Patrick's CMS

Installing superMicro CMS

As simple as:
  1. Download and unzip
  2. Upload to server
  3. Do install then setup
  4. Start making pages

superMicro CMS must be uploaded to the web before it becomes a website, so you will need some web space. It can be rented for a few dollars or pounds per month. The system is best on Linux-type web hosting packages running APACHE web server with .htaccess supported and the mod_rewrite module enabled (they usually are) but also works fine on Microsoft-IIS (Windows) servers. The CMS requires PHP, by far the most widely used scripting language for websites. A domain name and a suitable web hosting package is all that's required, plus of course the CMS.

Installation should take less than two minutes by following the simple instructions below. You will need an FTP client program to access your web server. FileZilla is free but there are many others. Can also be installed via cPanel.

Quick test install: upload the unzipped cms folder then go to:

example.com/cms/admin/install.php

The rest takes less than a minute.

See also lost or forgotten password »


Installation in more detail

(1) Upload

Upload (FTP) everything inside* the download folder cms to where you want the system to run. For example:

www.yoursite.com or
www.yoursite.com/subfolder/ ('subfolder' can be anything you want).


* Don't upload e.php if you don't want a contact page.

* Don't upload s.php if you don't want a search page.


(2) Installation

Depending on where you installed the system, go to:

www.yoursite.com/admin/install.php or
www.yoursite.com/subfolder/admin/install.php

You will need to setup the password for site 'admin'. Process the password here or follow the instructions on the installation page. Don't forget the salt.

* If you uploaded the whole of the download folder cms - including the actual folder - into (say) the root folder, your installation will be located at:

www.yoursite.com/cms/admin/ (site admin)
www.yoursite.com/cms/ (the site)

Then go to setup »


The 'admin' folder

The admin folder can be renamed for security. Do this as soon as the system is running, preferably before you upload it, and definitely before you create the extended .htaccess file.

/admin/
/myadminxyz/

If you renamed the 'admin' folder to something else, depending on where you installed the system, go to:

https://etc.com/adminfoldername/setup.php or
https://etc.com/subfolder/adminfoldername/setup.php

Then submit setup.

Your server will normally require the following permissions:

Folders (directories) [ CHMOD 755 ]
Files [ CHMOD 644 ]

(0)755 is usually the directory default for web hosting services, and (0)644 for files - writable by you as owner. Directory and file permissions can be set in the File Manager of the website control panel (cPanel, Plesk etc).

Normally nowadays you don't need to do anything about directory and file permissions. They are set automatically.

The 'diagnostics' page

When the system is installed there is a diagnostics page:

www.yoursite.com/diagnostics/

It should be re-named to something-unguessable.php for security. Or it can be deleted altogether. It is simply a test file with information about the server and a few other things that might help to check everything is as it should be.


The folders and files

The system folders and files are listed here »

Installation creates the following additional files:

/admin/password.php
/inc/settings.php
/css/extra.css
/css/mobile.css
/css/stylesheet.css
/inc/inmenu.txt
/pages/index.txt

The reason they are created during installation is so that updates (which do not contain those files) don't overwrite them, i.e. they will be preserved 'as is'.

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Page last modified: 10 March, 2024