24 replies to this topic

[Nameless_]

Hi guys... I think it's time for another questions from me... again...

So, as you may or may not know, I have created a free hosting account (absolutely free with no post counts) to see what everything is like, and maybe it I like that hosting company a lot I might stay there, though I will be using the myCENTS here to host my domain name... So, that webhosting company has emailed me the link to my cPanel, and after following the start wizard on cPanel, I followed the prompt instructions and went back to home...

And then I'm lost...

There's so many files so many folders, mails and stuff, I really don't know how to do everything... First questions first... How do you upload web pages??? Because They were like, you have to have a FTP account and you have to make one somewhere, but I don't know where, and even if I know how to upload static files and pages I will still need to learn how to upload the wordpress folder up there, and how to then change it into a community (that comes later), but I need to make sure that everything works and that I WILL be able to change the blog so that it still does the archiving function AND let people into my site so I can make a community that:

1) Lets people join in forums... this is a must if I am to want a community. Forum is first priority - it enables discussions and all that.

2) Lets people post under their name on approved articles??? I don't know how to do that, or even whether it is possible, but it's be nice, so I don't have to post it up myself under my name and say that this article is actually written my someone else

3) Lets people that joined have their own profile page and hopefully a blog??? I think that that will then widen the content generation so people will blog for me (on their profiles, of course), and I can hold competitions and the best article can go on the main website...

4) Um... hopefully having a merchandise area or an affiliate shop so people can buy my niche stuff off from me or from affiliate shops like Amazon???

That's all for now, I don't want to get too greedy, but if possible I would also like to ditch the traditional blogging templates and come up with one that doesn't look like a blog but actually IS a blog...

So the archives will on on the menu and not on the sidebar, and the side bar will be small and contain only ads and links...

And yeah.

But first things first...

What is a cPanel and how do I use it?

[truefusion]

CPanel is a utility used by web hosting companies to ease the process of managing accounts. The FTP account for your account should have already been created with the same username and password that you used to log into CPanel. If you do not already have one, you can create one under "FTP Accounts." Any file you want to be publicly accessible you place within the directory "public_html". You can upload files there using either a FTP program or by using the file manager that comes with CPanel. It is recommended that you use a FTP program to upload files, though.

To install scripts that are dependent on a database, specifically MySQL, you would have to first make a user for the database if one is not already existing and provide the needed permissions to that user. You should take note of the user's password, as it will be asked of you when installing WordPress. You'll also have to create a database for WordPress. You should be able to see a image labeled "MySQL Databases" under the "Databases" section—you create the databases here.

While CPanel may at first look intimidating, things are pretty straight forward and you will most likely not need to make use of most of what you see in there.

[Nameless_]

OK... so I think I've got a FTP account then... though I don't really know how to check whether I've got one or not... I don't think I've got a SQL Database account though... shouldn't everything just come together? Why are there so many different accounts that you have to sign up with???

OK then.. so anyway... how to I get a FTP uploader program? Can I just download it from the internet? And are there any recommendations?

The weird thing though is, I don't at the least feel turned off by this cPanel's complexity or anything... it just feels like I've got an adventure coming and I'm ready to learn everything... I mean, if I can learn to set up my local webserver by myself, then why can't I conquer the cPanel???

Must be the support of this forum's members... Or I'd give up ages ago... but anyway.

So I need to find a FTP program so that I can upload my sites onto the webserver... on the cPanel Platform, that is... so, what you you people use? And also, because you have to upload it up, I am assuming that you have to work on it off line first before you put it up? So that's where programs like Dreamweaver and Aptana and Frontpage come in... Ah... OK.

But I don't really think I need that because I'll be using the Wordpress platform. But I need it to be customisable so it allows people to log in and stuff... Is this possible or do I have to approach in in a different angle /approach? Because I don't want to be blogging and when I get enough traffic and visitors find out that wordpress is not customisable and I have to start everything all over again so I can put in a community.

Any help on that as well?

[TheDisturbedOne]

You can download FTP programs online. I use WinSCP, but I know filezilla is a popular one. After you open it up, type in ftp.[yoursite's url] as the address, and enter your FTP (same as your cPanel) username and password.

Wordpress comes default with the member's option to login as far as I know. You have to setup the MySQL database though, which is done in cPanel.

[truefusion]

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 05:42 PM, said:

So I need to find a FTP program so that I can upload my sites onto the webserver... on the cPanel Platform, that is... so, what you you people use? And also, because you have to upload it up, I am assuming that you have to work on it off line first before you put it up? So that's where programs like Dreamweaver and Aptana and Frontpage come in... Ah... OK.

