We have designed PhotoPost Classifieds to be very easy to install, and we have tested it on a variety of platforms, including Unix/Apache/FreeBSD and Windows 2000 / IIS 5.0. Please see our requirements to find out more about what PhotoPost Classifieds requires before installation.

1.) Server Configuration

Before installing PhotoPost Classifieds, you need to verify that your server is properly configured to support it. PhotoPost Classifieds requires PHP 4.0.2 or greater and MySQL 3.22 or greater. If you plan to allow classified ad photos, you will need ImageMagick 5.3.8 or greater or the GD Graphics Library 1.x.x or greater. Verify these requirements with your web host if unsure or see our requirements page to test your server.

2.) Database Configuration

If you're using PhotoPost Classifieds with an existing forum, you can either use the MySQL database that you're presently using for your forum for both PhotoPost Classifieds and your forum, or you can create a separate database for PhotoPost Classifieds in either case, your forum user database will still be used by PhotoPost Classifieds to allow one centralized registration and login system). If you choose to, or if you are using PhotoPost Classifieds by itself, create a MySQL database for PhotoPost Classifieds and record the database name and the username and password needed to access it. Be sure to consult http://www.mysql.com and your web host if you have questions about installing MySQL or setting up a MySQL database.

If you plan to use PhotoPost Classifieds with an existing forum, we recommend that you backup your database before proceeding. PhotoPost Classifieds is designed to work with the "stock"/unaltered versions of the various supported forums, not hacked versions. Most hacks should not affect PhotoPost Classifieds use of your forum database tables, but backing up is the safest way to go.

3.) Downloading PhotoPost Classifieds, Uploading Files

Download PhotoPost Classifieds from our members area. You will need the username and password that we email to you upon purchase of a PhotoPost Classifieds license in order to login to the members area.

Unzip PhotoPost Classifieds into a directory on your local machine, making sure that you maintain the directory structure of the zip file. The zip file contains several .php and .sql files as well as several directories.

You will need to specify the path to your server's "mogrify" ImageMagick binary executable if you plan to use ImageMagick. If you don't know the location, run the following command from the command prompt to find it:

locate mogrify

Alternatively, if you plan to use the GD 2.0.x Graphics Library instead of ImageMagick, you will need to set $usegd = 1; where indicated, in order to use GD2 instead of ImageMagick's mogrify to handle image resizing.

Now create a directory on your web server for PhotoPost Classifieds. The directory needs to be accessible via the web. Using an FTP program, upload PhotoPost Classifieds directories and files from your local machine to your web server. The directory structure on your web server should be as follows:

pp-classifieds
  images (chmod 755)
  uploads (chmod 777)
  help (chmod 755)
  forums (chmod 755)
  languages (chmod 755)
  stylesheets (chmod 755)
  templates (chmod 777)
  data (chmod 777)
     1 (chmod 777)
     2 (chmod 777)

All permissions for .php and .sql files should be set to chmod 644, except for config-inc.php and config-int.php which need to be 777 for the install script to update it. In your stylesheets and templates directory you will need to change the files .css and .tmpl to also have write permissions so any modifications done through the admin can be updated.

4.) Web Installation Script

Now you are ready to run the web based installation script that will check your server for PhotoPost Classifieds requirements and set up your PhotoPost Classifieds database. Open install.php in your web browser and follow the prompts.

Step 1 will allow you to edit your configuration items - check each setting carefully as these settings are vital to PhotoPost working properly. Step 2 will test your server - if this step fails, please be sure that your web server is properly configured with PhotoPost Classifieds requirements in mind.

To proceed to the next step, click the link to do a fresh install of PhotoPost Classifieds.

Step 3 asks whether you want to install PhotoPost Classifieds using its internal user registration system, or to instead work with an existing/external forum user registration system. Step 4 prompts you for some information, and our script tries to guess as to your server's settings. Please don't assume that the defaults are correct, double check them. If you are using PhotoPost Classifieds with a forum, note that the following forum versions correspond with the selections in the drop down box (those using the PhotoPost Classifieds internal registration system can ignore this):

Step 5 will set up your database. If you receive an error message at this point, check your config-inc.php file and be sure that the settings there are correct. Make sure that your MySQL database for ReviewPost is properly set up and that the username and password that you're using to access it are correct and that the user has insert, update, delete, and alter privledges.

PhotoPost Classifieds installation is now complete. Be sure to remove your install.php file (and the various upgradeXX.php)files) from your server's PhotoPost Classifieds directory to prevent malicious users from altering your PhotoPost Classifieds classifieds. Leave the .sql files in place.

To proceed, open the administrative control panel, adm-index.php, in your browser.

To learn how to fully integrate PhotoPost Classifieds into your forum, to display your classified ad categories within your main forum page as well as featured classified ad photos, visit the forums.