Friendika Installation 1. Requirements - Apache with mod-rewrite enabled and "Options All" so you can use a local .htaccess file - PHP > 5.1. The later the better. You'll need 5.3 for full openssl encryption support - PHP *command line* access with register_argc_argv set to true in the php.ini file - Mysql 5.x - ability to schedule jobs with cron (Linux/Mac) or Scheduled Tasks (Windows) [Dreamhost.com offers all of the necessary hosting features at a reasonable price. If your hosting provider doesn't allow Unix shell access, you might have trouble getting everything to work.] 2. Put this directory into the root of your web server document area. - If you copy the directory tree to your webserver, make sure that you also copy .htaccess - as "dot" files are often hidden and aren't normally copied. - To use a subdirectory of your main domain, set the config variable $a->path to the relative subdir in .htconfig.php - for example to use http://example.com/test - use $a->path = 'test'; In this case, you cannot use the web installer. Skip step 3 and proceed to step 4 - especially steps 4a and 4b. - Everything will work much better if you can dedicate a domain or subdomain so that you don't require an extra server path. 3. Visit your website with a web browser and follow the instructions. 4. *If* the automated installation fails for any reason, check the following: 4a. ".htconfig.php" exists If not, edit htconfig.php and change system settings. Rename to .htconfig.php 4b. Database is populated. If not, import the contents of "database.sql" with phpmyadmin or mysql command line 5. At this point visit your website again, and register your personal account. Registration errors should all be recoverable automatically. If you get any *critical* failure at this point, it generally indicates the database was not installed correctly. You might wish to move/rename .htconfig.php to another name and empty (called 'dropping') the database tables, so that you can start fresh. 6. Set up a cron job or scheduled task to run the poller once every 5-10 minutes to pick up the recent "public" postings of your friends. Example: cd /base/directory; /path/to/php include/poller.php Change "/base/directory", and "/path/to/php" as appropriate for your situation. If you are using a Linux server, run "crontab -e" and add a line like the one shown, substituting for your unique paths and settings: */5 * * * * cd /home/myname/mywebsite; /usr/bin/php include/poller.php You can generally find the location of PHP by executing "which php". If you have troubles with this section please contact your hosting provider for assistance. Friendika will not work correctly if you cannot perform this step.