Features

Key features

Inspect, install, update and delete skins on a sakai instance. Skins can be uploaded using a zip file format, which is verified on upload. A skin archive keeps track of the skins by including the installation history of the skins in the archive, so every version of the installed history is available for reversion. Never lose any skin-data.

Skins as zip files: ease of install

A standard structure for zip files makes it easy to install skins. No system-administrator is needed to install skins on a Sakai installation. For a detailed description of the zip upload file, see the help documentation provided with the skin.

Skin archive: access to all skins ever installed on the system

Over time, skins get updated and modified. The skin archive keeps track of every skin that exist within the instance. This way, the tool is capable of restoring skins from the archive. The skin archive automatically synchronizes with the file system, and restores missing skins if a new Sakai installation overwrites the skin directory. The skin archive is available from the details page. To revert to previous versions of the skin, the edit permission is required.

Use

The initial need for the skin manager came from the problem that we needed to physically install every new skin and every update of an existing skin on the file system of the Sakai server. The skin manager strongly simplifies the skin installation process, and thereby the skin design process. Graphic designers can easily create a zip file and upload it. The upload verifies and cleans the contents of the zip files, providing feedback on the correctness of the file. The tool archives all installed skins, also the updated ones, so you can always roll back to a previous version.

The main page displays all installed skins.
Skins can be uploaded by the new page.
The details page displays the files of the skin, and the sites that use the skin.
The update page enables you to upload a new version of the same skin.
The history page enables to view the history record of the skin, and allows you the revert to a specific version. Furthermore, any version of the skin can be downloaded as skin archive.
The delete page confirms skin deletion.