Thiết kế web với joomla 1.6(5).x part 3 pdf

15 CHAPTER Obtaining and Installing Joomla! IN THIS CHAPTER Obtaining the Joomla! installation files Installing Joomla! locally Installing Joomla! on a web host G etting started with Joomla! is easy. The open source software is freely available for download and in some cases may already be available as part of your web hosting package. In either case, you usually need to go through a set up process before you can start working on the contents of your web site. Joomla! includes a wizard-style interface that enables you to create a com- plete web site installation simply by clicking through a series of steps and providing some information. The installer also includes options that can streamline work in the future and provide assistance to those who are just starting out with Joomla! This chapter looks at the basics of obtaining the Joomla! files and getting them installed on your server. Getting the Installation Files The official Joomla! installation files come bundled together in one com- pressed archive file. Although downloading this archive from several differ- ent sources is possible, I strongly recommend that you only obtain your code from the official Joomla! site for the following reasons: l By going to the official site, you are assured of downloading the most recent version. l The official archives are trustworthy and highly unlikely to contain dangerous or malicious code. l You can be assured that the archive contains a complete set of the official components. Part I: Getting Started with Joomla! 16 To obtain the files, go to www.joomla.org and look for the download button; it is always dis- played prominently on the home page, as shown in Figure 2.1. Clicking the button takes you to a downloads page where you can select the version of the installer that best suits your needs. Note that while the download link is on the main Joomla! site, the actual archive files for the installation are kept on the JoomlaCode.org. FIGURE 2.1 The home page of Joomla.org, showing the download link prominently displayed. Exploring the JoomlaCode site JoomlaCode.org is one of the most important of the official Joomla! sites. You can visit the site by pointing your browser to www.joomlacode.org. The site includes a significant number of resources for Joomla! users. First and foremost, it serves as the central storehouse for the official Joomla! files. On the site, you find not only the most recent full release of Joomla!, but also patches and upgrades that allow users running older versions of Joomla! to upgrade to the most recent version. Chapter 2: Obtaining and Installing Joomla! 17 In addition to the official files, the site also functions as a distribution point for many noncommer- cial extensions to the Joomla! core. You should take some time to browse the site and explore a bit. As you work more with Joomla! you are very likely to find yourself using the site as a resource to identify and download additional extensions for your site. At first glance, you may find the site a bit difficult to navigate. JoomlaCode uses an organizational structure that is common to code forges but is not terribly intuitive. If you are not familiar with forge-type sites you may find it a bit confusing at first. Clicking on the Home link at the top right, for example, does not return you to the Home page of JoomlaCode, but instead takes you to a completely different site — Joomla.org. Moreover, browsing by Project can be rather time-con- suming unless you already know the name of the extension you seek. The search functionality is also somewhat limited. Your best bet for browsing JoomlaCode is to use the box labeled Browse Project Topics. The box is located in the right column about halfway down the page. Click on the name of the category you are interested in, and you will be taken to a page displaying a tree-type file directory with a list of files at the bottom, as shown in Figure 2.2. Click on the link labeled Show, next to a directory, to display the contents of the directory. Click on the link labeled Add Filter to restrict the projects shown on the page to only those that fall within the category. For example, clicking on the option Gallery & Multimedia takes you to a page showing a directory tree that has three options: Gallery, Podcasting, and Streaming Media. Below the tree directory is a list of all the projects in the Gallery & Multimedia category. If you click next on the Add Filter link (next to the option labeled Gallery), the page reloads, showing you only those projects that are included in the Gallery subcat- egory. If you click next on the Add Filter link (next to the Streaming Media option), the page will reload, showing you only those projects that are included in both the Gallery and the Streaming Media subcategories. Tip The Joomla! Extensions web site, http://extensions.joomla.org, provides a much more accessible directory of Joomla! extensions. The site also includes comments, ratings, and both commercial and noncom- mercial extensions. For most users, the Extensions site is a much friendlier option for browsing and searching. Determining which files you need Identifying the core files you need involves answering two questions: Is this a fresh installation or an upgrade? Which archive file type is appropriate for your server? If this is a fresh installation, you simple need to obtain the current full release from the JoomlaCode site. If this is an upgrade of an existing Joomla! site, you need to first identify the ver- sion you are running now and then look closely through the list of upgrades on JoomlaCode to Part I: Getting Started with Joomla! 