Contents - Index

Installation of the Explore - Paxsoft complete package

I'd like to offer my thanks to the Explore Foundation for confirming that we are able to offer a Explore - Paxsoft complete distribution to make installation of Paxsoft and Explore onto a new server as simple as possible.

This is a convenience installation where Paxsoft and Explore are packaged and uploaded together. Once they are uploaded the Explore installation files, which have been modified slightly, enable the user to switch from the Explore install to the Paxsoft install seamlessly.

Installation Summary

Note: Before installation please ensure that your web server supports your chosen flavour of Paxsoft, either ionCube or Zend encoded files.

Whilst these instructions might look complicated they are actually quite simple and the steps are as follows:

1. Run the executable to upload the files

2. Run unzip.php in your browser to extract the archive (see below about rights/permissions)

3. Proceed through the Explore/Paxsoft installation phases (after creating your mysql database)

4. Delete the install files and start using your system.

If you are familiar with installing Explore/Joomla then you will find that most of these steps are self explanatory and you will be able to install Paxsoft in a matter of minutes.

The system will attempt to make a basic installation as simple as possible for you. It uses the Package Foundry to ftp three files to your server, then will attempt to extract an archive containing Explore and Paxsoft in situ. Once this is done, if the unzip went without a hitch, you will be taken direct to the Explore installation page. Follow the onscreen instructions to configure your database and admin password settings. When you get to Step 4 you will have a button to "Finish Installation". At this point, if the system hasn't been able to do it for you, please ensure that you create your "configuration.php" according to the onscreen instructions and upload it to the root of your Explore installation. When that's done, you can click "Finish Installation" to be taken to the Paxsoft phase of the installation. 

Installation steps:

Note: Please remember to create your Explore database before performing the upload, and create a user with permission to access that database. More information is at the top of this page if you use cpanel. 

First you need to perform the upload. This is done using the executable installer which uses the same steps as the normal Paxsoft executable installation process. 

Three files are uploaded by the executable installer:

• unzip.php
• dUnzip2.inc.php

and one of the two following:

• Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_ionCube_encoded.zip
• Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_zend_encoded.zip

Once the three files have been uploaded, when you click Finish on the windows executable your browser will be taken to unzip.php file (e.g. www.domain.com/unzip.php). unzip.php will then test to see if the current directory is writable by the web server (e.g. "apache", "nobody" etc). If it is writable then it will unzip the Explore/Paxsoft zip file for you and take you direct to the Explore installation script. 

On occasion it will find that the folder is not writable by the web server. In this instance you have two options:

• Modify the rights of the folder that these files have been installed into. Change them to 777 if you can then run unzip.php again (generally, this just means reloading unzip.php in your browser). Once you have been taken to the Explore installation phase you may safely change the folder permissions back to their previous settings, however please ensure that you change sub folder's permissions to those suggested by the Explore installation software once you get to the Explore installation phase.
• If you cannot modify the permissions of the folder then you will probably need to use your host's control panel file explorer software to navigate to that folder and use the interface to unzip the archive ( Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_ionCube_encoded.zip or Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_zend_encoded.zip ). When that is done you will need to manually navigate to www.domain.com/index.php in your browser to be taken to the Explore installation phase.

For installation instructions for Explore you can view this page, reading from where it says Installing Explore, Pre-Installation Check onwards. Nearly everything you need to know is presented to you onscreen during installation but if you are struggling then the Explore installation page does provide more useful information.

At the end of Step 4 you will have successfully installed Explore. If you are prompted to by the instructions please create your configuration.php file and place it in the root of your web server. When this has been done, click Finish Installation. This will take you to install_Paxsoft.php, where you will complete the Paxsoft phase of the installation. 

When this is done (you will see messages onscreen to advise that several tables have been created and other functions performed) you will need to take a couple more steps to get your system ready:

Remove the Explore installation folder (e.g. /home/domain/public_html/installation) and several more files in the root of your installation:

• unzip.php
• dUnzip2.inc.php
• install.php
• Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_ionCube_encoded.zip or Explore_462_Paxsoft_complete_zend_encoded.zip
• install_Paxsoft.php

When these have been removed you are ready to move forward with configuring your server.

Note: Paxsoft and Explore's copyrights remain with their respective owners. This is a combined installation only. If you wish you can uninstall Paxsoft and move the Explore installation to any server that you require. Woollyinwales IT do not place any restrictions on the software that is provided by the Explore Foundation.