Joomlashack School Shack Pack

[bcwaller]

That's the problem then.  I don't have that.  I don't even see anything like that when I view the source.

Could this be an installation error or related to the default Joomla templates from the installation?  I am using Joomla 1.5 beta 2, with a legacy 1.0 plugin (because it said it was required).

again, site is http://www.altavistapta.org/joomla/index.php

[Barrie North]

Ahhh, we may be talking about different things.

The SHACK PACK is basically an SQL file that has all the content set up (plus a bunch of extras like our manual). This is the thing in our cart.

The School template is just a template. It contains no content, and you can download for free in the forum.

Also, all of these are for 1.0.12, not 1.5.

[bcwaller]

So the real solution would be to get the PTA to buy the pack? 

If so, would it come with pretty much everything ready for me to configure menus and user to begin adding content?

Since I have already spent hours and seem to be spinning my wheels, anything to get this going might be worth the cost.

[Barrie North]

To a certain extent. To give some sense, the content/Shack Pack took our team over 60 hours to develop: content, menus, modules, sections and categories, etc

[bcwaller]

After what I have been through, I believe it.  I got approval to buy from the PTA, so I can go ahead with that and make life easier.  Should I delete the entire Joomla directory on my server and start over with your pack?  Do I need to install Joomla 10.0.12 first?  And just to check, this is an IIS server (Lunarpages has their free educations sites on an IIS machine) - will that pose any problems?

[Barrie North]

You don't need to install Joomla, the Shack Pack has an SQL file and the Joomla installation files and the all important readme

IIS might be an issue, Joomla works best on FOSS (apache). If you hit problems, we'll be more than happy to refund you.

[bcwaller]

I have the shackpack and readme, but there are a few readme files.  One says "Upload the contents of the Joomlashack ShackPack for Schools folder to your website's root directory" after overwriting the files in the Joomla 1.0.12 (Stable) folder.  By root, I'm assuming the "httpdocs" folder?  I did hte preupload stuff and FTP'd the files over to the httpdocs area into a folder I'm calling joomla.  When I go to http://altavistapta.org/joomla/ I ge a 404 page, but at http://altavistapta.org/joomla/installation/index.php, so something is happening...

The other readme says to "Unzip the file JS_Education_Joomla_1.0.12.zip in your website's root directory"

Are these both the same thing (after overwriting files)?  The JS_Education folder is twice as large, but has much the same contents.

Do I need to delete the old Joomla install?  Can I re-use the database I created or should I start the whole site from scratch?  It is a new account, so wiping it should not be too hard and I lose nothing I care about.

[Barrie North]

unzipping will overwrite, so its the same thing.

You can re-use the database, halfway through install there is an option to "drop tables"

[bcwaller]

Succcess!!!  I think. 

http://altavistapta.org/

In the admin area I get a warning:

Following PHP Server Settings are not optimal for Security and it is recommended to change them:

    * Joomla! RG_EMULATION setting is `ON` instead of `OFF` in file globals.php
      `ON` by default for compatibility reasons

Should I change this?  If so, I assume I can edit the globals.php file and re-upload it with a 0 instead of a 1 for that?  The file is as unZipped from you, so I did not want to change it before asking.

Otherwise, it looks like I am way ahead of where I was before, and this time it was much easier.  I have had to edit lots of permissions to allow me to modify files, and I had to manually upload configuration.php, but otherwise I would call this done and ready for our own customization.

[Barrie North]

Thats a server issue, you should change your php settings (not in Joomla)

[netdevise]

Hi Guys,

I've tried to order the school pack multiple times and the checkout page doesn't let me get past the first page of 3. Can you help?

John

[TJ]

Succcess!!!  I think. 

http://altavistapta.org/

In the admin area I get a warning:

Following PHP Server Settings are not optimal for Security and it is recommended to change them:

    * Joomla! RG_EMULATION setting is `ON` instead of `OFF` in file globals.php
      `ON` by default for compatibility reasons

Should I change this?  If so, I assume I can edit the globals.php file and re-upload it with a 0 instead of a 1 for that?  The file is as unZipped from you, so I did not want to change it before asking.

Otherwise, it looks like I am way ahead of where I was before, and this time it was much easier.  I have had to edit lots of permissions to allow me to modify files, and I had to manually upload configuration.php, but otherwise I would call this done and ready for our own customization.

Hello...

I hate to contradict my friend Barrie ..... but you do want to change that setting in your globals.php file.

One very easy way to do this is through the use of a component called JoomlaXplorer.  It allows you FTP like access to your server through the backend of Joomla.

