Not sure if this is slightly off-topic here, but I'm looking for some blogging/CMS software for my girlfriend and I to use. We'd like something with a blog-like interface with as much of the following as possible:

1. Blog-like interface (reverse-chronological list of posts).
2. Comments can be moderated before posting.
3. Can upload and post photos.
4. Posts can be made private or public, bonus if they can also be made restricted (can give people an account to look at some stuff that we don't want to make fully public).

Here's the kicker: since we don't intend for these to be big traffic things (mostly personal, with some family/friends looking at some stuff), I'd rather not install a full-on database server. So something that supports SQLite or a flat file sort of system is what I really want. I've been trying a number of the SQLite-supporting systems in Wikipedia's list of CMS softwares, but I have yet to find one that quite captures all of the wish list above. Basically, I'm just looking to see if anyone out there is more familiar with the sea of CMS/blog software out there and happens to know of something that might fit the bill.

Any advice appreciated.

Drupal 7 supports sqlite, as long as you don't expect much traffic you're fine, one warning though, if you do want to change from sqlite to mysql/pgsql at a later date it's a right pain.

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Why?

How much less work/resources are there in running a light database engine versus a full blown database engine, especially when it's just a tiny amount of data?

Seems silly picking the engine first, and then the application.

Pick the CMS/Blog that has the features you want or need, then install whatever engine it requires.

It's all cost the same, so what difference does it make?

Drupal may be a bit heavyweight for us, but I'll check it out, thanks!



It's my minimalist nature spilling into my admin. Partly it's security (a service not running is a service that can't be exploited), and partly it's practical (a service not running is a service that doesn't have to be administered). I'm not 100% against installing a "real" database engine, it just doesn't seem like it should be necessary in this case, so I'd prefer to explore other options first.

Agreed. But c'mon, something like MySQL is even used in the enterprise. All you have to do is keep your system up to date and you're fine (2 commands at most). Make sure that MySQL is listening on localhost only and you're even better. A little blog for you and your girlfriend isn't Fort Knox.




For a low traffic site, MySQL is set it and forget it. In this case, it's install it and forget it (1 command at most).

IMO, those limitations that you placed on the system will actually cause you more work than to just go with Drupal/MySQL and be done with it.

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Fair points, but like I said, I'm just looking around to see if the "ideal" solution for me exists. I'm open to the possibility that it doesn't, but I at least need to look.

Why don't you and your girlfriend start with a spiral notepad and pencil, and then if that doesn't tax your minimalist sysadmin skills, move up to something a bit more fancier, like a moleskin notepad and a fountain pen?

Just kidding, but what a load of crap (your self imposed restrictions).

Instead of picking something mainstream with the features you need, you're piddling around trying to find some boutique app that probably doesn't exist.

We're talking web apps, not some hippie fixie bike, minimalist doesn't mean "better".

We can keep this civil, can't we? We have different admin styles. That's ok. I promise not to try to admin any of your boxes.

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

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I feel vonskippy's pain. As I said:



@funkytastic: I'm not sure what the minimalist approach seeks to achieve. I can install Drupal 7 on a LAMP stack with all the features and security the OP needs in under 20 minutes (15 minutes if I type fast). So again, what does the minimalist approach seek to achieve? How about being a minimalist in the amount of time taken to get what you need with the features you need?

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I agree completely with that assessment. But also, I don't see the benefit in insulting random strangers over the internet while giving them advice.

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Well, in the interest of not being an asshat, I'll throw a couple suggestions out there:

1) Jekyll for content plus Disqus for comments. May be a little too lightweight on the server end.

2) Whip something up in Django, using SQLite as a database engine. It isn't exactly what I'd consider "turnkey" for this application, but a surprising amount of it is already done. (And migrating to another RDBMS is pretty damned easy, if it comes down to it.)

3)

(Courtesy Know Your Meme)

... err, sorry, was getting into the spirit a little bit there.

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Sorry for the necro, but as I popped in for something else I realized that I never came back and posted a resolution to this. So for the sake of anyone else who stumbles across this in search of something similar, we eventually found and deployed Habari.

It satisfies all the requirements in the original post, and supports SQLite. Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions!

SPAMMER

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