Drupal Archives - Joshua Bellendir

Drupal Pop Up Confirmation on Node Edit or Add Pages

Joshua — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 08:00:00 +0000

If you want to protect users from losing work when creating or editing content in Drupal, the Node Edit Protection module is a simple and effective solution. It adds a small JavaScript warning that appears whenever a user tries to leave a node edit or add page without saving their changes.

This helps prevent common mistakes such as clicking the browser’s back button, closing a tab by accident, or navigating away before submitting a form. When the module detects that a user is working on a node, it displays a confirmation message that alerts them that their unsaved work will be lost if they continue.

It is a very useful module, although it took some digging to find. By sharing it here, I hope others who run into the same issue can discover it more easily. With only a few hundred sites using it today, this tool deserves much more visibility.

You can explore the module here:
https://www.drupal.org/project/node_edit_protection

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Preparing an Ubuntu (or Other Linux Distro) Web Server for Drupal

Joshua — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I recently set up an Ubuntu server inside VMware to test several Drupal sites offline. Installing Ubuntu is straightforward. Simply download one of the available images and run through the setup process. If you are working with older Drupal sites, especially Drupal 6, I recommend using Ubuntu 8.04.4 LTS (Hardy Heron). It includes PHP 5.2 by default, while later versions ship with PHP 5.3, which can cause compatibility issues for Drupal 6. If you are using Drupal 7 or newer, this is less of a concern.

During installation, Ubuntu will ask whether you want to include optional services. Make sure to install:

LAMP Server
OpenSSH Server
Any additional packages you require

This provides a basic working environment that you can fine tune for Drupal.

Step 1: Increase PHP and MySQL Memory Settings

Drupal benefits from higher memory settings. Update your configuration files as follows:

Edit MySQL settings

sudo nano /etc/mysql/my.cnf

Search for max_allowed_packet. It appears twice. Increase both values to something higher, such as 128M.

Edit PHP settings

sudo nano /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini

Find memory_limit and increase it to 128M or more, depending on your needs.

Step 2: Enable Clean URLs (Apache Rewrite Module)

Drupal relies on the Apache rewrite module to support clean URLs. Enable it with:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Confirm it is enabled:

apache2ctl -M

You should see rewrite_module in the list.

Step 3: Update Apache Virtual Host Settings

Assuming you are using the default site, modify the Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/default

Locate this section:

Inside that block, update:

AllowOverride None

to:

AllowOverride All

This allows Drupal’s .htaccess file to function properly.

Save the file and reload Apache:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload

Step 4: Deploy Your Drupal Site

At this point you can:

Copy your web files into /var/www/
Import your MySQL database
Update your settings.php file as needed

Once everything is in place, load your site in a browser and it should behave exactly like your live environment.

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Exploring the Drupal Cumulus Module for Interactive Tag Clouds

Joshua — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve always been a fan of Drupal as a CMS. It’s powerful, flexible, and gives someone with a programming background like mine the freedom to build feature-rich websites with relatively little custom code. While the learning curve can feel steep at first, the payoff is worth it—the platform can do just about anything you need with the right configuration.

One of the things I enjoy most is exploring new modules. Recently, I installed the Cumulus module, which you can see running on the left side of this page under Popular Content. The module takes the vocabulary tags used across my site, counts how frequently they appear, and displays them in a rotating 3D tag cloud. It’s visually engaging, playful, and a great way to navigate content.

If you enjoy experimenting with tools and building things yourself, I highly recommend giving Drupal a try. Start with a simple site, explore modules like Cumulus, and before long you’ll find yourself adding more features just to see what you can create. It’s a powerful platform—and a surprisingly fun creative outlet.

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