Joomla 1.5 Installation Manual
Joomla! 1.5
Installation Manual
Author: Andy Wallace
Joomla! User Documentation Team
Version 0.5
30 October 2007
Acknowledgements & License
Acknowledgements
I would like to pay tribute to the Developers for their continued efforts in putting together the remarkable
Content Management System that is Joomla! 1.5.
Furthermore, the same tribute is to be paid to the many other Work Group members, past and present, who
have played their part in getting Joomla! to where it is today.
The tribute also goes out to all the everyday Joomla! Community members who have played their part in
testing, reporting issues and, more importantly, workable solutions to the Project.
Finally,I would like to single out a couple of people who have made the work on the User Documentation
Team possible for the 1.5 release:
Chad McKissick and Leandro Bergantiños without whom the work would be further behind than it already is!
Amy Stephen for some last minute reading and suggestions.
License
This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
Unported license.
Additional License Rider
I am happy for the document to be translated.
I am happy for the document to be used on Community, Translation, and other NFP (not for profit) Web sites
that utilise Google Ads or similar, to fund their Web sites or other Joomla! related activities.
I am happy for the document to be sold in printed hard copy or reproduced on other media such as CD's or
DVD's provided it is only the cost of the media and materials that are charged for, and not the original work
itself, any translations, or any amendments that may have been carried out upon it, whilst ensuring this
license and these riders are always reproduced in full.
Andy Wallace
Feedback
We would appreciate any constructive feedback on this document. Please let us have your Suggestions,
Corrections, or Modifications in the forum. Or send me (humvee) a personal message from the forums.
Documentation the same as the Joomla! Project as a whole is an evolutionary process, so if you have ideas
let us know about them. If you would like to contribute in some way then again use the forum or PM me.
ii
Changelog
Version Date Details
30 Oct 2007 Version 0.5
25 Oct 2007 Added notes to Minimum Requirements
23 Oct 2007 Added to Obtaining Joomla! advice on Nightly Builds and SVn
20 Oct 2007 Added to Known Issues
15 Oct 2007 Added .htaccess & php.ini detail to Error Handling section
12 Oct 2007 Added further detail to the System requirements table & content
6 Oct 2007
5 Oct 2007
3 Oct 2007
1 Oct 2007
0.4 25 Sep 2007 Initial Public Release & PDF base
Added further warning note regarding the Installation Folder deletion
process/error in RC3
Added further caution/warning and notes to Introduction and Installation
sections.
Added further caution note regarding Web Browser Installation Step 2 - PreInstallation Checks
Added to Software Requirements Caution regarding Zend Optimizer - thanks
Andrew Eddie
iii
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements & License..........................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................................ii
License.........................................................................................................................................................ii
Additional License Rider.........................................................................................................................ii
Feedback.....................................................................................................................................................ii
Changelog........................................................................................................................................................iii
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................1
Minimum System Requirements.......................................................................................................................2
Localhost or Remote Host Installations.......................................................................................................3
Checking the Installation..............................................................................................................................4
Obtaining Joomla!.............................................................................................................................................6
Nightly Build ................................................................................................................................................8
Nightly Build............................................................................................................................................8
SVN........................................................................................................................................................9
Final Preparation............................................................................................................................................10
Transferring the files..................................................................................................................................10
A bit more preparation...............................................................................................................................10
MySQL Details......................................................................................................................................11
FTP account details ..................................................................................................................................11
Secure Password Thinking........................................................................................................................13
Installation.......................................................................................................................................................14
Web Browser Installation...........................................................................................................................15
Step 1 - Language Choice....................................................................................................................15
Step 2 - Pre-installation Check.............................................................................................................17
Step 4 - Database Configuration...........................................................................................................19
Step 5 - FTP Configuration...................................................................................................................21
Step 6 - Main Configuration..................................................................................................................22
Installing the Default Sample Data........................................................................................................23
Installing a Compatible SQL Script File.................................................................................................23
Installing a Migration SQL Script File from an earlier Joomla! version 1.0.x installation..................23
Step 7 - Finish.......................................................................................................................................24
Manual Installation.....................................................................................................................................26
