Starting with SuSE Linux 5.2 two new packages have been integrated
with the distribution:
- dochost for using a central server for the documentation
- htdig for fulltext searching
If used in conjunction you have the capability to allow centralized
access to the full set of documentation available with
SuSE Linux with the additional ability to do fulltext searches.
The documentation is comprised of the SuSE Linux Online Help System
including man pages, HOWTOs etc.
The clients no longer have to store documentation locally, meaning
less disk space is needed.
Htdig adds easy-to-use fulltext search capability to that.
Using htdig is possible for non-networked installations, too.
Requirements for the documentation server
The following packages should be installed:
- documentation from series doc
- A web-server, either apache or apassl from series n
- rman/series ap
- dochost/series n
- htdig/series n
You can just run a documentation server without clients to use the
fulltext search engine locally.
Requirements for the clients
- dochost/series n
- a web-browser, e.g. netscape/series xap
Installation
Package dochost defines three new variables for /etc/rc.config:
DOC_HOST
DOC_SERVER
DOC_ALLOW
They are used for accessing the documentation server and for its
configuration.
Installation on the client
Just set DOC_HOST to the full hostname of the doc server.
On invoking /usr/bin/susehelp the doc server is then accessed by
the web-browser instead of local documentation. E.g.:
DOC_HOST="doc.domain.top"
DOC_SERVER should be set to "no" on the client.
Pleace run SuSEconfig if you have modifed /etc/rc.config.
Installation on the server
The server installtion does not require full network access, but can also
be used when you just want to use ht://Dig for fulltext searching.
Set the following variables in /etc/rc.config:
START_HTTPD="yes"
as a running web-server is required for running a doc server.
DOC_SERVER="yes"
This enables the configuration as a doc server, i.e. the local references
to the documentation are changed to allow for web access.
DOC_HOST="$FQHOSTNAME"
Name of the doc server, usually the same as FQHOSTNAME.
DOC_ALLOW="LOCAL .yourdomain.top"
In DOC_ALLOW all domains/hosts which shall access the locally installed
man-pages on the doc server. This variable will be written to /etc/hosts.allow
for access control.
If additionally you would like to enable fulltext search on your documentation,
you should initialize htdig's database first. The package dochost
automatically creates a tailored config file for this.
The fulltext indices are about 70MB in size, i.e. you should have
at least 200MB free disk space on /opt/www/htdig while building the database.
Execute as root the following command:
/usr/sbin/suserundig
Initializing usually takes more than 1 hour...
After that you can use fulltext searching (via the help-system).
Have Fun...