Help With Joomla

[tamiep]

I installed Joomla awhile back and some how my old files are back up minus the graphics. Whatever, I'm starting over anyway.

 

So, when I read the Joomla instructions, I even purchased one of the books, I notice that though they say that anyone can do this and then they go on to use terminology that I guess only they understand. The book is suppose to be step-by-step, but I don't think it is.

 

First of all, I don't know if I need to install Joomla on my computer first and then upload it here.

 

I choose Joomla because I will need to be able to create membership areas and different types of memberships. I will need to be able to let some members get in and publish stuff and other only to read stuff. The ones who publish will pay.

 

If anyone has a better and easier suggestion, please let me know. Or if anyone is willing to help me with Joomla, I would be very grateful.

 

Thanks!

Tamie

www.freesourcesrn.org This is not the site I will need the subscriptions for, but it is the one I was starting with to experiment with Joomla and it's the one that the old files reappeared.

[tamiep]

I don't think I was very clear on the above about what I am looking for. LOL

 

OK, first I need to know if I need to install Joomla on my computer before I put it up on totalchoice. The reason I ask is because when I read the instructions it keeps talking about the local host and putting it on your computer.

 

Then I need to know if someone would be willing to help me out as I go along, someone experienced with Joomla that I can bounce questions off of and who might be willing to guild me.

 

Or if someone know a better and easier option than Joomla for what I need for the other site I wish to create -- the subscription one where some will pay, others will not, and some will be able to publish stuff (like a bunch of blogs, I suppose).

 

Thank you.

[stevesh]

I'm no Joomla expert, but I have a couple of Joomla installations up and running.

 

You don't have to install Joomla anywhere except on your TCH account. "localhost' refers to the server your installation is on.

 

There is (to me, at least) a pretty steep learning curve with Joomla. I don't know if the other popular CMS software is the same or not - I'd guess so.

 

Installation is pretty straightforward. After you've uploaded the Joomla files to your TCH account with your FTP client, here's a guide to the easy way: http://help.joomla.org/content/view/39/132/

 

One caveat - if the installation guide says your configuration.php file is unwritable, leave it that way. Otherwise you may not be able to install the sample data, which is really useful for figuring out what goes where.

 

I'll be glad to help where I can, but figuring out something like Joomla is mostly a matter of trying stuff and then figuring out why it didn't do what you wanted it to. You can post here or PM me if you get stuck.

 

One hint right away - I don't know if they've fixed this in v.1.5, but in v 1.0, the HTML editor worked much better in Firefox than in Internet Explorer.

[TCH-Bruce]

You can install Joomla right from your cPanel using Fantastico. Of course you always run the risk of being behind on updates but it's there as a starting point for you.