Glad to hear you're getting along faster this time around!

peace,

tj

[TJ]

Hi Guys,

I've tried to order the school pack multiple times and the checkout page doesn't let me get past the first page of 3. Can you help?

John

Hello John,

Please try using the Non-Javascript version of the cart.  That should solve the issues you are experiencing.

Thanks for you efforts...

peace,

tj

[Tetragon]

Hello,

Tried to order the Joomlashack School Shack Pack but the link:

http://www.joomlashack.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=192

brings up a 404 error page ....

Can the order link be reactivated?

Tetragon 

[Dean Marshall]

Hi,

Looks like that is one of our 'lost' links following our recent site restructure, redesign and

Link to the product category - from main menu at top of page:
http://www.joomlashack.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=23&Itemid=39

Link to purchase page:
http://www.joomlashack.com/shop/order.php?cmd=step-2&product_id=19

Can I ask where the link in question is to be found?
Was it in the template blurb from the /js_education/ template or somewhere on this site?

Dean

[Tetragon]

It was via the 'installable Joomla school package at Joomlashack.'

at the bottom of this page:

http://demotemplates.joomlashack.com/school/


Another question for you - can I change colors of the template etc. to suit the school??

[Barrie North]

Yes, fireworks source files are included so you can edit to your heart's desire!

[Tetragon]

Thanks for that .... must now learn joomla and find a designer who can make the design more primary school friendly   

(not saying anything against the current design but I want to make the site more colorful for the audience it's geared at.  Kids will learn joomla with me and hopefully they'll do alot of the uploading and editing .... 

[boatwrightd]

Hello Barrie,

I believe we have the Joomla Shack Pack, we are using it for a District Site, and three schools.  Can you tell me if we got the Free pack or did we get the one you created as a complete turnkey website.  I have admin right and from what I read in your  excerpted from forthcoming manual 3/5/2007 that I picked up as a download from the joomla shack about making the menu and what the other admin has done, I do not think it was done in a dynamic direction,.  Also, we have not been able to create the CSS drop down menu.

I do not have your manual yet, I was hoping to purchase it from Prentice Hall, but maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy it for myself.   The IT folks have the super admin rights not me but all four sites are in the same place. 

Plus, I really liked the page about "Organizing your content on the School Website"  I do not think we are using the Section Category and Pages correctly.

All the best,
Deb

[TJ]

Hello Deb,

It doesn't look like the installation was done with the Shack Pack, as many of the components that the Pack comes with are not present (or at least not visible).  This doesn't mean that it wasn't installed and all of those things were just removed or are just not published.

In any case, if you wish to set up the Suckerfish menu, you will first want to download the extended menu module (attached below), install the module and publish it to the 'top' position, then set the parameters of the module as follows:

• Set Show Title to No
• Set the Position to Top
• Set Menu Name to mainmenu (or whichever you prefer)
• Set Published to Yes
• Set Menu Style to Flat List
• Set Expand Menu to Yes

...and you should be good to go.

Let us know if you need any further help with it.

peace,

tj

[boatwrightd]

If it doesn't look like the Shack Pack then what did they download?  I have not found the cost for Shack Pack.  Thanks Again

[Barrie North]

Maybe they just grabbed the template?

Its a free download...

[gregegan]

Hi

I note that Tetragon mentioned on July 3 2007 that he needs to get a web designer to make the template more friendly to primary schools.  I think he's got a point - I work with lots of primary schools and I would not use this template with them -it's a bit too 'businesslike'.  Most of them want it more colourful and fun.  I saw a school that tried to do this themselves in Joomla - it looks like they have created a page in Photoshop as an imagemap, then put that in a static content item as the front page.  If you guys were able to create a template that was more 'primary school', you'd be ahead of the bunch as I have checked out some of the other popular template clubs and so far haven't found anything suitable.

For an example of what looks 'primary school friendly' here is an example - not necessarily the best example but one of my schools says that they like it. http://www.stcatherinescps.qld.edu.au.  It uses lots of Flash but I think its more the colours and design that makes it attractive to the primary school setting.

Any chance of Joomlashack working on something like this?

[doc_in_bc]

Struggling to set up a School Joomla website?

Get a complete installable Joomla configuration specifically designed for Schools and educational institutions.

This whole site will install on your server in a few easy clicks.

Is the current version compatible with Joomla 1.5+? That's what we have installed and don't really want to change it.
Cheers
Doc

[rastabits]

Haven't real the hole post, but if got permission, i can translate it onto spanish, - por lo que solamente necesitan darme la autorizacion y luego de terminar el sitio que estoy trabajando ahora puedo ponerme Manos a la Obra!!-

If you authorize so, after i finish a previous job (a work in progress) i can start the translation.