Just adding my support to the quest to simplify and/or clearly document postgresql integration - from personal experience I completely agree with Timothy’s mail below too! It is really unclear how postgres should be integrated.
I am new to Ofbiz and am hoping to contribute development and documentation (as well as using it for my business), but I stumbled at the first hurdle with Postgres integration (I’m not interested in using Derby so haven’t even tried using the default install). Now my aim is to figure out what I was doing wrong, document a process that works, then contribute this as documentation for the project. Unfortunately my day job got in the way so I put things on hold and have been waiting for the Xmas break to settle down and have another crack. Thanks to Timothy for the links included - I don’t think I’ve seen these. I will have a look through in the next few days and hope to get it installed using the linked docs to help me integrate with Postgres. Another part of the issue for me personally is trying to learn Gradle too (though I’ve been thinking of doing it for a while now) and pulling it together using the correct documentation. The problem I’m having is, as Jacques pointed out, that there is too much documentation scattered around. Regarding documentation more generally, it would be preferable to have a single definitive set of documentation that is directly referenced from the home page instead of the current situation where the links open confluence in a new tab. Maybe have the essential documentation on the web site itself (e.g. installer, administrator, and user documentation). Then use the confluence site as an additional reference for things like troubleshooting, specific cases (e.g. alternative databases), developer docs, API, Q&A, etc. If people are committed to keeping all documentation on confluence (and there is no particular reason why not) just make sure the links on the home page at least correspond to the top level menu items in confluence. For example currently the four documentation links on the home page are as follows: “User Documentation” goes to “Documentation” in Confluence, “Technical Documentation” goes to “Documentation>Technical Documentation” (i.e. a submenu of user documentation), “Wiki” goes to the top level page of confluence (i.e. the home page containing the previous two menus as sub-menu and sub-sub-menu) and "API Reference” is Javadoc as expected (although hosted on ci.apache.org <http://ci.apache.org/> so different from the previous documentation links). In addition there are other links on the confluence page that are not shown on the OfBiz home page so it is not clear where they fit in to the structure. In summary, it is probably more helpful for the new user/administrator coming to OfBiz for the first time, to actually have *less* documentation by default. Then if they really want to, give them access to the rest of the documentation (on the wiki) if they can’t find their answer in the main docs. As with Timothy - I hope my comments are taken as a constructive effort to improve a user’s first experience with OfBiz. I really would like this to be a useful tool for myself and others to manage their businesses… Cheers, Dave > On 15 Dec 2017, at 18:02, Boyden, Timothy <[email protected]> wrote: > > No problem, hopefully that came across as constructive criticism (as it was > meant), and not as a rant. > > Maybe one possibility is enlisting the help of the jpackage team > (http://www.jpackage.org/). They have quite the library of Java applications > that they have repackaged as yum, apt, and rpm installers. > > Another possibilty would be reaching out to existing talent in other Apache > projects, that currently write installers for their projects. > > Even nicer would be a Docker image, as that is how most people get up to > speed on a new application server these days, and would allow a quick path to > creating a scalable/fault tolerant instance of OFBiz. > > Wish I could help out more in this area, but installer package creation is > not my forte. > > Regards, > > Tim Boyden > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jacques Le Roux [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 11:39 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Ofbiz to postgresSql connection problem > > Thanks Tim, > > Such feedback is valuable for us in order to tune and maintain our > documentation. > > I completely agree, and most of us do, that having a plethoric documentation > is not a good thing. > > I also see that's it's harder to maintain a well structured and up to date > documentation than to add bricks here and there. > > We want to make an effort in this direction in 2018, I hope we will get > something better. > > Help is appreciated, notably about installers, because active committers > already have a lot to do with the rest. > > This said I totally agree and understand your point of view about > installation. It could be indeed that we are missing attention because we > neglect this aspect. Actually it's not hard to imagine, just a bit of empathy > is enough... > > Jacques > > > Le 15/12/2017 à 14:22, Boyden, Timothy a écrit : >> I have to agree, the documentation for setting up OFBiz with an external >> database is about as clear as mud. For one there are multiple Wiki documents >> that describe different methods to accomplish the task, rather than one >> officially accepted method. For example, I tried to follow the Linux >> (CentOS) version of this Wiki page >> (https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/OFBIZ/Setup+OFBiz+version+16.11.02+with+PostgreSQL+on+Windows) >> and the compile command did not properly download and load the driver. >> However, I had success following the older approach of manually adding the >> JDBC driver jar file to ${ofbiz install dir}/framework/entity/lib/jdbc as >> described in this Wiki page ( >> https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/OFBIZ/Apache+OFBiz+Technical+Production+Setup+Guide#ApacheOFBizTechnicalProductionSetupGuide-DatabaseSetup). >> Of course, the jar file keeps getting wiped out if you run the cleanAll >> command. That took a few install attempts to realize, as I fought with DB >> permission issues. >> >> I think more attention in the startup documentation needs to address this >> issue, rather than a passing comment, that it can (and is even recommended) >> that the software be setup with an external DBMS. >> >> The worst thing you can have, when trying to appeal to ERP solution >> evaluators, is a software solution that is frustrating to install. A Demo >> site that doesn't work is the first red flag, but I give that a pass, as we >> really need to see the software with our own data, in order to fully >> evaluate it. >> >> That is why I am recommending that Yum, Apt, Windows, etc... installers be >> made available with appropriate install options for clean install and demo >> install. The software should be installable from software repositories, just >> like any other modern Linux or Windows application. I have been implementing >> ERP systems for over 10 years now, and if I didn't like a challenge, would >> have given up on OFBiz after the first failed install attempt, following the >> published startup instructions. The last thing an ERP system implementer >> needs on a go-live weekend, is issues installing the software in the live >> environment. They already have a huge task ahead of them, getting the >> business's data loaded in the system. >> >> Regards, >> >> Tim Boyden >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Rishi Solanki [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 7:05 AM >> To: ofbizuser <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: Ofbiz to postgresSql connection problem >> >> Bashir, >> >> Are you able to connect postgres version mentioned with specific mentioned >> driver in pure java class .... please note that here I'm asking to not use >> OFBiz and connect. >> If so then we can look into it further. >> >> Also please share the OFBiz version and other driver version you are trying >> with. >> >> HTH! >> >> >> Rishi Solanki >> Sr Manager, Enterprise Software Development HotWax Systems Pvt. Ltd. >> Direct: +91-9893287847 >> http://www.hotwaxsystems.com >> www.hotwax.co >> >> On Thu, Dec 14, 2017 at 5:42 AM, [email protected] < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi Im new to ofbiz and i have some problem in connecting ofbiz to >>> postgresql version 10, i couldnt find the latest JDBC driver Version >>> 42.1.4 in Jcenter, . >>> i tried other driver from the Jcenter the connection was failed and >>> couldn't connect to database. >>> waiting for your help. >>> > >
