How do I install a theme, a plugin or a module????

Try http://drupal.org/node/120641

Eric

See Installing contributed modules. The process for themes is pretty much the same, except once it's installed you go to admin/build/themes to enable/use the the theme.

The docs are a bit of a mess these days (there was a glitch in the recent d.o upgrade) but the documentation team is working to resolve to it. Incidently, I found the page (because it was not where it was supposed to be) quite easily by searching with "installing contributed modules".

Also, I'm not sure what you mean mean when you say 'close the post'-- we don't lock forum posts on d.o. (unless there's been some sort of trolling or abuse, and then its usually very clearly indicated at the top of the post).

It seems like I answered my own question.

I thought it worth a try so I did the following.

It is just a simple case of copying them to a folder.

I used Fire ftp for Mozilla.

Get a link here:
http://winfoes.co.uk/free_software.html

7-Zip to extract the files.
Get a link here:
http://winfoes.co.uk/portable_apps.html

I am installing on Drupal 6.10

I simply uploaded the folder after I had extracted it to Root/modules, (be careful on earlier versions there may be a different path), this was for plugins and modules.

For the themes I simply uploaded to Root/themes.

Note.
Extract the folder until you have the files, (sometimes with folders), until you are uploading the parent folder without changing or altering the parent folder name or obviously the files and folders it contains.

Some apps like Wysiwyg API once installed will give you download links to editors, image and js tools to help you insert content into your pages. These are uploaded to the Wysiwyg folder, (mentioned in the wysiwyg panel after enabling the installation).
http://drupal.org/project/wysiwyg

So look at any documentation to ensure there are no different paths to upload to when installing the modules.

Finally go to:

Site Building/Modules/List
Site Building/Themes/List to enable.

I must admit that after working with Joomla the installation process is short with Drupal.
It takes me at least twice as long to install with Joomla.

That all for now, so long and thanks for all the fish.

Than you for the correction. (Technically you may be correct).
When I say Root my root come from the default path.
My default path is:
public_html
I understand why you have pointed this out.
But the ROOT path is the folder above the installation not the Server path.
If we where to explain Root, I do not own the server.
My Root is my allowed server folder for the install.
If I choose to install to a folder I created above the server Root then I would choose that folder as my Root.
Does that make sense to anyone?
Always think top level to your access.
Not what you are told by your server or anyone else for that matter.
I do see your technical point though but I am not technical. I prefer to remain practical.
Too much technicality exists already to confuse.
However because you are technically correct I have explained why I chose the word ROOT.
ROOT to me is something I can access easily, especially since I try and do everything FTP..

And what links.
Like all message boards when you do a search you get timeless time wasting hoping that information is supplied only to be disappointed.

Besides when I have got close on this forum I am disappointed that people often find their own solution only to forget to post it so that others may benefit.

These posts remain in the search and wate peoples time.

Does know one consider deleting useless posts so that they do not appear in the search. Or is that like many who wish to grow too big too fast that if one was to delete these posts that GOOGLE would not bring people to the site and so irritate all those who visit because basically some posts contain c**p.

Oh and just for information what installation are you using?
The reason I ask is because of the path you gave me.
I have installed 6.10

I'm sorry but what more do you want than Installing contributed modules????

This is EXACTLY the instruction you asked for-- step-by-step, clearly documented and explained. There is nothing more to add. Should I copy and paste it in this thread so you don't have to go to the extreme effort of clicking the link?

You get irritated by posts with links? I, and MANY others who provide assistance in the forums, get irritated answering the same damn questions over and over and over again when the exact answer is right there. It's one thing when the answer is either not available, hard to find, or not clear-- but in this case (and many many many others) it was.

Why should we be expected to retype the same info over and over and over and over again?

Well I am glad someone posted the link.
Thanks WorldFallz.

http://drupal.org/node/70151

"PAGE COPY"

Once you have the Drupal core files installed, you can begin adding third-party contributed modules to extend or alter Drupal's behavior.

The basic instructions are as follows: Download the module, extract the files, upload the resulting folder, and enable the module in Administer > Site building > Modules.

The detailed instructions are:

1. Download the module. Make sure the version of the module matches your version of Drupal. Note that "Development snapshots" are modules that are in an active stage of development. They may be written for a previous/current/future version of Drupal, and they are considered unstable and should be handled with care.
2. Extract the files. When you first get the module, it will appear in a compressed file format such as 'tar.gz'. On Windows, use a program like 7-zip to extract it. On the Mac, you can use Stuffit Expander. For *nix systems, use the command line:

