As announced on the Sueetie CodePlex Home Page, the current setup process is going away to be replaced by a single ZIP website offering containing all of Sueetie. I wanted to describe what you can expect in the package.

The package will be themed with the theme found at Sueetie.org, with full Membership support, a blog, forums, media gallery, wiki, and the new Marketplace app. A virginal SQL database will also be included to restore over an existing database. We're going with the restore model initially because the database consists of install scripts from multiple apps and this approach enables us to get it out the door more quickly.

Groups will not be included in this package because at this point they're high maintenance with little payoff. More proof of concept of what's possible than anything right now.

The Visual Studio solutions comprising the Sueetie Framework and applications will not be released at the same time as the web package. Hopefully shortly thereafter, but we want to get a better feel for the developer dynamic around Sueetie before we decide on the best way to get all of the source code out there. Remember, Sueetie isn't one Visual Studio solution, but at minimum 5 separate solutions. Inexperienced .NET developers would be better served working with an individual application source code rather than jump into the depth and breadth that is the Sueetie Development environment.

So in review, the upcoming Sueetie Web Package is a single ZIP containing all web contents at sueetie.org with the exception of Groups. A SQL database for forced restored, and Sueetie Framework source in a separate release. It's important to know that the Sueetie Web Package is for introduction and evaluation of Sueetie, not necessarily for building production sites. You COULD, of course, but the Web Package is intended to get Sueetie into the hands of many of you who've been asking for your own Sueetie Sites.

A few technical details: App versions are BE.NET 1.5, YAF.NET 1.9.3 RTM, GSP 2.3.3456, Screwturn Wiki 3.0 RC1. .NET 3.5. SQL Server 2008. 32- and 64-bit Windows supported. IIS6/IIS7. Full Integrated Pipeline Mode support in IIS7.

Setup will require 1) setting folders as applications, 2) giving certain directories Read/Write permissions, and 3) setting certain .CONFIG values, mostly connections.config strings. Probably one or two standard website setup steps, but nothing out of the ordinary.

We're shooting for August 1 availability. Will keep you posted. There's summer vacation and the demands of client work that have to be factored into the delivery date. Developing a virginal package and supporting documentation will take several latenight geek sessions, but I'm excited by the demand for Sueetie and hope the Web Package will help move the project forward as more of you get first-hand experience with Sueetie and the great apps that it supports.

Your input on the Sueetie Web Package is welcome as always.

Thanks,
Dave

Groups

They may become a nice-to-have, but today I think we're best focusing on the deployment of the core applications and making themes easier (and including some good sample themes).

-- Groups are non-exclusive views of your data --

II want a Blog, Forum, Gallery or application able to be non-exclusively shared between groups. I may design a Group for Continental North America (inc. USA, Canada, Mexico) while still wanting their applications available at site root. A Group should be a "SQL" view of data from a number of applications.

Nick

Hi Joe,
Thanks SQL 2005 would be appreciated.

As to ASP.NET 3.5. Yes upgrades are not difficult. I actually already upgraded at one point. But the result was that none of my sites worked following this upgrade. After I removed it again, then it worked again.
And since then (this was 6-7 months ago) I've not dared to upgrade again!

Hi,

August 1st has now come and gone - is there any update on the availability of the new release?

Cheers,
Cam

Hey Dave,

How's this web package coming along?
I'm mega excited as i have struggled to get all the packages working together in the past

My first forum post test

Donini,

I'm sorry about the delayed reply. I didn't see your post until today. It might have been posted during a brief period when web server mails were not being delivered. Otherwise I need to look into it.

You brought up an interesting issue: upgrades. I personally enjoy upgrading the apps in Sueetie. It's a great opportunity to get to know them better, and I remember how painful it was to upgrade a full Community Server site back in the day.

If I haven't said it today yet, Sueetie is hard. Gonna be, and upgrades are no exception. It's one thing putting together a Web Package that circumvents the nasty setup of DIFFs-on-SDK for 4 different applications, it's another thing to provide smooth upgrade paths for single apps, let alone 4+. (4+ includes group instances.)

We're going to learn and improve the process going forward, but no two ways about it, things are going to be bumpy for a while. The payoff is unlimited use of great apps and the freedom to do with them what we like.

The answer to your question is probably no, you can't reuse with the Web Package. Screwturn Wiki is now at v3.RC1 for instance. It might be v3.RTM by the time the package is delivered, as Dario Solera has roadmapped September/October for v3 release.

The good news is that the detour of global theming is now behind us, as of an hour ago in fact, since I updated sueetie.org with the latest bits. More on that soon. What it means is that I can get back to the Web Package itself. I hated the delay.

Happy to discuss further.

Thanks,
Dave