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Author Topic: Way beyond PS Web Gallery  (Read 10432 times)

vondiest

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Way beyond PS Web Gallery
« on: December 21, 2006, 06:37:53 pm »

I need to find a much more full featured web gallery solution for our studio.  Currently we make PS web galleries for client review and for many reasons that solution doesn't adequately meet our needs. Clients complain about the images being too small to see details or to use for FPO in layouts.  If a job has five shots we make 5 web galleries and then manually edit a HTML page that serves as an index page linking to each of the shots - manual labor!   Also there is not password protection feature with PS web gallery so we have to use yet another software to set that in place (if need be).  There is no way to incorporate a download link to the final high res file at the same URL as the proofs.    

Ideally, I'd like a client to go to a client login page on our site, enter their username and password and be taken to a list of all their past jobs.  Click on a job name and there are the proofs from the shoot with an option to download a FPO size jpg (700K-1mb) of any frame - and a place to download the final retouched image.

The solution I'm looking at for this is Image Folio from BizDesign (www.imagefolio.com) but would require quite a bit of customization.  All the other solutions I've found out there are either way too industrial in scope and price and would require a full-time person to administer.  Does anyone on here have experience with ImageFolio for a solution like this?  Or know of another off-the-shelf package that would do what I need.  Seems like lots of studios would have this need. I'd rather not re-invent the wheel if there is one already spinning somewhere.

Thanks!  
Curt
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to-mas

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« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2006, 05:34:35 am »

I dont know that soft, but you can have look on gallery2 http://gallery.menalto.com/
Its free opensource php webgallery.You can use different templates, making users and have password protected gallery and etc.
One its installed on your website you dont need a administrator.
have a look
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Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2006, 11:28:17 am »

There's no reason you have to limit yourself to the default PS gallery settings. If you look around in the PS Help files, you can find the codes for things like gallery name, client name, image file name, etc that you can incorporate into your own HTML gallery templates. You can also set the thumbnail image sizes to any reasonable value, so increasing them is easy. I made a set of gallery templates that had large watermarked FPO/preview images and PayPal purchase buttons so that the client could look at a large watermarked preview image and click a purchase button to order a print or finished file. If you know anything about HTML, you can modify an existing PS gallery template and make it into anything you like.
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jani

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« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2006, 06:34:13 pm »

Quote
I dont know that soft, but you can have look on gallery2 http://gallery.menalto.com/
Its free opensource php webgallery.You can use different templates, making users and have password protected gallery and etc.
One its installed on your website you dont need a administrator.
I'm sorry, that's completely false.

You need an administrator to keep track of security updates for both PHP and Gallery 2, especially considering PHP's lousy security track record (both the PHP core and third party software).

Apart from that, Gallery 2 does seem to fit the bill nicely, and itself has an okay security track record.

And it's worth to keep in mind that other PHP software than Gallery suffer from the same fundamental problem: PHP.

Image Folio is not based on PHP, but seems to have an okay track record for security.

Now someone may wonder why I harp on security this much. Isn't the feature set more important?

No.

Today, spammers and other people with malicious intent utilized automated attacks against known vulnerabilities, based on web searches and URLs found in infected computers' browser cache, and so on. If there is a known unpatched vulnerability in a product, there is an extremely high risk that this vulnerability will be abused, and most likely for attacking other computers or spamming.

So when buying into a web solution, ask the embarassing security questions first.
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Jan

DarkPenguin

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Way beyond PS Web Gallery
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2006, 06:49:21 pm »

I like Jalbum.  Lots of templates and easy to customize.  Plus no php or sql required.  (Which is nice not just due to the security angle but also because it uses less server resources which can be a problem with shared hosting.)
« Last Edit: December 22, 2006, 06:50:43 pm by DarkPenguin »
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jani

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« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2006, 06:54:09 pm »

Quote
I like Jalbum.  Lots of templates and easy to customize.  Plus no php or sql required.  (Which is nice not just due to the security angle but also because it uses less server resources which can be a problem with shared hosting.)
But does it support the original poster's needs, particularly that of allowing each customer to see only "their" shoots?
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Jan

DarkPenguin

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« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2006, 07:47:26 pm »

If you make a gallery for each customer, yes.  If you're making one big gallery, no.

