Working manual of Joomla Template

7/31/2019 Working manual of Joomla Template

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Joomla 2.5 Softaculous Installation Tutorial (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6too)

In this tutorial we will show you how to use Softaculous to install a Joomla 2.5 application to your site.

The installation process is pretty straightforward and it will take only a few minutes. You don't need any

advanced skills to perform it and at the end you will have a fully functional Joomla application on your

hosting account.

First , you need to access your cPanel account and find the Softaculous icon under the "SoftwareServices" section. It should be located in the lower part of your cPanel page, right under the "Domains"

section.

You have to click on the Softaculous icon and then you will be redirected to the auto installer's home

page. On the left side of the screen is the categories menu. The next step is to find the "Portal/CMS"

category and click on it to expand it. You will see a lit of CMS apps that you can install. Click on the

Joomla 2.5 link, so that Softaculous will open the Joomla 2.5 installation page. It is important to notice


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that there is another link for Joomla . You need to click on the Joomla 2.5 text button or you will install

an older version of the application.

On the next page, you will find out more information about the Joomla application and the different

features that it offers. To proceed to the installation screen click on the blue "Install" button.

This is the most important step at which you should configure the new Joomla 2.5 application. Most of

the fields are automatically filled in by the installer and you don't need to change them. However, we

advise you to change the text in the following fields:


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Site Name: This is the name of your website. By default it is set to "My Joomla".

Site Description: Here you can provide a short description of your website.

Admin Username: By default this field is set to "admin". You can change it and we stronglyadvise you to do it, so that an attacker will not be able to guess your administrative username.

Admin Password: The administrative password for your website is a randomly generated one.If you want to change it simply type the new password in the field.

Admin Email: In this field you should type your email address. It is needed, so that theapplication can send you a new password in case you can't login.

Real Name: Here you can type your real name if you want to.

Please note that by default Softaculous will install the Joomla app in the root folder of your account. If

you want to install the CMS in another sub-folder simply type it in the field.

Finally, scroll down to the end of the page and click on the "Install" button:


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That's it! Your Joomla 2.5 application is installed and ready to use. The installer will redirect you to a

new page where you will see the details for the completed installation. You can now login and create

your Joomla website.

Joomla 2.5 Installation (valid for Joomla 1.7/1.6 too)

In this tutorial you will learn how to install Joomla 2.5 manually. If you face any difficulties, youcan always get a free professional Joomla installation with yourJoomla hostingaccount at

SiteGround.com.

How to Install Joomla 2.5 Manually (valid for Joomla 1.7/1.6

too)

In order to complete the manual Joomla 2.5 installation, follow the steps listed below:

Step 1. Create a MySQL database fromcPanel->MySQL Databasesand add a user to it. If

you are not using cPanel, you can check the MySQL manual for more details on the database and

user setup.

Step 2. Download the archive file with the latest stable version of Joomla 2.5 from the officialweb site. Store it in a folder on your local computer and extract the archive.

Step 3. Upload all the content from this local folder to the directory on the server whereJoomla 2.5 will be stored. The easiest way to upload the files and the folders is through an FTP

client. Detailed instructions about this are available in ourFTP tutorial.
http://www.siteground.com/joomla-hosting.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-hosting.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-hosting.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/php-mysql/mysql_database_user.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/php-mysql/mysql_database_user.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/php-mysql/mysql_database_user.htmhttp://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/php-mysql/mysql_database_user.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-hosting.htm


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Step 4. Open the URL of the newly-uploaded Joomla script. If the content is uploaded in the

main web directory, use http://yourdomainname.com. In case you have uploaded it in asubdirectory, open http://yourdomainname.com/example. Replace the domain and the directory

names with the corresponding ones for your web site.

Step 5. The Joomla installation page will be loaded:

There you can select the language for the installation. It will be valid only during the installation.

Once completed Joomla will be switched back to English.

In order to follow easier the next steps of the tutorial it is recommended that you choose"English".

Step 6. On the next page Joomla will check whether the system requirements are met on the

server. If one or more are not met, a corresponding message will be shown.

SiteGround servers are fully compatible with Joomla 2.5:


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Step 7. After you make sure that all system requirements are met, proceed by clicking on the

Next button from the top right menu. On the next page you should read and accept Joomla's

license.

Again, click Next to continue.

Step 8. Here you have to enter the MySQL details for the new Joomla 2.5 installation. Use theones set in Step 1.