tar -zxvf modulename-drupalversionnumber.tar.gz

You should see a list of files extracted into a folder.
3. Upload the folder. FTP your files to the desired modules folder in your Drupal installation. Since the /modules/ folder is typically reserved for Drupal core modules, as of version 5.x you should create a sites/all/modules/ directory and put uploaded modules there. This will also make it easier to update your Drupal site later on.
4. Read the directions. If the module has an installation file (usually INSTALL.txt and/or README.txt), read it for specific instructions. There are modules that require special treatment, and even modules that depend on other downloaded files to function properly. Sometimes the README file has no .txt extension. When you try to double-click on it, your computer doesn't know what program to use. In that case, open your favorite text editor first, and then open the file using the editor's 'file open' command.
5. Enable the module. Navigate to Administer > Site building > Modules. Check the 'Enabled' box next to the module and then click the 'Save Configuration' button at the bottom. NOTE: If you're upgrading an existing module you'll need to browse to your update page at www.example.com/update.php and click on 'run the database upgrade script'.
6. Set file permissions. Some modules will require you change permissions or settings to get them working. Permissions and settings info may be in the instructions that came with the module. Usually, go to Administer > User management > Permissions (for D5 its Administer > User management > Access control). Scroll down to see if the module appears in the list and, if it does, give the appropriate permissions to desired roles.
7. Adjust settings. Most modules will have some type of settings page. It will vary from module to module but but if not described in the README.txt file it will usually be located at Administer > Site building or Administer > Site configuration. If you have trouble locating a module's settings page try navigating to "admin/by-module" and see if the module appears in the list. If it does, it's settings page(s) will be listed also. If all else fails, check the module's .module file for a 'modulename_menu' function-- even if you're not a coder the settings path, if there is one, should be pretty easy to discern.
8. If you run into problems, search the module's issue queue and the forums. If your problem hasn't already been addressed, post a question or issue and someone will try to help you out.

Note: To keep up-to-date on any issues and fixes related to your newly installed module(s), you can create a user account (if you haven't done so all ready) and then subscribe to each module you are using.

Note: You can have only one copy of a module with the same name in each Drupal site. The module's name is determined by the name of the .module file, not by the name of the directory.

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I uploaded all the modules I may require prior to creating the site, I now have to uninstall them all and re-install into a folder that has to be created.

No problem though as installation of these modules only takes a little more time than an upload.
Also I created a site purely to test Drupal as I was considering which CMS to use. Drupal or Joomla.
I have come to the conclusion I will use both.

For those that wonder why these modules work when I have installed into the wrong folder the answer is that the folder I installed to works if you have multiple sites.

See:

aitala - April 3, 2009 - 21:07

Try http://drupal.org/node/120641

Eric

"QUOTE"
"7. Extract the code to to your /sites/sitename/modules or themes folder. If you are not running multiple sites, this would be /sites/all/modules or themes."
"END QUOTE"

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Let me first say that a newbie shouldn't worry a lot about adding modules and themes at first. Work on the basics of your site first, then worry about add-ons.

Themes are largely a matter of taste. For example, I have no idea why anyone would use a "fixed width" theme, but lots of people do. One nice thing about themes are they are pretty much independent of your content (later on you can look at the many submissions that are dependent on content).

Contributed modules are ways to add or extend functionality of your site. The only module I, personally, consider necessary is the Nodewords (a.k.a Meta Tags) module; in my opinion, it should be promoted to "core" status. This one allows you to add the "content," "keywords," and "robots" meta tags to your pages. This is useful if you're interested in your search engine rankings. You will also find that many contributed modules also require the Views module; I go ahead and make that a standard one for my sites.

Now, if you experiment with different themes and modules, as I know you will, despite my suggestions, you should also look at the Update Status (core in D6) and Site Documentation modules to make sure you are current and to document and clean up the mess your experimentation will make. Here are some suggestions on choosing the release: Strong stomach?
Installation

Installing a module or theme is pretty much the same until you get to enabling them. Now keep in mind that I use a Windows based PC (development) and Linux servers (on my live sites).

1. Go to the Drupal site and click on the "Downloads" tab. Then select either "Modules" or "Themes" depending on what you're after.
2. Locate the module or theme you want.
3. Make sure there is a version for the version of Drupal that you are using. D5 modules and themes will not work on D6.
4. I always click on "Find out more" and read the stuff again. This gives you the chance to see if there is support for your release of Drupal. You can also look at pending bugs and feature requests - it might change your mind.
5. Download the proper release. (I put them in a Drupal folder in "My Downloads.")
6. Unzip the downloaded file (I use WinZip). It may tell you that there is only one file in the zipped file; click "yes" or "OK."
7. Extract the code to to your /sites/sitename/modules or themes folder. If you are not running multiple sites, this would be /sites/all/modules or themes.
8. That's it! Now you need to enable it.

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I am at a loss why these paths are not easy to find in a search , (search term "installing themes") . If you know what you are looking for I suppose it would be simpler.

With my searching I found myself looking through posts that had been marked as solved with no explanations as to what the answer was. This was irritating as time spent needlessly is life lost. Why are earth are these posts allowed to remain in the forum when they fill up the search pages with useless information.

I ended up spending my time following the guidelines of a module and because it worked I assumed, (not the cleverest of things to do), that this was how modules where installed. I did not read aitala post until I had finished installing the modules and themes. I returned to this post some 25 hours later after creating the site.

Surely these instructions should be essential documentation with the version installation documentation. It makes no sense to me to have a forum discussing such a basic issue.

Also as proves in this post there are two separate links to two different articles.

One article for this issue should be in a site menu.

I am impressed though by the posts here as they have resolved my issue and I do thank all those that contributed and sincerely hope that anyone else who searches for this issue will get it resolved through this post.

As for retyping I find it easier to use copy and paste.

So long and thanks for all the fish.