5.4. Adding QuickStarts to the Management Console

Developers can create applications using QuickStarts, which are preconfigured applications installed from a specific source. However, QuickStarts are not available to developers by default in OpenShift Enterprise. You can browse the OpenShift Origin Index at http://origin.ly to search for QuickStarts created by the OpenShift community or see the OpenShift QuickStart Developer's Guide to learn more about creating your own:
https://www.openshift.com/developers/get-involved/creating-quickstarts
While applications created from web framework cartridges can be automatically updated, applications created from QuickStarts cannot. Applications created using web framework cartridges are created from a designated runtime. If the runtime is updated, the cartridge automatically updates when the cartridge is restarted. However, applications created using QuickStarts require an update using Git to update the application.
You can add QuickStarts to the Management Console so that developers using your OpenShift Enterprise instance can use them to create applications. However, you must first create or obtain a configuration for the QuickStart in JSON format. When searching the OpenShift Origin Index at http://origin.ly for community QuickStarts, you can click the gift icon next to any result to get the JSON relevant to that QuickStart.

Warning

While QuickStarts can be added to the Management Console, QuickStarts themselves, including any community cartridges used by a QuickStart, are not supported by Red Hat and can require more configuration to work with your version of OpenShift Enterprise.
To add QuickStarts to the Management Console, edit the /etc/openshift/quickstarts.json file on the broker host and add entries for one or more QuickStart configurations. The following shows the basic format of a /etc/openshift/quickstarts.json file with two QuickStarts using some common parameters: 
[
  {"quickstart": {
    "id":"QuickStart1_ID",
    "name":"QuickStart1_Name",
    "website":"QuickStart1_Website",
    "initial_git_url":"QuickStart1_Location_URL",
    "cartridges":["Cart_Name"],
    "summary":"QuickStart1_Description",
    "tags":["Tags"],
    "admin_tags":["Tags"]
  }},
  {"quickstart": {
    "id":"QuickStart2_ID",
    "name":"QuickStart2_Name",
    "website":"QuickStart2_Website",
    "initial_git_url":"QuickStart2_Location_URL",
    "cartridges":["Cart_Name"],
    "summary":"QuickStart2_Description",
    "tags":["Tags"],
    "admin_tags":["Tags"]
  }}
]
You must ensure that any cartridges defined in the "cartridges" parameter of a QuickStart configuration are available to developers in your OpenShift Enterprise instance. These can be cartridges local to your instance or downloadable cartridges. If the web framework cartridge required by a QuickStart is unavailable, developers are unable to create applications using the QuickStart, even if the QuickStart appears as an option in the Management Console. See the OpenShift Enterprise Deployment Guide for information on installing cartridges:
https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/OpenShift_Enterprise/2/html/Deployment_Guide/sect-Installing_Cartridges.html
For example, the following shows a Django QuickStart configuration that requires the python-2.7 cartridge:

Example 5.5. /etc/openshift/quickstarts.json File with a Django QuickStart Entry

[
  {"quickstart": {
    "id":"2",
    "name":"Django",
    "website":"https://www.djangoproject.com/",
    "initial_git_url":"git://github.com/openshift/django-example.git",
    "cartridges":["python-2.7"],
    "summary":"A high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Administrator user name and password are written to $OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR/CREDENTIALS.",
    "tags":["python","django","framework"],
    "admin_tags":[]
  }}
]
After adding entries for QuickStart configurations to the /etc/openshift/quickstarts.json file, clear the Management Console cache to ensure the QuickStart appears immediately for developers. For releases prior to OpenShift Enterprise 2.1, run the following command on the broker host: 
# oo-admin-broker-cache --clear --console
For OpenShift Enterprise 2.1 and later, run the following command on the broker host: 
# oo-admin-console-cache --clear