Virtual Appliance Marketplace

An appliance for designing, developing & deploying web applications that look & feel like desktop applications.

Features

Collegiate:
No

One-line Description:
An appliance for designing, developing & deploying web applications that look & feel like desktop applications.

Filename:
APhPLIX.zip

Size Compressed:
9.2

Allocated Memory:
64

VMware Tools Installed?:
No

Operating System:
Ubuntu Linux 5.10 (customized)

Applications:
Ubuntu Linux 5.10 (customized)
APhPLIX Development Studio 6.05
TERRAFORM Install CD Toolkit 6.05
appWeb 2.0.5
QEMU 0.8.1 (qemu-img binary only)
BUSYBOX 1.00

Description:
----------------------------------------------
APhPLIX Development Studio VM
----------------------------------------------
APhPLIX Development Studio is a WebBrowser-based Rapid Application Development (RAD) environment which is used to create APhPLIX applications. An APhPLIX application is a dynamic, WebBrowser-based application which looks, feels and acts like a regular window-based application. APhPLIX utilizes DHTML, AJAX, DOM, Javascript and PHP to create this unique style of application.
As a WebBrowser-based, RAD environment, APhPLIX Development Studio VM incorporates a WYSIWYG form builder, PHP/Javascript code editors and an SQL database administration interface into a single appliance which allows developers to design, develop and deploy APhPLIX applications. APhPLIX uniquely employs virtualization technology to deploy completed applications as VMware virtual appliances from within the APhPLIX Development Studio VM virtual appliance, thereby passing on all of the benefits of VMware virtualisation technology to the end user.
APhPLIX Development Studio VM allows developers to quickly and easily produce a dynamic, multiuser application with a consistent and familiar window-based user interface. Developers will save time and money, while producing high-quality applications which can be deployed as a VMware virtual machine for cross-platform compatibility, and ease of installation.
Although a number of other RAD tools exist, there are currently no other single solution appliances for producing APhPLIX-like applications. While other tools may provide partial solutions for developing DHTML/AJAX applications, only APhPLIX Development Studio VM with its unique combination of features and simple, intuitive interface, delivers a complete, innovative, full application development life cycle environment, with the simplicity of an appliance.
Despite its extensive functionality and high performance, APhPLIX Development Studio VM is exceptionally compact. Weighing in at an under 10MB, it is easily downloaded and transported.
Initial configuration of APhPLIX Development Studio VM can be performed in under one minute. After configuration is complete the development environment can be accessed via a web browser from any computer on the local network. The application is then designed using an intuitive WYSIWYG form designer, and can be developed using the familiar Javascript and PHP languages. Completed applications are deployed as a VMware virtual machine at the click of a button.
----------------------------------------------
Building APhPLIX Development Studio VM
----------------------------------------------
APhPLIX Development Studio VM is a true server appliance, a single application integrated with a fully customized operating system. Although based on Ubuntu Linux 5.10, the underlying operating system was custom built from the ground up using the smallest possible components to produce a finished system under 10MB in size.
A number of unique challenges were faced in building the APhPLIX Development Studio VM Virtual Appliance. These included finding ways to optimize and configure the appliance to achieve maximum functionality while retaining ease of use, cross-browser compatibility, and a convenient size.
Preliminary tests:
Install a base (server) installation of Ubuntu Linux 5.10.
Install required applications.
Install and Test VMware Tools.
Won't require anything from VMware Tools in the finished appliance.
Check size of install.
488MB! Far too big, the target is 10MB Max, will need to build a system from the ground up.
Create a base system:
Configure Terraform Install CD builder to build VM compatible install images.
Compile busybox & copy into Terraform.
Create files for a base initrd image & copy into Terraform.
Copy files from Ubuntu Linux 5.10 into Terraform;
Ubuntu Linux kernel 2.6.12-9-386,
Drivers for VMware virtual hardware,
Required binaries,
Required libraries.
Configure base system:
The System is configured to run almost entirely from an initrd image.
Most Modifications to the system do not survive a reboot.
This helps to prevent corruption of the system files but requires special
configuration to ensure that required changes to configuration are saved.
Base System is now less than 4MB installed.
Web server:
Find a small embedded web server with PHP support, "appWeb" is the answer!
