Dokeos single database - don't let yourself get tricked

I wanted to write this post for two reasons:
  1. to remind everybody that we (the Dokeos company) continue to vaguely support this mode because we understand it is still more practical when installing it on a free/cheap hosting server
  2. to help you avoid the tricky issue in the installation process when deciding which main db name to use
As the first point is pretty much complete, I'll go straight to the second point. In the Dokeos installation process, the database configuration screen asks you for a prefix and a database name. It's all OK, but the tricky thing is that the default value that are given are "dokeos_" for the prefix and "dokeos_main" for the main database. This might lead you to think that the database created will actually be called "dokeos_main", while in this context of leaving the options by default, it will be called "dokeos_dokeos_main". Yes, the prefix is added in front, as any prefix is. I know, it's not very intuitive so I'll try improving that for the next version, but at least you've been warned!

Comments

Terrible stuff. I know that you've inherited this from Claroline but still.. I made a mistake and installed it on single db. Now windows is choking with so many files in one directory.

Maybe someday you can change it and use a decent 1 db solution with fixed num. of tables.

There are two good news for you :-)

1) there is a script available on our wiki to move from single to multiple database (it involves a little work, but makes the complicated stuff for you, at least on a Linux server): http://www.dokeos.com/wiki/index.php/Databasemigration_from_singledb_to… (see "second version" preferably)

2) Dokeos 2.0 will return Dokeos to a good single database design (release planned for 2009)