mars guitars

Hello all, I've started to develop a new website using Drupal Content Management System (CMS) and thought I'd blog its development here for the benefit of anyone else who'd thinking of the same thing. Not exactly a beginners guide to Drupal, but more an indication of what sort of thing's needed to go from absolute beginner to useable Drupal website.

Here's what I've done so far:

1) Bought Webspace off UK2, who were already hosting the domain for me. The web offering includes php, MySQL, Apache control panel and a whole load of other cool stuff.

2) Used "Fantastico" to install Drupal directly within the UK2 provided webspace. This was brilliant - easy as pie - no downloading, FTP'ing etc. All you do is select Drupal from within the Fantastico part of the UK2 control panel, enter a couple of details and it does it all for you. Worked first time, very encouraging!

3) Set up some basic info in Drupal, created admin account, tried creating content. All good, so far!

4) Played with Blocks. OK, this is good. Added new blocks for Adwords - Skyscraper Image add down RHS and an adwords text block below navigation on LHS. Enabled Search, but still not showing unless I'm logged in - looked at settings several times, but not sure what problem is. Experimented with block 'weight' seems like a useful way of ordering content.

5) Removed Login block. OK, looks better. PANIC! How do I now log in to admin? Did a bit of Googling, found that you can get to the login screen from "url/user". Phew.

6) How do I add images? Managed to attach file, but it wouldn't display as image, even when putting HTML image code in body. After a bit of research decide I needed a new 'module'.

7) OK, found an Image Module on drupal website, downloaded to Mac as tarball, unzipped to see mutiple files in folder structure. Tried to upload to site using File Manager from UK2 cpanel. Won't upload whole folder. Tried to upload tarball file... won't work with Safari... tried in Firefox, now works OK. Unzipped with File Manager unzipper. In Drupal now configured the new module and after a bit of experimentation I can now upload pictures, attach them to posts and automatically thumbnail. Initially all images were also appearing on their own on the front page, until I unchecked a magic 'promote to front page' feature.

8) Figured out how to display images without titles and remove user submission details from other posts.

9) I want an FAQ page, similar to Front Page, where I can submit 'stories' as FAQs. Created FAQ page, created new Content Type, but can't figure out how to create the correct behavior between them!

OK, that's the main bits I can remember form the last couple of days - there's also been a lot of general experimentation and trying things out.

I hope this is useful/interesting to others; if so, I'll continue to add bits here as I learn more. The site is still very much 'under development', but if you're interested can be viewed at www.guitarstringguide.com (feel free to click on things )

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Guitar strings and accessories, Rotosound bass strings, Guitar Capos and Guitar Gifts from Mars Guitars UK
. . . .under development.. guitar string guide

mars guitars

Another one I forgot to mention...

10) Enabled 'clean URLs'. It seemed to make no difference whatsoever! Any ideas?

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Guitar strings and accessories, Rotosound bass strings, Guitar Capos and Guitar Gifts from Mars Guitars UK
. . . .under development.. guitar string guide

Professional Dude

thanks for the great steps
it sure is helpful

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jackio

grabbing for myself those steps also

mars guitars

I haven't had much time to spend on the new Drupal site, but this is what I've done recently (continued from above)....
11) Experimented with themes. Simply download free Drupal templates from http://themebot.com/downloads/drupal-themes then upload them to the themes folder using the cpanel upload tool (no need for FTP programs!). Upload as tarball then unzip using cPanel File Manager extract tool. Once themes are available you can then select what's available and what's default from within the Drupal Admin section. For now I've settled on "bluebreeze".

12) Enabled the "Polls" module - as easy as ticking a box in Administrator>Site Building>Modules. Added a new Block for "most recent Poll"

13) A bit of general tinkering - added a block at top of content for more Google Adsense ads (text only)

14) Currently can't edit or add content due to a file permissions problem

... that's about all for now - comments and advice welcome!

15) Search was enabled but wasn't returning any results... said 0% of the site has been indexed. Tried clicking Re-Index, but no change.
Googled it and found Simply put your browser to http://yoursite.com/cron.php where yoursite.com, obviously, is replaced by the address to your site. (here: http://drupal.org/node/81682). Sounded too easy, but tried it anyway and Hey Presto! My search now works.

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Guitar strings and accessories, Rotosound bass strings, Guitar Capos and Guitar Gifts from Mars Guitars UK
. . . .under development.. guitar string guide