In the following screenshot you can find example entries and explanations for these fields:


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Step 9. Next, you can set yourFile Transfer Protocol (FTP)configuration. Keep the defaultsettings and clickNext to proceed.

Step 10. On the current page the main Joomla 2.5 configuration should be defined. Specify

your site name, meta description and keywords, admin user, email and password.
http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/ftp/


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Click on Next to proceed.

Important: In this example we will not use the Install Sample Data feature because it may cause

confusion and require time to remove all the data populated later.

Step 11. In the last page of the installation wizard you will receive a confirmation that Joomla

2.5 has been successfully installed.

In order to access your new Joomla 2.5 web site you must delete the installation directory. Thiscan be done with your FTP client.

Well done! Your Joomla website is now installed.


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If you want to learn more about the options the manual Joomla installation offers, please contact

theSiteGround Technical Support Team. Our technical team is expert in Joomla relatedquestions and able to build the perfect environment for your Joomla 2.5 website.

Upgrade Joomla 1.7 to Joomla 2.5

Upgrading Joomla 1.7 to 2.5 is fairly easy. However, we strongly recommend that you make a

full backup of your website in case something goes wrong. For more information on that matter

check our tutorial onHow to Backup your Joomla site.

First, make sure that your Joomla 1.7 application is updated to the latest version of the 1.7 branch- Joomla 1.7.4. Then, go to Extensions -> Extensions Manager page in your Joomla

administrative area.

On this page you have to locate the Update tab and click on it. It will take you to the page,

responsible for the update process.

Once you are on this page, press the "Find Updates" button in the upper menu. It will check forthe latest Joomla upgrade available.
https://www.siteground.com/ua_files/index.php?requri=get_support/home.htmhttps://www.siteground.com/ua_files/index.php?requri=get_support/home.htmhttps://www.siteground.com/ua_files/index.php?requri=get_support/home.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/cpanel/backup.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/cpanel/backup.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/cpanel/backup.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/tutorials/cpanel/backup.htmhttps://www.siteground.com/ua_files/index.php?requri=get_support/home.htm


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In few seconds the new Joomla version should appear. Select it and press the "Update" button. Itwill download the appropriate upgrade package and apply it to your site.

In few seconds the update process will complete and you will have a working Joomla 2.5 ready

to be used! Since the new version of Joomla uses the same template engine, your website frontend should not be changed in any way.


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Logging in the Joomla admin area (valid for Joomla 1.7 and

1.6 too)

First, in order to build your web site you will have to log into the administrator area. This can be

achieved by opening the corresponding URL in your web browser:

http://yourdomainname.com/administrator

Replace yourdomainname.com with your actual Joomla URL.

Next, you have to enter the admin login details which have been set during the installation:


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Creating articles in Joomla

After entering the Joomla administrator area, you can check the featured articles (the ones that

are included in the sample data or created by you) published on the front page through Content-

>Featured Articles.

You can edit them, create new ones, remove existing from the front page, delete, publish and

unpublish articles.


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If you have installed the Sample Data, before adding new articles you can delete the sample

ones. Select them and click on the Trash button. Then remove the menu links to the samplearticles from Menus->Main Menu.

After this you can add a new category from Content->Category Manager->Add New

Category.

For example, you can put Test as the new category Title. The other options can be left blank or

you can set their values as per your personal preferences. Click on the Save button to add your

new category.

Next, navigate to Content->Article Manager->Add New Article.


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Only the Title field is mandatory. Enter the article title. You can also select your category from

the corresponding drop-down menu. Change the article State to Published. If you want to showit on the front page, set the Featured value to Yes.

Once you are ready with the settings you can proceed with the actual article content. Use the

included text editor to type the article text, to include images or to directly edit the HTML code.

Under the text editor area you can set the permissions for the different user groups regarding

your article.

You can also adjust the settings in the Publishing Options, Article Options, Metadata Optionsmenus.


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You can hover your mouse pointer over the options labels and get a brief description of each

one of them.

Once you are ready, Save the article and check it on the front end. You can always edit the

existing articles from the Joomla admin area->Content->Article Manager.

How to Link Articles in Joomla 2.5 (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

In this part of our Joomla tutorial we will learn how to link articles to the web site menus. The

tutorial is written for Joomla 2.5 but the same steps should be taken if you are using Joomla 1.7

or even 1.6.

To make your articles and the corresponding pages accessible, you should set links to them. This

can be completed by including these links in the web site menus.

Open your Joomla admin area->Menus->Main Menu.

