It's actually pretty easy and you don't really have to understand php or mysql to make it all happen. Especially when you install via Fantastico, but that generates another problem or 5. Anyway I digress. Let Fantastico install b2evolution for you. It's a few clicks and a couple of words you gotta type, then you're done.

After Fantastico finishes go to the link it gives you - the link to your installation. I haven't done an installation in a while so I don't know if this link is to login or to the default page. If it's the login then login and click "exit to blogs" from the top right. If it's the default page then click on "Blog A" and start reading all the posts.

Seriously.

The posts contain a lot of information about the blog app you're starting to use, which is pretty danged powerful. As you read the posts in blog A kinda study the page itself. You're seeing content displayed in the 'custom' skin. Eventually, just for the heck of it, pick a different skin. Same content - new look. You will also be able to make some mental notes about bits and pieces on the screen. Eventually you will see in the back office where each of those bits comes from.

For example there is a blog title and a 'tag line' on top, and a bit on the upper right that is like a description of the blog. When you click on the "Admin" link (or "login" if you haven't logged in yet) you will be in the back office, which is the place you can customize the content you're seeing out on the web.

Click the 'blogs' tab then select blog A. Now you will see all the little bits that you saw out front, and can change them as you see fit. Make some changes, then "exit to blogs" and see what got changed. Pick another skin just for kicks, then change blogs. Now go to the back office and click the "edit" tab.

And on and on until you get an idea of how b2evolution is building the content based on settings from your settings tab and blogs (select a blog) tab. From 'edit' you can delete posts, or select one for editing and change it's status to 'deprecated'. After you deprecate the post will still be in your database but never displayed on the web again. Kinda like deleting without losing.

The problem with Fantastico is that it installs an old and unsecure version, so once you play a bit and decide okay you can deal with this you will for sure want to upgrade to the "dawn" release. Simple, but one step at a time... If you decide you don't want to mess with b2evolution then just tell Fantastico to remove the installation and you're back where you started.

I was in the same position as you, about a year ago. I relied on Fantastico to get my first copy of b2evolution running. I've learned a lot since then.

Manual installation is actually pretty easy.

Just download the latest version of b2evo from b2evolution.net, explode the files on you local drive, then use an FTP program (like FileZilla, which is free) to upload the files and directories to your host. Then just run the install file, which makes the DB and stuff.

Like Ed says, the basic, installed blog has a bunch of entries that are set up like tutorials ... read and learn and play and use. If you really mess things up ... delete everything and reinstall. (I must've done that a few time when I first got going).

You sound like an intelligent chap ... keep chipping away and you'll be a pro in no time! ;) (Well, at least you'll be much further along than you are now, eh?) It comes fast.

Also, these boards are a good place to start.

If you get really jammed up, just send me a private email and I'll see if I can't give you a hand.

Cheers,

-stk

First of all guys, thanks for the responses. Now I don't feel quite so alone out there. I would like to follow up a bit.

First, I'm ashamed to say I don't remember what happened when I used Fantastico, so maybe I don't know where I am at the process. I do not believe I downloaded anything. My impression was that I could access my site from any computer with internet access. I recall seeing the Fantastico button, clicking it, and then choosing b2evolution. That's where the memory ends. Now when I go to Duncaniveslewis.com, I see the blog template.

I don't recall following a link at the end of setup, or installation, or whatever happened with Fantastico and b2evolution. I should have paid more attention and kept notes.

STK, your reply included this:

"Just download the latest version of b2evo from b2evolution.net, explode the files on you local drive, then use an FTP program (like FileZilla, which is free) to upload the files and directories to your host. Then just run the install file, which makes the DB and stuff. "

I may be missing something crucial here. Cirtex Hosting came with Fantastico. It seemed to install the "scripts" for b2evolution at my hosting site. I don't have to download it, do I?

