Install Elgg Social Networking

Download and place on a server

Elgg is a free open source social networking engine. The engine will enable anyone to set up an online social environment. The basic engine includes everything required to begin a social network immediately.

Elgg offers blogging, micro-blogging, file sharing, networking, groups. Features can also be extended with plugins available for download such as chat. Modifications are possible for people with a decent command of PHP and HTML.

In this tutorial, Elgg will be installed on a Linux server but the steps can be followed for other servers.

Tools are required:
• Unzip to decompress the downloaded file.
• Text editor for creating and modifying configuration files.
• MySQL Database server.
• Web server.
• PHP.
• FTP, SSH or File Manager to upload and modify permissions for files.
• Knowledge of the files to be served.

Download Elgg

Point your browser to elgg.org:
• Click the download button to obtain the latest release.
• Save the compressed file.
• Decompress the file by using unzip if appropriate.
• Move the created folder to your server location.

Create MySQL Database and User

Point your browser to PhpMyAdmin:
• Click the Privileges Tab.
• Click the Add a new User link.
• Username=”elgg”, Host=”localhost”, Password=”elggpw”.
• Select Create a database with the same name as user under Database for user.
• Click the Create button.

Command Line Way:
• mysql -u root -p -h localhost.
• Create DATABASE elgg;.
• GRANT ALL ON elgg.* to ‘elgg’@’localhost’ identified by ‘elggpw’.
• exit.

Create Data Folder

Create Elgg data folder outside of elgg folder:
• Make a folder called elggdata.
• Change the permissions of the folder to allow writing.

Command Line Way:
• mkdir elggdata.
• chmod -R 777 elggdata.

Install Elgg

Point your browser to Elgg on your server:
• Enter the database settings.
• Create an engine.settings.php file based on provided contents.
• Create an .htaccess file based on provided contents.

Setup Elgg

System Settings:
• Enter the site name such as Ojambo’s Elgg site.
• Input the site email address.
• Enter the full path to the elgg data folder created earlier.
• Click save to continue.

System Setup from the Command Line

###
#        system-setup.sh
#
#        Copyright 2011 Edward <http://ojambo.com/contact>
#
###
## DATABASE INFORMATION ##
mysql -u root -p -h localhost
Create DATABASE elgg; 
Create USER 'elgg'@'localhost' identified by 'elggpw';
Grant ALL ON elgg.* to 'elgg'@'localhost';
exit

## EXPAND ELGG ##
unzip elgg*.zip

## CREATE ELGG DATA FOLDER ##
mkdir elggdata

## ENTER ELGG FOLDER ##
cd elgg*

## CONFIGURATION FILES ##
cp engine/settings.example.php engine/settings.php
cp htaccess_dist .htaccess

## PERMISSIONS ##
chmod -R 777 elggdata

Enter Adminstrator Account Setup

Register Initial User:
• Display name = “Administrator”.
• Email address = “Sales AT Ojambo.com”.
• Username = “Admin”.
• Password = “ElggAdmin”.
• Click Register button

Elgg is now installed, you can enter admin menu after login on the front page.

Recommendations:
1. Use the Command Line, it is faster and helps with troubleshooting.
2. Do not use weak passwords for the Database User and Administrator.
3. Test the social network before going live.