Click on the New button.

Choose the Menu Item Type from the corresponding dialog. If you want to link a standard

article pick the Single Article option.


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Then enter the link title in the Menu Title field and select the corresponding article which willbe linked through the Select Article functionality.

Save the changes and view the new menu item located on your frontend.

How to publish your article on the home page?

In order to make one of your articles the home page for the web site, navigate to the Joomla

admin area->Menus->Main Menus.

Select the article and click on the Home icon.


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The change of the default home page article will be confirmed with the following message:

One menu item successfully set to home

If you want to remove the old home page article, select it and click on the Trash button.

Contact Us page in Joomla 2.5 (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

Once you start your web site, you will probably want to allow your visitors to contact you. This

way they will be able to provide important feedback to the webmaster. For this purpose you needto set a Contact Us page with an online contact form.

Open your Joomla admin area and navigate to Components->Contacts->Categories.


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Click on the New button and enter the details of your new contacts category. Only the Titlevalue is required. You can also set the preferred configuration for the rest of the options.

Save the changes and return to Components->Contacts->Contacts.

Click on the New icon to begin the setup of your Contact us page.


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Enter the required values in the corresponding fields.

Review the options listed in the right part of the page and set them per your needs.

In order to receive a copy of the contact form inquiries, enter a valid e-mail in the ContactOptions list.

Save the Contact Us page setup and navigate to Menus->Main Menu to publish it. Click on

Add New Menu Item.


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Define the menu item type from the corresponding dialog.

Enter the Menu Title value and select the contact in the right part of the page by clicking on the

Change Contact button.

Review and set the other options that are not mandatory per your requirements.

Save the new menu item and check it on the front end.


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Extending Joomla 2.5 (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

Joomla can be easily extended and customized just as its previous versions. The same

instructions are valid for the previous Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 version too. For those who are not

familiar with Joomla extensions we will explain the role of Joomla components, modules,

plugins, templates and languages through which you can extend the functionality of your site.

Joomla components provide the most extensive functionality of all extensions. They cancompletely alter the functionality and look of a Joomla-powered website. For example, with a

component you can turn part of your Joomla into an online store, forum or photo gallery.

Joomla modules can be used if you are looking for minor functionality extension such as adding

a block in your pages for showing the weather. Each module can be published in predefined

blocks or template positions which differ for each template.

Joomla plugins are invisible to the end user since they dont show di rectly in parts of your site.

However, plugins are very powerful and can change Joomla input / output in various ways. Anexample of a plugin is the one used for changing the pagination in Joomla or rewriting the URLs.

Joomla templates are used for changing the look of your site. There are templates for thefrontend and for the backend. Most templates are for the frontend since the backend template is

visible only for users with special permissions (e.g. administrators). By default, Joomla 2.5

comes with 3 frontend and 2 backend templates. If you havent chosen your template yet, checkthe ones in ourfree Joomla templatesgallery.

Last but not least, there are Joomla languages. You will need an additional language pack in caseyou plan to create your site in a language different from English, which is the default one.

When looking for Joomla extensions it is important to make sure that the one you choose iscompatible with your Joomla version. Joomla 1.5 had legacy mode which allowed older

extensions to be used. However, Joomla 2.5 does not have such option and it does not support

extensions for previous versions.

Managing Joomla Extensions

Extensions in Joomla 2.5 and the previous versions 1.7 and 1.6 are managed from theAdministrator panel, the Extensions button in the top menu. There you find a page with the

following tabs:

Install, Update, Manage, Discover and check Warning in Joomla Extension Manager
http://www.siteground.com/joomla-templates.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-templates.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-templates.htmhttp://www.siteground.com/joomla-templates.htm


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As you can see each tab has its purpose. Some tabs are self-explanatory, like Install for example.

Others, however, like Warnings, are not. Lets go briefly through each of them and check their

options:

1. Install - this tab offers you 3 ways to install a new extension - upload a file, use a file alreadyuploaded to your site or directly download an extension from an URL. The latter is new for

Joomla and would allow faster and easier extensions installation. However, it may not work on

all servers.

2. Update - this is another new feature which will allow you to update Joomla and its extensionsdirectly from the admin panel. This is similar to Wordpress update functionality and the

cornerstone for stable and secure installation.

Since this feature is very new you are strongly advised to be very careful using it and to

always create backups beforehand. It may severely damage your Joomla and wipe out allits files.

