[documentation] [Documentation bug] HOWTO: Install Drupal using cPanel

Sat Apr 8 15:32:02 UTC 2006

Issue status update for 
http://drupal.org/node/49791
Post a follow up: 
http://drupal.org/project/comments/add/49791

 Project:      Documentation
 Version:      <none>
 Component:    Installation
 Category:     bug reports
 Priority:     normal
 Assigned to:  Anonymous
 Reported by:  sgwyrdd
 Updated by:   Heine
 Status:       active

Removed; Tools » File Manager. 

.htaccess is overwritten by cPanels archive extractor, but I've added
some instructions (backup, remove potentially interfering files such as
.htaccess, index.php).

Heine

Previous comments:
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Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:54:10 +0000 : sgwyrdd

The 'Easy way to install drupal with the cPanel control panel'
instructions at http://drupal.org/node/25310 omit the step of defining
the base_url.

The third bullet point, which currently reads:

Change the setting in settings.php: $db_url =
"mysql://levavie_u1:234@localhost/levavie_db1";

should perhaps read:

Change the database setting in settings.php: $db_url =
"mysql://levavie_u1:234@localhost/levavie_db1";

and set $base_url to match the address to your web site: $base_url =
"http://www.example.com";
You'll see from http://drupal.org/node/49544 that this omission seems
to be causing problems.

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Fri, 17 Feb 2006 06:44:45 +0000 : Heine

Yes, this page needs a major rewrite. I'll do it as promised [1]. Thanks
for the reminder.
[1] http://drupal.org/node/48075%23comment-90594

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Thu, 23 Feb 2006 16:30:30 +0000 : Heine

'Major' rewrite completed: http://drupal.org/node/25310. I welcome
comments & critique.

I believe the current comments on the page can be deleted as well.

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Thu, 23 Feb 2006 16:35:10 +0000 : Heine

Just changing the title

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Thu, 23 Feb 2006 16:55:11 +0000 : sepeck

looks good

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:56:00 +0000 : webchick

Hey, Heine! Thanks a lot for re-writing that page.

There was one comment someone made in this issue over here:
http://drupal.org/node/52607#comment-79014 -- I guess the fact that the
.tar.gz extracts to a folder is giving CPanel users some trouble when
they want to install to just the root directory. Maybe you could put in
something like what greggles mentions below to help people in this
situation? I would update this myself, but I don't have CPanel to test
on and want to make sure the instructions are 100% clear/accurate since
this is likely a page that gets a lot of attention from newbies.

Thanks a lot. :)

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:19:19 +0000 : pulsifer

One way to get the drupal files into public_html using cPanel File
Manager is to uncompress the .tar.gz on your PC and rezip it without
the "drupal..." prefix on all of the file names.  See
http://drupal.org/node/52602 and http://drupal.org/node/52607

Note that the cPanel File Manager will also expand .zip files.  It
might be easier for most PC people to recompress the installation file
into a zip rather than a targz.

Note that IMHO it would be easier for someone to just do this once and
post this file at drupal.org, rather than trying to explain how to do
it.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:27:28 +0000 : Heine

I just tested if cPanels filemanager supports zip and it does: the
instructions for repackaging as zip or tar file have been added. Please
review.

-1 on the packing without top directory, but that's another issue.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:41:33 +0000 : pulsifer

"...but omit the top folder (drupal-x.x.x) from the archive."

I'm not sure that's going to make much sense to people who are reading
this for the first time.  I suggest describing the steps, like my
comment here: http://drupal.org/node/52602#comment-99230

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:59:24 +0000 : Heine

I'm not sure we can assume people use Winzip on Windows. I'm looking for
a better description.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:31:59 +0000 : pulsifer

How about:

First unpack the drupal archive on your local computer.  Then navigate
to the drupal-x.x.x directory, select all of its contents (files and
folders) and re-compress them into a zip file or into a new tar file. 
The result should be that "drupal-x.x.x" no longer appears in front of
each file and folder name in this newly created archive.  Upload this
new archive to the document root on the server and extract its
contents. The Drupal files and folders should now be located in the
document root.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:44:38 +0000 : pulsifer

I've never tested this: what happens if there is already an .htaccess
file in the document root?  (Many hosts have one preinstalled.)  Will
cPanel File Manager overwrite it?

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:45:12 +0000 : pulsifer

RE: "The basic assumptions: you have a domain name
(http://www.example.com) and want to install Drupal at the document
root, where it is reachable via the URL http://example.com or
http://www.example.com."

