Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
234 lines (160 loc) · 6.54 KB

README.md

File metadata and controls

234 lines (160 loc) · 6.54 KB

GreenBlog

GreenBlog is a lightweight, secure, and fast blogging platform that serves as a minimalist alternative to WordPress. It uses PHP and SQLite with ADODB for database operations and generates static HTML files for optimal performance.

Features

  • Lightweight: Minimal dependencies and low resource usage
  • Secure: Built with security best practices
  • Fast: Generates static HTML files for optimal performance
  • Simple: Easy to install and use
  • Minimal Configuration: Works with standard Apache setups

Requirements

  • PHP 7.4 or higher
  • SQLite 3 with PHP SQLite3 extension enabled
  • Apache web server with mod_rewrite enabled
  • Composer (for installation)

Installation

  1. Download or clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/greenblog.git
cd greenblog

  2. Install dependencies using Composer

    composer install

  3. Set file permissions

    Make sure the following directories are writable by the web server:

    chmod -R 755 data
chmod -R 755 public_html/static
chmod -R 755 public_html/uploads

  4. Configure your web server

    Make sure your Apache virtual host is configured with mod_rewrite enabled and AllowOverride All.

  5. Configure your web server document root

    Set your web server's document root to point to the public_html directory.

  6. Run the setup script

    Navigate to http://yourdomain.com/setup.php in your web browser and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Local Development

Running PHP's Built-in Web Server

For local development, you can use PHP's built-in web server to serve the public_html directory:

Using the Provided Scripts (Windows)

GreenBlog comes with scripts to easily start the development server:

  1. Using Batch Script:

    scripts\start-server.bat

  2. Using PowerShell Script:

    scripts\start-server.ps1

These scripts will:

  • Check if PHP is available in your PATH
  • Verify if the SQLite3 extension is loaded
  • Start the server on port 8001

Manual Method

You can also start the server manually:

cd /path/to/greenblog
php -S localhost:8000 -t public_html

If you encounter permission errors, make sure you're using the correct syntax with the -t flag:

# INCORRECT (causes permission errors):
php -S localhost:8000 public_html

# CORRECT:
php -S localhost:8000 -t public_html

This will start a local development server that serves files from the public_html directory.

Notes:

  • This is for development purposes only and should not be used in production
  • The server will run until you stop it (Ctrl+C)
  • You can change the port number (8000/8001) to any available port on your system
  • Access the admin interface at http://localhost:8001/admin/ (or whichever port you're using)

Using XAMPP, WAMP, or Other Local Server Environments

If you're using XAMPP, WAMP, or a similar local server environment:

  1. Configure your virtual host to point to the public_html directory
  2. Access your site through the configured domain name or localhost path

Usage

Admin Interface

After installation, you can access the admin interface at http://yourdomain.com/admin/.

The admin interface allows you to:

  • Create, edit, and delete posts
  • Manage categories
  • Upload and manage media
  • Configure site settings
  • Manually regenerate static files

Creating Content

  1. Log in to the admin interface
  2. Click on "New Post" to create a new post
  3. Fill in the title, content, and other details
  4. Select categories for the post
  5. Upload a featured image if desired
  6. Save as draft or publish immediately

Static File Generation

GreenBlog automatically generates static HTML files when:

  • A post is published or updated
  • A category is created or updated
  • Site settings are changed

You can also manually regenerate all static files from the admin interface by clicking on "Regenerate Static Files".

Directory Structure

  • public_html/: Web-accessible files
    • admin/: Admin interface files
    • static/: Generated static files
    • uploads/: Media uploads
    • assets/: CSS, JS, and images
  • includes/: Core functionality
  • templates/: HTML templates
  • data/: SQLite database

Security Considerations

General Security

  • Keep your PHP and SQLite up to date
  • Use strong passwords for the admin account
  • Regularly back up your database
  • Consider using HTTPS for your site

Version Control & Deployment

When using version control (like Git) or deploying to a public repository:

  • The .gitignore file is configured to exclude sensitive data
  • Never commit the database file (data/greenblog.db) to a public repository
  • Consider excluding includes/config.php after setup (uncomment the line in .gitignore)
  • Be careful with user uploads in public_html/uploads/ - they are excluded by default
  • Generated static files in public_html/static/ are also excluded

Production Deployment

For production environments:

  • Set appropriate file permissions (typically 755 for directories, 644 for files)
  • Configure your web server to deny direct access to the includes and data directories
  • Regularly backup your database and uploaded content
  • Consider using a more robust database like MySQL for high-traffic sites

Troubleshooting

SQLite Issues

If you encounter errors related to SQLite functions like sqlite_query(), it means your PHP installation is using SQLite3 but the code is trying to use the older SQLite2 driver. Make sure:

  1. The PHP SQLite3 extension is enabled in your php.ini
  2. You're using the 'sqlite3' driver in your database connection code: 
    $conn = ADONewConnection('sqlite3');

Enabling SQLite3 Extension in PHP (Windows)

If you see the error "SQLite3 extension is not loaded", follow these steps to enable it:

  1. Locate your php.ini file:

    php --ini

  2. Open the php.ini file in a text editor (run as administrator)

  3. Find the line with ;extension=sqlite3 (it has a semicolon at the beginning)

  4. Remove the semicolon to uncomment the line:

    extension=sqlite3

  5. Save the file and restart your web server or PHP process

  6. Verify the extension is loaded:

    php -m | findstr sqlite

    You should see "sqlite3" in the output

PHP Built-in Server Issues

If you get permission errors when using PHP's built-in server, make sure you're using the correct syntax with the -t flag:

# CORRECT:
php -S localhost:8000 -t public_html

License

GreenBlog is released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.