In This Chapter

Joomla is one of the most popular open source CMSs on the planet. The first step in becoming part of the “Joomlasphere,” the vibrant community that exists around Joomla, is to download Joomla and install it on your web server.

This lesson describes the first two stages in getting a Joomla powered site up and running: finding and downloading the latest files and installing them on a web server. This lesson describes both local installation (which you’ll want to use if you don’t have a hosting account or if you have a slow Internet connection) to use as you read this book and a real web server installation. This lesson covers the following topics:

• How do you install Joomla?

• Where can you find the most current Joomla files?

• How do you unpack the Joomla files on your desktop computer or on a hosting account?

• How do you use the Joomla Installation Wizard?

• How can you support the Joomla project?