joomla 1.7 Archives » Mbrsolution

Latest Joomla Version 3.1.1

joomla, joomla 1.7, Joomla 2.5, Joomla 3.0 1 Response »

Apr 292013

Latest released Joomla Version 3.1.1. This is a great opportunity for the plugin and template developers to test their current versions against the latest Joomla version. Read what’s new in this version Joomla 3.1.1

Important: You don’t have to upgrade to version 3 if you are happy with 2.5x. Version 2.5 of the Joomla! CMS is a Long Term Support (LTS) release and support for it will continue until shortly after the release of Joomla 3.5, scheduled for Spring 2014.

Important: Please read the technical requirements before you decide to upgrade or install Joomla 3.x

Download Joomla! 3.0.3 (Recommended for most new sites)

Joomla 3.0 is the newest version recommended for most new installs. It includes the latest and greatest features of Joomla and mobile/responsive support. Click on the following link Joomla 3.0.3 to download this version.

Download Joomla! 2.5.11

Joomla has released the new stable version Joomla 2.5.11. This is a security release. Read what’s new in this version Joomla 2.5.11

~~Joomla has released a new version Joomla 1.5.26 which is a security fix. You can whats new in this release Joomla 1.5.26.~~

Please be aware that the cut off time for maintenance of this release is:

April 2012 – Joomla 1.5 reaches end of life

I would suggest that you start contemplating what are your options? Whether to update to the latest version 2.5.x using jupgrade or starting from the beginning and creating a new website?

You could run version 1.5 for a few more months but remember that your site will be vulnerable and if any security is found no one will patch it unless you are a developer yourself or you know someone that understands php.

Joomla has released a new version Joomla 2.5.4 which is a security fix with two updates. If you are running Joomla 2.5.1 you must update. You can read whats new in this release Joomla 2.5.4.

Take note: Take a look at an issue that has affected some joomla 2.5.1 users

Joomla has released a new version Joomla 2.5.2 which is a security fix with two updates. If you are running Joomla 2.5.1 you must update. You can read whats new in this release Joomla 2.5.2.

Joomla has released a new version Joomla 2.5.1 which is a security fix and has some patching. If you are running Joomla 2.5 you must update. You can read whats new in this release Joomla 2.5.1.

Joomla has released the all new Joomla 2.5. As per their plan they have kept up to date. Well done Joomla team. However don’t rush to install it yet without checking to see if all your components or modules are compatible with this latest version. Unfortunately for me I received an error when trying to update to the latest version. I will have to investigate this further and find why. Once I know I will report here

Joomla has released the new candidate Joomla 2.5 RC1.This brings Joomla very close to releasing the new version Joomal 2.5. This will bring more new features and improved performance not to mention security.

Joomla has released the new Beta version Joomla 2.5 Beta 2. They are very close in release the new version. Please remember that Joomla 1.7 will be reaching end of life on the 24th of February 2012 and it will not be supported. Joomla 1.5 will be reaching end of life April 2012 and it will not be supported.

Joomla has released the new Beta version Joomla 2.5 Beta 1. The words below are posted from www.joomla.org…

Joomla 2.5.0 GA (general availability) is due to be released on or about 10 January 2012. The planned milestone after this date are:

    10 February 2012 – Joomla 1.7 reaches end of life and is no longer supported
    April 2012 – Joomla 1.5 reaches end of life
    July 2012 – Next version of Joomla is released

Please note that dates may be subject to change depending on availability of volunteers and circumstances beyond our control.

Remember if you are still running Joomla 1.5.25 you will need to upgrade it to the latest version of Joomla, this is very important for security reasons and stability. However you might decide to still run 1.5 at your own risk, there will be no more support for this version after the date mentioned above.

Joomla has released version 1.7.3, this release fixes the following:

77 tracker issues fixed in SVN
2 security issues fixed

Joomla has also released version 1.5.25, this release fixes the following:

High Priority – Core – Password Change Vulnerability

Joomla has released version 1.7.2, this is a security release and also version 1.5.24 which is another security release.

Keep in mind that if you are still using Joomla 1.5.xx you might want to consider upgrading to the latest version. Have a read of my tutorial convert Joomla version 1.5 to Joomla version 1.7. This will definitely put you on the right track.

Joomla has released the official 1.7.0, it is no longer RC1. This is great news for all of us who are now following this huge upgrade. Joomla gets better from year to year.

Joomla has released version 1.7RC1 after only a few months running version 1.6. I am currently testing the latest version and it is a substantial upgrade in many ways from version 1.5.23, which has been running now for a while.

