2 niner niner 2

OK, here we go. Fire up your default browser (if it isn’t already running) and enter into the address bar:

localhost/myjoomla

… and press enter or the go button or … well, hopefully you know what to do.

If all went well, this is what you will see, Step 1 of 7 of the Joomla! installer.

Step 1 – Language

Select your language of choice. For the purposes of this guide, en-US – English (US) will be used (default). Click ‘Next’

Step 2 – Pre-installation Check

The top group should all be ‘green’ before proceeding and in most cases it will be, as this is mostly a function of how your local server is set up and configured. With The Uniform Server, I have never had a ‘red’ here. The ‘Display Errors’ being ‘red’ in the lower group should have no effect on a local installation (hasn’t for me, since “Day-1”). Click ‘Next’

Step 3 – License

Grab a cup or three of coffee or a few Pabst Blue Ribbon and read it thoroughly if you so desire, but for now, click ‘Next’

Step 4 – Database

This is a crucial step and we will take a few minutes here to elaborate. The values that get entered here on a local installation vary upon a couple factors:

1. which WAMP package you are using
2. whether or not you let Joomla! create the new database for you or you do it yourself first

Point 1. As we are using The Uniform Server for this guide, we will use the values that are it’s default. The other WAMP packages have different default values, but I won’t get into those now so as not to confuse the issue.

Point 2. During a local installation ONLY (this does NOT work on a live, remote installation – you have to do this yourself) Joomla! will create a new, empty database in your local MySQL database server, based upon the values you enter here. For the purpose of this guide, this is what we will do; let Joomla! do it for us. A couple reasons. One, it’s a lot faster and two, why not. The downside of not doing it yourself here, is that you don’t get to see how it is done for when the time comes to do it “for real” on a remote installation. No problems there, as I will show you how to do that in a separate guide. The ‘values’ then:

• Database Type: mysql <<<leave ‘as-is’!!!>>>
• Host Name: localhost <<< lower case!!!>>>
• Username: root <<< lower case!!!>>>
• Password: root <<< lower case!!!>>>
• Database Name: myjoomla <<<could be whatever you want here, but let’s keep things simple and consistent>>>

Click ‘Next’

Step 5 – FTP Configuration

LEAVE THIS ALONE … for now! This gets so many folks, especially for a local installation; there is no need for it here. And to tell you the truth, I have never used it on a live site either. If your interest had been piqued and you just have to know why it is here, then check it out on the Joomla! Documentation site. Click ‘Next’

Step 6 – Main Configuration

Almost there. The values then:

• Site Name: My First Joomla! Installation <<<or whatever you like – can be changed later>>>
• Your E-mail: a properly configured email address <<<can be changed later, but cannot be empty>>>
• Admin Password: 123123 <<< or whatever you like, but as this is a local install, I always make this something easy; NOTE: this is the password to access the Joomla! Admin area! NOT for the database or, as some also confuse, a remote hosting account>>>
• Confirm Admin Password: 123123

Now, the next choice is somewhat contentious: whether or not to install the Default Sample Data. With absolutely no disrespect for the Joomla! team, I personally find that their Sample Data confuses more than it clarifies, especially for a newcomer. It certainly did confuse me. Without getting into that debate now, for the purpose of this guide, we will choose NOT to install the Sample Data. What we will be creating by not doing so, is creating what is commonly known as a “clean install”. Setting up a “clean install” will be covered in a subsequent guide.

Click ‘Next’

Click ‘OK’ to continue without installing the Sample Data

Step 7 – Finish

Note the Username which is by default admin . As noted, this can be changed later. This user name, admin, in conjunction with the password 123123 which was entered in Step 6, will be used to access the Joomla! Administration area, or as it is commonly known, the “backend” of the site. We will do that shortly, but first, as the on-screen warning states, remove the ‘Installation’ directory (folder) before proceeding. In a local environment, it is acceptable to just rename the folder, such as installation_ORIG. On a live, remote site, DELETE it! Go ahead and do this now, either delete or rename the installation folder that is in the root of this particular Joomla! install. You DO remember where that is? OK, just in case this was too much to take in all at once:

Once you have done that, then click the ‘Site’ button to view your local Joomla! site!

What? That’s it? After all that? Yep. This is what you get when you do a “clean install”. Don’t be worried though, because underneath this rather stark environment, is a full-fledged dynamic database-driven web site! You just need to populate it first.

This is my preferred place to begin, especially when creating a new site and I do not want to have to go and delete or otherwise render invisible, all the Sample Data that would have been installed (and there’s a lot!). This way, what is in this site was all placed there by me. Another benefit from doing it this way is that the Article Manager Parameters function as expected as the Sample Data has some settings made to override these in the Menu Items Parameters. Confused? That’s OK, you will find out in short order what is meant in another guide on the 2ninerniner2.com site.

For those of you who either can't wait for the next guide or just want to dig right in, here is where you go:

And to get there, you enter into your browser address bar:

• localhost/myjoomla/administrator  ... then enter the values you used from the installation ...
• enter admin <<<lower case!!!>>> for the Username - note, this is the Default and will always be so on a fresh installation; for a local site, you can leave as-is, but PLEASE make this the FIRST thing to change on a live site!
• enter 123123 <<< or whatever you entered during Step 4 of the installation - note, while this is one is handy for a local site, PLEASE make this something VERY STRONG during the installation on a live site!>>> for the password and click the Login button or press enter

And here is what you will see ... the Joomla! Administration Area, commonly known as "the backend" of the site.  To get you going, why not go through the How to change "Welcome to the Front Page" guide as this is more than likely one of the first customizations you will want to do on your own site.

Welcome to Joomla!