To get your feet wet it's probably best to copy the directory /skins/custom/ to a new directory called /skins/WHATEVERNAME then you can edit the _main.php and styles.css files to mess with the content/styles.

By doing this you won't mess with your original skin that you're altering. To add your new skin to your site just upload your /skins/WHATEVERNAME directory to your site and it will automatically appear in your skin choices.

If the custom skin isn't what you want to start off with you can edit any of the skins by editing the _main.php file and the .css file in the skins' directory. But as I said, it might be wiser to make a copy of it under a different name and then you won't lose the original.

Hope that helps.

Okay - I'm fully aware that this is a panicked-newbie-I'm-so-overwhelmed-so-I'm-not-getting-it-question... but here it goes...

In doing all these copying and renaming stuff, are you supposed to be doing this through a FTP program? I don't see anywhere you can do it from inside the admin console... Thanks!

Yeah - FTP the finished product to your server space.

BTW you could copy the custom skin and call it 'custom-original' then use the template tab in the back office to edit the custom skin, but it's so much easier and betterer to use a smart editor on your PC.

Thanks EdB for getting back to me on this... 2 more "b2ev questions for dummies" comin' atcha...

1) smart editor - what is this? usually when I build pages, I just use notepad. I've never been a huge fan of wysiwyg editors, but will use them if necessary...

2) how do I change the chmod settings so I can edit the css pages? I tried doing it from the back office, and I saw all these messages saying that the chmod settings had to be changed before I could do it...

Many, many thanks! Just a little nervous getting started...

WYSISYG isn't what I meant. HTML-Kit, among others, will highlight code in different ways so's you see what you are dealing with. Notepad works I guess. As for chmod'ing, that you do at your host. Google it or search these forums for details. I've never used the Template tab for editing anything.

EdB wrote:

As for chmod'ing, that you do at your host. Google it or search these forums for details. I've never used the Template tab for editing anything.

So, just to make sure I'm on the right path, do you change the file, and upload to replace the one that was there? Sorry for these dumb questions... now that I'm playing with it, I see where it's going...

chmod'ing is not an internal change to a file, it's most easily done probably through your ftp program (works on mine). I can just right click on the file I want to change permissions for (already on the server) and one of the options is chmod or permissions.

Nate wrote:

chmod'ing is not an internal change to a file, it's most easily done probably through your ftp program (works on mine)...

Oh yeah! See what happens when I type fast? I reckon any FTP program worth half a buck can chmod programs. It is typically not required if you are editing files locally and uploading them, but it is required if you want to use the Template tab in the back office.

But I agree with EdB that it's easier to edit your css or _main.php files locally and upload them to the server than to mess with the backoffice templates. It's more flexible at least.

And if you're super adventurous it's even more interesting to setup b2e to run locally on your computer (xampp is an awesome place to get started with setting up a local webserver: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html). Then you can make changes on your computer and instantly see how it will affect your website without actually ftp'ing anything at all.

Thanks guys! I've been playing around, and just uploading, and you are right - that seems to work much better. Also found the chmod option, although now I don't think I'll use it...

I'm seriously considering playing around with installing it locally Nate... sounds like a ton of fun.

Once again, many thanks! You guys rock!