Step 1 – Create and edit the configuration file......................................................................................26
Step 2 – Edit the SQL file......................................................................................................................28
Step 3 – Upload the files to the Web server..........................................................................................28
Step 4 – Create the database and import the joomla.sql data..............................................................28
Step 5 – Create the primary administrator user account ......................................................................31
Step 6 – Import the sample_data.sql data (optional)............................................................................34
Step 7 – Finish......................................................................................................................................36
Delete the installation directory........................................................................................................36
Known Issues & Error Handling......................................................................................................................37
configuration.php file not writable..............................................................................................................37
Register Globals is set to on – Shared Hosting Problem...........................................................................37
.htaccess..............................................................................................................................................37
php.ini...................................................................................................................................................38
Nightly Build and SVN...............................................................................................................................39
Nightly Build..........................................................................................................................................39
SVN......................................................................................................................................................40
Help Us to Help You........................................................................................................................................41
Use the Forums.........................................................................................................................................41
Posting a New Topic (or when joining an existing thread with the same issues) ..................................43
Some General Do's and Don'ts.............................................................................................................43
Additional Information to consider including.........................................................................................43
Successful Ending................................................................................................................................44
Further Information.........................................................................................................................................45
What to expect whilst Joomla! 1.5 is in development.................................................................................45
iv
Alpha Phase.........................................................................................................................................45
Beta Phase...........................................................................................................................................45
Release Candidacy Phase...................................................................................................................45
Stable Phase - Full Release.................................................................................................................45
Version Convention....................................................................................................................................46
Current Development Planning..................................................................................................................46
v
Introduction
Well you have made the most important choice so far, by selecting Joomla! 1.5 as your choice of Content
Management System (CMS).
Joomla! is currently one of the most popular and effective Open Source projects and has won a number of
prestigious awards in its short, but illustrious existence.
Joomla! 1.5 is the second, main incarnation of the Joomla! series of releases. The original Joomla! 1.0 series
being a direct derivative of the Mambo CMS which many of the current Joomla! Developers helped create.
Joomla! 1.5 is a major step forward from 1.0, with many new features and a far more integrated framework.
This manual seeks to provide you with the necessary information you need in order to safely install the basic
core package onto an existing, fully operational, Web server.
We will, by necessity, touch upon the essential needs for setting Joomla! Up, but this manual is not a detailed
guide on how to build and configure a Web server or database. You are essentially expected to have these in
operation already.
We will take you through:
● the general steps of obtaining Joomla!
● ensuring your Web server meets the minimum requirements needed
● how to deal with both a straight forward and slightly more complex installation of the software
● possible problems that you may encounter along the way and the resolution of many of these
● together with additional resources and information that is available to you
We trust you will enjoy the process and can then look forward to tailoring Joomla! to your own specific
requirements.
Installing and using Joomla! is generally straight forward, getting your perfect Web site takes a lot more
effort but there is much, as you will discover, that has been done to make the process easier along the way.
There may be a time lapse between the information contained within the Web pages and this downloadable
PDF version of the manual. This will be minimalised as much as possible, but the Web pages will always be
the most up-to-date.
If you intend migrating content from an existing Joomla! 1.0.x Web site we strongly recommend first running
a test installation of Joomla! 1.5 before you proceed with the migration attempt. Always make sure you have
backed up your data before running the Migrator Component.
Caution: Please completely read through the Installation Manual before commencing the installation, it may
well save you a lot of grief!
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 1 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
Minimum System Requirements
To successfully install and use Joomla! you must have a fully operational Web server (Apache is the
optimum), a database (MySQL is the optimum) and the server side scripting language PHP together with
specific modules that are activated within PHP for MySQL, XML, and Zlib functionality amongst others.
Note: Joomla! is developed and tested primarily on the Apache Web server versions 1.3.x + and 2.x +.
Whilst there is every chance that it will work with other systems, such as Windows IIS, these are not
necessarily supported as fully/at all within the technical support community.
