A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to set up, customize, and market your blog using Apache Roller

• Create, optimize, and maintain your own blog server using Apache Roller
• Incorporate multimedia content from popular web tools like YouTube, Google Maps, Twitter. and SlideShare in your posts
• Customize the appearance of your blog with visually appealing, powerful themes and templates
• Increase your blog's search engine ranking and keep track of visitors using Google Webmaster Tools

In Detail

Apache Roller enables you to build a fully-featured, multi-user blog server apt for all kinds of blogging sites. It is an ideal tool to create your own blogging network with unlimited users and blogs, forums, photo galleries, and more! While it is exciting to have a list of interesting features it can offer you, it might be a little difficult to get started with it by yourself.

This book will teach you how to get started with Apache Roller and make the most of all its features using step-by-step, detailed instructions. You will learn how to establish your internet presence with an Apache Roller blog and use the latest web tools to enhance your posts and attract visitors. You will also learn how to promote your blog on popular social bookmarking services and customize it to suit your need.

This hands-on and practical book introduces you to Apache Roller. Starting off with the configuration and installation of your own blog, you'll then quickly learn how to add interesting content to your blog with the help of plenty of examples. You'll also learn how to change your blog's visual appearance with the help of Roller themes and templates and how to create a community of blogs for you and your colleagues or friends in your Apache Roller blog server. The book also looks at ways you can manage your community, and keep your site safe and secure, ensuring that it is a spam-free, enjoyable community for your users.

What you will learn from this book

• Install and configure Apache Roller on a Windows or Linux environment
• Integrate Apache Roller with Tomcat by installing and configuring the mod_jk connector
• Upload images, sounds, and videos to your blog with ease
• Customize your blog's visual appearance using Roller themes and templates
• Enhance the appearance of your posts using the Rich Text Editor included in Roller
• Promote your blog using major social bookmarking services like Technorati, Digg, Del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon
• Embed maps, videos, and document presentations in your blog using Google Maps, YouTube, and SlideShare
• Run a Roller blog from your own PC by creating an account with a dynamic DNS service provider
• Create a community of blogs with Apache Roller's built-in multi-user/multi-blog tools and the Planet Roller aggregator

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Weblog
Chapter 2: Installing Roller on Windows
Chapter 3: Installing Roller on Linux
Chapter 4: How to Start Working on Roller
Chapter 5: Spicing Up Your Blog
Chapter 6: Roller Themes
Chapter 7: Working with Templates
Chapter 8: Comments and Trackbacks

Approach

This beginner's guide is packed with information, tips, and tricks, based on the author's extensive experience with Apache Roller. In next to no time, you will be able to build and deploy your own blog. The clear and concise hands-on exercises will teach you everything you need to know to install, configure, and use Apache Roller, along with the open source software required to run it. The book includes plenty of illustrations to guide you through all the detailed exercises and tutorials, so you can get the most out of every chapter.

Who this book is written for

If you are interested in establishing a blog, using Apache Roller and popular web applications to write attractive posts and promote your blog on all the major social bookmarking services, this book is for you. No previous experience on Tomcat, MySQL, the Apache Web Server, or Linux is required.