive letter on the bat file.

Be patient, it took a long time.

I then tried for sql store copying the sqlstore plugins sql.py and
migrate.py into my instance, wiki then updating the tiddlywebconfig.py
to first migrate the plain text store --> sqlite.db with twanager
migrate then edit the tiddlywebconfig.py again to use sql store eg
'server_store': ['sql', {'db_config': 'sqlite:///wiki.db'}],

see the sqlstore tester thread for the config:
http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWikiDev/browse_thread/thread/b1bdf6cb981b4bcc?hl=en

Don't make the mistake I did initially using tiddlyweb-0.9.39 which
just came out today, June 12

tiddlyweb-0.9.39 works only for the plain text store when I tried from
sql store I got a mismatch thread error everyplace I tried. (I was
previously successful at the local, shared and USB drives)

Ha! I tried downgrading easy_install tiddlyweb==0.9.38 only to forget
that I didn't use easy_install to install tiddlyweb!
Had to redownload dist, then unpack 0.9.38

Install sqlalchemy!
I forgot to do it at C: so I just did it in E: with E:\Portable/
PortablePython_1.1_py2.5.4/App/Scripts\easy_install-script.py
sqlalchemy
it still works.
Tip: you don't need the sqlite, but I don't know why. I downloaded the
win binary exe just in case, also to learn.

I say, it took a lot of trial and error, but finally seeing the thing
work independently from within the drive was satisfying.

Positive results on: WinXP GoogleChrome, FF3.011

I was so excited I tried it under Linux only to forget that PP is
Windows only ;-\ another time

Many fav tiddlywiki plugins work like Udo's YourSearch and you can
access local links under Firefox addon: http://locallink.mozdev.org/

Even though TiddlyWeb has no Revisions or Diff Plugin and my wiki.db
will still bulk up in the revisions table, this is a near holy grail
of tiddlywebwiness, a reusable non-linear personal web notebook + self-
contained offline backend.

Thanks to Chris, FND, Perica, Jeremy et al.

Best,
tony

[chris...@gmail.com]

On Jun 13, 5:23 am, tony <cca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Don't make the mistake I did initially using tiddlyweb-0.9.39 which
> just came out today, June 12
>
> tiddlyweb-0.9.39 works only for the plain text store when I tried from
> sql store I got a mismatch thread error everyplace I tried. (I was
> previously successful at the local, shared and USB drives)

Yeah, sorry about that. 0.9.39 is not happy with the sql store (which
it was supposed to help). There will be a fix soon.