Copy required parts of appWeb into Terraform.
configure appWebb & PHP.
Base System is now approx 9MB installed.
System menus:
Build whiptail menus for configuration & management of the Virtual Appliance.
Enable building of VM from within the VM:
Copy latest version of qemu-img binary (QEMU) into Terraform.
Need the latest version to be read/write VMware vmdk images.
Create an empty VM with VMware Workstation.
Create script to build the deployment VM.
Create startup scripts to allow the same initrd to be used for
both the development appliance & the deployment appliance.
APhPLIX:
Build an AJAX, PHP, DHTML, Javascript toolkit. APhPLIX is born!
Ok, so i was already working on this one, but i needed a reason to finish it off.
Build a browser based RAD environment for APhPLIX.
It's almost as painful to see this step described in one line as it was to actually do it.
Test for cross browser compatibility, make changes as needed.
Documentation:
Create easy to follow user documentation.
Build a demo application to distribute with the appliance.
Installation:
make an ISO install image with Terraform.
Create an empty VM with VMware Workstation.
Use the install ISO to install into the VM.
Shut down the VM.
Compress the VM files.
Test - Fix - Repeat:
----------------------------------------------
Getting Started
----------------------------------------------
Requirements:
Modern, Javascript-enabled web browser
1280 x 1024 resolution*
* will run at lower resolutions with scrolling.
Recommendations:
Firefox 1.0.7 (or newer)
Netscape 8.1
2560 x 1024 resolution (dual screen)
Supported browsers:
Firefox 1.0.7 (Linux)
Netscape 8.1 (Windows XP)
Internet Explorer 6.0 (Windows XP)*
Opera 6.05 (Windows XP)**
* Supports most features, performance may be slow.
** Supports most features, performance is VERY FAST.
Unsupported browsers:
Konqueror (Linux)
Extremely Quick Start:
Power on the appliance and follow the on screen prompts.
Quick Start:
Power on the appliance.
From the welcome screen, press enter to start configuration.
Enter an admin password.
Select whether or not the admin password is required to access the admin menu.
Select the type of network configuration to use, DHCP or Manual.
If you selected Manual network configuration you will be prompted for IP Address, Netmask & Gateway
Press enter to reboot the appliance when prompted.
After the appliance reboots, point your web browser at the IP address displayed at the bottom of the welcome screen.
From your web browser click on the APhPLIX logo to enter APhPLIX Development Studio.
Once APhPLIX Development Studio loads you can access the documentation by clicking on the '?' in the top right hand corner of the screen.
----------------------------------------------
Licensing Details
----------------------------------------------
Development Studio:
APhPLIX Development Studio 6.05* http://www.aphplix.org/
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
SQLiteWebAdmin http://www.projektfarm.com/sqlitewebadmin/
The Artistic License http://www.projektfarm.com/sqlitewebadmin/licence.php
R&OS PDF Class (Cpdf & Cezpdf) http://www.ros.co.nz/pdf/
Public Domain
Services_JSON http://pear.php.net/pepr/pepr-proposal-show.php?id=198
The BSD License http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php
json.js http://www.json.org/js.html
The JSON License http://www.json.org/license.html
Generic Drag http://www.brainjar.com (http://www.brainjar.com/dhtml/drag/)
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
Snowish Icons 1.0 http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php?content=32599
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
Tango Icon Library http://tango-project.org/Tango_Icon_Library
Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/
Operating system:
TERRAFORM Install CD Toolkit 6.05* http://www.aphplix.org/terraform/
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
appWeb 2.0.5 http://www.appwebserver.org/
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
QEMU 0.8.1 (qemu-img binary only) http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
BUSYBOX 1.00 http://www.busybox.net
The GNU General Public License (GPL) http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php
Ubuntu Linux 5.10 http://www.ubuntu.com
Various http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/licensing
The following binaries from Ubuntu Linux 5.10 have been used;
Ubuntu Linux kernel 2.6.12-9-386
whiptail
mke2fs
sfdisk
extlinux
zip
chpasswd
mount
* "APhPLIX Development Studio" & "TERRAFORM Install CD Toolkit 6.05" are my own applications.

Technical Specifications

Operating System:

Ubuntu Linux 5.10 (customized)

VMware Tools installed: No

Size: 9MB

Allocated Memory (RAM): 64MB

Applications Installed:

Ubuntu Linux 5.10 (customized)APhPLIX Development Studio 6.05TERRAFORM Install CD Toolkit 6.05appWeb 2.0.5QEMU 0.8.1 (qemu-img binary only)BUSYBOX 1.00

Virtual Appliance Account Information