Revision of Aegir Handbook from Fri, 12/07/2012 - 18:23

Aegir is a set of Drupal modules that helps you maintain your Drupal sites.

What is it?

Aegir is a powerful hosting system that sits alongside a LAMP or LEMP server to create, deploy and manage Drupal sites.

Once Aegir is installed, you can setup a Drupal site in just a few clicks. Aegir creates the web server's site configuration files, the site's database, runs the Drupal installation process and reloads the relevant services, all automatically.

This documentation will help you understand Aegir and how to get it set up and running, as well as how to use it on an ongoing basis.

How does it work?

It does this by providing you with a simple Drupal based hosting frontend or control panel for managing your entire network of websites.

To deploy a new site you simply have to create a new Site node. That site node then provides you with a collection of tasks that can be executed against that site (such as Backup, Restore, Migrate (upgrade), Clone, Disable, Delete, among others).

What is the meaning of Ægir?

In Norse mythology, Ægir was the god of the oceans and if Drupal is a drop of water, Ægir is the deity of large bodies of water.

Another common spelling is "Aegir," which means a tidal wave.

Okay... but how's it pronounced?

Good question! Technically, /ˈaiːjɪr/, but Icelandic phonology is somewhat complicated. The best we can tell, it's something like "ay-jeer".

(BTW, most of us at Koumbit pronounce it "eager" in English, and "agir" (to act) in French.)

Where can I learn more?

You're in the right place! Browse the subsections listed in the Notebook sidebar to continue reading our handbook.

Want to extend Aegir or join the development effort? Read our section on Developing for Aegir.

Want to get involved and help improve the project with support, documentation, Q/A, publicity or even just spend some time with our great community? Check out Community Support. Need help? The FAQ is your first point of call.

Levels of access and experience

Every article is tagged with corresponding user level experience or access level required to make use of explained Aegir feature.

Sysadmin level is generally for users with the root access to their server, who are responsible for installation and configuration of entire Aegir system environment.

Hosted level is for users, who are using hosted Aegir version, without access to the server root, with features limited to those allowed by their host, and often with Aegir UI changed/simplified.

Client level is for users who have access to only their sites and not able to manage all Aegir features, accounts or the server/system.

Some topics can include information useful only for Sysadmin level users, while other are useful for all levels. Hosted and Client levels can have further differences. If you are in doubt, please consult your host FAQ pages.

Finally, welcome to our community, and thanks for using Aegir!