You are probably wondering if you should upgrade your website or not to the latest version. I have read many blogs and forums talking and discussing this question. Most agree that if you are happy with the current joomla version 1.5.23 then stay with it as it is still going to be supported for another 12 or more months and it is a very stable full version. The new version still has to iron out all the minor bugs and security vulnerabilities that will be reported even though currently it is running well. This should give you enough time to prepare for the upgrade.

I would install another version of Joomla and call it test or what ever you think is relevant to you. Then test your template or add a new template, test your components and plugins. Once you are happy and you are certain then you can upgrade and start running the new version.

The new version has a very elegant cosmetic backend. I really like what they have done with it. I have been playing a fair bit with the latest version 1.6 and now 1.7 and I am very happy with the outcome so far. Of course this is just one of the many options that have been implemented in this new upgrade. There are many other options like access control system which was requested many times in the past by the Joomla Community. I am sure you will enjoy the new upgraded and added options. You will have a bit of learning which is the norm with IT however if you are familiar with Joomla 1.5 then you won’t have a problem with this new version.

Remember that Joomla is a Free CMS, so how can you go wrong.

If you have any questions please leave a message.

Enjoy and have fun with Joomla

Joomla Recommendations

joomla, joomla 1.7, Joomla 2.5, plugins, security, Web developing No Responses »

Mar 252013

Joomla Recommendations is a list of plugins and services I recommend to run a more secure and stable version of Joomla. I will be adding more to this list as I test and read more reviews on other plugins. In the future I will be adding more information on each plugin including the version and issues that might occur.

The information added against each plugin is what you will see on their website.

Security – jHackGuard

jHackGuard version: 1.4.2 is a Joomla 2.5/ 3.0 security plugin developed by SiteGround. With this plugin your Joomla is protected against the most popular hacking attacks – SQL Injections, Remote URL/File Inclusions, Remote Code Executions and XSS Based Attacks!

jHackGard version 1.0.9 is for Joomla 1.5. “Not recommended any more because your site should be running 2.5 or more”

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Seo boss 1.4 Basic or Pro

SEO Boss provides a rich set of tools and configuration settings which are indispensable for site search engine optimization (SEO).
Using SEO Boss you can:
- Change meta tags like Title, Keywords, Decription on any content page (Articles and Categories).
- Generate Meta Tags automatically.
- Easy find which pages have weak meta information (empty values in meta tags).
- Automatically hilight all keywords on your page by specified tags (strong, for example).
- Auomatically replace specified patterns by H1..Hn tags.
- Track you site position in Google search result list for different keywords.
- Manage outgoing links. It can replace specified outgoing links to some page on your site, which will actually redirect users to original URL.
- Override any meta tag on you site or add new one. For example, you can specify what should be displayed in your ‘meta name=”Author”..’ or ‘meta name=”Generator”..’ tags.
- Automatically ping Google Blog Search Ping Service when new article is created
- Provides SEO management for K2, VirtueMart, JoomSport, Cobalt7 components

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System – AdminExile

Attackers can easily determine that your site runs Joomla! by typing “/administrator”. That’s too easy! AdminExile allows an administrator to add an access key to the end of the URL which will redirect wrong entries to the homepage, 404 page, or anywhere else without ever seeing the administrator login panel.

New since Version 1.6 – Option to use key + value instead of only a key. You can now configure the plugin to require a value to go along with the key:
Normal Use : /administrator?adminexile
Key + Value: /administrator?adminexile=ROCKS

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Admin Tools

Admin Tools is a Joomla! extension bundle which strives to enhance your site’s security, make common administration tasks easier and even allow you to update your core Joomla! installation with a single click. This category contains the downloads for both Admin Tools Core (the free version) and Admin Tools Professional (the for-a-fee version with extra security features).

Important: This version requires PHP 5.3 or later and Joomla! 2.5.6 or later.

OUTDATED PHP VERSION ——->>> If you are running PHP 5.2 then you will see this warning.

You are using an outdated version of PHP which is not properly supported by Akeeba Backup. Please upgrade to PHP 5.3 or later as soon as possible. Future versions of Akeeba Backup will not work at all on PHP 5.2.

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Akeeba Backup

Akeeba Backup is our award-winning full site backup component for Joomla! sites. Inside its releases you will find Akeeba Backup Core (the free version) and Akeeba Backup Professional (the subscription-based version with extra features), as well as documentation in PDF format.

Not all versions of Akeeba Backup are compatible with all Joomla! and PHP versions! If you have PHP 5.1 and/or Joomla! 1.6, please use Akeeba Backup 3.2.7 and upgrade your server and/or site software as soon as possible.

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Art Adminer

Art Adminer is smart, fast and lightweight database management tool. This tool can be used if you need something faster and easier than phpMyAdmin.

