History: Initial Configuration

            ! Initial Configuration

^This page is part of the ((Basic Docs Project)), and is currently being improved.^

This page is an overview of the first things to do as a Tiki site administrator. This page assumes you have completed the ((installation)), and are logged in as the ((admin)) of your site.

{BOX()}
!! Another way: Apply a Profile
__New__: As an alternative to setting configuration options one by one, it is possible to apply a "Profile" to set the Tiki site up for a specific purpose, such as a company intranet, collaborative community, and so on. For more information on this "app store" approach to site configuration, please see [http://profiles.tiki.org].

To set configuration options "manually," continue with the instructions on this page.{BOX} 

For non-administrators (end users) wishing to learn how to use various features in Tiki, see ((Features)).

!!Features Administration
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Once installed, choose the ((features)) you would like to offer in your Tiki. Tiki has a wide variety of features to choose from; wiki, news article, blog, workflow management, forums, and much more. Be warned that the array of choices can be mind-boggling, so you might want to get acquainted with the ((Tikiwiki community|Tiki community)) and find a mentor to advise you on your implementation and to lend a hand up the steepest parts of the learning curve.

for more info: ((Features Admin))

Most of the main features have their own administrator panel, to configure that particular feature. Once you choose the features you want, then visit the appropriate admin page for each feature. In doc.tiki.org, most features have an admin page ~np~ ((featurename admin)) ~/np~ which describes the configuration options available.  


{picture file=img/icons/footprint.gif} You may also be interested in turning on ((Image Gallery)) or ((File Gallery)) features. (In recent Tiki release, the File Gallery is already activated by default.)

!! Optional: Save attachments and images in folders instead of in database
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By default Tiki saves files from wiki attachments, image galleries, file galleries, trackers, userfiles, etc., in the database, but you might configure it to store them in your file tree in the server, so the database is kept as small as possible for backups, etc.

!!! Create folders and set permissions
__Tiki Sections__:
* wiki attachments
* forum attachments
* file galleries
* image galleries
* trackers
* user files

__Needed perms on server__:
The webserver needs to be able to read, write and execute files. Set those folders either as 755, 775, or 777, depending on your server configuration (try in this previously cited order) 

We recommend adding the prefix "tiki_" to these folders you are going to create, so that it's easier for you to identify them. Therefore, you could use folder names as:
* tiki_attach --> __wiki attachments__
* tiki_files --> files from the __file galleries__,
* tiki_images --> images from __image galleries__ ,
* tiki_trackers --> __trackers__ ,
* tiki_userfiles --> __userfiles__ ,
* tiki_forum1 , tiki_forum2 , ... --> attachments to __forums__, if needed; they are specified in a per forum basis, where needed.

(remember, create the folder, and change permissions to 775 or whatever you need in your web hosting)

!!! Set in your Tiki the paths to the folders 
We will assume that when you log in to your server through ftp, you are in folder: ''/home/username/''

Log in to your tiki, through the web browser, as admin, set the path in the following places:
__Wiki attachments__:
* Go to "__Admin > Wiki > Wiki Administration > Manage attachment preferences__".
* Select "Wiki attachments preferences > __Use directory to save files:__", and "__Directory path__": ''/home/username/tiki_attach/''
__File galleries__:
* Go to "__Admin > File Galleries > Galleries features__ "
* Select: "__Use a directory to store files:__", and for "__Directory path__": ''/home/username/tiki_files/''
__Image galleries__:
* Go to "__Admin > Image Galleries > Galleries features__"
* Select: "__Use a directory to store images:__", and for  "__Directory path__": ''/home/username/tiki_images/''
__Trackers__:
* Go to "__Admin > Trackers > Trackers attachments preferences__"
* Select: "__Use a directory to store files:__", and for  "__Directory path__": ''/home/username/tiki_trackers/''
__User files__:
* Go to "__Admin > User files__"
* Select: "__Use a directory to store files:__", and for  "__Directory path__": ''/home/username/tiki_userfiles/''

__NOTE__: Forums can be configured one by one, and not necessarily in one folder for all of them
__Forums, one by one__:
* Go to "__Forums > Admin forums > ''(chose one forum -{img src=http://www.moviments.net/show_image.php?id=264 }-, for instance "forum01")'' > Attachments__"
* Select: "__ Save attachments to:__", and set "__Path:__": ''/home/username/tiki_forum01/''
* repeat as many times as needed for all your forums with attachments

!! Change the other parameters specifics for your web site
----
* "Admin > General",
** "Server name (for absolute URIs):" -> ''http://yourserver.com/yoursite/'' %%% [[''Is this obsolete for 2.1? I cannot find any slot on the Admin > General page with a label similar to this, although I see the following two. If someone in the know could update this it would help relative newcomers like me.'']
** "Title (browser title):" -> ''Set the name of your group, association, business, ...''
** "Send Email:" -> ''your email box name in the same server, if any''
* "Admin > (Login)"
** "HTTP server name:" -> ''yourserver.com''
** "HTTP Prefix for URL:" -> ''yoursite/'' %%% [[''Similarly, I cannot find these two on Admin > (login). Have they moved? The next three are on that page.'']
** "Remember me name:" -> ''yourserver.com''
** "Remember me domain:" -> ''domain_name_set_when_using_setup.sh''
** "Remember me path:" -> ''yoursite/''

{BOX(title=>__NOTE ABOUT INDEX.PHP:__)}
If you see the root directory listing when trying to access your site, you may need to edit the .htaccess file or the httpd.conf file as follows:

Look for the line "DirectoryIndex ..." and make sure it includes "index.php".  

