Embedding Gallery2 - considering a howto

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:52 pm

Hey folks.

I've been using S9y since New Years, and it's the greatest. I started using Gallery 2 about that time as well, and I love it too. Both are great and very easy managable systems. After getting a little more comfortable with both systems (I had a lot of problems after moving server, which are now resolved (thanks no less to Garvin)), I began to wonder how to embed gallery2 into s9y, as it would be a little cooler if gallery looked and felt like s9y completely. I searched the g2 forums first, and found posts for nearly all blog systems, except s9y. Saddened, I proceeded to the s9y boards, and ran a search for gallery2... Came up with quite a lot of hits, and I've tried to read through them all (apart from the german ones. I prolly could, but it would take too long). Seems like quite a few people have succeeded in embedding, but nobody had any definite answers posted. So I'm still confused as to how it's done (being a slight php and html noob).

So here's my thought. Those of you who have successfully embedded g2 in s9y, I'd really like for you to make suggestions to me here, or even a brief howto, if you can. I'm gonna try to do this myself, and if I succeed, I'll write a howto myself, but I'm sure I'm gonna need help anyway. I'll post it over at g2 when I get that far, with due credit if any of course.

Anyway, any help is appreciated. Any help at all.

Thanks in advance,
Dalif

azel · Post by **azel** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:05 pm

Have you tried the Gallery embed plugin? You can specify which version of Gallery you are using. I am using the plugin with Gallery 2 and have had no problems with it.

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:12 pm

Hey thanks for your reply

I haven't tried anything yet, as I can't be bothered trying right now. I'll do it soon tho. I just spent so many hours today, getting gallery2 back up and running smoothly, that I can hardly find it in my heart to mess around with it again.

But I don't get a cool looking gallery just by sitting idly... so I'll give your suggestion a go. I still need to know how to start it out. I downloaded the embed plugin, but I couldn't find much documentation with it, so I'm a little at loss as to where it goes.

Thanks again,

Dalif

azel · Post by **azel** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:24 pm

Okay no problem.

I should have also specified, the plugin is the Gallery2 Embed plugin. Note that Gallery 2.1 RC2a or above is required.

When you install, it will ask the absolute path to your Gallery 2 directory, and the http path (like www.yoursite.com/gallery/main.php)

Then you will have to input the embed file name (which default I believe is /index.php?/gallery.html).

You can use your Gallery theme's CSS to make the gallery match your blog.

I hope that helps!

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:47 pm

From what I can see, it does

The installation as such all seems fairly straightforward, as long as I input the correct values.

It's when it comes to tinkering with the CSS and theming, that I tend to get a little scared :p I'm not well aversed in that area at all. I don't even know what an embedded gallery will look like.

The way you did it, how does G2 end up being a natural part of s9y? Can you point me towards your page, so I can see for myself how it looks?

Thanks for your input

Dalif

azel · Post by **azel** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:01 am

Dalif,

Here is the link to my gallery page: http://aetheric-shade.org/index.php?/gallery.html

Aside from the login screen and the Gallery banner, the gallery looks like a natural section of s9y.

Here is what I did so that Gallery didn't break the CSS in s9y:

I set the theme's width in each album to be 475 pixels. This can be found in your Gallery's admin when you edit an album and select the Theme tab. In the Album tab, I set my target size pictures to be 400 x 400 pixels.

Honestly, the only edits I really had to make to my Gallery theme's CSS was the highlight around the thumbnails and the font size for the EXIF information. (I'm using the Sirius theme, btw.)

Now the one thing you will notice is that the sidebar is missing when you select a single image. I haven't found a way around that, so maybe Garvin or one of our other code gurus might have a solution to that.

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:12 pm

Hey Azel...

Thanks again.. I've installed the plugin, and I'm messing around with it now. Just have to work out the pixelation thingy and what have we.

Your site has a seamless integration, it looks extremely cool (envy). Makes me think I'm still just a newbie. But at least I score points for trying

Or I'd like to think I do.

You advice about CSS is exactly what I was looking for. I was scared stuff would be obscured because gallery doesn't look like it would fit inside s9y.. but as I mentioned, your site has this taken well care of.