Features:
* Comprehensive database tool in your Joomla! administrator panel
* Connect to a database server with username and password or auto-connect to Joomla! database
* 3 default styles plus ability to add new
* Work with databases, tables, records
* Multilingual

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Joomla Services

Us Joomla Force for all your Joomla migration and other services.

My Joomla audit A unique audit tool for Joomla! A suite of amazing tools geared to making your Joomla! experience more safe and secure

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I hope this list helps you and meets your requirements, if you feel I should add any other plugins, let me know and I will look into it.

Enjoy

Convert html to Joomla 1.5 template Rev 1.17

joomla 1.5, joomla 1.7, Joomla 2.5, tutorial, Web developing 20 Responses »

Mar 112013

Revision 1.17 Removed the link to the Joomla 1.5 live link for security reasons.

I have seen many tutorials on the internet on how to transform a html template into a Joomla 1.5 template. I have decided to add my own tutorial just for fun and hoping to help those who are new to Joomla and would like to use their old html templates. I also would like to thank all Joomla supporters out there who keep contributing free of charge information about Joomla.

This tutorial will focus on converting a html template into Joomla 1.5 template using kompoZer and pspad. You can use any number of editors like notepad. If you don’t much about KompoZer, check my KompoZer tutorial to help you started.

This tutorial assumes that you have basic HTML/CSS knowledge, enough to build a template that isn’t Joomla.

Who is this Tutorial For?

This tutorial is for people who have some html and css knowledge and have very little knowledge or no knowledge about Joomla 1.5. If you don’t have much html and css knowledge then I suggest that you do a few courses online and believe me there are thousands of tutorials on the internet that will help you. However you may continue even if you don’t know anything about css, html or Joomla as this is a very simple tutorial to follow. A good challenge is always good for the mind

Let’s begin;

We want to set up a tree structure as you see in the following image:

html website structure setup You can see three folders, CSS which contains template.css and other style sheets including ie_hack.css files, Images which contain all your template images and js which contains some java script files if you decide to add some. Then you have your typical index.php, template_thumbnail.png and templateDetaisl.xml. All these folders and files are very important and all must be included in your templateDetails.xml file.

A Joomla 1.5 Template is setup using ‘Positions’, a position in Joomla is an area like your Main Content, Left Navigation, Right Navigation, Header, Footer, User1, User2 etc. Of course there is more to modules and scripts that can be added but we are just going to focus on the basic setup and conversion from plain html template to Joomla 1.5 template.

Remember all Joomla 1.5 templates contain an xml file like the one previously mentioned. If you don’t include the xml file no file will be uploaded to Joomla 1.5 backend and it will display an error as you upload your template. Remember any file you add to the zip folder must be included in the templateDetails.xml file with the correct path i.e. <filename>images/back_container.gif</filename> contains a file name back_container.gif inside images folder.

Hint: Always remember to include all files and path in the templateDetails.xml file as I mentioned above.

Now that you have a fairly good idea on what a position is in Joomla 1.5, let me show you how you would create the positions in a Joomla 1.5 template from a html template.

Click on the following image to view the layout. From this layout you will start to understand why each position has a unique name and why you add it to the position as shown in the image.

Positions that will be added:

user 4
search
user 3
breadcrumb
left
component

You can download a HTML template from www.oswd.org/. I have removed the link to view the template live because version 1.5 is no longer secure. You can still download the zip folder found towards the end of this tutorial. It is recommended that you perform this tutorial on a local environment i.e. using wamp server on your laptop or desktop in using a Windows environment. Mac systems uses something similar.

Firsts lets have a look at plain html code shown below:

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=”Content-Type” content=”text/html; charset=iso-8859-1″ />
<title>Page Document</title>
</head>
<body>
<table border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ style=”width: 800px;”>
<tr>
<td valign=”top” style=”width: 800px; background: #a1a1a1;” colspan=”2″>Header goes Here</td></tr>
<tr>
<td valign=”top” style=”width: 200px; background: #e2e2e2;”>Left nav goes here</td><td style=”width: 600px;”>Main content goes here</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>

Or if you are using Div tags this is what it would look like:

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=”Content-Type” content=”text/html; charset=iso-8859-1″ />
<title>Page Document</title>
</head>
<body>
<div id=”body”>
<div id=”header”>Header goes here</div>
<div id=”leftnav”>Left nav goes here</div>
<div id=contenthere”>Main content goes here</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

I will be working with Div tags as they are the norm nowadays and most developers work with Div containers. Tables are still used but purely to develop tables not for developing main content webpages.

Looking at the code above lets add some Joomla modules.