One can also control that at the web server level.
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Chris_T

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« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2006, 09:53:06 am »

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So when buying into a web solution, ask the embarassing security questions first.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=91995\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'm in the process of having my personal photo site designed. While I have a good idea about the site's contents and looks, I have not given much thought about its security. From all the web design books I have read so far, I have yet to come across one that touches on security. If there is a source, please provide the reference.

Since I'm planning on using PHP, I would appreciate further comments on its security risk. If it is such a problem, why is it so widely used? What are the alternatives? Do you have some site examples that use these alternatives?

Thanks.
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jani

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« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2006, 07:54:48 am »

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I'm in the process of having my personal photo site designed. While I have a good idea about the site's contents and looks, I have not given much thought about its security. From all the web design books I have read so far, I have yet to come across one that touches on security.
Yes, and that is an all too big problem; people who write books tend to live in their own technical little world, ignoring the others. There are exceptions, of course, but you'll find that a designer's view on web design differs from a programmer's view, and perhaps neither will give security a single thought.

Quote
If there is a source, please provide the reference.
A source for what?

For security problems in PHP, and software used with PHP?

http://secunia.com is one source of information, though a bit difficult to navigate.

And here's a link to a story on how frustrating it may be to work with PHP security from the inside:

http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/82500

As for web applications written in PHP (or other programming languages, for that matter), here's an excellent book for both novice and expert programmers; your web site designer should read this:

http://innocentcode.thathost.com/

Caveat lector: I know the author, and helped with proofreading.

The main points of the book are listed on the website, in case reading the explanations and the reasoning behind the points is uninteresting.

Quote
Since I'm planning on using PHP, I would appreciate further comments on its security risk. If it is such a problem, why is it so widely used?
Why do people use Windows?

Why do people prefer Internet Explorer to Opera, Outlook or Outlook Express to Thunderbird etc., and so on?

In PHP's case, I believe the answer is that the PHP core was at the forefront of integration between HTML and live code, while providing a very convenient technical integration with the web's most popular web server, Apache. PHP was (and is) easy to install, and ubiquitous.

Quote
What are the alternatives?
Here are some of the most popular alternatives:

Java (java.sun.com)
Perl (perl.org), with or without mod_perl (perl.apache.org)
Python (python.org), with or without mod_python (modpython.org)
Ruby (ruby-lang.org), with Ruby on Rails (rubyonrails.org), and maybe mod_ruby (wiki.rubyonrails.com)

And if the webhost is running Windows, there's of course ASP.net, though that practically binds you to a Windows-based webhost.

Quote
Do you have some site examples that use these alternatives?
I'm not really collecting a list of sites using particular programming languages, but usually, those who promote the languages do. Here's a mixed list of both sites and such lists:

Java: JavaServer Pages and Java Servlet Technologies (java.sun.com)
mod_perl: http://slashdot.org/ (more sites from perl.apache.org)
mod_python: http://www.lawrence.com/
Python success stories (pythonology.com, e.g. Rackspace.com converting from PHP to Python)
Ruby on Rails: Some Big Websites that use Ruby on Rails (frecsscart.com)

But still; nothing beats plain HTML with images for speed; it's much easier for the web servers to handle.

Using a template-driven publishing system that generates plain HTML is both secure and performance friendly.
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john beardsworth

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« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2006, 08:43:05 am »

Chris

Don't be afraid of PHP. It's not particularly insecure in itself - any language can be used to create insecure sites. Welling & Thomson's a pretty good book.

You'd also need to look at using an htaccess file to stop hotlinking to your images, and at efficient ways of adding small copyright defacements to your pictures. You can also include various scripting code to interfere with right clicking images - just be wary of annoying honest visitors.

John
« Last Edit: December 27, 2006, 08:45:30 am by johnbeardy »
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jackbingham

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« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2006, 11:59:40 am »

I have been using Seefile (www.seefile.com)for some time now. If provides the login and security features you seek but may not have all the rest you want. However it is simple to create new customers/logins, and new image sets. I found it ran too slow internally because of our cable company so I have a macmini sitting at a faciltiy in Vegas where it is fast and properly cared for. It sells in a range of prices dependant on the number of logins required.
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Jeremy Roussak

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« Reply #11 on: December 28, 2006, 04:47:11 am »

Quote
I dont know that soft, but you can have look on gallery2 http://gallery.menalto.com/
Its free opensource php webgallery.You can use different templates, making users and have password protected gallery and etc.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=91890\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I seem to remember a couple of quite recent posts on this BB advertising a php-based gallery setup. I've been trying to find them, but as I can't remember what it was called or who posted it, or even which forum it was in, I've not had much luck.

