How to install simple

Use the following steps to install simple on your web server.

Step 1: Get the files

 

Download simple from the website and unzip the contents to the root directory of your web server.  Optimally, you'll want to install simple on a fresh site.  If not, take care to make sure that none of the directories in simple's structure overwrite any of the files on your site.

Step 2: Grant write access

 

In order to function properly, simple must be able to write to the following directories:

  • /images/Simple/
  • /images/Simple/thumbnails/
  • /include/
  • /tmp/
  • /pages/

Step 3: Create an empty database

 

Using whatever administration tool you currently use to access MySQL, create a new schema that can hold the simple database.  The schema itself should contain no tables (the installer will take care of that later), but you must make sure that there's a MySQL user account that has the ability to SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP, and CREATE.

Step 4: Run the installer

 

Open a browser and load /install.php as though you were browsing the website.  Fill out the fields on the page with MySQL schema and user you just created or selected.  When you click "Install" the script will create the database and seed it with enough data to generate a one-page site.

Step 5: Clean up after the install

Delete the /install.php and /install.sql files from the site.  Next, you can revoke the web server's ability to write to /include/ (this was used to create /include/settings.php in the installer).  Finally, revoke DROP and CREATE priveliges for the MySQL user

Step 6: Dive into the simple interface

 

The installer should have redirected you to the root page of your new site.  From there, you can click a link to the simple login page.  If you closed the window, you can always find the login page at /simple_cms/login.php.  Login with the default credentials.  If you're still looking at the defualt page, click on the simple tab in the upper-right and select "management console" from the menu.  From the management console, click on "users" and change the password for the webmaster account so that you're no longer using the default.

Next, spend some time trying out the interface.  Make some test pages, generate some users and groups, and even set some permissions.

When you're ready, it's time for you to start planning your site and to start making templates.  To get some ideas on where to get started, check in on the tutorials section of the website.