I just want to try uPortal out and see if I like it. Can I do that?
Each uPortal distribution includes a quickstart. You can download the latest from the download page.
Can I access all the uPortal source code, including the latest features and patches?
Yes! uPortal is 100% Free and Open Source. There is only one repository hosting all of the uPortal code. While other portal vendors only release the latest versions to paying customers, all uPortal releases are completely free and publicly available.
Can I use uPortal on any server I like for any purpose?
Yes! uPortal is 100% Free and Open Source. You are free to deploy uPortal anywhere you like, redistribute uPortal to anyone you like, and to use uPortal for any purpose whatsoever.
Can I redistribute uPortal and my modifications to it to others?
Yes! And the uPortal developers hope you will! uPortal is also a direct-participation community-based open source project, so the way you redistribute your modifications might be to become directly involved in developing uPortal and making your changes part of the next release. (And there are many ways to participate short of that level of commitment, not least of which is the publicly available issue tracker which welcomes with arms wide open your patches.)
uPortal is 100% Free and Open Source software. You are free to redistribute it as distributed by Jasig or as modified in any way you like to anyone you like in any way you like.
What does uPortal use for authentication?
Out of the box, uPortal supports authenticating via internal user accounts, CAS, and LDAP. uPortal includes an API for other authentication integrations. Support for CAS (and the inclusion by default of a CAS server) implies support for all the authentication methods CAS supports, including Active Directory, JAAS, JDBC, Container, LDAP, RADIUS, SPNEGO, and X.509 certificates. CAS provides APIs and an extensible framework for tailoring the user authentication experience.
Does uPortal integrate with LDAP?
Yes, uPortal can perform authentication against LDAP and/or read person attributes from an LDAP server. uPortal can also be configured to rely on LDAP for user groups.
What databases does uPortal support?
uPortal and most of its portlets use Hibernate, so most popular databases are supported. Known production deployment database include (but are not limited to!) Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MSSQL.
Does uPortal support clustering?
Yes. (Eric?)
Are there more portlets available than what I see in my quickstart installation?
Yes! Some portlets are listed on Jasig's website and more are documented in the wiki.
Is uPortal secure?
Jasig's security policy and relevant details about uPortal's security standards are available here: http://www.ja-sig.org/wiki/display/PLT.
Is uPortal accessible?
uPortal developers strive to follow accessibility best practices, such as providing alt attributes and avoiding table-based layouts. Many uPortal interfaces, including the AJAX-powered drag and drop layout reordering, support keyboard bindings which may be used instead of a mouse. Many of uPortal's user interfaces use CSS and JavaScript components provided by Fluid Infusion, an accessible front-end framework.
Can I customize uPortal?
Many implementers choose to write their own skin and to develop custom portlets. uPortal's framework also includes well-designed APIs for adding authentication, user attributes, and performing other integrations.
What JavaScript toolkits does uPortal support?
uPortal bundles jQuery, jQuery UI, and Fluid Infusion in the default theme. The quickstart includes a portlet named "Javascript Demos" that you may use to demo the built-in javascript libraries. However, uPortal also carefully namespaces its libraries and code in case you choose to use another framework in your custom development.
What portlet development frameworks does uPortal support?
Since uPortal provides full support for JSR 168, you can develop portlets in a framework of your choice. Some adopters have also chosen to build content in a non-Java environment and display it using the web proxy portlet.
Does uPortal support drag-and-drop layout reordering?
Yes! You can easily rearrange the portlets on a tab by simply dragging them to new positions. uPortal's reordering implementation includes alternate keyboard interactions and is tested for accessibility.
Does uPortal support mobile devices?
Yes! uPortal ships with themes and skins that work well with WebKit-based browsers including those built into the iPhone and Android mobile phones. These skins may be customized for your institution, and your portlets may choose to output specialized mobile interfaces.
Is uPortal highly scalable?
Yes! Many schools with over 50,000 users use uPortal and see millions of logins a month. One commercial organization even has a user baseof over 8 million!
Since uPortal is Free and Open Source Software, there are no license fees to pay for uPortal and you are free to run uPortal on as powerful and as many servers as you like with no change to your zero dollar uPortal license fee.
Where can I get help?
Jasig maintains two user-facing email lists that might be of help: uportal-user and portlet-user. If you're interested in purchasing support or consulting services, please visit Jasig's list of commercial partners.