The same has to be said unfortunately for the database where MySQL is the principle choice but other types
of database may work with the necessary configuration but are less well supported at the present time. This
is a situation that it is hoped will be turned around with time but for this to happen the community requires
people with the appropriate skills to step forward and assist.
The minimum versions of the various constituent parts of these server components that are required are as
follows:
Software Min
Version
Recommended Optimum Latest
Release
Web Site
PHP 4.3.x 4.4.7 5.0.x
series
5.2.4 http//php.net
MySQL 3.23.x or
above
4.1.22 5.0.x
series
5.0.45 http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.
html
Apache 1.3 or
above
1.3.9 2.0.61 2.2.6 http://httpd.apache.org
mod_mysql
mod_xml
mod_zlib
You must ensure that you have the MySQL, XML, and Zlib functionality enabled within your PHP installation.
This is controlled within the php.ini file.
Caution: Do not use PHP 4.3.9, PHP 4.4.2 or PHP 5.0.4; these releases have known bugs that will interfere
with the installation of Joomla! There was also an issue with the Zend Optimizer Version 2.5.10 for PHP
4.4.x. You should ask your host to upgrade to a later release as soon as possible where applicable.
Note: There are currently ongoing discussions as to whether there are additional issues with the whole 4.3.x.
series of releases of PHP and it has been found that the best and most consistent results are achieved with
the PHP 5.x series.
Joomla! has been successfully tested on many variants within the main three OS for Windows, Linux, Apple
Mac OSX. It may well work on other platforms but this is less well documented.
Joomla! is also regularly used and tested through the main Web browsers available such as IE6 +, Firefox
1.5 +, Safari, and Opera but it may also work with others.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 2 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
Localhost or Remote Host Installations
A localhost is a Web server and associated database that is set up directly on your computer or that may be
on a local network either within your home or business environment. You have direct easy access to the
machine upon which the software is situated
A remote host is one that you access via the internet it may be owned by you or you may rent it from a
dedicated hosting company. In this case there are different flavours such as managed, dedicated, virtual, or
shared hosting. But in simple terms the computer that houses the software is remote from you. The scope
and detailed explanation of each of these flavours is outside of the boundaries of this manual but whichever
option you select you must ensure that they meet your expected requirements together with the minimum
specifications detailed above.
In respect of the localhost option there are a number of ready made packages that put all the necessary
software together (excluding Joomla!) in one easily installable package that generally allow you to have your
own personal Web server and database without really knowing too much about how they work.
The following are the more readily available, and popular, varieties of these packages and the operating
systems for which they are designed.
Warning: With the exception of the LAMP packages, none of the others should be used for live Web sites
they are only intended for development/localhost servers. The LAMP packages when used in conjunction
with the Linux security measures are generally the same for localhost and live site situations.
The AMP elements within the following package names stand for Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
Package
Name
Operating System Web Site Documents
WAMP Windows http://www.wampserver.com/en/ http://www.wampserver.com/w
amp5.chm
MAMP Apple Mac OSX http://www.mamp.info/en/mamp.html http://www.mamp.info/en/help.
html
LAMP Linux (and other Unix) Distribution Dependant
XAMPP Multi-platform –Mac
Windows, Linux, Solaris,
http://apachefriends.org http://www.apachefriends.org/e
n/faq-xampp.html
Most Linux distributions these days come with the requisite components available within their own
repositories, or even within the main distribution software download that you get. There will often be different
ways of activating the functionality so you would need to check the documentation of your own particular
distribution choice. The individual distributions compile the necessary dependencies, links, and changes as a
part of the installation process, be it RPM, YUM, or one of the other bespoke installers.
Alternatively, on any OS platform you can download and configure the individual components from the
various Web sites listed (as you generally would need to do for a live Web site if your hosting provider did not
cater for these) and create your own servers, but these packages do provide an easier, integrated solution.
Most of the packages will also usually contain some form of database administration program as well, for
example, PHPMyAdmin or MySQLAdmin, to enable effective management of the database, if not, you will
find it advantageous to install such a program if you intend doing any sort of database editing work.
