I leverage community tools to expedite Sitecore 9 installation on development machines. While the SIF tool provides comprehensive configuration options, it lacks developer-friendly simplicity.
The Tools
Three key utilities streamline the installation process:
1. Low Effort SOLR - Jeremy Davis’s script automates SOLR setup from Apache, configures SSL, and enables the service within approximately two minutes.
2. SIF-less - Rob Ahnemann’s tool simplifies Sitecore 9 installation by generating PowerShell scripts. Users can either fill in configuration fields or allow the tool to handle the installation directly.
3. Chocolatey - Described as “NuGet for applications,” this package manager enables scripting and deployment of multiple applications simultaneously.
The combined approach yields a functioning Sitecore 9 installation in roughly 12 minutes, with variations based on hardware specifications.
Machine Setup Prerequisites
The demonstration uses Windows 10 with:
- IIS and ASP.NET 4.7 features enabled
- SQL Server 2016 SP1 Express (default instance configuration)
- SQL Management Studio 17.3
A Chocolatey script installs development essentials: Chrome, Java Runtime, Git, .NET Core, Node.js, Visual Studio 2017, and additional utilities.
Optional Visual Studio Code extension installations enhance development workflows.