{BOX}
{BOX(title=>__NOTE FOR MULTITIKIS:__)}
You need to set each tiki installation with its own "Remember me Domain:", and this name must the same name used when rinning the script:

 ./setup.sh nobody root 02755 site1 site22

In this example, this screen for the first site should contain: 
* "Remember me domain:" -> ''site1''
And the same configuration screen for the second site:
* "Remember me domain:" -> ''site1''
Etc.
{BOX}

!! Create Groups and Users
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Once you have dictated what your Tiki is to be used __for__, establish __by whom__ it shall be used.

!!!Registration Privileges
Is your Tiki open to the public, or is it closed (even for viewing) to a select circle? A full array of options is available. Most Tiki installations start with three basic user types:
*__admin__ - Each site begins with one "god-level" administrator, who can create/shape/delete pretty much anything. (There should only be one top level admin by default, don't create others unless you really really trust them to know what they are doing.)
*__registered__ - Registered users are one of the two ((user group))s created by default. Administer the permissions of this group for each feature of your Tiki to reflect the permissions settings that you intend to be universal.
*__anonymous__ -  Anonymous users can be viewed as either:
**__users who haven't logged in yet __- in which case they get minimal permissions (view and login/register)
**__users who prefer to remain anonymous__ - in which case you award the group your minimal permissions across all features you want to allow anonymous participation in. 
**__lazy/stupid users__ - Admins who are looking to maximize the contributions (grow content) are likely to facilitate users who are either too lazy or clumsy to manage logging in (probably not a small percentage of the traffic). In this case, be aware you are creating a "wild west" and should maintain surveillance over the changes to your site

see:  ((LDAP authentication)).

!!! Creating additional groups
In addition to the three basic groups above. You can create other groups, generally for one of the following reasons:
*junior administrators / site editors - knowledgeable users can have their permissions bumped up so they can assist in the maintenance and design of the site.
*private user groups - Tiki can be configured using the ((categories)) system to create private pages and areas on the site that are accessible only to users belonging to a certain group. 

For a quick setup of permissions and features, take a look at ((profiles)) or learn to use your custom profile starting from ((Permissions))
see also: ((Groups Management)) and ((Users))

!! Change the appearance
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!!! Choose a theme
((Themes)) are the "skins" of Tiki. Themes use a CSS framework to change the look and feel of all the elements of the site. Tiki comes with a number of themes installed. Tiki's themes affect appearance only, and not functionality. In other words, features work the same in all themes. (If there is a functionality difference between themes, this is a bug and should be reported and fixed.)

Themes can be applied globally, and also to specific categories of pages (which can correspond to user groups), to features, and associated with ((perspectives)). And users can pick their own theme if they're in a group that has that permission. 

For more information about Tiki's themes, please visit [https://themes.tiki.org/|themes.tiki.org].

!!! Choose the layout
Since Tiki 13, several overall page layouts are available and can be selected on the Look and Feel admin page. The site administrator can choose to have a "classic" website layout with a page header containing a horizontal menu, all scrolling together, or a layout with a brand and navigation bar fixed to the top of the browser window, and so on. There are some variations of each of these. For more information, see [https://themes.tiki.org/Layout+Templates].

!! Add and organize the site modules

In Tiki terminology, ((modules)) are containers that hold various kinds of information and functionality. Many are included initially, and custom modules can easily be made by site admins and editors. Modules contain things like menus, search forms, images, a Tiki ((plugin)), etc. The classic arrangement is to have a center main content area with either a left or right column (or both) containing modules for added content and functionality, but modules can be loaded within a wiki page's content or in a blog post or wherever it is needed. Modules have many display parameters, can be sorted in any order and made visible/invisible for different user groups. 

For example, to create your own menu to display in a module and assign it to a location in the page, please read the ((Menu HOWTO)).


!!Create content
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Once you have established all of the above you (and your users) are ready to start adding the content to your site. 

See: ((features)) page for information on how to add/edit content in each of the features you are using. 

{picture file=img/icons/footprint.gif} To learn how to format the content of your wiki pages, read ((Using Wiki Pages))

!!Design your Navigation
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Use ((Menu)), ((Structures)), ((Categories)) and ((Tags)) to organize your content.