am i out of my league here?

  • ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)


    18 years, 5 months ago

    please tell me, before i go any further, is WP a product that’s usable by the typical layperson?

    i’m very excited about starting a photoblog, and i have a modest/fair knowledge of current Mac imaging software, i’ve worked a little bit on some basic website design (WYSIWYG – not HTML) and i’m all hooked up with a server… BUT, after reading through these threads, looking for a place to get started with my installation of WP, i gotta say i’m fairly intimidated.

    is it important that i don’t know what the heck PHP and MySQL is? i mean, i know they’re served up by my server, and i know how to turn them on, but i’m a drag and drop kinda guy – do i need to really know this language to effectively use WP?

    for instance, the very first directive in WP’s instructions for installation is: Unzip the package in an empty directory. i’m terribly sorry to be sounding like an idiot here, but, um, directory?.. does that just mean unzip it on my Desktop? again, sorry.

    i won’t bore (entertain?) you with any more of my confusions… but just know that i’m not a complete dummy. i’m proficient in PhotoShop and a few others, and i’m a fast learner…

    that said, do y’all think i can work this stuff?

    thanks a ton… oh, also: if you know of a particular thread title you can suggest that would be a good place to start, or if you just want to make this thread such a thread (is thread even the right word?) by telling me what i need to do, i’d appreciate it double!

    cheers!
    chris

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
1 2
  • Mark (podz)

    (@podz)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    I know diddly about php / msql / linux / apache and all manner of other things that belong in geekdom but which power WP – and like a lot of others in my position we happily run blogs 🙂

    http://www.ctfoto.com/

    If the above is yours, you would unzip the download on your computer then upload the files and folders to a directory on your site (http://www.ctfoto.com/photolog) for instance.

    Who is your webhost ?

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    Omnis is my host… no complaints yet, but then, i really haven’t done much with them.

    and, in reading ‘directory’ in the context of your post, i do know what that is after all. the dirctories to my URL that i access through Fetch, right?

    ctfoto.com is slated to be a fairly static portfolio site, but i’d like to re-direct another URL (which will be the WP photoblog) to a subfolder of ctfoto, which is my primary (hosted) URL at Omnis.

    at least i think that’s what i want to do… is that the right thing to do: redirect URLs for which i’m just paying the $9 per year ‘hold-this-URL’ charge into a subfolder of the URL i’m paying full hosting prices for?

    thanks for offering your help Podz…
    ct

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    …by the way, i’ve just discovered the detailed instructions on Codex, so here goes…
    ct

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    aw geez… ok, so i’m in my phpMyAdmin page, following all the detailed instructions, but i’m not being allowed to create a new database (it says “#1044-access denied for user”).

    is this something i need to talk to my server/host about?
    ct

    vkaryl

    (@vkaryl)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    Do you have a cPanel (aka plesk, vdesk, ensim)? If so, then you should be creating the database on the mysql databases page (on a cpanel you should see an icon and title MySQL Databases)….

    xstndd

    (@xstndd)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    I’m new to this, but here’s an easy root: download MAMP http://www.mamp.info/ (Mac, Apache, Mysql, PHP) combined package, do a bit of reading then download WordPress into MAMP. It’s actually amazingly easy and WordPress is sooooo cool! I’m on my second day of discovery.

    xstndd

    (@xstndd)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    a directory is a folder

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    no. apparently, i access MySQL through phpMyAdmin… it seems this is a logical alternative, as the instructions on Codex refer to creating a new database with both cPanel and phpMyAdmin.

    but, no… i don’t see a cPanel (or plesk, vdesk, ensim) on my account management page for Omnis (my host server).

    might the privilege to add a database be something my particular account isn’t eligible for?

    or, is this something that anyone should be allowed to do on their host server?

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    hey thanks Xstndd… that previous post was answering Vkaryl.

    to you i say, heck yeah! i’ll check out mamp!

    dang, i feel dumb!
    ct

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    vkaryl

    (@vkaryl)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    Better check with your host then, things like this vary server to server.

    Xstndd is referring, btw, to setting up programs on your own machine at home to run a local copy of wordpress – which can be a good idea once you’ve had some time to play with wp….

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    so in other words, using MAMP, i’d be using my own computer as the server, instead of using my host server?

    vkaryl

    (@vkaryl)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    Yes, and unless you’re very good with security and so on, you’d be well advised NOT to allow access to your own computer by others (as through an internet connection, for instance).

    Thread Starter ctfoto

    (@ctfoto)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    well, that answers that. thanks Vkaryl.

    so, back to the drawing board… i did check with my server and he says i can’t create a new database : i only have the one. but that i can create new folders inside it… does that sound right? that doesn’t seem to fit with any of the install directions i’m reading on Codex.

    he did say that they (Omnis) are current and set up (i checked and all the PHP and MySQL versions are up to date) to work with WB, so i’m apparently really missing something here.

    Mark (podz)

    (@podz)

    18 years, 5 months ago

    “i only have the one. but that i can create new folders inside it… “
    Not folder, but tables 🙂

    WP sets up it’s own tables and sharing a db is not a problem at all.

    Now you need the 4 items in the wp-config.php file and you’ll be set to go.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)
1 2
  • The topic ‘am i out of my league here?’ is closed to new replies.