Posted on: 04/27/07 10:38am
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
After playing for a few days and countless hours, practically destroying half the files on my website I wish to ask anyone if they know where or how to find instructions that a noobie might possibly be able to handle to install a simple forum.
Installing plugins seems to be the worst of any of the cms's I have tried as a novice.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I don't know if I can get back here so my e-mail is webmaster@mypeoplesvoice.com
Thanks to anyone in advance.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/27/07 01:14pm
By: kingsley
Well if your not going to check back it is kind of hard to help you out...
Anyway...
I have installed many plugins including
Forum[*1] and Media Gallery on several sites. For the most part all the plugins I use come from
Portal Parts[*2] or
gllabs[*3] and the included instructions have always been more than adequate.
All I can suggest is that you take your time and go one step at a time and I can't see you having many problems. If you have a specific problem please post details and I am sure someone will be willing to help.
In my experiance vague posts about a non-specific problem that do nothing but criticize don't usually get a lot of response.
-Eric
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/27/07 01:41pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I think the installaton might be beyone me as I have been able to master other programs to the point where I could make them work.
I am in no way insulting or condemning the Geeklog or the plugins. I only mentioned this here because I do feel some of the others might be simpler for a new person.
I just don't know what I am missing in the instructions that is making it impossible for me to get intstalled.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/27/07 01:46pm
By: Dirk
Quote by: KellyI just don't know what I am missing in the instructions that is making it impossible for me to get intstalled.
As kingsley already said: Please try to be less vague.
What did you do? What did you expect to happen? What happened instead?
If you get any errors post them here.
Remember that we can't see your site and we don't know what you did (or did not do). So it's impossible to write any sort of helpful reply.
Oh, and I assume you did see
this[*4] ?
bye, Dirk
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/28/07 09:50pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I checked the links everyone left. Haven't had a chance to try a total reinstall but the information supplied was super and I thank everyone for the help.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/29/07 09:00pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
An error has occurred:
2 - main(/home/mypeople/public_html/system/lib-portalparts.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory @ /home/mypeople/public_html/plugins/forum/functions.inc line 54
I got this error, can anyone tell me if I have a corrupt file or if it is a file in the wrong place?
Thanks
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/29/07 10:31pm
By: mevans
Quote by: KellyAn error has occurred:
2 - main(/home/mypeople/public_html/system/lib-portalparts.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory @ /home/mypeople/public_html/plugins/forum/functions.inc line 54
I got this error, can anyone tell me if I have a corrupt file or if it is a file in the wrong place?
Thanks
From the included readme.html file with the forum distribution:
Step 5 - Update or copy the lib-portalparts.php file
The plugins from portalparts use a number of common functions that are placed in the lib-portalparts.php file. Copy the file from the plugin archive to your system folder where there are other lib-xxxxx.php files
Make sure you copied the
lib-portalparts.php to your Geeklog
system/ directory. Other files already in the
system/ directory include; lib-comment.php, lib-custom.php, lib-database.php, etc...
Hope this helps.
Thanks!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/29/07 10:41pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
This is my first install of anything. Your suggestion put the forum on the list of plugins. I haven't tried to edit or anything yet but it worked. I can't thank you enough.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 08:47am
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I know this is more than I should ask in here but I almost had it.
I copied the lib file and got it to the forum but I obviously don't have the files in the proper place.
I did the directory Public_html/forum
and the Public-html/admin/plugins
My belief is that I am putting the wrong files in those folders.
If anyone has time and if there is some simple way to explain what files go where I would appreciate the help. I don't expect anyone to spend a lot of time, basically teaching me how to install this.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 09:22am
By: mevans
Kelly,
Try
these instructions[*5] , they are for the Media Gallery plugins, but the concept is the same as the forum. Where you copy the public_html and admin files is identical (except use
forum as the directory name instead of
mediagallery) to that of the forum install.
The forum install also requires 2 additional steps as outlined in its documentation, copying the themefiles and the system (lib-portalparts.php) file. But, if you get the others copied correctly, I'm willing to bet you'll figure out the themefiles too.
Let me know if this helps.
Thanks!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 08:00pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I appreciate all the help. It is obvious to me that it is beyond what I can do. Repeated the steps for probably 12 - 14 hours off and on and no positive results.
No need to reply, just wanted to say thanks for trying even though I am too ignorant of computing to accomplish this, what should be a relatively simple task.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 08:14pm
By: jmucchiello
It doesn't help that the install for the forums is a bit non-standard in places.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 09:05pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I don't know what a standard one is, php-nuke or one of them includes a forum, joomla has the automatic install.