They were rather long posts, as I recall, and didn't get replies.

Any ideas?

Jeremy
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john beardsworth

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« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2006, 05:08:42 am »

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Eric Myrvaagnes

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« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2006, 10:26:29 am »

Quote
I seem to remember a couple of quite recent posts on this BB advertising a php-based gallery setup. I've been trying to find them, but as I can't remember what it was called or who posted it, or even which forum it was in, I've not had much luck.

They were rather long posts, as I recall, and didn't get replies.

Any ideas?

Jeremy
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92606\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
There is a free PHP gallery setup posted by Robert Watcher. Try searching for his posts.
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Jeremy Roussak

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« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2006, 11:33:41 am »

Quote
There is a free PHP gallery setup posted by Robert Watcher. Try searching for his posts.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92626\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks. That's the one I was looking for, but the link in his April 2006 post doesn't work. I'll keep fishing.

Jeremy
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to-mas

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« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2006, 01:09:35 pm »

Good reply, i didnt know that.
I am just lazy user whos website is administrated with a friend.With his knowledge I can be sure that I am pretty secured.
Sorry, i didnt reallised this.

Quote
I'm sorry, that's completely false.

You need an administrator to keep track of security updates for both PHP and Gallery 2, especially considering PHP's lousy security track record (both the PHP core and third party software).

Apart from that, Gallery 2 does seem to fit the bill nicely, and itself has an okay security track record.

And it's worth to keep in mind that other PHP software than Gallery suffer from the same fundamental problem: PHP.

Image Folio is not based on PHP, but seems to have an okay track record for security.

Now someone may wonder why I harp on security this much. Isn't the feature set more important?

No.

Today, spammers and other people with malicious intent utilized automated attacks against known vulnerabilities, based on web searches and URLs found in infected computers' browser cache, and so on. If there is a known unpatched vulnerability in a product, there is an extremely high risk that this vulnerability will be abused, and most likely for attacking other computers or spamming.

So when buying into a web solution, ask the embarassing security questions first.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=91995\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
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jani

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« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2006, 05:05:56 pm »

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Don't be afraid of PHP. It's not particularly insecure in itself - any language can be used to create insecure sites.
That is a cop-out, like saying "Guns don't kill people - people with bowling balls kill people".

PHP has been and is, unfortunately, inherently more insecure than many of its alternatives, for two particular reasons:

 - Design
 - Upgrade policy

They're fixing the first problem, step by step.

The second doesn't seem to be getting any better but worse, and IMO, the blog entry from Stefan Esser clinched that impression.

So where am I coming from?

My education is in information technology, specifically communication technology, and I work professionally at a company that, among other services, offer web hosting with PHP.

I'm not making it up, it is the regrettable result of knowledge, experience and having to tidy up after PHP problems.
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john beardsworth

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« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2006, 05:24:54 pm »

Curt

Also take a look at the NetPublish module for Extensis Portfolio. There are a limited number of hosts for it, but the templates can be customized as much as you want and you may find it helpful to use the same program for managing your archive and web publishing.

Jani, no cop out, those who clean up after badly designed JSP or ASP apps would share your feelings. It's the holes in apps that are the exposure, not the language.

John
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jani

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« Reply #18 on: December 29, 2006, 08:31:15 am »

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Jani, no cop out, those who clean up after badly designed JSP or ASP apps would share your feelings. It's the holes in apps that are the exposure, not the language.
John, PHP has holes in the language as well as the apps.

ASP.net has had issues, too, and so has Java, Perl, Python etc., but they have been handled in a more ... mature manner.

To lay the blame of language problems at the feet of those who develop applications in the language is a bit weird, although the developers did choose the language.
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Jan

32BT

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« Reply #19 on: December 29, 2006, 09:18:51 am »

Perhaps this site could be helpfull:

http://www.hotscripts.com

It contains reverals for several script languages, and has references to commercial, as well as freeware scripts. If you select PHP -> Scripts & Programs, then there is an entry "Image Galleries"...
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