A. Download and install the bot engine

Alfredo uses a modified version of Paul Rydell and Anne Kootstra's Program E as its bot engine. Download it here (don't use the original Program E).

Installation instructions

-1. If you have a previous version of Program E or Alfredo delete all of its files and wipe its database.

0. Prerequisites: PHP (4.0.4+) compiled --with-mysql and --with-xml and a recent version of MySQL 3.23.xx and Apache. PHP version 4.2.2 recommended.

1. Create a new directory in the root of your web server and name it "alfredo". IMPORTANT NOTE: it's very important you install the bot engine into a subdirectory of the root directory named "alfredo". If you name it differently or if you don't place it in the root directory Alfredo won't work. Unzip all files into this directory or unzip them first to your hard drive and then upload them using an FTP program such as FileZilla.

2. Create a database for the program to use in MySQL. Alternatively, you can also use an existing database, such as the one your website is running on.

3. Create the tables in the database using db.sql which is in the sql directory (/sql/mysql/db.sql). If you have phpMyAdmin you can navigate to this file with the Browse button under the SQL tab (if you unzipped the files to your hard drive) or paste the script in the SQL query box.

4. By default, AIML files and startup.xml are in the aiml directory. Always use the startup.xml file included in the distribution.

5. Edit dbprefs.php (/src/admin/dbprefs.php) with your database information and aiml directory information. Fill out values for $DB_HOST, $DB_UNAME, $DB_PWORD and $DB_DB. Use the Absolute Path to the AIML directory for $rootdir (and don't forget the trailing slash "/"). If it turns out wrong in step 7, come back here with the path botloader.php includes in its error message. For Windows, use c:/htdocs/alfredo/aiml.


6. The src/admin directory (http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo/src/admin) must be writable by the web server because botloader.php will attempt to create a file subs.inc. Or you can also create an empty subs.inc file and make it writable.

7. From your web browser, access botloader.php (http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo/src/admin/botloader.php) to load the AIML into the database. This might take a few seconds. IMPORTANT NOTE: Whenever botloader.php is loaded it deletes all the existing patterns/templates in the database and then loads them from the AIML file(s).

8. Access talk.php (http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo/src/talk.php) from your web browser and say something to the TestBot. For Windows, use http://127.0.0.1/alfredo/src/talk.php or http://localhost.com/alfredo/src/talk.php.

9. Password protect your admin directory with a .htaccess file so no one can mess around with reloading your bot.

B. Purchase, download and install Alfredo

10. You can purchase and subsequently download Alfredo here: www.thebotfactory.com

11. Unzip all files into the directory you created above (http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo)*.

12. Edit and paste the following code in your web pages where you want the bot to appear (on some servers you have to leave out "www."):

<object width="200" height="450"><param value="#ffffff" name="bgcolor"/> <param value="http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo/alfredo_bot.swf" name="movie"/> <embed width="200" height="450" src="http://www.yoursite.com/alfredo/alfredo_bot.swf" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object>

13. Tell Alfredo his botmaster said hi.


*If you're upgrading from a trial version, you only need to upload alfredo_bot.swf