Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Elgg 1.8 Social Networking
Elgg 1.8 Social Networking

Elgg 1.8 Social Networking: Create, customize, and deploy your very own social networking site with Elgg with this book and ebook

eBook
Mex$722.99 Mex$803.99
Paperback
Mex$1004.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Elgg 1.8 Social Networking

Chapter 2. Installing Elgg

It is time to create your first Elgg site. This will be a test site that you will use throughout the book as we explore what Elgg can do. If you have installed web applications such as Elgg before, the installation should only take a few minutes. If you are new to this, it will take a little longer as you work through each step with the assistance of this chapter.

To install Elgg, you need to:

  1. Check that your server meets Elgg's requirements.

  2. Download Elgg and put its code in the server's web directory.

  3. Create a data directory and set its permissions.

  4. Create a database for Elgg.

  5. Run the web-based installer.

The instructions in this chapter work for a typical server. If there are complications while performing the installation, use the Elgg wiki as a resource (docs.elgg.org) for assistance. It has detailed information about server requirements, installing on particular types of servers, and troubleshooting.

Preparing the server


Elgg is a server application, so you need a server to run it. Your server options fall into three categories:

  • Local server: If you are at school or the office, there may be a server already configured with a web server that you can use for Elgg.

  • Web hosting provider: A popular option is renting space on a server. The hosting company handles the maintenance of the server, provides technical support, and may even provide a one-click installer for Elgg. Chapter 10, Moving to Production includes a section on selecting a web hosting package when preparing to launch a live website.

  • Home computer: You can use your desktop or laptop computer, whether it runs Windows, Mac, or Linux. There are packages available for download, like XAMPP, that include everything you need for running Elgg. This is a great way to test out Elgg before you select a server for your site.

Tip

Platform specific instructions

There are detailed, step-by-step installation instructions specific to your operating...

Run Elgg's installer


Once the server is configured and the database is created, you are ready to run the web-based installer. The installer creates tables in the Elgg database, sets basic parameters of the site like its name, and creates the administrative account. To launch the installer, use your web browser to view your site. The URL depends on the server and where you put Elgg's code. If you put the code in the root of your web directory, this will be your main URL. If you put the code in a subdirectory, you will need to add that to the URL. You should see the following:

There are six installation steps and each page will follow this same design with the steps listed on the left and helpful links at the bottom. After clicking on the Next button, the requirements checker runs and displays its results as shown in the following screenshot:

In the preceding screenshot, the check of the web server's URL rewriting has failed. This is the most common issue experienced by those installing Elgg...

Summary


This chapter guided you through the installation of Elgg. With the site set up, you are ready to start using it. The next three chapters help you explore what Elgg can do and provide commentary that assists you in designing and building your own Elgg site.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • An updated version of the very first book on Elgg
  • Detailed and easy-to-understand analysis on building your very own social networking site with Elgg
  • Explore the vast range of Elgg's social networking capabilities including communities, sharing, profiles and relationships
  • Learn to create plugins and themes with extensive tutorials
  • Written by Cash Costello, a core developer of the Elgg team, with a foreword from Dave Tosh, Elgg co-founder.

