Unit 6 DSpace install on new Ubuntu Server VM

Unit 6 My Blog the DSpace install experience.

The install was really amazing, there were so many steps and so much text went flying by on the VM window that I found myself hypnotized by the complexity of the process. Users just see a pdf or jpg but the install configuration and administration of DSpace underscores the magnitude of the work, planning and precise execution needed to render digital objects. As I followed the install steps, my brain was focused only on the discrete task before it, and not upon the how or why a specific step was being performed. It was only after the successful installation of DSpace on my Ubuntu Server VM that I could take a breadth and look up and see the trail of virtual bread crumbs that traced the path that had just taken me so far.

As to the question could I have figured this out on my own or would I need help from a systems specialist? Despite how far I may have come from where I started way back at the first week of 672, it still would be necessary for me to consult with a specialist before I would try installing DSpace in a production environment. However, the install documentation is detailed enough so that with the DSpace technical community forum as a resource, I might only need to consult with a specialist to get over just a few speed bumps.

While I somehow initially went down the wrong path on page 6 of the install fortunately I had taken the precaution, per the advice inserted in the DSpace install document, to take snapshots of previous states of the VM so I just reverted and went forward. As I look back I am now very comfortable with the steps on pages 1 and 2 that create a new VM and install the Ubuntu Server. Many of the commands and steps after page 2 are also pretty familiar to me, for example using the linux sudo aptitude command to download code from partner repositories. I also know enough about the linux file structure to have a good idea of where all that code was deposited. These individual pieces of knowledge like the modules we added during the Drupal install have provided me with tools to better understand the DSpace install and other tasks I might confront in curating a digial collection.