These days there are two main ways to install Joomla. The first method is very easy and this is explained in this chapter. The other method requires a bit more work and I go through those steps in subsequent chapters. You don’t need to learn both methods, but start reading this chapter and at the appropriate time, I’ll tell you if you are able to continue or if you need to move to the next chapter.
To begin, I need to explain the various versions of Joomla. This workbook is focussed on Joomla version 2.5 and if you’re starting from scratch, you don’t want to build with an earlier version. If a newer version of Joomla is available, don’t necessarily jump to it straight away. Almost all Joomla sites use some extensions. When a new version of Joomla is released, it takes a while, sometimes a long while, for extension developers to update their applications. As a result, working with the latest version of Joomla can be difficult, if not impossible. So which version do you choose? If a new major version has been released, I recommend waiting at least six months and quite possibly longer before using it. The previous version will continue to receive security updates and bug fixes, so it is safe to continue using that version. For example Joomla 3 will be released in September 2012. But Joomla 2.5 will continue to be supported until the end of 2013. But the decision mostly rests on your website needs. You need to decide what your website needs to do, check if that functionality is available with Joomla, and if you need to use an extension, check that the extension is compatible with your desired version of Joomla. If in doubt, start with an older version of Joomla as you can always upgrade later. You can’t start with a higher version and downgrade if you make a mistake.
The next step is to choose a web host. I mentioned the hosting requirements in the previous chapter, but those are the minimum requirements. There are other settings and features offered by some hosts that result in a better Joomla experience. Some web hosts are more Joomla-friendly than others and the best ones are listed on our website.
As I explained in the previous chapter, installing Joomla requires you to create a database at the host, upload the Joomla files and run through an installation routine. Many hosts these days include a feature that greatly simplifies this process. This is what I will demonstrate in the rest of this chapter. To find out if this feature is available with your web host, ask them if they provide a Joomla one-step installation feature. The major suppliers of these automated installation applications are Softaculous, Simple Scripts and Fantastico so if you see any of those mentioned, you might be in luck. Just check to ensure they support the version of Joomla you wish to use.
Modern hosts provide an online control panel where you setup your email addresses, review website statistics, create databases and much more. There are several control panels, but the most popular is called cPanel and that is the one I will be using. But if your host provides something else, you’ll still be able to follow along.
When you open your web hosting account, you will receive a welcome email containing instructions on how to access your control panel. You will need to login using a username and password and when you do this, you are presented with a screen similar to the one below. Scroll down to find the one-step installer. In cPanel, this is under the Software heading.
The Softaculous icon in Cpanel
In this example, the host is using the Softaculous application which is the best one I’ve found.
Click this and you’ll probably see Joomla listed on the first page. If not, look at the Portals/CMS category at the left and then Joomla. This page presents an overview and displays the version of Joomla that it will install. Click the Install link at the top.
Now just enter a few details on you’re on your way. Firstly you may be given an option of which version of Joomla to install, so choose the appropriate one for your circumstances. Next choose the protocol. This means do you want the site to work with or without the ‘www’. In other words, will you be promoting your site as ‘www.your-domain-name.com’ or just ‘your-domain-name.com’? I recommend choosing the ‘www’ option as this will end up working for both situations anyway. Ignore the https options - this is for security certificates and you can make this work later if necessary.
Next, if you have more than one domain name allocated in your hosting account, you’ll need to choose the appropriate one from this drop-down box. The In Directory option specifies where the joomla installation should reside in your hosting account. If you have a new hosting account, this is an easy decision - just leave the box empty. But if you already have a website in this account, you won’t want to upset the existing files. In that case, enter a new directory name - something like ‘joomla’ and then when your site is ready, you can move the files from that directory to your main directory. As I am installing to a new account, I’ll leave this empty.
The installer creates a database for you and the next field is where you can specify a name for the database. You might as well just go with the name that has already been entered. Then enter a name for the site. You would normally enter your organisation name here, but don’t worry about it as this can be changed later. The description is used for search engine listings and again this can be changed later.
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Typical settings that are entered into the one-step installation page
You can leave the database settings as they are. The first option specifies a prefix that is added to the database tables and the suggested one is fine. Leave the Import Sample Data box checked.
What this does is start your Joomla site with some sample articles, menus and other data that is helpful while you’re learning. I refer to the sample data throughout this course, so in order for you to follow along, it’s helpful for you to include it too. It can be deleted later.
When Joomla is installed, you need at least one user account that is used to access the backend Administrator which is where the content is managed. Change the default Username from admin to something more secure. This is up to you of course, but a lot of people like to use their first name followed by a dot followed by their last name. You might like to use a random word - it really doesn’t matter. However It is important to use a secure password. You’ll see that Softaculous has created a random password and you might like to use that one or click the key icon to change it.
Or enter your own password. This really is important as hackers can force their way into sites that use weak passwords. The consensus is that it is best to use at least 8 characters and include numbers, uppercase and lower cases letters as well as a symbol or two.
Real Name - that’s you so go ahead and enter your name as well as an email address that Joomla needs to send notification emails.
You’re just about ready to go, but before clicking the Install button, make a note of the Admin Username and Admin Password. You’ll need those to access the Joomla Administrator. Yes, you can use the Email notification box at the bottom to send this information to yourself via email.
However it’s best to avoid sending sensitive information via email, so just make sure you have made a note locally. You don’t need to record the database name or site name as this information is retrievable later from inside Joomla.
Complete the installation by clicking the Install button. Several things then happen behind the scenes. A database is created, the Joomla files are copied to your web hosting account and some initial configuration is done. You can now open a new browser tab, navigate to your web address and view a standard Joomla website that contains sample data. If you opted to install Joomla inside a directory, you would need to go to that location instead. For example if you specified joomla as your directory in Softaculous, you would go to www.your-domain-name.whatever/
joomla.
That’s all that needs to be done to install Joomla, if your web host provides a one-click install option. And if that’s the case for you, your exercise for this chapter is to go ahead and install Joomla at your host. If you don’t yet have a host, or if they don’t provide this option, have a look at the hosting resources page on our website. We sometimes have specials for hosting and more Joomla training, so this is the best way to get started with Joomla.
Now if you have been able to install Joomla using this one-step option, please skip ahead to chapter 11. But don’t worry if you don’t have this option as I demonstrate the standard installation method in the next chapter.
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