[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] ***SPAM*** ***SPAM*** Newbie questions

[Leslie Hastings]

I was going to lurk for a while, but I'm quite anxious to migrate from a
different OS library, and while Evergreen looks like a dream application, I
feel that dreaded sense of being in way over my head that I haven't had in a
while.

I'll start by saying that I'm currently using OpenBiblio, and have cut my
teeth on that so far as learning about OPAC and MARC codes, etc. I'm well
away from being competent as a data manager, and still have a lot to learn,
but I think I've got the basics re: nomenclature, etc.

But OB doesn't do everything I need it to do. I'm running a hiring service,
so an E-Commerce system, which is what I originally thought would fit the
bill, doesn't really work. I can't just "sell" something, because I have no
way to track its return.

What appeals about Evergreen is the multiple cross-referencing it appears to
do, and the image attachment is an absolute must.

But although I'm comfortable with PHP and MySQL, FTP and phpMyAdmin, I'm not
so good with command line, and I don't have my own server. I may put one
together, but don't have access to one now, and I really want to get
started, rather than continue adding to the existing database, as all that
will just then have to be moved (or re-entered by hand).

I have (virtually) unlimited space on a shared server running Apache 2.2.14,
PHP5, MySQL5, Perl5.8.8 on CentOS 5.5. It doesn't appear to have any other
db options.

I'd like to put my library here, at least in the first instance, with the
possibility of moving it to my own server later. Is that even an option? And
if so, could somebody provide some basic instructions on how to get started?
As an alternative, I have an old copy of Ubuntu that I could load and dual
boot with. More than I'd hoped to have to do at the outset, but if it's the
only option, I'll give it a go. I'm also familiar with XAMPP (Windows) and
know there are other similar applications out there, but haven't used them.
That won't help me get the library live, but if it helps me set it up so
that it can be moved later, then it's a step in the right direction.

I say I'm "not so good" with command line, which is a result of years on a
Windoze OS, but I have run a Linux box, although I don't have access to one
just now. I'm quite happy to use command line if somebody tells me exactly
what to input.

Thanks in advance for any help. Looking forward to diving in, both in my own
project and in this community.

Cheers,
Leslie