Joomla is a powerful and flexible content management system for websites, portals, and web applications. With Installatron in DirectAdmin, you can install Joomla with just a few clicks. This guide will walk you through the complete installation process and the first configuration steps.

What is Joomla

Joomla is one of the most popular open-source CMS platforms:

  • Free and open-source
  • Active community with millions of users
  • Extensive extension library
  • Multilingual out of the box
  • Suitable for simple sites to complex portals
  • Powerful user rights management for multiple users

What to use Joomla for

Joomla is ideal for:

  • Business websites
  • Community portals
  • News sites and magazines
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Educational institutions
  • Government websites
  • E-commerce (with extensions)

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • PHP 7.4 to 8.2 (8.1 recommended)
  • MySQL 5.6 or higher
  • Apache or Nginx web server
  • 64MB PHP memory (128MB recommended)

For optimal performance:

  • PHP 8.1 or 8.2
  • MySQL 8.0
  • 256MB PHP memory
  • SSD storage
  • SSL certificate

Theory7 Hosting

All Theory7 hosting packages are suitable for Joomla. You can easily adjust the PHP version via DirectAdmin.

Installation via Installatron

Step 1: Open DirectAdmin

  1. Go to your DirectAdmin URL
  2. Log in with your user credentials
  3. You will see the DirectAdmin dashboard

Step 2: Start Installatron

  1. Look for Installatron Applications Installer
  2. Click to open the application library
  3. You will see an overview of available applications

Step 3: Find Joomla

  1. Use the search bar
  2. Type Joomla
  3. Click on the Joomla icon
  4. You will see the application details and version information

Step 4: Start Installation

  1. Click on Install or Install this application
  2. The installation form will open

Step 5: Configure Location

  1. Domain: Choose the domain for your website
  2. Directory: Leave empty for the main domain, or fill in a subfolder
  3. Version: Select the latest stable version (Joomla 4 or 5)

Step 6: Configure Settings

  1. Administrator username: Choose a secure username (not admin)
  2. Administrator password: Use a strong password
  3. Administrator email: Your business email address
  4. Website title: The name of your website
  5. Language: Select Dutch or desired language

Step 7: Advanced Options

Optionally, you can set:

  • Automatic backups: Recommended to enable
  • Automatic updates: Consider for security
  • Database name: Automatically generated or customized

Step 8: Install

  1. Check all settings
  2. Click on Install
  3. Wait for the installation to complete (1-2 minutes)
  4. You will receive a confirmation with login details

After Installation

First Time Logging In

  1. Go to yourdomain.nl/administrator
  2. Log in with the chosen username and password
  3. You will see the Joomla Control Panel

Welcome Wizard (Joomla 4 and 5)

The wizard helps you with the initial configuration:

  1. Configure email setup
  2. Multilingual setup (optional)
  3. View system check
  4. Add initial content

Essential First Steps

Immediately perform these actions:

  1. Check for updates: Go to System and check for updates
  2. Configure SSL: Force HTTPS in Global Configuration
  3. Set backend language: Add Dutch if desired
  4. Set up backups: Configure Akeeba Backup or similar

Understanding Joomla

Articles and Categories

  • Articles: The basic content of your site
  • Categories: Organization for articles
  • Featured articles: Highlighted content
  • Menus determine navigation
  • Menu items link to content
  • Multiple menus possible

Modules

Modules display content in positions:

  • Header modules
  • Sidebar widgets
  • Footer content
  • Breadcrumbs

Templates

Templates determine the appearance:

  • Frontend template for visitors
  • Backend template for management

Adding Content

Creating the First Article

  1. Go to Content and select Articles
  2. Click on New
  3. Fill in the title
  4. Write your content in the editor
  5. Select a category
  6. Click on Save and Close

Creating a Menu Item

  1. Go to Menus and select Main Menu
  2. Click on New
  3. Choose Menu Item Type
  4. Select Articles and then Single Article
  5. Choose the article
  6. Save

Installing Extensions

Via the Extension Manager

  1. Go to System and select Install Extensions
  2. Upload a ZIP file
  3. Or use the Install from Web tab
  4. Search for extensions
  5. Click on Install

Start with these essential extensions:

  • Akeeba Backup: Complete backups
  • Admin Tools: Security
  • JCE Editor: Advanced text editing
  • Regular Labs modules: Useful extensions

Installing a Template

Via Template Manager

  1. Download a Joomla template (ZIP)
  2. Go to System and select Install Extensions
  3. Upload the ZIP file
  4. Go to System and select Templates
  5. Click on the template name
  6. Make it default

Configuring the Template

  1. Select the template
  2. Adjust options:
    • Colors
    • Logo
    • Fonts
    • Layout
  3. Save the changes

Security

Protecting Admin URL

  1. Use a strong username and password
  2. Consider two-factor authentication
  3. Limit login attempts

Installing Updates

  1. Regularly go to System and select Update
  2. Install Joomla core updates
  3. Update extensions
  4. Always make a backup first

.htaccess Configuration

  1. Rename htaccess.txt to .htaccess
  2. This activates URL rewriting
  3. Improves SEO-friendly URLs

Common Issues

White Page After Installation

Check:

  • PHP version (must be 7.4-8.2)
  • PHP memory limit
  • Error logs in DirectAdmin

Cannot Log In

Possible solutions:

  • Reset password via database
  • Clear cookies and cache
  • Check .htaccess

500 Error

  1. Check file permissions
  2. Check PHP configuration
  3. View error logs

Maintenance

Regular Tasks

  1. Install updates immediately
  2. Make weekly backups
  3. Check for unused extensions
  4. Monitor visitors and errors

Managing Cache

  1. Go to System and select Clear Cache
  2. Clear cache after changes
  3. Configure caching for performance

Need Help?

We are here for you! Are you facing any issues or do you have questions? Our support team is happy to assist you personally. Send us a message via the ticket system - we usually respond within a few hours and are happy to help.