Simple step by step drupal installation and multiple site installation instructions for all mac operating systems

After reading multiple books.... After reading multiple sets of instructions online.... After following multiple instructions bullet point for bullet point only to find myself back at square one, I became very discouraged with Drupal.

It took me two weeks to learn what I have outlined below. What still baffles me is I finally learned how to install Drupal and administer multiple sites from a video that was in a different language. It took a lot of trial and error but I finally got it and have been installing Drupal on Macs ever since.

To save others like myself the heartache of weeding through developer gibberish, I figured to write out my own set of instructions in the most simplistic form possible. My background? I know Actionscript 2 and have working knowledge of HTML and a few other web languages, but I'm no hardcore developer. I'm more of a designer with superior communication skills I guess. These instruction assume you have no knowledge of installing Drupal what so ever.

Print this page out and use the instructions below like a check list! Feel free to contact me.
ralexanderclark@mac.com

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THE INSTALLATION PROCESS.

*go to http://www.mamp.info/en/index.html.
*download the free version MAMP to your desktop.
*double click downloaded file to extract.

*double click on the extracted .dmg file.
*a window with the MAMP logo will open.
*drag MAMP logo/ symbol into your Applications folder.

*go into Applications folder, open MAMP folder, Double click on MAMP icon.
(a window will open and the Apache and MySQL server status will turn from red to green)

*go to http://www.drupal.org.
*download the latest version of Drupal for the Mac. (currently 6.16)
*save to desktop.
*double click on downloaded file and a folder titled "drupal-6.16" will appear.
*rename the folder from "drupal-6.16" to "drupal."
*drag the "drupal" folder from desktop/ drop the folder in Application/MAMP/htdocs folder.
*open a new internet browser and type in http://localhost:8888/drupal.

*click on "install Drupal in English."

you'll get an error window that says.
1. copy the ./sites/default/default.setting.php file to ./sites/default/setting.php
2. change file permissions so that it is writable by the web server.

*minimize browser window.
*go into Applications folder, open MAMP folder, open htdocs folder, open drupal folder, open sites folder, open default folder.
*hold down the option key, then drag and drop the "default.settings.php" file
this should make a duplicate.
*rename the file "default.settings copy.php" to simply "settings.php"
*double click on this file "settings.php"

*Once the "settings.php" file opens, scroll down to text that reads:
$db_url = 'mysql://username:password@localhost/databasename' and change to
$db_url = 'mysql://YOURUSERNAME:YOURPASSWORD@localhost/YOURDATABASENAME';

*save file and close "settings.php" file.
*go to your dock and click on the MAMP icon (has an elephant on it) to bring to front.
*click the "open start page" button on the right side.
*go to your browser with the MAMP icon/ logo on the page. (should have opened automatically)
*click on the "phpMyAdmin" button located at the top of the page.
*locate the box on this page "Create new database"
*in this box type "YOURDATABASENAME"
*click the "create" button to the right.
*click on the "Privileges" button.
*click on "add a new user"
*in the User Name field type in "YOURUSERNAME"
*right below this field click the "Any host" drop down button and choose "Local"
*right below this field, type in "YOURPASSWORD" in the password box.
*scroll down and under Global privileges click "Check All"
(side note: you can add additional users with lesser privileges later)
*scroll down further and click "Go" on bottom right side.

*go back to the Drupal install page in your browser and click "try again" located below error box.
*Drupal should continue to install.
*Enter your site name in appropriate box.
*Enter your email address in the appropriate box.
*Enter YOURUSERNAME in the username box.
*Enter you email address in the email address box.
*Enter YOURPASSWORD in the password box.
*Enter YOURPASSWORD in the confirm password box.
*Scroll down and click on "Save and continue"
(You should get an indication that your Drupal installation is complete)
*Click on "your new site"

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Now that your Drupal site is installed there is an important tip to remember.
In order to (re)open Drupal in the future (after you've turned your cpu off)
1st Open MAMP (located in your Application/ MAMP folder)
2nd Open your browser and type "http://localhost:8888/drupal/
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INSTALLING MULTIPLE SITES

*Go to your Applications folder/ MAMP folder/ htdocs folder/ drupal folder/ sites folder.
*In your sites folder, create a new folder.
*Name it "www.YOUR2NDSITE.com"
(There should be a "default" folder located in your "sites" folder (same folder your newly created "YOUR2NDSITE.com" folder is located)
*Open the "default" folder and copy the "default.settings.php" file from the "default" folder to the "www.YOUR2NDSITE.com" folder.
*rename the "default.settings.php" folder to simply be "settings.php"
*double click on the newly created "settings.php" folder (located in "www.YOUR2NDSITE.com" folder)
*scroll down to: $db_url = 'mysql://username:password@localhost/databasename' and change to:
$db_url = 'mysql://YOURUSERNAME2:YOURPASSWORD2@localhost/YOURDATABASENAME2';

*go to your dock and click on the MAMP icon (has an elephant on it) to bring to front.
*click the "open start page" on the right side.
*go to your browser with the MAMP icon/ logo on the page (should have opened automatically)
*click on the "phpMyAdmin" button located at the top of the page.
*locate the box on this page "Create new database"
*in this box type "YOURDATABASENAME2"
*click the "create" button to the right.
*click on the "Privileges" button.
*click on "add a new user"
*in the User Name field type in "YOURUSERNAME2"
*right below this field click the "Any host" drop down button and choose "Local"
*right below this field, type in "YOURPASSWORD2" in the password box.
*scroll down and under Global privileges click "Check All"
(side note: you can add additional users with lesser privileges later)
*scroll down further and click "Go" on bottom right side.

*open your "Application" folder, Go to your "Utilities" folder, double click on your "Terminal" app.
---in upper left corner of computer screen (to the immediate right of the apple logo),
---click on the "Terminal" text.
---scroll down and click "Window setting"
---click on the "custom" setting.
---scroll down to "green on black"
---at bottom click on "Use Setting as Defaults"
---now close "termanal inspector window"

**PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERY WORD/SPACE/BRACKET MUST BE EXACT**
*In the Terminal window type:
sudo nano /etc/hosts (notice that there is a space before sudo. type this exactly or copy/paste)
(You will be prompted to enter the password of the cpu you are installing on)
*Enter password and then hit "enter/return"
*Hit the down arrow key until your cursor is below the "::1 localhost" text.
*type:
127.0.0.1(hit the tab key)www.YOUR2NDSITE.com
*hold down the "ctrl" key while hitting the "x" key once
*hit the "y" key for yes
*hit "enter/return"
*now type:
nano /applications/MAMP/conf/apache/httpd.conf
*hit enter/return
(a bunch of gibberish should appear)
*hold down the down arrow key to navigate to the bottom of the page.
(this may take a minute or two -or- you can hit "ctrl" while holding the "v" key to scroll down quickly)
*now type:

(hit enter)
(hit tab key)DocumentRoot /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/drupal(hit enter)
(hit tab key)ServerName www.YOUR2NDSITE.com(hit enter)

*hold down the "ctrl" key while tapping the letter "x" to exit
*hit the "y" key
*hit "enter/return"
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*Now click on the MAMP icon in your dock to make the MAMP app come forward
*Click "Stop Servers"
(wait until both green lights turn red)
*Now click the "Start Servers" button on the right
(wait for both red lights to turn back green)

*go to your web browser and type "http://www.YOUR2NDSITE.com:8888/install.php

And there you have it!!!!

Alex Clark
http://www.signaturepiece.com
http://www.signaturepiece.com/design