Team Environment Setup and Remote Working

Question

We are working on a project which is getting bigger and bigger. Till now our work looked like this:

• I have a web server, I'm coding with VIM directly over SSH
• Another programmer send me new files I add them and integrate them (he have a copy of project and local server)
• Designer sends me design I also integrate it.

It is pretty much waste of time, because every time they made change I have to integrate it.

Now we have a hosting which doesn't support SSH (I cannot use vim now). How should we work on a project like this? How should I set up my VIM to work on remote project (I don't want to download and upload every time I want to change file)?

Answer 1

You didn't mention your OS. That would be certainly hepful if you want a precise answer.

The first thing would be to find a better host. You can rent very decent dedicated servers for as low as 40 or 50 € or less. If your project is big and serious, 50 €/month or 100 €, or 200 € is perfectly acceptable and you can install/enable whatever you need. Depending on the size of your project, a VPS could be enough. Whatever the price, a web host without SSH access is worse than shit.

But you may not have any power on that area.

Since your server doesn't support SSH, a proper VCS is not an option. The only practical solutions I see are rather "old-school" but they work:

Solution A:

1. Download the whole site on your local machine with an FTP client.
2. Edit locally.
3. Test your changes with a local web server.
4. Upload the changed files when your tests are OK.

Solution B:

1. Connect to your server with an FTP client.
2. Use its "Edit Locally" feature to open the files in Vim.
3. Write your changes, the file is automatically updated on the server.

Solution C:

Use Vim's bundled netrw plugin: :e ftp://host/path/to/file. See :h netrw.

Note that the process will always be download -> edit -> save -> upload, whether you notice it or not. Depending on the solution you choose, the process can be horribly repetitive and inneficient or almost completely invisible.

But, seriously, get another server and use a VCS and a local server.

Answer 2

I recommend using version management software like git with SSH hooks that automatically upload changes to your server.

Answer 3

You can use a version manager, like git and make a git pull in the web server every time you have a stable version.

You collaborator can push the new content and you dont need manage the file youtself.