My impression was that I log into control panel. I can get into control panel, but don't see anything that says "exit to blogs" or anything like that. How do I check to see if b2 is actually installed? Isn't it installed if I actually see a sample blog at duncaniveslewis.com?

Assuming that b2 is installed on my space at my host site, then how to I get to the blogs from Cpanel? Sorry for all this. I really appreciated the help and humor.

Duncan

I can see from your posts that I need to come up with a creative location for myself. Sounds like "between a rock and a hard place" and "Kanada" are taken. Do'h! Perhaps "up the creek without a paddle" would be fitting for me, given my level of knowledge here. One good thing about being 45: the freedom that comes with not caring what people think anymore. (Oh, and torturing my teenagers with the possibility of embarassment at the hands of a geeky dad. I swear, teenagers just need to be embarassed.

Fair warning though. I'm not a big George Bush fan. Would regret accepting help only to infuriate someone with content. . . . . .

Dear George Bush,

You're running the country the same way you're running your blog ... without a clue. You may think you're fantastic, but you must be reminded that the smiling icon that says "Fantastico" doesn't show your picture for a reason.

... ha ha ...

You're site has b2evo installed. Just going to duncaniveslewis.com yields the default install blog. So ... you must've finished the Fantastico installation.

Let me back up. There are two ways of installing b2evolution. (1) The one-button-push Fantastico way and (2) manually. My quoted text was along the lines of doing it manually.

The only real problem with using Fantastico is (1) you don't get the latest release, you get whatever release is used in whatever version of Fantastico that your host is using and (2) you don't learn anything. (Not that there's a huge problem with either, but you can't advance if you don't learn and eventually, you'll want the latest release).

Doing a manual install isn't really all that difficult. You need to get yourself an FTP program (like FileZilla ... which is free), so that you can log into yoursite.com and transfer files back and forth. (FTP = File Transfer Protocol). It's been a while since I did a manual install, but the steps are pretty simple ... (a) download the latest version from the b2evolution.net site (latest version is called "dawn", soon to be replaced by a MAJOR release called "phoenix" ... don't ask about the names ... not my idea). (b) unzip/explode the compressed file locally into a bunch of directories and files (c) transfer the whole lot (using that FTP program) to your server, keeping the file structure the same ... usually just a drag and drop kind of thing, once your connected. (d) once all the files have been successfully transferred, you type in http://yoursite.com/install/install.php (or something like that) and it fires of an install script on your site that does all the configuring.

Fantastico kinda does step c, only it transfers files on the server, using whatever version it has there (usually one or two versions behind the latest), then fires of the install script. Like I say ... a one button approach.

So now you have a "test" blog. Read all the posts, because it's kind of an "instruction book". Log into the back office (where you do all the controlling "behind the scenes" ... like adding and deleting posts, creating new blogs, etc.

One thing to keep in mind. Blog #1 (Blog ALL) is a special blog and is not like the others. It's goal is to display the aggregated posts from ALL blogs, all in one blog. (Say you have a family and each memeber has their own blog ... Dad is Blog A (#2), Mom is Blog B (#3) ... you add one for your teenager called "Blog C" (#5 ... because "Linkblog" has already taken up the #4 slot) ... then anything that's posted in A,B or C ... will automatically show up in Blog ALL.

You can turn off blog all from the back office, if you like, so then, one would have to click to see Blog A, Blog B or Blog C ... there would be no "Blog All".

I don't know what else to say. Have a play with it. Try adding a post and seeing where it shows up.

When you log into the back office, the version of b2evolution will show ... what does it say? Which version was loaded?

-stk

You gave me a new lease on life with that information. I was actually able to modify the blog! Haven't said anything yet. The Version I have is 0.9.0.12 - not the latest, according to the b2 home page. Should I be doing the "patch" I see mentioned, or should I go to the newer version?