Caution: The remainder of this Manual assumes that you have a fully functioning Apache, MySQL, and PHP
based Web server.
We would strongly recommend testing Joomla! and its functionality on a localhost installation in the first
instance to get a feel for the software and what it can offer you.
On remote, hosted or dedicated servers the configuration and availability of these applications will depend on
the host provider or the operating system that is installed upon the server. It would be a wise move to
determine their current versions as well as the host's policy regarding updating the software before signing
any contracts. The variation that can occur between providers and OS can be significant and is outside the
scope of this brief instruction. If you encounter a problem with your host provider and the use of Joomla!
check the forums to see if other users have experienced the particular issue and what their solution was.
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Joomla! can be used with alternative Web servers such as Microsoft© Internet Information Service (IIS) as
well as alternative database models (database work is very much in its infancy though), but these are not
paths we intend exploring in this manual as Joomla! is primarily developed for use on the AMP combinations
already stated.
Note: There is less technical community support currently available for server platforms other than AMP.
There are discussions and work under way to expand the platforms upon which Joomla! will operate without
significant issue, but this is in its early stages of development. For particular issues, or to see if a
combination of programs meet the necessary criteria, check the forums to see if anyone else has succeeded
with a particular task or indeed whether you can contribute to one of the ongoing projects.
Checking the Installation
Once you have completed the necessary installation of your server software it is worth running a quick test to
ensure that all the necessary, minimum requirements are met.
Warning!: Remove the phpinfo.php file from your Web root as soon as you have the necessary
information. Leaving it in situ is a security risk. Your Joomla! installation has a built in version of the same
script in the Help Menus for future reference.
You can do this very simply by creating a basic PHP script:
Save this as phpinfo.php for example, and save the file to the root of your Web site, then simply enter the
address of your Web site into your browser as follows: http://www.yourdomain.com/phpinfo.php or
http://localhost/phpinfo.php and you should receive a detailed summary and state of all the PHP compilation
options and extensions (such as the Zlib, XML, and MySQL modules), the PHP version in use, server
information and environment (if t is compiled as a module), the PHP environment, Operating System version
information, paths, master and local values of configuration options, HTTP headers, and the PHP License.
See the next page for a (very) compressed view of the information that this script outputs.
For a full description of all the elements that are output, visit the explanatory page at
http://uk3.php.net/phpinfo.
Remove the phpinfo.php file from your Web root as soon as you have the necessary information. Leaving
it in situ is a security risk. Your Joomla! installation has a built in version of the same script in the Help Menus
for future reference.
Check out the online Glossary to assist with definitions of individual words that are new to you. If we have
missed any let us know please.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 4 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
<?php
// Show all information
phpinfo();
?>
Compressed view of the output of “phpinfo”
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Obtaining Joomla!
Getting hold of Joomla! could not be easier; simply point your mouse to the Main Joomla! page
http://joomla.org and click the latest release identified in the special Module in the left-hand menu –
referenced by the box highlighter. You will note that both the 1.0.x and the latest 1.5.x releases are available
but we are only interested in the 1.5.
Joomla! Main page displaying the download Module
Click the 1.5 icon and you will be redirected to the download page for the Joomla! Project within the
http://joomlacode.org developer repository.
You will be presented with a screen similar to the following:
Joomla! Code project page displaying the download options for the latest Joomla! version.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 6 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
The box highlighter is showing the .zip variant of the three available compression types of download; in
addition there are .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 types. Just select the one appropriate for your operating system.
A download pop-up will appear, and you should save the file to an appropriate location on your hard drive.
Joomla! Code screen with download pop-up displayed
Open the file on your local hard drive using the appropriate compression program for the type of file. If you
do not already have such a program there are many open source programs available for free, download from
different locations such as Source Forge. In this instance we are using 7-ZIP File Manager, but they all
operate in much the same way (at least on Windows). on Linux systems the same tasks can be achieved
from the command line, or once again, through the use of a separate program. Mac OSX has a number of
options also including the command line, and The Unarchiver has a good reputation or the default, built-in
utility BOMArchiveHelper.app.
