Omeka Website address?

Hello,

So I have Omeka.org installed on a computer! It runs great and the website is setup, but I have one small question. How do I find the Website address? On the Server I have /localhost/omeka… But how do I reach it out in the world?

I know should be the first question I asked, but I postponed it…

Thanks,
Susie

The “world” address is something you or your host provides for when setting up the server: you get a domain name and set it up to resolve to your server’s IP address.

Usually people with “localhost” servers are just using them locally, so they don’t have a world-accessible address at all.

If you want to make your website publicly accessible, you’ll need web hosting.

So…
Let me see if I got it! So I have a Linux Server installed with the
Omeka 2.4.1
PHP - 5.3.2 - 1ubuntu 4.30 (apache2handler)
OS - Linux 2.6.32-74 genric
MYSQL Server - 5.1.73
MYSQL Client - 5.1.73
Apache - 2.214

Do I need to register and get a Static IP from my internet provider.
Then secure a domain (URL) from like godaddy or the web Hosting sites you provided.
Associate my IP with that URL.
I think I’m missing something?
I think it has to do with Apache or a configuration on the server, is that right? Can you help me with it?
I know just enough to start the project but might not to finish.

Thanks

So, just to clarify the computer you installed it on. Is the computer something that’s in your posession, that you can physically touch? Or is it server space that you are buying from a hosting company?

If it’s in your posession, then it isn’t with configuration. It’s that the world can’t see your computer. You’d most likely be able to see it at http://localhost/Omeka in your browser, but no one else can.

If it’s server space from a hosting company, then they’ll be the best guide to getting a domain name to associate with site.

If it really is a computer in your posession that you want to make visible to the world, that’s possible, but a bit beyond the scope of Omeka work – it gets into networks and server configuration that’s unrelated to Omeka. In virtually all situations, you’ll be better off with one of the first two situations.

In my possession.
OK, Do they call it a LAMP Server?
Omeka 2.4.1
PHP - 5.3.2 - 1ubuntu 4.30 (apache2handler)
OS - Linux 2.6.32-74 genric
MYSQL Server - 5.1.73
MYSQL Client - 5.1.73
Apache - 2.214

Thanks,
Susie

Yep! That looks like LAMP is on your computer!

So, based on that, what do you see when you open a browser and go to http://localhost/omeka?

From my workstation I get this:
This page can’t be displayed

•Make sure the web address http://localhost is correct.
•Look for the page with your search engine.
•Refresh the page in a few minutes.
On the Linux workstation I get

Omeka Dashboard.
Thanks,
Susie

Could you clarify what you mean by “from my workstation” vs “on the linux workstation”? are these the same or different computers?

It sounds like they’re different computers, which gets us back to the points above about the visibility of the linux machine on the web. From the linux machine, you should get access. If you want it to be visible from any other computer, you’re looking at getting web hosting from a place like Reclaim

My workstation is a computer on the intranet.

The Linux workstation is where we have the Omeka.org installed.

I can reach the Dashboard of Omeka on any workstation within the Intranet of the library.
By using the Address: /IP address/omeka/admin

Thanks,
Susie

Hello, (Thank for sticking with me!)

But I’m not sure how to view the website, like in .net (http://domainname.omeka.net/) All I’m getting to on the Intranet is the Dashboard.

So I think I’m at this step.
“Do I need to register and get a Static IP from my internet provider.Then secure a domain (URL) from like godaddy or reclaim. Associate my Public IP with reclaim or godaddy with that URL.” and then I should be open to the world? Are there ports that need to be opened for Omeka?

Susie

That sounds like a possible step, though a bit overly complicated, and it could very well depend on how your intranet is set up – something only your IT folks managing the intranet could tell you.

Unless there are very strong reasons to only make it accessible on the intranet (it sounds like there aren’t), I think it’ll all be much easier if you put the world-visible site on space from a hosting company like Reclaim Hosting. That is, instead of keeping it on your local machine, move it all to Reclaim, keeping your Linux workstation just as a development environment if needed

We do not want it just visible on the Intranet, we want it visible to the world. Money is always an issue in Public Libraries, so I thought we could house the software cheaper since we had the existing linuix machine.

I’m asking reclaim now. Why not just use the Omeka.net option?
Susie

if omeka.net works for your needs, the basic plan might be a good option. Otherwise, the plan you described could be a good option if your IT folks can set it up.

We will blow through the basic plan quickly, Oral History project, so Storage is a concern. We are small I’m the IT department.

Thanks for your guidance!
Susie

Ah! The picture becomes much more clear! :slight_smile:

Cost is always a concern – Omeka was indeed developed with small institutions in mind for that reason.

As the IT department, it might be worth doing a budget run-through of the costs of hosting your site on your existing linux box, vs outsourcing to a hosting service. Yes, you already have the linux box available to you, and you could drop the $$ for a domain and map the IP address to that box. But doing all that is a non-trivial amount of your time. Then, there’s your time for doing upgrades to Omeka and maintaining that server.

There’s not a clear, obvious answer, but it might be worth assessing whether it’s more cost efficient to host it elsewhere or to do that setup yourself.

Very true! My time is Golden (to me)…I like the idea of someone else managing the system, and we just drop the data in. Hopefully Reclaim will be relatively cheap…
Susie

It is cheap!

Thanks,
Susie

If you work for a nonprofit you could also get a free account with Dreamhost, and host it there.

Bummer, paid and setup. But is it really unlimited storage?