Additional install instructions found

Much of the information in that section is not really replicated in the Getting Started guide - for example, there's a whole bunch of nitty gritty about installing on Mac. But yeah, it doesn't make sense to have install stuff in two places. Expecially since many non-dev types just want to just try out Drupal on their desktop and wouldn't think to go poking through the dev guide.

How 'bout we move that whole local server section (http://drupal.org/node/157602) to here: http://drupal.org/node/346385 and maybe rename the parent to something like "Multisite, advanced and local server installation"

Hmmm... I am not sure I agree. I don't think the local server stuff under http://drupal.org/node/157602 should be in "getting started" at all. I think it should remain in the "developer" section where it is now.

Maybe instead But we should link from the "advanced and multisite" section http://drupal.org/node/346385 to the "local server" section?

How about moving just the folders of Linux, Mac and Windows install instructions to GS? There doesn't seem to be anything significant in those sections that is specific to being a developer. For example, if you're a themer working on a Mac it would seem to make sense to have the Mac-specific instructions in the installation guide rather than shift the person to a dev-centric context.

Looked at another way, it would seem that anyone - developer or not - would find the installation guide to be a natural place to find OS-specific install information.

I thought the instructions in the "Local Server" spot were mostly about setting up your LAMP/MAMP/etc. stack. But some of them are also about installing Drupal...

So here's what I would suggest.
- Anything that is addressing installing your own LAMP/etc., Apache, PHP, etc. should stay in the Local Servers section, because that really is for developers, isn't it?
- Anything currently in Local Servers that is addressing installing Drupal on particular platforms should be moved into advanced installation.
- Anything currently in Advanced Installation that is addressing setting up server infrastructure should be moved into Local Servers.
- We should have a link from Advanced Installation to Local Servers, and vice versa.

Thoughts?

I'm not sure that the LAMP stack or local server stuff is more relevant to developers. Anyone wanting to run Drupal on their local computer will need to follow the same instructions.

Ah, well I had assumed only a "developer" (for some definition of the word "developer") would want to run Drupal on their local computer, and that a "user" of Drupal (whatever "user" means) was not out to become a systems administrator, and would thus be installing Drupal on a web host setup that someone else had provided.

Anyway, I don't feel that strongly about whether the "setting up a server" section belongs in "advanced installation", "developer set-up", or somewhere else. But I do think there should be a clear separation between the "how to set up a web server" section, and the "how to install Drupal on server xyz" section -- and right now they seem to be intermingled.

Maybe the "drupal on xyz" section shouldn't even be considered "advanced installation", just "specific host instructions"?

One more thing. People have been blasted in the issue queue (not that I can point you to a specific issue at the moment) for including information on drupal.org that is not specific to Drupal. One could argue that the instructions on how to set up servers fall into that category, and that it should all be removed. It's all likely to be out of date, incorrect, duplicating other and better information out there on the web, etc. -- possibly better just to have links to definitive tutorials elsewhere on the web?

Actually I think I've done a wee bit of that blasting myself.

:)

So yeah, I wouldn't object to replacing all the local server stuff with links to xampp, Acquia etc.

But if we are going to keep it, then I'd say keep it together in the installation guide.

Agreed. But separating out the "build a server infrastructure" stuff into its own sub-header. And eliminating it as good off-site links are found. :)

Whoops. Changing this back to active. Realized it isn't quite dealt with yet.

FWIW, I agree that setting up a local LAMP stack is general information and not limited to devs. Even a newbie site-builder can (and best practices would be "should") set up a local install.

I also peeked inside that section and man, does *that* need some love, but certainly not something to derail moving this to a more accessible area at least.