7-Zip File Manager displaying the files contained within the Joomla! 1.5 core compressed file.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 7 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
Uncompress (Extract) the package to a suitable location - it is not important where this happens to be so
long as you can find the files again when it comes to installing them onto the Web server. The resulting list of
directories and files that you will have within your directory will be similar in appearance to the following:
The uncompressed Joomla! 1.5 distribution file pack
Nightly Build
Whilst Joomla! 1.5 is still in its development stages (currently RC3) changes are made to the code to correct
bugs and to improve stability on an almost hourly basis sometimes.
We have included this segment within the Obtaining Joomla! Section as it is logical to start with the latest
available version where possible and practicable, but it would equally be at home in the Known Issues
section at the end of this manual.
Nightly Build
We strongly recommend therefore that as a minimum you keep right up-to-date by using the latest . Nightly
Build
Be aware that the Nightly Build is an automated process. It is created at the same time each day. The Nightly
Build does not include an automatic updater program, nor can you link directly into the Nightly Build and
have it add itself to your installation.
Caution: Before overwriting any of your files or making any related changes you should backup your existing
database, directory, and file structure so that you have a roll-back point if things go wrong! You must make a
copy of your configuration.php file and any .htaccess or php.ini files together with images, media,
documents and other files you may have added and reintroduce these where appropriate.
You have a number of choices when using the Nightly Build as to how to use it:
Fresh Installation
You simply download the latest Nightly Build and continue with the installation as you would the
"standard" Joomla! package from Joomla! Code. If you are working on a local test environment it is a
good idea to use this method without deleting previous examples as this can assist any
troubleshooting you might need to do and can therefore always refer back to previous installations to
see what has changed, and it is ultimately possible to install as many versions as your computer has
space for!
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SVN
Warning!: This is not recommended for novice and/or normal Users.
It is a code Development tool and has the complexities to match! It should not be used for live sites. SVN
gives you the absolute latest download at the precise moment you request it. But that could theoretically be
at the point that someone is uploading files for example!
If you are looking to develop Joomla! Extensions, learn the ins-and-outs of precisely how Joomla! is put
together, or are working on a particular project that demands the absolute latest version of Joomla!, and for
those helping test Joomla! to assist with the development and Quality and Testing process then we
recommend using Subversion (SVN).
You will find full details of the setting up of your local repository and access to the SVN downloads on the
Developer Site and accordingly we shall not repeat them here.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 9 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
Final Preparation
Transferring the files
The first task is to upload the uncompressed collection of files that you created during the last section to your
Web server. If you are installing on a localhost - for example the computer you are working on – then it is
simply a case of copying and pasting (or moving) the files into the root folder (or a sub-folder) of the Web
server. If however you are running the server on a remote host, then this process will involve the use of a
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client program, some Web Browsers have such a tool built in or can be added
in, or the control panel of your host provider, if one is available.
Warning!:The root folder is located in different places depending upon the operating system/distribution and
Web server package you are using and it might be called htdocs, httpd, or www, but we would be here a long
while if we tried to detail every possible combination of OS, distribution, package, and directory structure,
together with the settings that could and/or have been made by the Hosting Company, therefore, establishing
this is up to you!
In some cases it will be possible – as well as quicker and easier - on remote hosted servers to upload the
compressed file via your FTP client and to then unzip or uncompress the file directly into the root directory.
This will most often be the case with Linux based Web servers where command line access is available.
Some Hosting Companies incorporate a file management system within their bespoke control panels which
will include an FTP program.
Caution: Occasionally files will become corrupted during the transfer and it may be necessary to complete
this procedure more than once.
If you get completely stuck then ask at the forums for assistance after first doing a search in case someone
else has already asked the same question.
A bit more preparation...
You are now, almost, ready for the final leap-of-faith and the installation of Joomla! but we would recommend
gathering together some final bits of information that will be needed to complete the task and it is better to
have them to hand from the beginning rather than scrabble around for them whilst proceeding with the
installation itself.
The Joomla! User Documentation Team 10 The Joomla! v1.5 Installation Manual
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