Configuring LiveWhale
How to configure LiveWhale for your server(s).
The LiveWhale installation can be configured using three supplied config files; the master LiveWhale configuration file, and the two client-specific configuration files through which you can configure the CMS in ways specific to your institution.
LiveWhale’s Master Configuration
The master config file is located at /livewhale/core/config.php and is globally loaded whenever the LiveWhale CMS is activated.
Each option in the master config includes comments describing available settings.
The primary settings this configuration allows you to change are:
- Configure each host that LiveWhale serves content on.
- Set the client name and help/contact text for the LiveWhale interface.
- Configure LiveWhale’s login mode.
- Set the number of revisions supported by LiveWhale’s data modules.
- Toggle the LiveWhale diagnostic routine.
- Set the header and footer of LiveWhale’s notification e-mails.
- Control access to LiveWhale during upgrades.
- Apply a custom 404 error to your web site.
- Configuring global tags.
- Enabling HTML5.
- Changing the support url in the management interface.
LiveWhale’s Client Configuration
The client configuration files are located at /livewhale/client/private.config.php and /livewhale/client/public.config.php.
The client configurations allow you to supply additional configuration settings that are particular to your institution’s LiveWhale installation.
The private config is loaded only when accessing the backend LiveWhale interface. The public config is loaded only when accessing the public facing web site.
In most cases the private config will not require any additions, but it can be used to expand backend LiveWhale functionality as needed.
The public config typically contains at least the settings for the global default templates for news, events, and galleries that will be used when viewing their details. These settings should be configured when the LiveWhale installation is first installed. (Additional templates can then be used according to group or widget based rules.) The default template paths are set like this:
$_LW->REGISTERED_WIDGETS[‘news’][‘widget’][‘item_url’]=’/path/to/news.php’; // set default url for news stories
$_LW->REGISTERED_WIDGETS[‘events’][‘widget’][‘item_url’]=’/path/to/events.php’; // set default url for events
$_LW->REGISTERED_WIDGETS[‘galleries’][‘widget’][‘item_url’]=’/path/to/galleries.php’; // set default url for galleries
This kind of setting is an example of changing a default setting for a widget. Both the public and private configs are useful in overriding settings for widgets, data modules, and applications.
Note that all config files are buffered against parse errors. If a config file is broken, LiveWhale will fall back on the most recent cached copy until the issue is fixed.