3. Manage - in this tab you can enable, disable and most importantly uninstall extensions. It isimportant to know that this is the only place in the admin area which will allow you to uninstall

an extension and this may confuse users of previous Joomla versions.

4. Discover - this is another new function which can detect incomplete Joomla extensionsinstallations. For example, if Discover finds files for mod_example extension in modules/ it will

show the installation as incomplete and give you the option to complete it.5. Warnings - this screen will show you errors related to your extensions and their installation.These errors could be anything from missing files to incompatibility with other extensions or the

core Joomla installation.


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Redirect Manager in Joomla 2.5 (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

Another feature in Joomla 2.5 and the older Joomla 1.7 and even 1.6 is the Redirect Manager. It

can be of great help to your site SEO by allowing you to redirect old (invalid) URLs to new

working ones. Without a redirection you will get a 404 error - component not found which is bad

for your search engine ranking.

Redirect Manager's functionality is quite straightforward. You just add a new redirection andmake sure that its status is active. Please just make sure to specify the full source and destination

URL such as http://example.org/full_url/.

We acclaim this new feature in Joomla because it is essential to any modern site and proof for

this is that it has been available in third party Joomla SEO extensions for quite some time.

Finding Help For Joomla 2.5 (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

While working with Joomla 2.5 or the older versions - Joomla 1.7 or even 1.6 you may stumbleupon bugs, have difficulties accomplishing certain things or just wonder about the exact

functionality of a feature. Luckily, Joomla is well documented, very popular among web masters

and strongly supported by its community. This ensures that you will find help fast, which is not

always the case for other software.

SitegroundJoomla forum- a popular Joomla forum administrated by experts in Joomla (theSiteground Support team), which ensures prompt replies to your issues.

Official Joomla forum (forum.joomla.org) - the official Joomla forumEven though Joomla community is very friendly and helpful, please just make sure to do 2 thingsbefore posting your request:
http://forum.siteground.com/forumdisplay.php?25-Joomla-Forumhttp://forum.siteground.com/forumdisplay.php?25-Joomla-Forumhttp://forum.siteground.com/forumdisplay.php?25-Joomla-Forumhttp://forum.siteground.com/forumdisplay.php?25-Joomla-Forum


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1. Make sure that no one else has posted a similar topic or asked a similar question. For thispurpose you can search the forum or even check it with Google.

2. Check thoroughly theJoomla documentationfor a related article. Almost everything in Joomla isdocumented and well explained. Joomla has made it very easy to read the documentation about

a certain feature. You just have to click on the help icon as shown in the picture below:

Hopefully, when using Joomla you will not have to look for help too often and you will find itintuitive and easy to use.

Joomla 2.5 Global Configuration (valid for Joomla 1.7 and 1.6 too)

s in the previous versions, Joomla has a Global Configuration area. Note that if you are using

the previous Joomla versions - 1.7 or even 1.6 the same instructions are valid. You can find it in

Joomla Admin, Top admin panel, Site, Global Configuration. There you will find 4 tabs with thefollowing options:
http://help.joomla.org/http://help.joomla.org/http://help.joomla.org/http://help.joomla.org/


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1. Site - here you can change all basic site settings such as site name, meta data and SEO options.You can also put your site offline and set the offline message from here.

All options are important in the Site tab, especially the SEO ones. If you are using

Apache webserver, you will have to rename the file htaccess.txt to .htaccess in order for

the Use Apache mod_rewrite feature to work.

2. System - while most of the settings in the system tab are rather advanced, you should definitelypay attention to two of them:

o Cache Settings - set it to On - Progressive Caching if youd like maximum caching andfastest Joomla. Set it to On - Conservative if youd like to disable modules caching. In anycase there is cache time in minutes. During this time changes may not appear because

cached copies will be served to the viewers.

o Session Settings - this is the timeframe during which you will stay logged in your Joomlaeven if you are inactive. Increase it if you are annoyed by being logged out too often

from your Joomla.

3. Server - most of the settings here should be automatically configured during the installation.You might want to change the Location Settings if you are in a different time zone though. This

will help you when the published date of your articles is incorrect or when you receive Joomla

notifications with invalid date.

4. Permissions - this is probably the most important improvement in Joomla 1.7. It gives you theopportunity to allow / disallow certain actions for the different access levels and groups users.

By default you should change nothing in the Permissions for a standard site. These functions are

rather meant for sites with complex structure and multiple user levels.

References:

http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/joomla25/joomla_softaculous_installation.htm

Documents

Working manual of Joomla Template