How to develop a Drupal-based site under a temporary url

**RobWheeler** · 16-03-2010, 11:00

I have a procedural issue concerned with how best to build a new site on the new Linux hosting package I have with you and then redirect the nameservers from the old site once it is complete and tested. The scenario is this (the names are all made up just for illustration):

I have an old, static, site running on a host we will call SERVER-A. The domain name "http: //www.site.org.uk" is currently pointed at that server and it is working fine. The service provider in this case is also holding the domain name for me.

I want to create a new Drupal site on your server, SERVER-B, using the temporary domain name you have given me: "http: //Server_IP_Address/~UserName/". I want to be able to set up the site, test it, let the person I am building it for do some final proof-reading and then, when we are all happy the new site is working OK, to tell tell the old service provider to redirect the name servers and as it propagates across the net (a process I am informed takes about 24 hours) the new site becomes gradually visible across the web.

This is the scenario I outlined to your support staff just before I bought the new account and they assured me that I could set up a Drupal site under the temporary url and that it would work OK.

Using Fastastico I set up a Drupal installation on the new account yesterday only to find that altho the Drupal home page appears I cannot login and the formatting is not working on the page. I thought initially that this was due to problems with file permissions but when I phoned your support staff I was told that you cannot access a site built with a CMS under the temporary url.

I am therefore unsure how best to proceed. Is there any way at all I can build a Drupal site without first having to transfer the domain name? That would be my preferred option. Could you "lend" me a domain name while I am doing the development so that I can give it back to you after the old domain name is re-directed. Or perhaps I should buy a domain name specifically for the purpose of this kind of development.

I have transferred the old, static site to may new account and that is accessible OK under the temp url OK. I was therefore able to test it and make sure it was working. One option would be to move the domain name over to the old site now running on your server and then build my new Drupal site in a sub-directory hidden from public view. When the time comes to flip over to the new site we just redirect the domain name to the sub-directory. But how do I do that without encountering problems with paths in Drupal? The problem is that CMS's seem to like using absolute paths.

Help would be appreciated as I seem to have been given incorrect advice when I bought the account.

Rob Wheeler

**ymitchell** · 16-03-2010, 19:00

Excuse me for jumping in here. Using http: //Server_IP_Address/~UserName/ or http: //www.robwheeler.com/ shouldn't effect how the site is accessed, as long as the correct DNS entry is set. In fact the first isn't even a DNS entry. As long as the BASE URL and paths point to either, the web site should work. As you point out, it may be a problem with 'Fastastico' and absolute paths. As such, you may have to get your hands a little dirty with editing the actual HTML code.

This illustrates the problem with using GUI type utilities, when something goes wrong, you're left in the dark. You say the 'old, static site' is working under the new URL and the 'new Drupal site' isn't working, so perhaps it's a problem with your new configuration?

**eUK-Eric** · 16-03-2010, 20:32

Hello,

It is possible to setup Drupal site using temporary url i.e. (http: //Server_IP_Address/~UserName/). By default Drupal installation setup base_url to domain name however in your case we will need to replace it with http://Server_IP_Address/~temp/ and then Drupal should start working with temp url.

Please PM me your domain name so that I will make the changes accordingly.

Eric
Support Team.

**eUK-Eric** · 17-03-2010, 19:56

Rob,

I have modified default Rewrite_Rules of Drupal to work it with Temporarily URL. Please refer ticket for the more information. Please feel free to post here in case if you need further assistance.

Regards,
Eric
Support Team.