Hello to all,

I have decided to go with using Joomla for my site.

I am signed up with LP's Basic Hosting package.

I had manually installed SMF to its own folder/directory in the public_html folder, and I do have an index.html file uploaded, but that's all so far as my site has not yet been officially launched.

It appears from people's comments both here and at Joomla's forum, that doing a manual installation of Joomla, as opposed to using Fantastico, is advised.

There are instructions for the manual installation, "the less easy way," and for the browser installation, "the easy way."

For Configuring MySQL, Joomla advises: Please check to see whether your server provider has set your hosting account to Safe Mode (this is a setting within the Apache web server). You will be unable to install Joomla! with the Joomla! automatic installer if your server is set to "safe mode".

Is the "automatic installer" they refer to part of the browser installation process?

It appears that my account is not in Safe Mode...

For "the easy way" browser installation, it says: "When you have finished uploading the files and folders, go to your homepage (http://www.yoursite.com or http://yoursite.com/joomla_folder). You should now see a pre-installation check page generated by Joomla."

I gather the software must first be downloaded to my computer, then uploaded to the server?

Would I set up a new database user in MySQL first?

Would I upload the Joomla files into the public_html folder?

Thanking all in advance... 

Hello 'n Thank you, katrina

Sometimes it seems as if the more I learn the less I know... 

Hey Rowan,

Thank you for tossing in your 2 cents