2) Getting started with Quickstart

Getting started with Quickstart

Quickstart was created to provide a simple and intuitive way to start working on Drupal websites and code.

It attempts to accomplish this in several ways:

1) Smaller learning curve through pre-configuration. Wherever possible, we've done the research so you don't have to.
2) Dead simple setup by providing a downloadable virtual machine. Download, start.
3) Automating basic tasks. Quickstart provides tools to automate installing/deleting Drupal sites.

For information on installing quickstart, go here.

Automating basic site tasks

Sites need to be installed, deleted, backed up, restored, and verified

Each Site consists of a variety of configuration: dns, web server, database, php code, and installation.

Quickstart provides tools to quickly manage all these configurations in one command. This automation is done with drush, a command line tool for managing Drupal sites.

For example, to create a new site, run this command:

$ drush quickstart-create example1.dev

Quickstart will

• Configure DNS by editing the /etc/hosts file
• Configure Apache by creating a virtualhost for "example1.dev"
• Create a MySQL database called example1_dev
• Download the most recent Drupal release (at this time Drupal 7) from drupal.org
• Run the Drupal 7 installer (without a web browser)

Another example, same as above, but specify path, make file, and profile for D7:
$ drush quickstart-create example2.dev --codepath=/home/quickstart/websites/example2.dev --makefile=/home/quickstart/websites/d7.make --profile=standard

For D6:
$ drush quickstart-create example3.dev --codepath=/home/quickstart/websites/example3.dev --makefile=/home/quickstart/websites/d6.make --profile=default

Additional "drush quickstart-create" Examples

Create empty directory and configure virtual host

To just create an empty directory (useful when you need to clone a repository), use:

$ drush qc apache dns --domain=example3.dev

This will create an empty "example3.dev" directory in the "websites" directory as well as make the site accessible via http://example3.dev in a web browser.

Create empty directory, configure virtual host, create empty database

To just create an empty directory (useful when you need to clone a repository) AND an empty database, just add "database" to the previous command:

$ drush qc apache dns database --domain=example3.dev

This will also create an empty "example3_dev" database.

Quickstart uses drush commands from drush and drush make.