Joomla installation and configuration

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Draft

This article or section is currently under construction

In principle, someone is working on it and there should be a better version in a not so distant future.
If you want to modify this page, please discuss it with the person working on it (see the "history")

Introduction

This is a short installation tutorial for the Joomla CMS.

Installation

Preparation

Technical infrastructure

You will need a L/W/WAMP system. The minimal requirements are:

  • For Joomla 1x: PHP 4.2 - MySQL 3.23 - Apache 1.13.19
  • For Joomla 1.5: 4.4.3.

As of Nov 2007, most installations will have PHP 5.2 (or better) so shouldn't worry about this unless you you stumbled on a really bad provider or a very old server ....

There are several alternatives to get your infrastructure.

(1) If you just want to play with Joomla and you don't already have a LAMP or (M)WAMP bundle installed on your machine, you can get a Apache/MySQL/PhP + Joomla package either from

If you do so, you can skip the rest of this installation tutorial since these systems are pre-installed. Such packages are best if you you want to explore CMS technology on your personal computer.

(2) A similar (but more difficult) solution is to install a WAMP bundle on your PC or a LAMP under Linux or MAMP under MacOSX and then download and install Joomla!

(3) Get an account with a web hosting service.

  • Make sure that this service provides you with Apache/Php/MySQL, the technical infrastructure needed for Joomla.
  • There are free services (but with some caveats).

Download Joomla

Download Joomla from http://www.joomla.org/

As of nov 2007 you can either take the

  • latest 1.x version
  • latest 1.5x version (on nov 10 2007 it still was RC3, i.e. a release candidate, but it is stable enough).

You can find links to downloads in some boxes to the left

Database configuration

Joomla needs to install with a MySQL database. The installation procedure will create many tables. In order to do so, you must have or create a database user with full rights to the given database, so that the Joomla program can install the tables and the use the tables.

You have two options here:

(1) If you have a cheap or free provider or if you have a student account, you only may have access to single database. This means that Joomla will have to co-exist with other applications. That is not a big problem, since most applications add a prefix to each table. By default, Joomla adds the jos_ prefix.

(2) If you have your own MySQL server, then you should install Joomla in its own database and create one (see below)

In both cases you must create and/or remember:

  • The name of the database
  • The name of the database user
  • The password of the database user


Database configuration with a web hosting service

Some web hosting services will not allows you to create randomly named databases. E.g. Infomaniak (Geneva's most popular hosting company) let's you create about 15 databases from a special administration tool.

In such a situation use the provided database tool and:

  1. Create a database: E.g. call it joomla if you are allowed, otherwise just pick a a free name.
  2. Create a database user: e.g. call it j_user
  3. Give this new database user full rights to the the database, e.g. modify the database joomla

Database creation with phpmyadmin

Unzipping the Joomla Distribution

To install the Joomla distribution you have 2 options:

  • Unzip the distribution in a directory on you personal machine then transfer the files with FTP
  • Unzip the distribution directly on the server.

In both cases you must create a new directory on the server, e.g. call it "j" or "joomla".

==

Junk below ... working on it

Part 1

  1. After downloading, unzip/untar the package
  2. Login to your FTP
  3. Upload the Joomla! Files, I assume you have uploaded to a folder called "Joomla", you can upload to another directory if you wish.
  4. While you are uploading Joomla, we shall create a mySQL Database.

If you use cPanel, please go to step 7a. If you use Directadmin, please go to step 8a

Part 2 - database

Cpanel Users

7a. Login to cPanel. 7b. Go to MySQL Databases. 7c. Go to a field named "Db:". We will call the database "joomla", you can change it if you wish to. Then hit "Add Db". You have successfully made your SQL Database . 7d. Go to the fields named "UserName:" and "Password:". We will call the username "cms" and password "password", you can change them if you wish to. Then hit "Add User". You have successfully made your SQL User . 7e. Go to the two dropdown lists named "User:" and "Db:". Under user, select the user you made, in this case, we will select "cms". Under db, select the database you made, in this case, we will select "joomla". Make sure under "Privileges:", the checkbox beside "ALL" is checked. Then hit "Add user to DB". You have successfully made a working SQL Database .

Directadmin Users

8a. Login to Directadmin. 8b. Go to mySQL Databases. 8c. Select "Create New Database" 8d. You will see the following fields "Database Name", "Database Username", "Username Password", "Confirm Password". Under Database Name, type in "joomla", you can change it if you wish to. Under Database Username, type in "cms", you can change it if you wish to. Under Username Password and Confirm Password, type in "password", , you can change it if you wish to. Hit create. 8e. A page showing the Database and user you have just created will show up.

Part 3 - back to Joomla

  1. CHMOD/Set the permissions of configuration.php-dist to 777 using your FTP Client.
  2. Go to http://domain/joomla
    • A Joomla! Installation page will show up. Fill in the details accordingly. Once you get the install process done it will tell you some code to enter into configuration.php, first rename .configuration.php-dist to configuration.php, then enter the code the install page gave you and save it.
  3. CHMOD configuration.php to 644.

Help Links

Online Help for Joomla 1x

Online Help for Joomla 1.5x

Books about Joomla

None is endorsed, since we didn't buy any.

Joomla 1.5x

  • Graf Hagen; James Kennard, James Kennard (2007). Building Websites with Joomla! 1.5 Beta 1. PACKT, ISBN 1847192386
    • Available as softcover from PACKT
    • as PDF eBook from PACKT
  • Rahmel Dan (2007). Beginning Joomla!: From Novice to Professional (Beginning from Novice to Professional). Apress. ISBN 1590598482 (for Joomla 1.5)
  • Rahmel Dan (2007). Professional Joomla!, Wrox Press. ISBN 0470133945ISBN. ISBN-13: 978-0470133941

Joomla 1.0x

  • North, Barrie (2007). The Joomla Admin Manual: A Step by Step Guide to a Successful Website. Compass Design. ISBN 0615146759. Also available as $27 ebook from compass design (These books get mixed reviews, but the price/quality relation should be ok.)

Various tips

Addons and templates

Templates

Joomla sites

(absolutly not tested, no endorsements here !!)

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