#BeLL-Apps: Communities and Nations ##Introduction
The BeLL (Basic e-Learning Library) is not only a library, but also an individualized learning system, where students can select their own books and courses to target their individual goals. The two kinds of BeLL apps are described below.
####BeLL Communities (Local)
- Communities are how the BeLL functions on a local network, with users connecting to a community using either a laptop or a RPi and a router.
- Periodically communities sync with Nations on the internet, which includes sending and receiving educational materials.
- In step 1 you created a BeLL community on your computer. As you follow the steps on this page you will access and configure your community.
####BeLL Nations (Internet)
- Nations are BeLL apps for the Internet, allowing communities to interact with each other.
- Nations are over a group of communities, and can run reports on any communities it owns.
- As you complete these instructions, and OLE administrator will complete the registration of your community with the Virtual Intern Nation.
##MacOS(X) and Ubuntu
Check that your vagrant is up and running with vagrant global-status. Assuming that it's running or you launch it using vagrant up, open Firefox (download if you don't already have it - it is VERY important that you always use the BeLL in Firefox to limit errors). Go to http://127.0.0.1:5985. You could also use http://localhost:5985, meaning that 127.0.0.1 refers to your machine. Both localhost:5985 and 127.0.0.1:5985 are interchangeable. Make sure to have the correct port number (5985), otherwise it will not work correctly.
Your first page will look like this:
##Windows
Double click on the MyBeLL icon on your desktop. It will open up a Firefox browser and show you the user interface (see below). If you get an Unable to connect page, check it out at FAQ.
##Database CouchDB (also known as Apache CouchDB) is a database software that we use for the BeLL. You can see the backend interface of our CouchDB at http://127.0.0.1:5985/_utils. In _utils, you have the opportunity to see all of the software dev of your vagrant BeLL.
##User Interface To see the actual user interface, go to http://127.0.0.1:5985/apps/_design/bell/MyApp/index.html. You will be shown the page below. Make sure you fill it out completely.
Next, fill out the configurations. Your name and code must be the same and should match your Github name. Write your name in lowercase and code in uppercase, and pick Virtual Intern Nation (vi) for nation as in the example below:
After filling out your configurations, remember to save a screenshot of the configuration page so that you can post it on the Gitter chat after submitting your registration request.
Note: Adding images to Gitter is quite simple. Just drag and drop your screenshot from it's location on your computer to the chat and it will automatically upload.
Then, click on the "Register" button and you will receive a confirmation that your community has been successfully registered (see below).
Then, post to the Gitter chat the screenshot you took earlier, so an admin can accept your registration request. When your registration request will be accepted from the nation side, as long as you are logged in and online, you will see the following message.
After submitting your configurations, you will be able to see the main dashboard of the BeLL.
Watch the videos below to learn the basic functions of your BeLL. These videos are a little old as they were created 2 years ago, but they should do a decent job of orienting you to the BeLL.
We advise you to play around a bit, as well. Try to explore and feel comfortable with the software, as you'll be using it quite a bit during your internship.
We also want you to practice uploading resources to the BeLL. Although there are several different kinds of resources, most of them are either PDFs, mp3s, or mp4s. We provided you with some resources (linked below) that you can download and then upload to your BeLL.
Here is the first page of the PDF "Feelings" Here is the song "Opposite Song" Here is the video "Burka Avenger"
Click on each one of these links and right-click to save them to your desktop.
From there, go to your Vagrant BeLL. Select Library from the dashboard and then select Add a Resource. You will then be prompted to go to this page:
Fill out the information, although as we are just doing this as a test, accuracy of information/source of content is not very important. Just be sure to put something, even if it is your name (as in the example above). The important thing is that you have something in all of the drop-down menus and that you choose the correct format for the Open menu (e.g., PDF, mp3, or mp4). Then, click on Save. You have now uploaded the resource. Next, you should find it and make sure that you can open it. Repeat the same process for all three resources.
Do not forget to send the screenshot of your community configurations (from earlier when you registered your configurations) to our chat.
In case you forgot to take the screenshot of your configurations, go to http://127.0.0.1:5985/apps/_design/bell/MyApp/index.html, then click on manager, click on the configurations tab, take a screenshot of the page, and submit it to the Gitter chat.
##Useful Links
####Return to First Steps