The file manager that comes with CPanel allows you to edit files, but it is practically impractical editing files through CPanel. Having files stored on your computer is the better way of going about it. You could use WYSIWYGs for editing files; however, if you're going to be editing WordPress files, like templates, et cetera, WYSIWYG programs may not be the best programs for such tasks.

I use Filezilla for my FTP needs. The host information required by the FTP program may differ from host to host, so you may need to consult with your web host.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 05:42 PM, said:

But I don't really think I need that because I'll be using the Wordpress platform. But I need it to be customisable so it allows people to log in and stuff... Is this possible or do I have to approach in in a different angle /approach? Because I don't want to be blogging and when I get enough traffic and visitors find out that wordpress is not customisable and I have to start everything all over again so I can put in a community.

WordPress itself is customizable, but you'll need to know of its structure and PHP. Allowing other users to register to your WordPress installation is wholly dependent on you and your WordPress settings. If you have already installed and tested out a WordPress installation on your computer, then you should already know how to at least edit your WordPress settings or navigate the WordPress admin control panel.

[mahesh2k]

In case if i'm not following discussion, please excuse. I think for usage of cpanel you can read this wiki page. Also as you're working with FTP on cpanel this tutorial is very handy for you. There are plenty of freeware FTP program if you want to use desktop application instead of webftp that is provided by cpanel. Try Filezilla.

Also the wordpress in most of the cpanel is likely to be old version if you're using fantastico. If you're using newer version of wordpress then you can install themes online if you're selecting it from wordpress repository. Also if you've wordpress directory writable mode done by your webhost then you can edit the themes from within wordpress dashboard interface. Also new version upgrades are also possible from within wordpress dashboard.

Quote

But I don't really think I need that because I'll be using the Wordpress platform. But I need it to be customisable so it allows people to log in and stuff... Is this possible or do I have to approach in in a different angle /approach?

Do you want to form community by allowing people to log on post article/comment stuff ? and have their own profile ? In that case, instead of wordpress you've to use Buddypress or dolphin or community server software. You're just moving from your blogging requirement to community blog/forum software requirement. So i suggest better download buddypress. And if your requirement is simply allowing multiple users to blog then wordpress-mu, wordpress multi-user software is your only option. Again these two softwares are not having auto-install script so you're on your own. You've to download and install it, set database etc on your own. and i doubt if any free webhost helps with such installation cause they're not part of their offering. Still you can post of forums on their site or here to get instruction about installation and other stuff.

[rvalkass]

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

There's so many files so many folders, mails and stuff, I really don't know how to do everything... First questions first... How do you upload web pages??? Because They were like, you have to have a FTP account and you have to make one somewhere, but I don't know where, and even if I know how to upload static files and pages I will still need to learn how to upload the wordpress folder up there

When you signed up with your hosting you should have been given an FTP username and password, along with the server address. If not, check the help section of the hosting provider's site for the details. The username and password are usually the same as your cPanel username and password. You'll then need an FTP client to upload files with. FileZilla is probably the most popular. Click the Download FileZilla Client button, then choose the Windows installer if you're on Windows (the file ending with .exe). Download it and save it somewhere on your PC, then run it to install FileZilla.

At the top there are 4 boxed labelled Host, Username, Password and Port. Fill in Host, Username and Password with the details from your hosting provider (leave the port one blank), and click Quickconnect. In the two main panels in the middle are the files stored on your computer (shown on the left) and the files stored on your web hosting (shown on the right). Navigate through the folders on each side and drag and drop files between the two panels to transfer files. So, to upload your site use the left panel to find where it is stored on your computer. Then use the right hand panel to open the public_html or www folder on your hosting. Drag the files from the left panel to the right panel and the transfer will start. You can also drag whole folders too.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

and how to then change it into a community (that comes later), but I need to make sure that everything works and that I WILL be able to change the blog so that it still does the archiving function AND let people into my site so I can make a community that:

1) Lets people join in forums... this is a must if I am to want a community. Forum is first priority - it enables discussions and all that.

Wordpress, as far as I know, doesn't have a way to add an integrated forum. So, your forum would be a separate part of the site, would look different, and people would need to use a separate login to get onto the forums (unless you code them to share log in details). Popular forums include phpBB, AEF and SMF.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

2) Lets people post under their name on approved articles??? I don't know how to do that, or even whether it is possible, but it's be nice, so I don't have to post it up myself under my name and say that this article is actually written my someone else

You can use Wordpress's permissions to achieve this. You can set it up so people can make posts when they make an account, and they will appear instantly, or you can set it so that they get added to your 'moderation queue'. and you have to approve each post before it appears on the site. It still appears under their username, but gives you the control to stop spammers etc.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

3) Lets people that joined have their own profile page and hopefully a blog??? I think that that will then widen the content generation so people will blog for me (on their profiles, of course), and I can hold competitions and the best article can go on the main website...

