Installation of CMS - Mambo, Apache

[freeze_frog]

Hi there, I am currently trying to investigate and use CMS for the first time in order to create a demo site for a potential client. I know HTML, CSS and Flash, but I am totally naïve server-side. I have chosen to use Mambo because it has good feedback along with its brother Joomla, but Mambo is the older of the two, and I was able to find a book on Mambo which seemed quite good. It told me it was easy to use........... All great so far! Unfortunately I have fallen at the first hurdle in trying to install and run Mambo, as the book presumes I know all this, which is a shame because I think I will be OK once I get into the interface as it looks quite straight forward and I am not such a layman with CSS.

So I ask the following questions which should be simple for anybody who has used a CMS before (this is frustrating the hell out of me):

Please help with any question if you know the answer.

1.What exactly is Apache (as installed on my pc through XAMPP along with other assorted goodies)? My book tells me I need it, but doesn't explain its relevance and presumes that I know what it is and how to use it. As far as I can ascertain from my book Apache basically allows your home pc to run as a server therefore allowing you to install various CMS to it an use it as a dry run before installing and publishing your site to a conventional hosted server on the net. Is this so?

2.If Apache is indeed a server emulator for a home pc, would I be able to develop a site in Apache and then, on completion, be able to transfer the completed site to a server on the internet without any compatibility woes? As in, could I transfer my Mambo site between various servers without any tweeks?

3.Whether or not there is true cross-compatibility between various servers for my Mambo site (Apache on home pc, a Windows server, Linux server) how good an idea is it to simply scrap dealing with Apache at home and develop my Mambo site direct on some bought server space on the internet? What do I gain from using Apache? Why wouldn't I just develop and publish straight to net?

4.Which server would you guys use for a Mambo site, Linux, Windows?

5.Specifically, can anybody recommend an ideal web-host and server configuration for a Mambo driven site?

That is it for now. It is the basic knowledge that every source I seem to read presumes that I know, but coming from a background of visual design, I know none of it. The whole thing is very frustrating for me as I can usually make at least partial sense of things and my book keeps re-assuring me that Mambo is ridiculously easy to install, run, edit, manage, and love. At the moment I want a divorce!

Please help in any way you can. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any help, no matter how small.

Grant :confused:

[ray326]

1. Apache is a web server. It will run pretty much the same everywhere within the bounds of the operating system hosting it.

2. In general, yes. You have to be watchful of a few minor details like making sure your site links are all relative rather than absolute and what additional software is required to support your application.

3. You can do either. Apache is not an "emulator", it is the web server software running most web sites on the Internet. What do you gain? The maintenance is a little easier if you can do it locally then publish. A CMS might remove that advantage, though.

4. I don't know Mambo but if it runs on Apache then that's the way to go.

5. I don't.

[freeze_frog]

OK, Thanks Ray. I understand a little bit more about what I am dealing with now. I suppose I understand what Apache is about now.

Right, now to the crux of the matter. I need to install Mambo to Apache on my system and I am told from numerous sources, and I have been looking everywhere for a good installation tutorial, but mainly from my book, that I need to complete the following steps:

1. Download XAMPP from apachefriends.org. This will allow me to install Apache, MySQL and PHP for running Mambo......................done

2. The Mambo core files in ZIP format ready to be extracted..................done

3. Install XAMPP package............done

4. Extract the Mambo core files and then copy them to the htdocs subdirectory inside the XAMPP directory...........done

Now the directions tell me to open my browser and locate the Mambo instalation file (which I have just copied to htdocs in XAMPP on my hard drive). Could somebody please tell me exactly how I locate a file on my computer through my a browser?

Again, any info is good info. Thanks again Ray. I am starting to feel a little more hopefull now.

Grant :o :o

[ray326]

Make sure Apache is running and it will serve that file to you. It will be something like

http://localhost/mamboinst.html

[freeze_frog]

Thanks Ray, your link didnt work, but the screen it delivered displayed a link that got me to the page I needed ( http://localhost/installation/index.php ) and it is just an installation wizard from now on, so I should be ok. I am sure this wont be the last time I post on this thread as I am going to be elbow deep in Mambo for a few days, but Thanks for the feedback Ray, a true hero!

