Quick Setup Guide
For the average person, building a website may seem like a complicated and difficult project requiring knowledge of HTML, CSS, expensive web development software, advanced programming skills, and artistic design skills. The MyHobbySite Content Management System (CMS) dismisses these preconceptions by offering a simple but powerful interface for the creation and management of web content--files, pages, skins, and more. No previous web design experience or training is necessary.
This page will provide clear and concise step-by-step instructions for getting your first website up and running.
Step 1 - Purchase a MyHobbySite License
You can purchase a license at http://www.myhobbysite.net/customers/order.php
Once you've purchased a license, login to the Customer Area to download your files. Also, this is where you can find your license key, which you'll need to install MyHobbySite.
Step 2 - Locate Web Hosting and a Domain Name
To host a website on the Internet, you will need to find a hosting provider. Unless you already have web hosting or know a friend who does, you will need to purchase hosting from a reliable provider. Some recommendations and special hosting offers are listed on this page. We also offer inexpensive, specialized web hosting packages for MyHobbySite customers, which you can check out here.
Your hosting provider must meet the following server requirements for you to be able to install the MyHobbySite CMS:
- We recommend using a Linux server, but some Windows servers are fine, depending on how they've been configured
- PHP 5 or better bundled with GD2
- MySQL 5 database access
- at least 5 MBs of web space for the basic installation (more if you intend to upload anything)
Visit this article to learn how to check if your web server meets the MyHobbySite installation requirements.
To access your website from a web browser, you will also need to purchase a domain name (e.g. www.mywebsite.com). Domain names are usually pretty cheap ($15 USD or less), so don't fall for a domain registrar that charges more than that. We recommend using DomainSite. Some web hosting providers also sell domain names, and some even offer free domains with hosting packages--we do.
Step 3 - Install MyHobbySite
Installing MyHobbySite is a fairly quick process. Since you should now have a domain name and web hosting, upload all the MyHobbySite installation files to your web host's public HTML directory, then simply follow the instructions provided in the installation manual that came with your MyHobbySite download package, or view the manual online.
After installation, you'll want to visit the "Manage Modules" page to add modules and the "Website Settings" page to configure your website's settings. Use the "Manage Users" page to edit your account or create more user accounts.