iGoogle, Netvibes, and Pageflakes are great but what if you want to run your own start page? There are a few PHP scripts scattered here and there on the web, some look awful, others are too bloated and slow. What most people need is something in between. I put this app together with that in mind.
Benefits
- No database setup or file configuration required, it just works!
- Quick access to your favorite sites without leaving the page
- Easily add and remove links, no programming necessary
- Elegant and unobtrusive interface. No distractions.
Screenshots
Usage/Installation
Your personal Start Page is extremely simple to get running. In fact, it doesn’t require any configuration at all. There are only three steps to get it running.
- Download (below) and unzip the files
- Upload them to your web host
- Make sure the
datafolder has write permissions
It’s that easy. You can now browse to your Start Page and get going.
Extra Protection
It might not be the best idea to leave your Start Page open to the world. I recommend adding some basic password protection, either through your web host or with an .htaccess file. You can use the .htaccess password generator at Dynamic Drive to set it up. All you have to know is the absolute path to the Start Page app.
Geeky Details
Although this is just a simple Start Page there are some really fun Javascript and PHP things going on. Here are some of the geeky features:
- Nice and tidy, object oriented PHP
- Prototype, Scriptaculous, and Lightwindow Javascript libraries
- Txt-db-api file-based database
Potential
The personal Start Page has a lot of potential! It could easily be expanded to support notes, widgets, categories, multiple layouts, in-place editing, ordering and more. Feel free to have a go at it. And if you make some changes that could benefit us all make sure to send us the code so we can post it here.
