I am using debian, so here are a few commands I use:
# apt-get install postgresql
# sudo su - postgres
# createuser /your_login/
# apt-get install ruby
# apt-get install libpgsql-ruby
# apt-get install irb
# apt-get install rdoc

-> why???
# ln -s /sbin/ifconfig /bin/

# gem install rails
# gem install redcloth
Only if you expect to develop and release:
# gem install meta_project


The database is setup for user "manu", you may need to change the file
config/database.yml for your own settings.

Change config/environment.rb to set the domain, default is something like
'leparlement.org', define it as your web site or email domain.

In procmail, define a rule to redirect the relevant mail to parlement, I use:
:0 c
* ^TO parlement|leparlement.org
| /home/manu/parlement/trunk/script/runner 'Mailman.receive STDIN.read'


Once you have everything set up (ruby, postgresql, redcloth, irb), you can
launch parlement thus:
~ cd parlement
~ psql -q template1 -f db/schema.sql
~ ruby lib/data_import.rb
~ ruby ./script/server


Now you can go to localhost:3000


The problem: "how to display conversations"
The entities involved:
	- element
	- ancestor
	- children
	- children number
	- author
	- element's size
	- title
	- body
The possibilities
	- show one element and its children closed
	- show one element opened and its children closed
	- show one element and its children opened, its grand children closed
	- show one element opened, its children and grand children opened
	- when an element is closed, also show its children?
Limits
	- can not display all elements at once
	- can not display one element and all its direct children at once
Parameters
	- ordering
	- date
	- number of children displayed
	- votes


# Here is my console code to reset threads from their original mails:
>> elts=Mail.find_all.select{|m|m.file and mail=TMail::Mail.parse(m.file) and reply=mail.in_reply_to and mailObject=Mail.find_by_message(reply) and mailObject.elt.id!=m.elt.parent_id}.collect{|m| {:elt=>m.elt.id, :parent=>Mail.find_by_message(TMail::Mail.parse(m.file).in_reply_to).elt.id}}; puts elts.size
>> elts.each{|e|print e[:elt], ' ', e[:parent], ' '; puts Elt.update_all("parent_id='#{e[:parent]}'", "id='#{e[:elt]}'")}; puts elts.size

# To get and remove duplicate messages
>> messages=Mail.find_by_sql "select message from mails group by message having count(message) > 1"; puts messages.length
>> messages.each{ |m| mail=Mail.find_all_by_message m.message; mail.each{|m| print m.elt.id, ' ', m.elt.subject, ' ', m.elt.children.size; puts } }; puts messages.length
>> messages.each{ |m| mail=Mail.find_all_by_message m.message; mail.each_index{|i| m=mail[i]; print i, ' ', m.elt.id, ' ', m.elt.subject, ' ', m.elt.children.size; m.elt.destroy if i>0 and m.elt.children.size==0; puts } }; puts messages.length

# To get all existing votes
elts=Elt.find(:all, :conditions => ["body LIKE '%%+1%%' OR body LIKE '%%0%%' OR body LIKE '%%-1%%'"]); puts elts.size
elts.each { |e| print '(', Regexp.last_match(1), ')' if e.body =~ /^\s*(-1|0|\+1)(\s*|$)/ }; puts; puts elts.size
elts.each { |e| e.vote(Regexp.last_match(1), e.person) if e.body =~ /^\s*(-1|0|\+1)(\s*|$)/ }; puts; puts elts.size