I can't remember if the profile pages are possible in Wordpress, but there is probably a modification out there that will add them. Creating separate blogs is more tricky. You would be able to separate out posts with tags and things, but they would still all appear as part of the same blog.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

4) Um... hopefully having a merchandise area or an affiliate shop so people can buy my niche stuff off from me or from affiliate shops like Amazon???

I think there are Wordpress extensions that cover this. Once you have Wordpress up and running there is a section to install extra extensions - search through there and see if you can find one that accomplishes this for you.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

That's all for now, I don't want to get too greedy, but if possible I would also like to ditch the traditional blogging templates and come up with one that doesn't look like a blog but actually IS a blog...
So the archives will on on the menu and not on the sidebar, and the side bar will be small and contain only ads and links...
And yeah.

If I'm honest, for what you want to achieve, Wordpress is not the ideal solution. Something like Drupal is a much better solution. Drupal contains a forum built in, user profile pages, individual user blogs, and the ability to promote individual posts to the front page to make the best ones part of the main site. It also doesn't look like a Wordpress blog, and has a wide selection of themes and plugins to make it do what you want. Certainly take a look at it if you are serious about making your site something more than just a simple blog.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

What is a cPanel and how do I use it?

cPanel is your control panel for your web hosting, allowing you to manage all your settings and controls. cPanel contains pretty good help, and even include video tutorials and walkthroughs for the most common tasks now, so try those if you need some help getting to grips with it.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:42 PM, said:

OK... so I think I've got a FTP account then... though I don't really know how to check whether I've got one or not... I don't think I've got a SQL Database account though... shouldn't everything just come together? Why are there so many different accounts that you have to sign up with???

You should have the details for your FTP account if you have one. If you weren't given them then your username and password should be the same as your cPanel username and password, and you should be able to get the FTP host address from your hosting provider.

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

The weird thing though is, I don't at the least feel turned off by this cPanel's complexity or anything... it just feels like I've got an adventure coming and I'm ready to learn everything... I mean, if I can learn to set up my local webserver by myself, then why can't I conquer the cPanel???

That's the right attitude See it as an adventure, and don't be worried if it take time to learn or something goes wrong. We're all here to help, and remember that if things do go drastically wrong, it is usually possible to recover from them!

Nameless_, on Sep 22 2009, 10:14 PM, said:

But I don't really think I need that because I'll be using the Wordpress platform. But I need it to be customisable so it allows people to log in and stuff... Is this possible or do I have to approach in in a different angle /approach? Because I don't want to be blogging and when I get enough traffic and visitors find out that wordpress is not customisable and I have to start everything all over again so I can put in a community.

Any help on that as well?

Like I mentioned above, Wordpress is generally used for running one individual blog, with user interaction via comments on posts. It is possible to add extra editors to your blog, but you will all be posting to the same blog at the same time, rather than to individual blogs as you suggested you'd like. Also, as far as I know, Wordpress doesn't have any way to incorporate a forum, so adding one would require people to have a separate login and it would look different from the rest of the site. Drupal is a better bet if you want to build a community around your site, and is more versatile than Wordpress if you want more than just a blog.

[mahesh2k]

Quote

Wordpress, as far as I know, doesn't have a way to add an integrated forum. So, your forum would be a separate part of the site, would look different, and people would need to use a separate login to get onto the forums (unless you code them to share log in details). Popular forums include phpBB, AEF and SMF.

Wordpress has its own forum software called BBPress. It is small and not suitable for large community. It is perfect for small store or software support system to answer questions and to post updates and FAQ. BBPress integrates well with current 2.8 version of Wordpress, earlier few plugins were there. But now no need for 3rd part plugin. And yes you're right. SMF,PhpBB have extentions that integrates wordpress with forum.

[The Simpleton]

Drupal seems to be quite popular around here - I was thinking of designing my site around it as well. I don't have plans for a very large community but Drupal does seem to offer what I have in mind.

@Namelesss_: I hope your doubts abotu cPanel have been cleared by the above useful posts - one small piece of advice - although you can use cPanel for uploading files, stick with FTP transfer only as it's more convenient to use than through cPanel.

[TheDisturbedOne]

The only drawback that I found with Drupal is the amount of work you have to go through to install plug-ins. Most plug-ins require at least one other plug-in for it to work.