We add php code to the very top of <html> tag to make sure the template is not called apart from Joomla and to set the proper language as:

<?php
// no direct access
defined( ‘_JEXEC’ ) or die ( ‘restricted access’ );
?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN”
“http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd”>

Then we add the extra code within <html> tag, see below:

<html xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml” xml:lang=”<?php echo $this->language;?>”
lang=”<?php echo $this->language; ?>” >

Next, replace the title element and meta elements with the php code to generate them and we add it below the <head> tag:

Now we can add some css links:

Remember to replace “yourtemplate” above with the name of your template.

I have added 2 files to hack internet explorer, 1 iepngfix.htc and 1 ie_hacks.css.

<!–[if lte IE 6]>
<style type=”text/css”> img { behavior: url(‘/joomla1/templates/<?php echo $this->template ?>/css/iepngfix.htc’); }</style>
<link rel=”stylesheet” type=”text/css” href=”/joomla1/templates/<?php echo $this->template ?>/css/ie_hacks.css” media=”screen, projection” />
<![endif]–>

Here I added 1 md_stylechanger.js file to change the size and colour of the font when you add this template to Joomla 1.5.

With the <body> tag I did not add any modules and left it as you see below. Of course you can add what ever module you think that could be implemented here and remember that you might have to change the css style sheet and the xml file.

<!– Put the name of your site inside the following h1 element –>

<h1>Mbrsolution</h1>

<!– Start of meta navbar: place links which apply to the whole site here –>

I have added the javascript to increase and decrease the font. You don’t have to add this code if you don’t want. I chose to add it.

document.write('<a href="/joomla1/index.php" title="<?php echo JText::_('Increase size'); ?>" onclick="changeFontSize(2); return false;"><?php echo JText::_('A+'); ?></a><span> </span>');
document.write('<a href="/joomla1/index.php" title="<?php echo JText::_('Decrease size'); ?>" onclick="changeFontSize(-2); return false;"><?php echo JText::_('A-'); ?></a><span> </span>');
document.write('<a href="/joomla1/index.php" title="<?php echo JText::_('Revert styles to default'); ?>" onclick="revertStyles(); return false;"><?php echo JText::_('reset'); ?></a></p>');
//]]>
</script>
</div>
<jdoc:include type=”modules” name=”user4″ />
<jdoc:include type=”modules” name=”search” />
</div>
<!– End of meta navbar –>

As you can see from above I have also added two modules, “user4” and “search”, you can use any module that you like as long as the module name works for you i.e. search would be used to search within your site.

Now add the following modules as you see below:

<!– Start of top level navbar: put links to your major site sections here –>

<!– End of top level navbar –>

<!– Start of secondary navbar: put links to this section’s subsections here –>

<!– End of secondary navbar –>

<!– Start of side panel: place additional links and information here –>

<!– I have added a style xhtml. Very important or else you wont see the header displayed on all the left menu –>
<jdoc:include type=”modules” name=”left” style=”xhtml” />

</div>

<!– End of side panel –>

<!– Start of main content section –>

<div id=”content”><a name=”contentstart” id=”contentstart”></a>
<h1>Heading 1</h1>

<!– End of main content section –>

<!– Start of footer type info –>

<div id=”info-site”>
<p id=”info-company”><a href=”#”>copyright</a> | <a href=”#”>privacy</a> | <a href=”#”>home</a></p>
<p id=”info-standards”>
<a href=”http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer”><img
src=”http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10-blue”
alt=”Valid XHTML 1.0 Strict” height=”31″ width=”88″ /></a>
</p>
<p>
Copyright © 2010 Mbrsolution. All Rights Reserved.<br>
Converted html to Joomal 1.5 by Manuel Ballesta Ruiz
</p>
</div>

<!– End of footer type info –>

</div>
</body>
</html>

This concludes this tutorial. You can download the files from blutemplate. There are some changes that I made to have it set up the way I wanted to. You can make what ever changes necessary to meet your needs. All you have to do is manipulate the code, especially the css style sheets and make sure you test it first on all the common browsers. I tested this on IE 8 and Firefox and works well. If you need help or want to leave a comment please do so. I will be adding more information later on. I Hope you learn something from this tutorial.

I have found a great tutorial that teaches you how to convert a Joomla 1.5 template to Joomla 2.5 template, click on the following link how to convert a 1.5 template into a 2.5 template.

As you are aware Joomla 1.5.26 is discontinued. You might want to follow my tutorial on converting a Joomla 1.5.26 website to Joomla 2.5.x, click on the following link convert a site from joomla 1.5 to joomla 2.5 rev 1. I am sure that you will find it interesting and remember if you have any questions just leave a comment here

Good luck

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