18 find the archive that is intended to be used to upgrade from the version of Joomla! you have on your current site. A complete list of releases, both full versions and upgrades, can be found at http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/?action=index. Cross-Reference Patching and upgrading your site is discussed in more detail in Chapter 25. The official Joomla! releases come in a variety of archive formats, including .zip .tar.gz, and .tar. bz2, as you can see in Figure 2.3. Download the version of your choice; they all contain the same files. The various formats are simply provided as a convenience. The correct choice for you depends on what type of archive file you are able to extract. FIGURE 2.2 Browsing by Project Topic shows you a list of projects as well as a list of subcategories. Chapter 2: Obtaining and Installing Joomla! 19 FIGURE 2.3 The JoomlaCode.org site is the home to all the official files. Technical Requirements The technical requirements for Joomla! are quite basic. The system is very tolerant of variations in server settings and, generally speaking, runs on the vast majority of commercial services that employ Linux, Unix, or even Windows. This makes installing Joomla! on most commercial web hosts easy and rarely requires additional configuration of the server. For visitors, the front end is usable by virtually any computer using any browser. For site adminis- trators, the back end supports the most recent versions of all the common browsers. Many hosts even provide a way for one-click installation of Joomla! on your hosting account. This can be an easy way for beginners to install Joomla! and create the database without having to upload files themselves. Part I: Getting Started with Joomla! 20 Server requirements The preferred server setup for Joomla! includes the Apache web server with the MySQL database. Joomla! is primarily written in PHP, so the server must also have PHP installed. The configuration outlined is typical of shared web hosts running the Linux or Unix operating systems. Table 2.1 shows the minimum and preferred technical system requirements for running Joomla! 1.5.x on your web server. TABLE 2.1 Software Requirements for Joomla! 1.5.x Minimum version Recommended version Apache web server 1.3 2.x + MySQL Database 3.23 4.1.x + (but not MySQL 6.x) PHP 4.3.10 5.2 + Table 2.2 shows the minimum and preferred technical system requirements for running Joomla! 1.6.x on your web server. TABLE 2.2 Software Requirements for Joomla! 1.6.x Minimum version Recommended version Apache web server 1.3 2.x + MySQL Database 3.23 4.1.x + (but not MySQL 6.x) PHP 4.3.10 5.2 + Tip Although the requirements outline the general configuration, some additional configuration issues exist with the Apache web server. You need to have mod_mysql, mod_xml and mod_zlib enabled. Additionally, if you want to use search engine friendly URLs, you need to the mod_rewrite extension installed. Note Although Apache is preferred, it is possible to run Joomla! on the Microsoft IIS web server. Note, however, that Microsoft IIS is not officially supported. Chapter 2: Obtaining and Installing Joomla! 21 Caution Problems have been detected with certain PHP versions. Avoid the following versions if at all possible: 4.3.9, 4.4.2, and 5.0.4. Also note that some problems have been reported with versions of the Zend Optimizer. Site visitor and administrator requirements The front end of Joomla! is usable by a wide variety of platforms and browsers, including mobile devices. Indeed, the display of the front end is impacted more by the way the site template is coded than by anything inherent in the system itself. Support for JavaScript is recommended, but not required for the default site. Note The installation of certain third-party extensions may bring with them additional requirements. You should always check whether the extensions that you install are compatible with the systems you require for your web site visitors. To administer a Joomla! site you literally need nothing more than a connection to the Internet and a web browser. The back-end admin system is compatible with the recent versions of the most common browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Chrome is also a supported browser. Installing Joomla! This section covers the installation of Joomla! on either a local server or a remote web host. Installing Joomla! locally allows you to create a testing or development site that can greatly ease your development efforts. Installing Joomla! on a remote web host allows you to create a publicly accessible site that others can see and use. In either event, the process is roughly the same. Creating a local development site You can create a Joomla! site on your local computer for testing and development purposes. A local installation makes it faster and easier to work on the creation of a new site. It is a great way to develop a site prior to deploying it on a live server as you can see the impact of your changes immediately without having to move files back and forth from a remote web server. Moreover, if you have only a slow or unreliable Internet connection, a local development installation can save huge amounts of time and frustration. A local installation can be created on any system — Windows, Mac, or Linux. However, you need to make sure that your machine can function as a server and meets the technical requirements out- lined in the preceding section. If you want to obtain and install each of the various components . running Joomla! 1. 6 .x on your web server. TABLE 2.2 Software Requirements for Joomla! 1. 6 .x Minimum version Recommended version Apache web server 1. 3 2 .x + MySQL Database 3. 23 4 .1. x + (but. 2 .1 Software Requirements for Joomla! 1. 5 .x Minimum version Recommended version Apache web server 1. 3 2 .x + MySQL Database 3. 23 4 .1. x + (but not MySQL 6 .x) PHP 4 .3 .10 5.2 + Table 2.2 shows the. shared web hosts running the Linux or Unix operating systems. Table 2 .1 shows the minimum and preferred technical system requirements for running Joomla! 1. 5 .x on your web server. TABLE 2 .1 Software