How about adding this sentence: "In order to accomplish this, the
Drupal files such as .htaccess and index.php have to be uploaded into
your server's document root, along with the Drupal subdirectories such
as includes, modules, themes, etc."

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:55:39 +0000 : Heine

Thanks! We're homing in...
BTW: I've never seen 'drupal-x.x.x' in front of filenames with 7zip,
winzip, zipcentral or winrar, only with TAR. Because the page should be
OS agnostic as well, how about (-'navigate', -'select):

First unpack the drupal archive on your local computer. Then recompress
the files and folders in the resulting drupal-x.x.x directory into a zip
file or into a new tar file. The result should be that the top-level
directory "drupal-x.x.x" is no longer present in this archive. Upload
this new archive to the document root on the server and extract its
contents. The Drupal files and folders should now be located in the
document root.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:00:17 +0000 : Heine

In order to accomplish this, the Drupal files such as .htaccess and
index.php have to be uploaded into your server's document root, along
with the Drupal subdirectories such as includes, modules, themes, etc

We can't say that the files have to be uploaded into the document root,
when moments later we tell people to upload an archive and extract it on
the server. 'present / located in the document root' would work better.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:20:30 +0000 : pulsifer

/First unpack the drupal archive on your local computer. Then recompress
the files and folders in the resulting drupal-x.x.x directory into a zip
file or into a new tar file. The result should be that the top-level
directory "drupal-x.x.x" is no longer present in this archive. Upload
this new archive to the document root on the server and extract its
contents.  The Drupal files and folders should now be located in the
document root./

Sounds good.

/We can't say that the files have to be uploaded into the document
root, when moments later we tell people to upload an archive and
extract it on the server. 'present / located in the document root'
would work better./

Somehow we need to describe for users what they are trying to
accomplish, so when they see it they will know they did it right.

How about: "In order to accomplish this, the Drupal files such as
.htaccess and index.php have to be placed into your server's document
root, along with the Drupal subdirectories such as includes, modules,
themes, etc."

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:36:22 +0000 : Heine

"
 "In order to accomplish this, the Drupal files such as .htaccess and
index.php have to be placed into your server's document root, along
with the Drupal subdirectories such as includes, modules, themes, etc."

"
I had already updated with a slightly different version, but I like
your sentence more. 

I've changed the FTP instructions as well and added an advice to
uncompress the archive locally anyway. Let me know what you think of
it.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2006 23:12:03 +0000 : pulsifer

me likey

a few minor edits:

/...and want to install Drupal at the document root, (usually
public_html, htdocs).../

..and want to install Drupal at the document root, (usually public_html
or htdocs)...

/The Drupal archive drupal-x.x.x.tar.gz can be decompressed by various
compression tools such as 7zip, WinZip, WinRAR and tar./

That's sitting a little out of place at the moment. How about:

The first step is to download the drupal distritbution archive
"drupal-x.x.x.tar.gz" onto your local computer, and then unpack it
using a utility program such as 7zip, WinZip, WinRAR or tar.

The second step is to upload the drupal files to your server.  There
are three options for uploading the files, two that use cPanel's
built-in File Manager, and one that uses an FTP-client. The latter
depends on FTP access provided by your host.

    * FTP (easiest) - After unpacking the drupal archive on your local
computer, upload the files and folders in the resulting drupal-x.x.x
directory to the document root of your webspace.
    * cPanel's built-in File Manager , option 1 - After unpacking the
drupal archive on your local computer, recompress the files and folders
in the resulting drupal-x.x.x directory into a zip file or into a new
tar file. The result should be that the top-level directory
"drupal-x.x.x" is no longer present in this archive. Upload this new
archive to the document root on the server and extract its contents.
The Drupal files and folders should now be located in the document
root.
    * cPanel's built-in File Manager, option 2 - Upload the entire
drupal distribution archive "drupal-x.x.x.tar.gz" to the document root
of the server and extract its contents.  Then use File Manager to move
all the files and folders in the resulting drupal-x.x.x directory to
the the server's document root.

BTW, on all the hosts I've used, the File Manager is an icon in cPanel,
not under "tools" and is called "File Manager" (two words).

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Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:33:14 +0000 : Heine

Thanks! I like those changes so I updated the handbook page. My
apologies for the delay.

As to File Manager being two words: you're right, blame my native
language; were always glueing words together. In my cPanel (only one
host though) File Manager is located in Tools. What's the experience of
other people?

I just saw your comment on .htaccess; I'll test that soon and update
the page if necessary.

Thank you for your excellent comments!

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Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:41:03 +0000 : greggles

For me, "File Manager" is right on the main page without any "tools"
heading or sub-section.