One more question. I want the blog to be just one part of the site. The blog would link to other pages with specific content. I'm out for just general advice here; should I do the other pages with Frontpage and then upload them, or should I use one of the other scrips that I see Fantastico can install? Here are the available "site builders" available for Fantastico to install for me:

Site Builders
Soholaunch Pro Edition
Templates Express

Finally, if if I have fantastico install one of these, will it overwrite b2 unless I specify something?

Thanks again,
Duncan

Went to the websites of those two sitebuilders, and they seem to be related somehow.

I would avoid FrontPage whenever possible. Having said that: you certainly can write 'stand alone' pages in any editor, upload them, and then link them to your blog. I just blew up my entire web, but I had MANY pages that existed before I used b2evolution to run my web. I linked to them in my linkblog, and in some cases I pretended they were a blog with a different path. That way sections showed up as blogs but pages showed up as links.

As to installing other stuff through Fantastico, it should not overwrite your existing files but that will depend on exactly what you tell it to do. Everything I've installed with Fantastico said I needed to point it to either the root or tell it a folder that does not exist, and I've always told it to use a folder. Eventually I moved all my b2evolution content up one level, thus making it be a root installation. If I install two things into the root and both have a folder call 'foo' then which foo will exist after the second installation? Suppose both have files called 'default.php'? Which one will win? These are things you will have to think about, and good reasons to always put a new app into a folder while you decide how it works and if you like it.

Wahoo! You're in.

We're running version 0.9.0.11 ... so you've already got a newer version than me. 8| Hmmm.

Nope ... gonna wait till "Phoenix" comes out before I upgrade (too many "hacks" have been done - changes to the core files done by me. I'll lose those when I upgrade and have to put them back in ... a pain).

Anyway ...

I'm with EdB ... don't use FrontPage. Part of the problem with FrontPage is (1) it sticks a bunch of unecessary, proprietary tags on your page (bloating the page and confusing the issue) and (2) you're not "one" with you're page ... got a program between you and the code.

We hand craft our pages, which isn't difficult, once you get the hang of things. I use an editor called "HTML-kit" (which is openSource) and I like, though I used to just use notepad and still do, on occassion.

Regarding integrating ... have a look at our page. See the buttons on the top, in the banner? They all go to non-b2evo pages ... "i.e. - the rest of our site" ... and some of those pages link to older websites that we still have. I make stand-alone pages all the time and link them from within the blog.

One reason: I monkey a lot with CSS and I don't want to bloat the blog CSS file just for something special that I'm doing in one entry. So I do a separate page, with it's own CSS in the <head> section, as a one-off.

If you search for the Jan entry on "Pure CSS photo zoom" (or something like that) there are 7 or 8 links on that page that lead to other pages. You still see our banner / footer, so it appears integrated, but the b2evo stuff is lost (because you're outside the blog).

The blog is our main Index.html (or index.php, in this case) page ... all contained in its own directory on our host server, but there are other subdirectories that are subDomains (complete sites ... like our PCT site) and other subDirectories that contain stand-alone HTML pages that are "integrated" in.

My advice ... decide WHAT you want for your front page and let that be the determining factor. If you BLOG is the major part of your site (like it is for us) let b2evo be the default page and integrate your other site material into that. IF your BLOG is only a small part of your site ... then call up some index.html page that has a LINK the blog on it (and a bunch of other stuff).

Make sense?

Gotta go pick up Alex from day-care.

Cheers,

-stk :D

Hey, your site looks good! I'm inspired! You've convinced me to be cautious about using Frontpage. I will say that I don't find myself concerned too much about "code". Now, I do understand the concept of having too much HTML code "bloating" the page; in my mind, I analogize this to having a large image file on a webpage which is not converted to a smaller web format. I think I get that this would slow down page loading. I am actually quite impatient with websites with huge photos on their front page so that even our DSL service takes awhile to load it.

I will have to use some images on some pages, but I have paintshop pro 8, photoshop and some other utilities to help me weed out what I don't need so they will be small image files.

