Installation

1. Download copy from https://www.joomla.org/ Install in public_html folder of your website server
2. Install using script installer in cPanel

Joomla website comprises of Frontend and Backend which are file based frameworks, and every bit of content, parameters, and respective values stored in MySQL database tables. Any change committed in Backend gets reflected in Frontend.
Frontend: publically visible
Backend: Comes with Administrator Panel to create content and design website and accessible by:

<domain-name>/administrator

Joomla Backend organized as:

1. Article Manager
2. Category Manager
3. Media Manager
4. User Manager
5. Menus and
6. Extensions

Administering Joomla website

Joomla control panel often called as Engine Room, or Administrator End is used to configure website

Global Configuration

The left side of Administrator landing page under SYSTEM, Global Configuration Tab is available. It is grouped into tabbed menu items: Site (selected by default), System, Server, Permission, Text, Filters.

Site
Site Setting: Allows you to change the Site Name or put site offline
Metadata Settings: To optimize site for search engines

Server
To view the database configuration, do not change anything here, if you are not certain, as it could bring the entire site stop working.

Creating Content

To create, manage and display ‘Content Manager’ is available which includes: Article Manager, Category Manager, Featured Articles Manager and Media Manager.

The Joomla Content Editor (JCE) is an award winning, highly configurable WYSIWYG editor based on Moxiecode’s TinyMCE. It includes advanced Image/Media, File and Link handling plug-in support and an Administration interface for editor configuration. It supports Profiles to have a different setting and editor for various user groups.

JCE Plugins

• Media Manager: To upload, insert and manage video files
• Image Manager Extended: For more advanced image manipulation and editing
• Captions: To easily add captions to images
• File Manager: To upload and insert document files
• Iframe: To add IFrame to articles

Article Manager

Available under ‘Content’ option in Backend to create, manage and feature particular articles under different categories.

Article Title: Name of the article, it improves SEO
Article Content: Fill the required content.

Featured Article Manager

It controls the display and order of Articles on Front Page or Home Page. From the right side of the article page, configure Featured and select Yes.

Category Manager

Available under ‘Content’ option in Backend to create, edit, browse and delete categories. It groups articles, which are readily available by menu item, module or linked to.

Category Manger Buttons: New, Edit, Publish, Unpublish, Archive, Check In, Trash, Batch, Rebuild, Help, and Options

Check in: When more than one administrators are working on the backend, it allows blocking of an element on which editing is going on.

Archive: Maintains the extensive database of articles sorted by date.

Batch: Performs similar tasks (repetitive) tasks with multiple objects, thus saves time and effort.

Media Manager

Tool for uploading or deleting files in the /images directory of the web server.

User Manager

The option is available under Users menu in a backend. Options available to Managing registered users, view registration details, last login data, access level and IDs.

Other options available are ‘Groups’ and ‘Access Levels,’ to secure website from unauthorized usage. Use Access Levels Permission tabs to assign proper access rights to particular group of users. Thus restricting certain categories, articles, menus and modules viewed by non-members.

All users are arranged in groups and have access to certain parts of a website as per permission.
Default User Groups: Administrator, Author, Editor, Publisher, Guest

Menus

Menu Manager manages the website navigation. The menu items created from the components installed.

Menu Item Type: Tells the kind of item the menu should point to.
Status: Set the Menu item to Published, Unpublished or Thrashed.
Parent Item: Choose the Menu Item as Parent Item (Standalone) or sub-menu.

Components, Modules and Plug-in

Built-in extended functionlity with 3-rd party options.

Module

Display content as small blocks in a specific position around the page designed in page layout.

Add to Menu: It is an administrator module to add menu item link to the pages where component template file is available. Locate component template file in:

/administrator/modules/mod_addtomenu/addtomenu/components

Preview Module Position in Template

Extensions -> Template Manager -> Set parameter Preview Module position to Enabled

In the URL or web address append

?tp=1

Templates: The template is the face of a blog, and users enjoy reading from a properly designed template.

Extension Manager

Based on functionality extensions are divided into certain categories, find them at:

https://extensions.joomla.org/

Install Extensions
Extensions -> Extension Manager -> Select the Download Package -> Upload & Install

eXtplorer: File Management tool for Joomla to upload, download and edit files and directories on server via FTP or direct access. It makes heavy use of ExtJS and could also be used as a standalone app. The interface is like Desktop application with drag & drop, grid, and directory tree.

Extensions for Blogging

• K2
• EasyBlog
• WordPress for Joomla
• Zoo
• CB Blogs
• RS Blogs
• Users

Steps to Secure Joomla Website

• Administrator Access
  Rename the Administrator’s username from admin to something else.
  Password must be a combination of other characters.
  Keep your login information secure.
• Update Joomla
  Keep Joomla Core files updated as per the latest version.
• Backup
  Take backups periodically
• Good Hosting
  Choose Host which provides Anti-malware, anti-spyware, anti-virus, DDoS protection, Firewall and Anti-hacking shied.
• Delete old unused and badly coded 3rd party extensions