I hope you don't mind, I added a comment on there btw.

Anyway, back to tinkering.

azel · Post by **azel** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:42 pm

Thanks for your comment on there.

Let me know if you need any more help!

P.S. Don't forget the random photo block for your sidebar.

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:24 pm

Pleasure. I just read through the first 10 pages of your blog. Interesting view on life (meant as a compliment).

I might need more help... Or rather, I do. I've installed the plugin, and configured it as I'm almost certain it should be. However, nothing has happened. So far so good... I'm messing around on the g2 site, and looking at this g2embed.php that I'm guessing I'm needing somewhere. I guess I assumed it was included somewhere, but it looks like I'll have to create it myself? Or should I use a file already included. Apart from setting gallery size, is there anything I should do in the gallery setup?

I read on here, in another thread, Garvin and.. somebody discussing mod_rewrite in gallery. As far as I can understand, as long as you keep gallery and s9y in seperate folders, you should be ok with having mod_retwrite on in both systems. Any ideas on that? Boy this is very confusing. Sorry to be a pestilence.

Like your new avatar. Dunno if I like it better than the old one tho...

azel · Post by **azel** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:32 pm

Hmm, I do remember having to tweak around with the original Gallery embed plugin, which was really built for Gallery 1. Until the embed G2 plugin came along, I used the Media Gallery plugin. But I'm rambling.

Anyway, I don't remember having to code an embed script, but I can run a test installation to see if that will help my memory along. Everything else in your gallery backend should be alright.

What are the settings for your plugin?

In regards to mod_rewrite, as long as the gallery is in a different subdir, the .htaccess will only affect that directory. I didn't have mod_rewrite configured on my Gallery installation, so I enabled it and seem to have no problems so far. My gallery installation resides in a subdomain though, but for your install it still shouldn't affect anything in s9y.

Thanks for the compliments also.

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:50 pm

Well right now, the settings are thus:

Absolute path: /data/sites/dalif.com/doc_root/gallery
Path to embedded file: http://dalif.com/gallery/main.php (I'm not sure which file is meant)
S9y embed file name: /index.php?/gallery.html (as per your suggestion).

URL shorthand is just: gallery2

As far as I can read on the g2 how-to's, it looks like I'll at least have to toss up a php file that links the s9y emapp with the g2 embed file.. or something. I was only looking at it sporadically today, being busy at work at the same time, so it looks kind of greekish to me at this point.

azel · Post by **azel** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:26 pm

Dalif,

I ran a test installation of both s9y and gallery last night, and I just can't figure out how the heck I got it to work on my site. I mirrored the plugin settings on the test install exactly as that on my main site, but the embed didn't work.

I search around a little bit on the forum, but I don't know if anything I found could help. One user wrote in another thread that turning off mod_rewrite off in the Gallery settings seemed to work.

Here are some threads that *may* be helpful:

http://www.s9y.org/forums/viewtopic.php ... ht=gallery
http://www.s9y.org/forums/viewtopic.php ... ht=gallery
http://www.s9y.org/forums/viewtopic.php ... y&start=45

I just wish I could remember what I did to get it to work!

Dalif · Post by **Dalif** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:40 am

Yeah.. I read the stuff about mod_rewrite too, and turned it off accordingly. Right now, nothing at all is happening. I've installed the plugin, and filled in what I guess are the correct values. But nothing whatsoever has happened. No more menu points in the admin area, no changes to either s9y or gallery interfaces.. no error message, nothing.

I would have worked on it today, had it not been because I am also setting up an Ubuntu server while trying to play a little Diablo 2 (yeah it's still a great game). I'll try posting on the g2 boards as well, even tho it seems a few have tried that route, with no luck. Or we will have to force Garvin to try out Gallery and help us out

I appreciate your help thus far, Azel. If you come up with anything more, you know where to find me

azel · Post by **azel** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:33 pm

I haven't given up - I'm going to try another install, and see how it goes. We'll figure this thing out yet!

judebert · Post by **judebert** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:11 pm

Just wanted to say thanks to Azel for the determined support, especially while Garvin's test machine is down. Way to step up!