I like the way Geeklog works but can't think of any more places to put the files and still nothing works.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 04/30/07 10:39pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
Mark, the information and links you supplied got me to at least see the install on the admin page, then the correction you told me abut lib file worked.
I have reached the point where I hate to give up but will get ulsers pretty soon.
I made the two directories, I did my best to copy the files where told, I updated the lib file and the themes. Still nothing.
Can it be something with the Fantasticl install?
This is really starting to get to me.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 02:32am
By: jmucchiello
No, I mean the Geeklog forums plugin has a few non-standard requirements for making it work with Geeklog compared to most other Geeklog plugins.
Now, the basics: Most plugins have three sets of files: the public_html files, the admin files and all the rest. When you install a plugin you copy all the files to /path/to/geeklog/plugins/name_of_plugin.
In that directory will (possibly) be an admin and a public_html directory. You now have to move those two directories to the correct location.
The admin directory goes to /path/to/geeklog/public_html/admin where it is renamed name_of_plugin. So you end up with directories in /public_html/admin/name_of_plugin. If you have a /public_html/admin/name_of_plugin/admin directory, you did it wrong.
The same thing happens in the public_html directory for the plugin's public files.
At this point, most plugins will show up on the install part of the plugins page.
The forums have a few more steps. I don't know them all but the most important one is to move /path/to/geeklog/plugins/forum/lib-portalparts.php to /path/to/geeklog/system.
If you have gotten this far, the forums should work once you click install on the plugin page. I would suggest you start with a clean geeklog install since you may have a partial forums install in your database and the forums installer may not be able to handle that.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 07:56pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
Well, I really want the forum and U seem very willing to help.
I presently have a clean install of geeklog, about my 15th one.
One thing I don't see under my www is any public_html folder.
I should open www, make a new folder public_html?
so it would be www/public_html/forum is what I am asking.
Next under www/admin/plugins I put another copy of the complete forum?
If this is correct, and someone replys I will to steps slowly and maybe I can do it for the one last time.
If I get a reply, maybe I won't have to keep doing it over and over.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 09:31pm
By: mevans
Kelly,
This might help you out a bit...Think of www as public_html. Since you have your site installed in the www directory, everywhere you see public_html in the installation instructions, substitute www in its place.
So, if the instructions say:
Create a directory called forum under your public_html directory
You would actually read this as:
Create a directory called forum under your www directory
When the instructions say:
Copy the files (contents) from the new plugin's public_html directory to the forum directory you just created under your sites main public_html directory
You should read that as:
Copy the files (contents) from the new plugin's public_html directory to the forum directory you just created under your sites main [bwww[/b] directory
This means you would copy all the files from the forum distribution's public_html to your www/forum/ directory.
You would then copy all the files from the forum's admin/ directory to your www/admin/plugins/forum/ directory.
Hopefully this will get you one step closer.
Good luck!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 10:01pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
ok I have a full copy of forum under www/forum
I copied just the admin file to www/admin/plugin
Is this correct so far?
Looking for theme directory, under layout?
as in www/layout/professional/
I think this is one of my lost places,
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 11:09pm
By: mevans
Kelly,
I think you are close, but not quite there...
ok I have a full copy of forum under www/forum
This may be correct, let's just double check to be sure... If you were to unzip the forum plugin distribution, it would look like this:
Text Formatted Code
forum/
+ admin/
+ public_html/
+ theme_files/
+ templates/
+ language/
+ functions.inc
+ readme.html
+ ...
What you want to do is copy all the files in the
public_html directory in the forum distribution into your
www/forum/ directory (remember you had to create the forum/ directory first).
I copied just the admin file to www/admin/plugin
You need to copy forum/admin/*.* to www/admin/plugins/forum/, so you first had to create the directory
forum under www/admin/plugins/.
Looking for theme directory, under layout?
as in www/layout/professional/
Now you're talking! You want to copy all the files from the
themefiles directory in the forum distribution to the
www/layout/professional/ directory.
I think you are getting close!
Thanks!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 11:33pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
Under www/forum I have all the forum files in forum
under www/forum/admin/plugins, I have just the empty plugin folder.
then it goes www/forum/ and under that is as follows
Admin
Forum
Public_html
sql
sys
temp
themes
Then a bunch of php files
Under www/plugins the forum is not showing,
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 11:46pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
Need to call it a night, Thanks so much for your help. I will check back when online again, too afraid to do more as I will screw it up again.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/01/07 11:50pm
By: mevans
Kelly,
That doesn't look right. One of the challenges here is that we can't see what you see, so we don't know exactly how you have Geeklog installed or the layout of your server. If you want to contact me via email I'll be happy to see if we can close that knowledge gap and get you going. My email is mark@gllabs.org.