Description

As an updated version of the first ever Elgg book, this is an excellent resource for those interested in Elgg development due to its attention to detail, clearly written style and knowledgeable author. - Dave Tosh, Elgg co-founder. In his book, Cash Costello makes full use of his skills in development and communication to tackle the complex subject of Elgg social networking. This easy-to-read guide gives end users, new developers, and old pros alike a solid base to start their venture into social media with Elgg. I highly recommend it as a useful and enjoyable read. - Brett Profitt, Elgg Lead Developer The web is becoming increasingly social as millions of people use it to blog, share, post, 'friend', 'unfriend' (which was made the Oxford word of the year in 2009), comment, and chat. Elgg ñ your award-winning open source social networking engine ñ is tailor-made to create any social networking or social media website you can imagine. If you want to create a social networking website from scratch using Elgg, then this book is exactly what you need.Elgg 1.8 Social Networking covers everything you need to know about building a social networking site with Elgg. It begins with instructions for installing Elgg, continues with a guided tour of its capabilities, and finishes with practical advice on deploying Elgg on a production server. And in between, it is packed with information on configuring and customizing Elgg through plugins and themes.This book is a learn-by-doing guide to creating your own social networking site. It includes three sample case studies on how Elgg could be used as an e-learning tool, an intranet application for organizations, and a niche social networking site. Step by step it takes you through the installation, configuration, and customization of Elgg. Valuable advice is sprinkled throughout the book to enable you to build your site like an expert. For developers, this book provides a multitude of options. First, there is a tutorial-based section that systematically teaches you how to build plugins. Soon you will have ten plugins for use on your site in addition to all the knowledge you have gained. Second, if you prefer a quick overview, this book has an appendix that describes Elgg using the terminology and design patterns common in web development. Third, if you are interested in creating a theme, it also includes a design tutorial and a catalog of Elgg's view templates. The book then goes on to describe what is involved in running a production website. It has sections on selecting a hosting provider, configuring and tuning the server, backing up the site, and dealing with spammers.

Who is this book for?

If you want to create a social networking site using Elgg and do not have a background in software development, this book provides all the information and advice that you need written just for you. If you are a developer, it also contains valuable tutorials and reference material so that you can begin writing code right away.

What you will learn

  • Install your very own site using Elgg and learn to administer it.
  • Customize your site using the plugins available from the Elgg plugin repository.
  • Build your own plugins from scratch while following the step-by-step tutorials.
  • Create your own theme by selecting recipes from the theming cookbook.
  • Learn how to share content with other users.
  • Deploy Elgg in a production environment with ample advice on server configuration, back-ups, site monitoring, and daily administrative tasks.
  • Examine the design of Elgg from a developer s perspective.
  • Learn how you can contribute to the vibrant and ever growing Elgg community
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Mexico

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

Mex$149.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

Mex$299.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Feb 01, 2012
Length: 384 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781849511308
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Mexico

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

Mex$149.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

Mex$299.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Feb 01, 2012
Length: 384 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781849511308
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just Mex$85 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just Mex$85 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total Mex$ 3,363.97
Liferay Portal Systems Development
Mex$1353.99
Elgg 1.8 Social Networking
Mex$1004.99
XNA 4.0 Game Development by Example: Beginner's Guide - Visual Basic Edition
Mex$1004.99
Total Mex$ 3,363.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

10 Chapters
Social Networking and Elgg Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Installing Elgg Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A Tour of Your First Elgg Site Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Sharing Content Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Communities, Collaboration, and Conversation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Finding and Using Plugins Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Your First Plugin Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Customization through Plugins Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Theming Elgg Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Moving to Production Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.3
(9 Ratings)
5 star 66.7%
4 star 22.2%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 11.1%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




William Hebler Jul 19, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Love it!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Darwin Ramos Cuervo Mar 12, 2012
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I have found this book very helpful to start coding plug-ins and configuring all the stuff Elgg offers. Elgg Official documentation is not well organized for beginners so it is quite difficult to be an early plug-in developer. Elgg 1.8 Social Networking covers exactly this failure and let you learn all Elgg basics in a sequential and very clear and well organized order. This book is highly recommended for everyone who pretends to develop Elgg plug-ins or configure customized social networks from scratch.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Gonzalo Oviedo Lambert Jun 14, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
My english is very poor, but i will try to give my opinion about it.The books is great for begginners. Now, i understand the concept behind elgg. On the Internet is very hard to evenly grasp the clarity of this book. Totally recommended for an introductory Elgg begginner and Social Network behind this technology.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Robert Crowe Sep 13, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Best source I've seen for coming up to speed on Elgg.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
cbosch Jan 01, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Even if you don't have any experience creating social networks, this book guides you from the basics to the advanced ones.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the digital copy I get with my Print order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

When you buy any Print edition of our Books, you can redeem (for free) the eBook edition of the Print Book you’ve purchased. This gives you instant access to your book when you make an order via PDF, EPUB or our online Reader experience.

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela