SkyBlueCanvas Installation

Important: If you are upgrading from an earlier version of SkyBlueCanvas, please refer to Upgrade.html.

Contents

System Requirements

  1. PHP version 4 or 5 running on Linux, Unix, FreeBSD, OpenBSD or MacOS X
    (Sorry, Windows servers are not supported at this time)
  2. A FTP Client

    You can get FileZilla from Mozilla for free at http://filezilla-project.org/download.php.

  3. The Apache mod_rewrite module enabled (optional but recommended).

    If you are unfamiliar with this module please consult with your hosting company or system administrator.

  4. PHP Posix Library enabled.

    This library is used during the SkyBlueCanvas installation. If your installation of PHP does not have it enabled, you can still install SkyBlueCanvas but you will have to consult with your hosting provider to determine the correct file permissions to set for the SkyBlueCanvas PHP files.

  5. JavaScript enabled in your web browser

    See http://www.umassd.edu/cits/help/javascript.cfm for instructions.

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FTP Installation

  1. Download the SkyBlueCanvas ZIP or TAR file and extract the contents into a folder on your compter.
  2. Connect to your web server using your FTP client and upload the SkyBlueCanvas code.

    Your hosting provider should have provided you with your FTP account address (URL), username and password. Every FTP Client (software for connecting to a hosting account) is slightly different. Please consult the documentation for your FTP Client software for connection instructions.

  3. Change the file permissions of the entire skyblue folder to 775. Apply the changes recursively to all directories and files in the skyblue folder.

    SkyBlueCanvas will attempt to determine the correct file permissions.

    If your installation of PHP does not have the Posix Library enabled, set your file permissions to 777 in order to complete the SkyBlueCanvas installation. After the installation has completed, change your file permissions to 775.

    Every hosting provider has their servers set up slightly differently and there is no single set of permissions that apply for every hosting environment. Your best bet is to consult with your hosting provider's FAQs (frequently asked questions), user forums, or customer support.

  4. Rename the file /skyblue/htaccess.txt to .htaccess (dot htaccess) to enable SEF URLs
  5. Point your web browser to http://yourdomain.com/ or if you have installed SkyBlueCanvas in a sub-directory of your main domain, http://yourdomain.com/sub_directory_where_skyblue_is_installed/.
  6. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. This will be a simple form you need to fill in.
  7. When you log in to the Admin Control Panel, go to Admin > Settings > Default Info, and enter the info in the form.

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FTP Installation (Advanced Users)

  1. Download the tar file and place it in the root of your new website.
  2. Unpack the tarball (tar -zxf skyblue.tar.gz)
  3. Rename the file /skyblue/htaccess.txt to .htaccess (dot htaccess) to enable SEF URLs
  4. Change the owner/group of the directory contents (chown -R apache:apache `*`)

    The name of the owner and group of the web server process may vary based on operating system. You may need to consult with your hosting provider or server administrator to determine the name of the user and group of the Apache (httpd) process.

  5. Change the file permissions of the entire skyblue folder to 775. Apply the changes recursively to all directories and files in the skyblue folder.

    SkyBlueCanvas will attempt to determine the correct file permissions.

    If your installation of PHP does not have the Posix Library enabled, set your file permissions to 777 in order to complete the SkyBlueCanvas installation. After the installation has completed, change your file permissions to 775.

    Every hosting provider has their servers set up slightly differently and there is no single set of permissions that apply for every hosting environment. Your best bet is to consult with your hosting provider's FAQs (frequently asked questions), user forums, or customer support.

  6. Point your web browser to http://yourdomain.com/ or if you have installed SkyBlueCanvas in a sub-directory of your main domain, http://yourdomain.com/sub_directory_where_skyblue_is_installed/.
  7. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. This will be a simple form you need to fill in.
  8. When you log in to the Admin Control Panel, go to Admin > Settings > Default Info, and enter the info in the form.

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Trouble Shooting

If you get an error when you point your browser to the Setup Wizard, try setting the permissions of the /skyblue/ directory to 777. It is not recommended that you leave the permissions set to 777. The first screen of the Setup Wizard will suggest the proper settings. Once you have completed the installation, you can change the file permissions to the correct setting. If you continue to have trouble, check your hosting provider’s documentation or contact their Support Center and ask for "the correct settings for their server to allow web software to read and write files".

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Get Help

I am always happy to help users install and use SkyBlueCanvas. However, my time is very limited. Before you contact me for help, please do the following:

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You are now ready to start adding your site’s content. You can log into the SkyBlueCanvas admin control panel by going to http://www.yourdomain.com/admin.php.