Posted by robcate on January 17, 2013 at 6:33pm
Hello,
I have successfully downloaded drupal, I have it in my htdocs. I created a database but I actually need to connect to a site that is already built. If there is any documentation on this I would love to have it. I have the server information, I just would like to make changes to the site myself, new to drupal.
Thanks guys!
Comments
So, you have a web site that
So, you have a web site that is not built with Drupal and you want to turn it into a Drupal site? If so, how was the existing site made?
Sorry, I should have been
Sorry,
I should have been more clear. The site is built in drupal, by another developer that I hired to work. I would like to make changes myself and learn drupal.
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if you want to work/play/break a copy of your production site ...
you need to export the prod DB
then import that into the new DB
clear the cache tables
clear the sessions table
clear the watchdog table
test
Also, instead of downloading
Also, instead of downloading a fresh copy of Drupal, you should download all the files from your existing site with FTP so you know you have all the needed modules and versions.
What files should I download?
What files should I download? Is there a main folder file that I should be looking for? Also would I be downloading these files to htdocs?
Ok, so when I FTP download
Ok, so when I FTP download prod DB file? is that what it will say, "prod DB"?
Also, clearing the cache, sessions, and watchdog table, that is done through MAMP on MySQL?
thanks a lot
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you don't access the DB on the production server with FTP. you access it with the hosts database administration tool which is usually phpmyadmin. When you export it, you name it whatever you want. Then import it the same way on the local machine.
VM - If I do some reading on
VM -
If I do some reading on phpmyadmin, I should be able to import the DB and I can export it/name it whatever I want? Then work with it in htdocs?
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no. the database does not go anywhere near htdocs. It's a database. it's runs on database software. all you need to be concerned with is how to import/export the database.
The object is to get a copy of the database that you can learn with. This protects the production database and ultimately the site.
At this point if you are totally new to this stuff, I highly suggest learning to export/import on the local machine so you don't break your production site. Once you are familiar with the necessary tools and methods, you can graduate to taking a backup of the production site.
If I've understood you
If I've understood you correctly you own a Drupal site that someone else has built. That site will already have it's own database so you don't need to create a new one.
There are two parts you need to access the administration of your site, the site itself, and the server that your site is hosted on.
From the person who built it you need the usernames and passwords for the site administrator.
On your site, instead of going to yoursite.com go to yoursite.com/user and log in as the administrator using the administrators username and password. This will give you access to the administrators menu (probably in a margin) from which you can access all the behind the scene administration pages of your Drupal site.
Access to the database and files themselves will be through the server wherever the site is hosted. The person who built your site should also be able to give you the username and password, and the website address, to the server administration pages.
Having said all the above, you will probably realise that if you access the administration pages of your site or your server without knowing what you are doing you can seriously screw things up!
With your apparent lack of knowledge I would do some reading if I were you before touching the existing site.
Drupal Manuals
Thats exactly right! I guess
Thats exactly right!
I guess I should ask for the admin username and password. I have FTP'd to the server but I don't know which files to download.
I do have a lack of knowledge but I am learning a lot from this cool website, www.teamtreehouse.com. I just want to build some basic pages, and play around with the CSS to make the UX easier to understand.
If there is anymore advice you could give me I'd really appreciate it. I've seen the admin of Drupal before and how you can change themes, but I don't see how that works with CSS pages? I'm sure if I do some surfing I will find it. The way I've been learning is by importing a CSS file into the HTML doc and creating the pages that way. I would like to continue using that method and just change/create locally to build in some basic pages.
Thanks!
The easiest way to change css
The easiest way to change css is still to access the admin pages of the site and check which theme you are using.
Ideally you would use a base theme such as Adaptive Theme and then create your own sub theme by following the instructions at http://adaptivethemes.com/documentation
You can change the css on your sub themes to your hearts content without changing the main theme itself, so if you screw things up you just change to the main theme, delete your sub theme and start again.
Drupal Manuals
This is awesome thanks a lot.
This is awesome thanks a lot.