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How to Install Joomla Extensions Manually

How to Install Joomla Extensions Manually

In most cases, installing extensions is a straightforward process as demonstrated in lesson 12 of The Basics. Web hosts impose a limit as to how large a file can be uploaded via PHP. This is often set to 2MB. When an extension is larger than this limit, it becomes impossible to upload and therefore can't get installed. Even if the file is uploaded correctly, problems can arise with the extraction of the file contents. In these cases, try using the second install option labelled Install from Directory. Here's how it works.

There are four steps:
1. download the extension as normal
2. extract its contents into a folder on your local computer
3. upload those files into the temporary directory in your Joomla installation
4. use the Install from Directory option

Before starting it is a good idea to ensure your Joomla tmp folder is empty. It should be, but if you previously had an unsuccessful extension install attempt, there will probably be some files left over, which could upset this process. So connect to your site using FTP and navigate to the /tmp folder. If you see any files there, apart from the index.html file, they should be deleted. So go ahead and delete everything inside this folder, except for index.html. If you're not familiar with FTP, watch our free lessons in The Basics.

Step 1 is to download your desired extension as normal. For the purposes of this demonstration, I'll choose Akeeba Backup which, incidentally, is the number one extension you should install. Now this extension isn't too big, so you're unlikely to run into trouble using the standard install method. But it will do for this example.

Step 2 is to extract the contents of the extension on your local computer. You don't normally do this with extensions, but this is the process for this method. So open the downloaded file which is usually a zip and extract the contents into a new temporary folder on your computer. This could take some time, depending on the size of the extension.

Step 3 is to upload these files into the tmp folder. So return to your FTP client and return to the /tmp folder. Upload the files that you extracted in step 2.

Step 4 is to return to Administrator and Extension Manager. In the Install from Directory section, click the Install button.

Joomla will then examine the files in the tmp folder and run through the installation process. 

That's the process for installing an extension manually.

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Comments 10

Robin McCamont on Thursday, 19 July 2012 08:07

Seems like I'm learning this stuff "one step ahead of you releasing your articles", Richard! However, this is really great stuff, so I'm very glad you took the time & effort to document it for others who haven't had to "learn it the hard way"! Thanks for your devotion to improving the world of Joomla for all of us!

1
Seems like I'm learning this stuff "one step ahead of you releasing your articles", Richard! However, this is really great stuff, so I'm very glad you took the time & effort to document it for others who haven't had to "learn it the hard way"! Thanks for your devotion to improving the world of Joomla for all of us!
Guest - benila on Monday, 03 December 2012 21:10

Quite stuff in this article. Moreover i'm very glad to read to article when i am started from the beginning. It will be helpful for users to make very easy installation.

0
Quite stuff in this article. Moreover i'm very glad to read to article when i am started from the beginning. It will be helpful for users to make very easy installation.
Tristan Montano on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 04:52

Hy everyone,

I want to use Community builder, i downloaded it and tried to install it through the installer, but the same error appear: JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file. then i did exactely what descried above in this article to install it manually, but the same issue with another message: JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file
Path does not have a valid package.
I tried to replace the current path: /home3/dreamval/public_html/mgprb2012/valenciennes/tmp by this one:
/home3/dreamval/public_html/mgprb2012/directory/tmp because my site is located in the folder directory. moreover i uploaded the concerned files in the tmp folder.
I notice that my zipped extension is not big, it's just 2,..kB.

How could I resolve this problem? I really need solution, it's a project ending this weekend.
Thank you

0
Hy everyone, I want to use Community builder, i downloaded it and tried to install it through the installer, but the same error appear: JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file. then i did exactely what descried above in this article to install it manually, but the same issue with another message: JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file Path does not have a valid package. I tried to replace the current path: /home3/dreamval/public_html/mgprb2012/valenciennes/tmp by this one: /home3/dreamval/public_html/mgprb2012/directory/tmp because my site is located in the folder directory. moreover i uploaded the concerned files in the tmp folder. I notice that my zipped extension is not big, it's just 2,..kB. How could I resolve this problem? I really need solution, it's a project ending this weekend. Thank you
Richard Pearce on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 09:14

You're uploading the wrong file. Some extensions, and I'm pretty sure this includes Community Builder, need to be extracted before uploading. You probably downloaded one zip file. Extract the contents of that file. Inside that file will be several other zip files and possibly some supporting files like documentation. Install the zip files and it should work. If not, check the Community Builder documentation.

0
You're uploading the wrong file. Some extensions, and I'm pretty sure this includes Community Builder, need to be extracted before uploading. You probably downloaded one zip file. Extract the contents of that file. Inside that file will be several other zip files and possibly some supporting files like documentation. Install the zip files and it should work. If not, check the Community Builder documentation.
Sudo on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 09:44

Thank you for your help, in fact, I wasn't using the good file!! I was trying to install geommunity geocoder for CB instead of community builder. But I just realized that i should install firstly community builder before everything other related to it. I am going to check the documentation now!!
Thank you!!

0
Thank you for your help, in fact, I wasn't using the good file!! I was trying to install geommunity geocoder for CB instead of community builder. But I just realized that i should install firstly community builder before everything other related to it. I am going to check the documentation now!! Thank you!!
g.c. on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 04:27

Thank you for your tutorial; I wonder if the last step: clicking the install button in the administrative panel may be done via the FTP client or else; my web site is no more accessible and to fix I need to install the old version of an extension its upgrade was the reason of my web site fault.

0
Thank you for your tutorial; I wonder if the last step: clicking the install button in the administrative panel may be done via the FTP client or else; my web site is no more accessible and to fix I need to install the old version of an extension its upgrade was the reason of my web site fault.
Robert Wilson on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 04:55

I don't know of any other methods of completing that step. If your site is inaccessible and you know it isn't fixable aside from a re-installation of an Extension, your best bet is to restore from a backup. Always always take backups.

0
I don't know of any other methods of completing that step. If your site is inaccessible and you know it isn't fixable aside from a re-installation of an Extension, your best bet is to restore from a backup. Always always take backups.
mohamed nizam on Thursday, 27 June 2013 00:37

I'm still a totally new Joomla beginner. I've been following your basic course and yr blog and find it very very useful for a beginner like me.

I'm trying to setup a basic link directory with SOBIPRO but have trouble uploading it when i install using the steps describe above it came out like this:
"JInstaller: :Install: File does not exist .../public_html/http://goshopdirectory.com/tmp/etc".

Any advise on how to solve this issue.

Many thanks again. Regards

0
I'm still a totally new Joomla beginner. I've been following your basic course and yr blog and find it very very useful for a beginner like me. I'm trying to setup a basic link directory with SOBIPRO but have trouble uploading it when i install using the steps describe above it came out like this: "JInstaller: :Install: File does not exist .../public_html/goshopdirectory.com/tmp/etc". Any advise on how to solve this issue. Many thanks again. Regards
Robert Wilson on Tuesday, 02 July 2013 03:49

Those errors are usually because of XML file issues or directory problems. If you're following the directions here very closely and still having trouble, you'll probably want to ask over at the Sobipro forum. They may be able to help you find out what's causing the error.

You might also try re-downloading the zip file just in case it was corrupted.

Good luck.

0
Those errors are usually because of XML file issues or directory problems. If you're following the directions here very closely and still having trouble, you'll probably want to ask over at the Sobipro forum. They may be able to help you find out what's causing the error. You might also try re-downloading the zip file just in case it was corrupted. Good luck.
Guest - Anna on Wednesday, 13 August 2014 04:23

Thank yo so much. Everything now is working:)

0
Thank yo so much. Everything now is working:)

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