Grant ;)

[freeze_frog]

OK, new problem associated with the installation. I got as far as verifying that my computer was ok to run Mambo (check), and then I agreed to the GNU license (check). The next page in the installation required the following info:


Host Name

MySQL User Name

MySQL Password

MySQL Database Name

MySQL Table Prefix


Unfortunately my book simply tells me to, and this is it, “type the requested information.” I get that this means that I need to have MySQL details.

1. Can anybody help me find out what I should type and where to find and/or setup the info for this part of the installation?

2. Also can anybody explain the significance of being asked for MySQL details? Why would this be important to the installation? *my apologies if I am asking stupid questions, but like I said, I am totally new to server-side.

I have got to say that when I do complete installation with the info I get from this forum I will make sure any other beginners can follow this thread in the same way I have. I wasn’t able to find a straight forward guide anywhere else, not on the net, not in the book, they all presume some knowledge. I think this thread will be really valuable once it is totally resolved for anybody else with the same problem.

Thanks again guys!

Grant

[launchpad67a]

Wow, not to sound negative here, but you are in over your head judging by the questions so far.

You should just buy a years worth of Shared Hosting from Godaddy and make things easy on yourself. It $48/year and is an apache server with the ability to create tons of mysql databases.

To answer your question about MySQL. Mambo needs a database to run. MySQL is a database and you need to create a new database for this installation of Mambo.
Which means you Must install mysql n your server.

Save yourself all this headache and just buy a "retail shared account" somewhere. And if you do, make sure its on a Linux Server, not a Windows server.

I have setup over 200 Joomla and Mambo sites. It's a 30 minute install job on a working server with mysql.

So, STOP what you're doing trying to make your home computer a server. Mambo doesn't "install" into a server. It runs "on" a server.
I sent you a PM here, read it and email me. But please STOP what your doing, it is Not the correct way to make this work!

PS: Grant, why don't you email me and I;ll tell you exactly what you need to do. You can have a fully woking Mambo site later today! E-m-a-i-l-m-e (mike@azwebdesigns.com)

[freeze_frog]

I am posting this to be a help to anyone with the same problems as me in the future. This is a copy of Mike's (Launchpad's) walkthrough email he sent me for running Mambo/Joomla on a hosted server.
___________________________________________

Hi Grant,
So you have a hosting account on godaddy already? It's on a Linux
server with PHP support, right?
If so, you're good to go. Just upload the entire Mambo file structure
to your server through an FTP client.
But before you do this I want to say that, Joolma is a much better
program. They are nearly the same but Joomla has developed more in the
past year and that's all I use anymore...for CMS sites that is.

So with that in mind, you can continue with Mambo (your book will
still be very useful because they are similar), or go to
http://www.joomla.org and download the latest version.
At any rate, upload all the files to your server. Make sure to upload
them to the http folder, which is the default root folder. There
should be a few files in there already, like index.html, and some
folders.

Then go into your hosting control panel (at godaddy) and setup a New
MySQL database. During this setup you will need to write down the User
Name, and Password. Also, once you have created the DB, you will need
to click the link in the control panel that has your new DB name. This
will show you the exact URL to this database. Write this down also.
So now you should have:
Database User Name = ......
Database Username = ....
Path to Mysql = (example: mysql454@secureserver.net)

Now your new DB is setup and ready to install Mambo/Joomla to.

So, open a browser and type the path to your domain name. The
installation page for Mambo/Joomla should appear.
Follow the instructions, an enter the DB info you wrote down when
creating your new database. You will see "localhost" in the first
field. This is not what you want. You need to enter the path to your
DB here, remember my example above? That's what you enter there, only
use Your path that is in your hosting panel.

You will need to set the permissions of lots of files and folders.
Mostly set to 777.

Does this make sense? It's really simple, especially with Joomla. It
walks you through ever install step, and tells you of errors.

If you want, I can do the whole thing for you in about 10 minutes!
Just let me know.

Mike