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Thomas Hagedorn - Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM

Thomas Hagedorn - Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
inactiveTopicWebwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM topic started 7/5/2004; 1:30:51 PM
last post 1/24/2005; 12:26:12 PM
userThomas Hagedorn - Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
7/5/2004; 1:30:51 PM (reads: 1336, responses: 5)
Hi,

We're in the midst of trying to install Webwork 2.0. We installed Preview Release 4 and were successful except that we couldn't get the SQL back-end to work.

Now we want to install the problem library. Are there any instructions for how to do this? I want to just grab the Rochester problem library via CVS, but where does it go. Also, will this work in Release 4 without SQL? There was a note by John Jones that suggested we need to get the older CVS version of Webwork 2 if we don't have SQL running. Is this correct?

Finally, John, I couldn't download the installation instructions at

http://hobbes.la.asu.edu/webwork-stuff

to load. My connection was repeatedly refused (July 4th holiday problem?). I could download the problem library however.

Thanks, Tom

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userJohn Jones - Re: Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
7/6/2004; 11:53:01 AM (reads: 1596, responses: 0)
On using CVS, I was suggesting using the latest version. There was a brief time when webwork would not start without sql running and a problem library database initiated. Unfortunately, prerelease 4 hit that time. You can use a newer or older version without mysql, but I would start with newer.

At the moment, Problem Library is being used in two ways. This isn't your fault. Ultimately this will be resolved, but I can see that it is currently causing confusion. There is a link on the left panel of this page called Problem library which takes you to the Rochester problems. Then there is the "National WeBWorK Problem Library", which is a new project which will make it easier to install and manage problems. It is the latter which is needed for prerelease 4.

The connection was refused because of a general university outage during the long weekend. It should be ok now.

John

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userThomas Hagedorn - Re: Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
7/6/2004; 12:47:11 PM (reads: 1564, responses: 0)
Thanks John,

I now have the installation instructions. I haven't been able to follow them yet as I'm waiting for permissions to be reset on our Webwork system so that I can make changes.

I'm still not clear about the following:

If I put the Rochester problem set in the Library directory, and change the pointer in global.conf file to point to that directory, will Webwork 2.0 PR4 be able to use these problems if SQL is not working (only GDBM)?

We are hoping to get the SQL back-end working soon, but that requires our computer support team to find some time for us.

Thanks, tom

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userJohn Jones - Re: Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
7/6/2004; 3:03:26 PM (reads: 1556, responses: 0)
Hi Tom,

The mysql errors arise because in prerelease 4, webwork will automatically try to connect to problem library data in mysql and throw an error if it can't connect. So, I am afraid the answer is no. What is needed is mysql running and the database of problem information in place.

This bug was fixed in late May right after prerelease 4 came out. So, if you replace your files with the current versions from cvs, then you don't have to worry about having mysql running. This is only one of the dozen or so bugs which have been fixed since prerelease 4.

The only downside to using the latest cvs version is that you need to download the files through cvs (just "cvs up -d" in the two main directories if it has been done before), and if you have configured global.conf, you will have to put those changes into the latest version of global.conf (and possibly check the value of the dvipng arguments which now live in Constants.pm, to see that they correspond to your version of dvipng).

John

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userThomas Hagedorn - Re: Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
7/6/2004; 3:34:45 PM (reads: 1573, responses: 0)
Thanks again. I wasn't picking up that the newest CVS version had the SQL bug fixed. We'll update it via CVS. I'll let you know if we have any problems (should be later this week).

-Tom

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userJeremyPyne - Re: Webwork 2 PR4, Problem Library Installation, GDBM  blueArrow
1/24/2005; 12:26:12 PM (reads: 1317, responses: 0)
I just wanted to note an error I got when running the Problem Library script on this page.

http://hobbes.la.asu.edu/webwork-stuff

It seems that it is not configured to work with WebWork 2.1. I had to add the following lines to my ./conf/database.conf file inthe sql section.

problem_library_classify => { record => "WeBWorK::DB::Record::Problem", schema => "WeBWorK::DB::Schema::SQL", driver => "WeBWorK::DB::Driver::SQL", source => "dbi:mysql:ProblemLibrary", params => { %sqlParams}; },

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