• Create MySQL database, user and password to be used by the Joomla system:

  $ mysql -u root -h localhost -p
  mysql> SHOW DATABASES;
  mysql> CREATE DATABASE joomla;
  mysql> GRANT ALL ON joomla_db.* TO joomla_usr@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'joomla_pass';
  mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

• Download the software from http://www.joomla.org to the installation directory on the web server, such as /var/www/html.
• Unpack the software in /var/www/html, and set file ownership to web server process (in this case, apache):

  $ cd /var/www/html
  $ tar xzf Joomla_1.0.11-Stable-Full_Package.tar.gz
  $ chown -R apache:apache *

• Point the browser to your website, such as http://www.example.com or http://www.example.com/joomla (if using joomla as the installation directory).
• Perform pre-installation check, and take care of issues listed there.
• Step 1: Enter database information
  • Hostname: localhost
  • MySQL Username: joomla_user
  • MySQL Password: joomla_password
  • MySQL Database Name: joomla_db
  • MySQL Table Prefix: jos_
• Enable write permissions to file configuration.php:

  $ chmod a+rw configuration.php

• Step 2: Enter site name.
• Step 3:
  • URL: http://www.example.com
  • Path: /var/www/html
  • Your E-mail: admin@example.com
  • Admin password: adminpassword
• Step 4:
  • Remove the installation directory (/var/www/html/installation) for security reasons.
  • Write down admin username and password.
  • Copy configuration to file /var/www/html/configuration.php. Make sure this file is set to read-only.

• Login to Administration page: http://www.example.com/administrator
• Change site template: Site > Template Manager > Site Template. Search the Internet for more Joomla templates.
• Create site users: Site > User Manager

Sometimes, due to permission restrictions on the server, it is not possible to install a component through the usual method (inside Joomla). You have 2 alternatives:

1. Give more rights to the web server process to read/write the Joomla files and folders.
2. Install the component manually. Basically, copy the files using FTP, then register the component to the database using SQL.

Usually giving yourself more rights is a problem since you might be hosting and not managing the server. To work around this problem, you need a different approach

Perform the following steps: 1. Analyze the installer XML file:

• Open the component installer (it should be a zip file).
• Locate and open the installer XML file.

Sample Installer XML file:

<mosinstall type="component">
 <name>HelloForm</name>
 <creationDate>06/08/2006</creationDate>
 <author>John Doe</author>
 <copyright>© 2006, John Doe.  All rights reserved.</copyright>
 <license>
  This component in released under the GNU/GPL License (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html).
 </license>
 <authorEmail>jdoe@example.com</authorEmail>
 <authorUrl>www.example.com</authorUrl>
 <version>1.0</version>
 <description>
   This provides a basic Joomla component.
 </description>
 
 <files>
  <filename>helloform.php</filename>
  <filename>helloform.html.php</filename>
  <filename>helloform_settings.php</filename>
  <filename>helloform_settings.php.default</filename>
  <filename>language/english.php</filename>
 </files>
 
 <install>
  <queries>
   <query>DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `#__helloform`;</query>
  </queries>
 </install>
 
 <installfile>
  <filename>install.helloform.php</filename>
 </installfile>
 
 <uninstallfile>
  <filename>uninstall.helloform.php</filename>
 </uninstallfile>
 
 <uninstall>
  <queries>
   <query>DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `#__helloform`;</query>
  </queries>
 </uninstall>
 
 <administration>
  <menu>HelloForm</menu>
  <submenu>
   <menu act="config">Configuration</menu>
   <menu act="manage">Manage Items</menu>
  </submenu>
  <files>
   <filename>admin.helloform.html.php</filename>
   <filename>admin.helloform.php</filename>
   <filename>helloform.class.php</filename>
   <filename>toolbar.helloform.html.php</filename>
   <filename>toolbar.helloform.php</filename>
   <filename>help/index.html</filename>
   <filename>tmpl/com_admin.html</filename>
   </files>
 </administration>
</mosinstall>

2. Perform installation steps manually using the installer XML file as a reference:

• Copy the component files to the correct place. For example, assuming the component name is mycomp:
  • Files listed under <files> should by copied to /joomla/components/com_mycomp.
  • Files listed under <administration><files>…</files></administration > should by copied to /joomla/administration/components/com_mycomp.
  • Execute the SQL statements (using phpMyAdmin or MySQL client) to create whatever tables and fields are required by the component. Only execute the SQL statements under <install><queries>…</queries></install>.

3. Register the component on the server. Basically, go to the Joomla database, under the components table (usually jos_components), create a new record similar to the others. The fields must contain the relevant data from the new component.

Note that:

• For every menu entry under <administration><menu>Parent Menu Entry …</menu></administration> there will be an entry in table jos_components, and the Parent ID will be 0.
• For every menu entry under <administration><submenu><menu>SubMenu Entry …</menu></submenu></administration> there will be an entry in table jos_components, and the Parent ID (field `parent`) will contain the Record ID (field `id`) of the parent record (parent menu).

For example, these would be the records to add based on the XML installer:

Sample SQL statement:

INSERT INTO `jos_components` ( 
  `id` , `name` , `link` , `menuid` , `parent` , 
  `admin_menu_link` , `admin_menu_alt` , `option` , 
  `ordering` , `admin_menu_img` , `iscore` , `params` 
)
VALUES (
  NULL , 'HelloForm', '', 
  '0', '0', 'option=com_helloform', 'Manage/Configure HelloForm', 
  'com_helloform', '0', 
  'images/icon.png', 
  '0', ''
);

These are the descriptions of each field:

An alternative way (probably the best way to approach the problem):

• Export your Joomla database using phpMyAdmin.
• Install that database locally on your PC.
• Install the component there.
• Backup your local database using phpMyAdmin.
• Recreate the database on the server using phpMyAdmin and your new backup.
• Copy your local files to the server (so that the component files are copied to the right place).

If you do not want to go through all this trouble, at least:

• Create a local database using a backup copy from the server (use phpMyAdmin for export and import).
• Install the component locally (use Joomla install process).
• Inspect what record it created locally under table jos_components.
• Register the component on the server. Basically, write an SQL statement to create that record in table jos_components (use phpMyAdmin to execute the SQL statement). For example:

  INSERT INTO `jos_components` ( 
    `id` , `name` , `link` , `menuid` , `parent` , 
    `admin_menu_link` , `admin_menu_alt` , `option` , 
    `ordering` , `admin_menu_img` , `iscore` , `params` 
  )
  VALUES (
    NULL , 'MyComp', 'option=com_mycomp', 
    '0', '0', 'option=com_mycomp', 'MyComp', 
    'com_mycomp', '0', 
    '../administrator/components/com_mycomp/images/mycomp_x_icon.png', 
    '0', ''
  );