PostNuke Content Management System

 

Setup

 

  1. Before you start you need to make sure you are ready for installing open source.  Check it out.
  2. PostNuke CMS uses MySQL as the back-end database.  If you do not have a MySQL account, create it now.
  3. Download PostNuke Content Management System from module Blackboard site.  You will find it under "Group Assignment".
  4. Using the zip archive, extract the files into the root of a directory in your homespace.

 

 

  1. In the example below, the homespace is:

 

C:\phpdev\www\

 

Your homespace will be something like:

 

F:\public_html

 

Once the zipfile is extracted, a directory called 'ebiz' is created and the new files are put in there.

 

When we refer to ‘homespace’ you should substitute the path to your own homespace, such as F:\public_html etc.

 

 

  1. Go to your browser and enter the public URL of your site. This might be something like:

 

http://homepages.shu.ac.uk/~cmsrh1

 

You should see this:

 

 

This is OK, and confirms that the files have been put in the correct place.  Off course we have not yet connected the CMS to the back-end database and hence the message.

 

  1. Now we need to sort out the backend database that the CMS will use.

Locate the file ‘config.php’ in the root of your installation.

 

 

  1. Open this file with a text editor such as Notepad or Textpad. Switch on line numbers. Around line 49 onwards we need to edit the file to reflect the host and database settings.

 

  1. Complete the dbhost, dbuname, dbpass and dbname fields. You must use the details that you received in the email from the MySQL registration.
  2. Next we need to set some file access permissions. Open up Start, All Programs, Specialist Applications, Connect to Unix, Secure Shell. Log in to Unix using "ivy.shu.ac.uk" for host and your normal network username and password.
  3. Navigate to your directory for the download!

 

Crash course in Unix:

ls

list contents of a directory (folder)

ls -l

list contents of a directory (folder) with details

cd

change directory

cd ..

change directory upwards (parent directory)

chmod

change permissions (more below)

 

You will need to look at the directory structure in your homespace so that you can see where the files are.

 

Open up a window and go to your homespace (probably F:/public_html).

 

Look at the directory names in the Secure Shell command prompt.

 

You should see a directory name that matches the name of your homespace. So if your homespace is F:/public_html then you should see F:/public_html in the Secure Shell.

 

You will locate the following files in the directory you have installed PostNuke.  For example "wbis" or "ebiz".

 

  1. Using chmod, change the permissions of the files/folders below:

config.php 666 – type: chmod 666 config.php

config-old.php 666 – type: chmod 666 config-old.php

Change directory to "pnTemp"

pnRender_compiled 777– type: chmod 777 pnRender_compiled

pnRender_cache 777– type: chmod 777 pnRender_cache

Xanthia_compiled 777– type: chmod 777 Xanthia_compiled

Xanthia_cache 777– type: chmod 777 Xanthia_cache

Xanthia_Config 777– type: chmod 777 Xanthia_Config

  1. Now we need to upload the database structure into the database.
  2. Access PHPMyadmin at http://homepages.shu.ac.uk/mysql/. You should see a login page and once you have logged in a page something like (depending on the version installed):

 

 

  1. In the left hand frame, click on the database drop-down box. Select the database "your username_db1".  Do not use "information_schema" database.

 

 

  1. Select the SQL tab.

 

 

  1.  Click on the Browse button.

 

  1. Select the ‘.sql’ file to upload. This will be called ‘ebiz_cms.sql’.

      Click "Go"

 

 

  1.  Once the file has been uploaded, go back to the browser and try your public URL again. You should see a welcome screen that looks similar to this (the colours and layout might be a little different):