What I am getting at is that most of the pages in my site (other than the blog) will be fairly simple, with mostly text and some small images on them. I was going to use frontpage only because it helps me put a page together easily, and I do care somewhat for graphic design and layout. I am not in a position to spend much time learning HTML. Since my pages will be fairly simple anyway, do you still think I should avoid Frontpage? Or should I use it so I can have a consistent templage for my mostly text pages?

So the next topic is that I tried to install Soholaunch Pro Edition (to use instead of Frontpage) using Fantastico, but it would not let me, giving me this message:

"The installation can not be completed:

- You cannot install more than one script in the root directory of a domain."

So then I went back to Cpanel, and looked at the file manager, and saw this:

File Manager

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click on a folder icon to navigate.
Click on a name to view its properties.

/ (Current Folder)
Create New Folder
Upload file(s)
.cpanel-datastore 700
.fantasticodata 755
.trash 700
etc 755
foo 755
mail 750
public_ftp 750
public_html 750
tmp 755
www 750
Create New File
.bash_logout 0 k 0644
.bash_profile 0 k 0644
.bashrc 0 k 0644
.contactemail 0 k 0600
.lastlogin 0 k 0600
.zshrc 0 k 0644

You can see I created a new folder named "Foo". Fantastico doesn't give me choices, its just telling me that I cannot install into the root directory because it is already filled with b2. Any suggestions? I would probably run into this same problem if I used Frontpage. I still want the blog to be the flagship page of the site, so that people land there when they go to the site.

Thanks again for all the help!
Duncan

What I am getting at is that most of the pages in my site (other than the blog) will be fairly simple, with mostly text and some small images on them.

Possible solution.

Create a blog for each page that you want for your main site
create posts which are that pages content.

This way, your skins "blog list" becomes your site menu and all of your pages are skinned exactly the same as the blog.

Of course, it's late at night, and the yardarm is a tad of a blur, but it sounds good in principle ;)

¥

ohh yeah, and they're right about frontpage ...... I'm just amazed that they managed not to swear :|

One possible thought, would be to use FrontPage to quickly design a graphcially-pleasing page ... then manually edit the thing (to remove all the bloat and propietary tags) ... and use that as a TEMPLATE for all of your other pages.

Dunno.

Eventually, you will want to learn HTML. It's not that hard and the number of tags is limited.

Honestly, people do both. Some never understand HTML and use some WYSIWYG program to make all their pages. Some (like me) hand-craft their pages, understand what each line does and fiddle to control every aspect.

The choice is yours.

I choose (b) because, in the end, I learn more, have more fun, can control more and it's just my nature.

Either route you pick, will likely work.

But ... if you're the type of person who likes to "noodle around" ... then I'd recommend (b).

(I can't believe I'm saying to go ahead and use FrontPage ... blasphemy!)

8|

-stk

Hello, actually it works to have everything on paper first before you start installing stuff. Having a layout on paper will give you a general direction and help you with the look and feel of the site. Draw a spread sheet or a general design of the categories and their respective topics. You can better plan where you would like them to go.
I used Frontpage for years and have had no problem with it. Once you become more proficient you can still keep the web pages but trim the extra code.
The other thing which you would want to do.. install each new application in a different directory. You wouldn't want to keep company's xyz files with company's 123 files IN THE SAME FOLDER. Your front page or splash screen goes in your root folder, the blog should have its own folder and the other applications should each have their own folder.
When I install from Fantastico, I keep an address book beside my computer. Each time I install a new application I write the application name, user name, location and passwords down in the book. Most people keep the same user name and password for each application. You can do this also, but it helps to have that little book near at hand.
Once you start writing in your blog, and are comfortable with the admin setting.. where to place stuff etc... you can move on to the next section of your web site.
**Just becareful because once you start writing in your blog you may keep going and get side tracked from other important stuff** I did my blog last because I just can't stop ;)

Best of luck!!
J-P