Xoops Web Hosting

Xoops Web Hosting

XOOPS is a free content management system, written in PHP, for websites. XOOPS is supposed to be pronounced phonetically as it would be in English, as “zoo’ps”. It is an acronym of eXtensible Object Oriented Portal System. Though started as a portal system, XOOPS is in fact successfully emerging as a leading Content Management System. XOOPS is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) and is free to use, modify and redistribute. The XOOPS project was awarded First Runner-Up status in the SourceForge.net’s 2006 Community Choice Awards in the Development category. This program is designed with the aim to offer administrators a streamlined and an easy process to create dynamic websites comprising of a full featured framework coupled with the ability to integrate quality content. It proves to be an ideal tool for developing small to large dynamic community websites, intra company portals, corporate portals, weblogs and much more. It can be installed on an Internet host with a PHP-capable web server (e.g., Apache) and a database (e.g., MySQL).

For a personal weblog or journal, the lite XOOPS is an ideal choice. This would require a standard install and perhaps the utilization of the News module only. For the medium sized websites; the user can use modules like News, Forum, Download, Web Links etc. required to form a community and facilitate a seamless interaction between members and website visitors. For an enterprise website or a larger site; more advanced modules like eshop and required and can be developed the user and with XOOP’s advanced user management system; the whole system can be easily and seamlessly integrated with the other or newer modules.

XOOPS uses a relational database (currently MySQL); to store data required for running a web-based content management system. Below is a brief overview of the key feature of XOOP:

• XOOPS utilizes MySQL database to store data required for running a web-based content management system.
• Fully Modularized: Modules can be installed/uninstalled/activated/deactivated with just a click with the XOOPS module administration system.
• Personalization: Registered users can edit their profiles, select site themes, upload custom avatars, and much more.
• User Management: This feature allows searching for users by various criteria as well as sending email and private messages to users through a template-based messaging system.
• Supported world-wide: The XOOPS team comprises of talented and hard working volunteers who efficiently create and develop XOOPS. The XOOPS community has more than dozen official support sites around the world for support of non-English speaking users.
• Multi-byte language support: XOOPS fully supports multi-byte languages, including Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, etc.
• Versatile Group Permissions System: A powerful and user friendly permission system enables administrators to set permissions by group.
• Theme-based skinnable interface: XOOPS features a powerful and interesting theme system with over 60 themes to choose from. Users and administrators can customize the look and the feel of their website that is best suits the website requirement or that which suits the user’s personal preferences.
• Core features usable by modules: XOOPS possesses some interesting and powerful core features that can be used by modules like permissions, comments, notifications and blocks features.
• Personalization: This feature lends flexibility to the webmasters required to assign specific permissions for user access and control of individual elements of their websites.
• Templates: XOOPS uses the Smarty templating engine; which facilitates easier separation between business logic and presentation logic as well as content caching.
• Built-in LDAP authentication and a lot of SEO add-on.

The next most important thing to consider before installing XOOPS is to meet the system requirements for running XOOPS. The software requirements are as follows:

• A web (www) server (Apache, IIS, Roxen, etc)
• PHP Version 4.1.0 or higher for XOOPS 2.0.x
• PHP version 4.2.0 or higher for XOOPS 2.2.x
• MySQL Database 3.23.XX or 4.X.XX

XOOPS works very well with PHP 4.3.4 and mySQL 4.0.15 Standards.
Hardware requirements: Although there are no specific hardware requirements to run XOOPS smoothly; the following platforms have proved to be successful in running XOOPS:
Windows 98, 98SE, 98ME
Windows 2003 Standard
Windows 2003 Standard
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows NT
Linux
Mac OS X

Once the XOOPS files have been uploaded to the server, it only takes a few minutes to install a XOOPS site. The use need not be a computer programmer to understand XOOPS, however there may be times when they may need to learn a bit of html, php, etc. Handling Xoops is a hands on learning experience for every user or administrator. If things go awry; there is help available just a few clicks away. With Xoops documentation and FAQs; users can resole any common issues. The XOOPS module repository is the place where users can find many of the finest and advanced extension modules for their XOOPS powered website, conveniently categorized and available for download. Only stable and non-beta modules are accepted and the copy of the module release file is added to SourceForge.net File Release System. At the XOOPS theme library; users can find many fine and interesting theme skins available for download. The XOOPS Theme Library is, like all parts of XOOPS.org, a community effort and is available to the XOOPS user community. The support forum is yet another way to read up on XOOPS related information and understand its finer nuances.