Portable system(s)

ChetUbetcha

I am creating a tracking system for my boss using PHP/MySQL. He will have the ability to use it on our Intranet, but does a large amount of work from home. We're trying to get it installed on our own web server behind our secure Internet site.

I would like to create a similar utility on a USB drive so he can take his information with him, but still have the ability to make updates. If he were to make updates, I'd like to also make it possible to sync his information with the system on the Intranet. Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, software recommendations, for a system like this?

I found WOS Portable and will see how well that system works, just to get PHP, MySQL, etc. running from the USB drive. If I can create a simialr system on the USB drive, I would see if it were possible to make a sync button and simply copy all the files to the Intranet server or vice versa.

The-Master

What type of tracking system?

I would just make a password protected page on your web server and make that the page that he always goes to instead of having multiple pages or ways to access the data.

ChetUbetcha

I totally forgot about this thread because I got so tied up with other development projects! Anyway, I have finally gotten a lot more experience with PHP and have made some really cool office automation tools for the office. Now that I have some breathing room, I was going to try this system again. Of course, WOS is moving servers, so their download is not available. What? No mirrors for download?!

The system I am going to build will be simple. Redundant systems: one on work web server, one on his thumb drive. I was going to make a compare system that would check time stamps that are placed in the entries when he makes changes/updates, and he will have the option to select which ones are overwritten on the server or thumb drive.

Now, my question is security. I can make a username/password system for both, but I don't want someone to simply find his thumb drive someday and hack into the MySQL DB and get his data. Is there some encryption I can use that would protect the thumb drive? Do I have to build it into my system or should I simply put a security system (COTS or Open Source(preferable)) on the thumb drive itself?

halojoy

I mentioned USB installed server for PHP in another topic.
They are often called pen drive <- search google.
( there are evenso COMPLETE Linux OS to run on an USB Stick !!!
for example DSL - damn small linux)

Once you have a server (not necessarily apache) working in your USB
and this server can be configured for PHP
... then rest is no problem.
Download and install PHP, too.

For a webserver even so small USB Flash as 256MB is very large.
200 MB webspace is quite enough, for 95% of all apps.

Eventhough I have not tried this,
I can not see any problems with running a SQL database program (.exe or .bin) too.
Then you take your PHP-System Server with you, in your pocket,
and run it on some free port in any PC.

( When the file sharing police come to take you,
you just rip your USB out of PC socket connector,
put it inside your underwear and just give them a big smile! )
🙂

Horizon88

halojoy wrote:
I mentioned USB installed server for PHP in another topic.
They are often called pen drive <- search google.
( there are evenso COMPLETE Linux OS to run on an USB Stick !!!
for example DSL - damn small linux)

Once you have a server (not necessarily apache) working in your USB
and this server can be configured for PHP
... then rest is no problem.
Download and install PHP, too.

For a webserver even so small USB Flash as 256MB is very large.
200 MB webspace is quite enough, for 95% of all apps.

Eventhough I have not tried this,
I can not see any problems with running a SQL database program (.exe or .bin) too.
Then you take your PHP-System Server with you, in your pocket,
and run it on some free port in any PC.

( When the file sharing police come to take you,
you just rip your USB out of PC socket connector,
put it inside your underwear and just give them a big smile! )
🙂

Are you an actual person? Honestly - some of your answers are so inane it's like you're a bot.

Chet- my best advice would be to make a password protected page that he can access from home - installing servers and replicating all the functionality of the site just for him to screw something up with his clicking about. Maybe talk to your network guys at work and see if they can provide a solution to allow him to access it from home.

ChetUbetcha

Whew! My messages are forwarded to my BlackBerry, but this message didn't have the quote included. I was thinking, "What did I say?" Anyway, I think I have a solution and I'll write back about what I did once everything is up and running. In the meantime, if people have suggestions, please post them. I'm going to try WOS Portable (with Apache, PHP MyAdmin and MySQL) and TrueCrypt for security. Keep your fingers crossed... or prepare to laugh at my failure! 🙂