Installation Manual

Manual Installation

In certain circumstances there might be a problem with using the standard Browser Installation method

described, but all is not lost. It is possible to install Joomla! in a more complex, but never-the-less straight-

forward process provided it is completed in sequence.

Step 1 – Create and edit the configuration file

Open the local directory where you uncompressed the Joomla! Core distribution directories and files and

copy the file configuration.php-dist.

Rename the copied file to configuration.php, and open it in your code editor.

Edit the following fields in particular, prior to saving the file in the joomla_root/ directory of the installation.

The remaining fields can be edited through the Global Configuration screen of the Control Panel->Site

Menus. See the image on the next page for a highlighted reference to these particular fields.

var $sitename = 'your Web site name';

var $dbtype = 'mysql';

var $host = 'localhost';

var $user = 'your database username';

var $password = 'your database password';

var $db = 'database name';

var $dbprefix = 'jos_'; // This is the default database table prefix. Change this to whatever you change

the MySQL table prefix to in Step 2.

var $secret = 'FBVtggIk5lAzEU9H'; //Change this to a random mixture of upper and lower

alphanumeric characters. This is an important security feature and should not be neglected.

Note: It is not essential to enter the FTP data at this point as the information can be added within the Global

Configuration screen once installation is completed.

var $ftp_host = '127.0.0.1'; //This is the default localhost address reference. Your Web host may have

set this differently.

var $ftp_port = '21'; // Port 21 is the default FTP port on most operating systems, but may have been

configured differently by your host provider.

var $ftp_user = 'your ftp username';

var $ftp_pass = 'your ftp password';

var $ftp_root = 'the absolute path of the directory that the ftp client should open within';

$ftp_enable = '1'; Set to '1' to enable the FTP layer facility.

var $tmp_path = '/tmp'; //The absolute path to the tmp directory within the root directory of your

Joomla! installation. This should not be confused with the same named directory of your Web server.

var $log_path = '/var/logs'; //The absolute path to your Web server log directory.

var $mailfrom = 'your e-mail address';

var $fromname = 'your Web site name for example';

For further detail and a highlighted illustration of the configuration.php as it needs to be entered please

see the next page.

The Joomla! User Documentation Team 26 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual