mDIS online
mDIS Web Sites
Web-based versions of mDIS can be accessed at the locations shown in the table below
The mDIS software is still under active development. The websites mentioned below demonstrate the latest code. They show mDIS with its newest features added.
These websites are not production systems. Instead they serve as a reference, enabling stakeholders to have a quick look.
Sign-in is required.
| Purpose | Instance Name | Content | Address | Version | Hosted by / Platform | VirtualBox 6.1 file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICDP GRIND Project (opens new window) Namibia | GRIND Expedition DIS | real-world data | data.icdp-online.org/mdis/grind (opens new window) ⬛️ (opens new window) 🔑 (opens new window) | 2.1.0 (2021), from data.icdp | ICDP/Docker | No Virtualbox ova Image available |
| ICDP BVDP Project (opens new window) (Bushveld) South Africa | bushveld Curation DIS | testing data | data.icdp-online.org/mdis/bushveld/ (opens new window) ⬛️ (opens new window) 🔑 (opens new window) | 2.0.1. (2020-12-14), master + FB-knb-docker-cust | ICDP / Docker | No Virtualbox ova Image available |
| ICDP BASE Project (opens new window) (Moodies Group) South Africa | base Curation DIS | data | data.icdp-online.org/mdis/base/ (opens new window) ⬛️ (opens new window) 🔑 (opens new window) | 2.0.1. (2021-07), some customizations | ICDP/Docker | No Virtualbox ova Image available |
Click on a symbol to open:
⬛️ - mDIS Dashboard. 🔑 - Database Administration page. - 🔓 - Insecure Site (no https). - 🚧 - development-instance, ICDP only.
Abbreviations:
- FB - git Feature Branch.
- .ova - VirtualBox image (see below).
- ICDP - International Continental Scientific Driliing Program (opens new window).
- GCP - Google Cloud Platform.
Cloud Instances are ephemeral
Cloud instances may not be available at all times, and may be erased without notice. In particular GCP Versions provided for testing (and for getting an impression of mDIS) will be erased and rebuilt once or twice per month, so do not put data in there that you expect to last!
VirtualBox Instructions
Before the fieldwork starts, properly configured VirtualBox-based versions of mDIS will be created and shipped to project participants. These finalized VirtualBox-based mDIS instances will run on computers that are typically offline, in remote areas, or in research labs and in core repositories.
Virtualbox - Current Status
Using a VirtualBox instance, you can avoid having your changes overwritten; and advanced visualization tools (mentioned below) are only available in the VirtualBox-Versions of mDIS, not in any Online version.
However, VirtualBox based mDIS Instances are not finalized.
For developers
Developers can download the VirtualBox instances to take a closer look at the source code, or to perform advanced tasks such as remote-debugging the source code in a running instance.
Lots of post-installation tasks are required.
- At this time (September 2020) VirtualBox instances are usable, although they are not completely setup and configured. VM Instances still require quite a few post-installation tasks that must be carried out manually. For example, customizing the grahical desktop.
- This is so because recently we have added a lot of software features. These need to be "activated", or administrators need to "opt-in" to use them in a meaningful, productive way. (We are working on completing the automated setup).
- Upgrade your VirtualBox Software to v6.1.6+, otherwise the Shared Clipboard might not work properly.
- The advanced Visualization-Tools mentioned above are "PSICAT" (opens new window) for creating lithological profiles, and "Corelyzer" (opens new window) for plotting full-resolution core-scans. Type
psicatorcorelyzeron a command line to start them.
Logging in
Use your mDIS credentials when asked for your password. They are the same for both initiating the download, and for logging into the mDIS dashboard.
Import the .ova file with your VirtualBox-Manager App. Start up the newly imported VirtualBox instance.
Optional: For logging into the VirtualBox guest operating system (the Login Screen of the Graphical Desktop of Ubuntu Linux 18.04 or 20.04), use username "vagrant", password "vagrant". SSH Login also works, on port 2222.
VirtualBox-based mDIS in your browser
To log into the mDIS web application, you do not need to log into Ubuntu's graphical desktop. It is sufficient to just start up the VirtualBox instance. Then on the host computer, start a webbrowser, and open this web page: http://localhost:8888 (opens new window) . (Inside the Virtualbox, just use http://localhost (opens new window) .)
Optional, advanced: To get rid of the "8888" you need to change a setting: the "Port Forwarding" rule in the Ubuntu Guest: choose Settings / Network / Tab "Adapter 1" (in the VirtualBox Manager Application). Your operating system might croak a bit, though. Restart the Guest VM.
Check your Shared Folder setting
We build the Ubuntu Linux virtual machines on Linux. Therefore, the default shared folder mapping is:
/var/tmp/uploadon the Host is shared with/var/tmp/uploadon the Guest.
Both are Unix/Linux paths.
By default, mysql-backups go into subfolder /var/tmp/upload/backup/mysql.
If you run VirtualBox on Microsoft Windows or on a Mac, you need to change the Shared Folder Setting on the Host to a different folder. VirtualBox will warn you about this. (We cannot anticipate how you prefer these paths to be configured, by default, on your Windows PCs or your Mac.)
Notes
.ova-Files: Images of Virtual Machines are distributed as VirtualBox .ova files. This is a container format similar to .zip or .tar files.
The contents of the Virtual Machines and the respective web site (mentioned in the table above) are similar, but not exactly identical. The .ova files lag behind the releases of new online mDIS instances, typically for a few days.
Recommended mode of mDIS operation
Currently mDIS is under active software development. Use the online mDIS versions to experiment freely.
Download and import a VirtualBox image (the .ova file) for working with your own datasets that you would like to persist longer, for any reason. Using VirtualBox, you can also have a closer look at the source code of mDIS. It is also easier to debug PHP- and Vue-Files when you work with a Virtualbox running on localhost. However, for productive work, we recommend to use the above-mentioned online instances. - We know, pre-emption can be very annoying.
Contribute to mDIS development
If you have developed some feature (tables, forms, uploaded files, customizations) that you want to keep permanently in mDIS, please notify us. Then we will make it part of the default setup.