Thanks!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 01:06am
By: jmucchiello
If you don't email Mark, tell us the actual path where you config.php file is. (The geeklog config.php file not the forum config.php file.) Then tell us the actual path to your index.php file in your www directory. With that info, we can tell you precise steps.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 07:47am
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I appreciate the help. I did email Mark.
I do have a schedule that makes it impossible to know when I can get on here.
I am off to work but when I get back I will look for the config files.
Thanks again.
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 11:41am
By: mevans
FYI... Kelly has emailed me some good details about his setup, there are a few more questions that I need him to answer. Once I have a good understanding of his environment, tools he uses to upload, etc. I'll post the directions here on how he can install the plugin.
Thanks!
Mark
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 07:19pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
Mark, I failed on the first try because I skimmed and didn't thoroughly read your email.
The most important thing I learned, and my forum is now woking, is that when it says copy it doesn't mean upload the folder, it means open the folder and copy to the new directory. This was my first error.
My second try, after finally getting the install link was I forgot to take the lib-portalparts and copy that into the geeklog system folder.
Anyway, Mark should post his instructions after including the copy portalparts and it would be many times easier to understand for newbies and in my mind would be a truely great improvement for newbies like myself.
I want to thank Mark and all who tried to help me.
I did check your home page Mark. If you are interested you can drop an email and I will show you some of my more personal side. I noticed the post about marine and Duke. You might be interested in my site.
The forum is in, all the tabs work and I just need to set this part of my site up and figure out how to replace the logo on the front Geeklog page.
Thanks again, :banana:
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 07:47pm
By: Anonymous (Kelly)
I found one error, I have two Forum menu's. So it is reading index.php twice.
Any ideas?
Re: Installing a Forum
Posted on: 05/02/07 07:59pm
By: mevans
Here are the instructions I emailed Kelly. What was important to understand is that his Geeklog installation was 'flat', meaning all files are copied to his www/ directory, he doesn't have the plugins/, etc. directories outside the webroot.
Ok, I think we can make this very simple.
1. Re-download the latest forum distribution from Geeklog.net, use this
url: http://www.geeklog.net/filemgmt/index.php?id=779
2. Unzip it onto your local workstation using WinZip, tell it to
put it in the c:\mark\ directory (it should ask if you want
to create the directory first, say yes). Check the following:
- It should just create a single directory under c:\mark called forum/
- Inside the forum/ directory there should be several
other directories (admin, language, public_html, sql,
system, templates, themefiles) there are also a few
other files (config.php, debug.php, readme.html, etc).
3. Using your FTP program, create a directory called forum under
the www/plugins/ directory on your host.
4. Using your FTP program, create a directory called forum under
the www/ directory on your host.
5. Using your FTP program, create a directory called forum under
the www/admin/plugins/ directory on your host.
6. From your local workstation, we want to FTP the following items:
- All files in c:\mark\forum\ to /www/plugins/forum/
- All files in c:\mark\forum\admin\ to /www/admin/plugins/forum/
- All files in c:\mark\forum\public_html\ to /www/forum/
- All files in c:\mark\forum\themefiles\ to /www/layout/professional/
- All files in c:\mark\forum\system to /www/system/
Using the first one in the list above as an example, this is how
you will do this:
Navigate to c:\mark\forum\ in your FTP program, highlight all the
files and directories (admin,language,public_html,sql,etc...) and
drag them to /www/plugins/forum/
Using the second one in the list above as an example, this is how
you will do this:
Navigate to c:\mark\forum\admin\ in your FTP program, highlight
all the files in that directory (boards.php, gf_functions.php, etc)
and drag them to the /www/admin/plugins/forum/ directory.
7. If all the FTPs went well, you should be able to log into your
Geeklog site as an admin, choose Admins Only -> Plugins and see
the forum plugin listed for install.
8. Hit the install button, cross your fingers, hold your breath
and hopefully it will install without any issues.
9. Sit back and relax, you now have a forum plugin installed.
I think these instructions should get you going, if not, let me know where
you have questions or where something didn't match from what I described.
We're getting closer and I have no doubt we'll get it installed soon.