Chapter 2. Installing DotNetNuke

To get started with DotNetNuke (DNN), you must first install it on a web server. Installing DNN can be challenging for those who have never completed the process before. However, after using DNN for a number of websites, you likely will become comfortable with the tools and be able to get a new website up and running in a matter of minutes. A number of other books about DNN go into more detail about the installation process; however, the aim of this book is to cover the basics to get your website up and running.

There are several different ways to install DNN. This chapter walks you through a few of the simple ways: using free tools provided by Microsoft, using tools you may already have installed on your personal computer, and, finally, using a hosting provider's tools to install your website on an external web server.

This chapter discusses the following topics:

  • Web server basics

  • Pre-installation considerations

  • Installation options and resources

  • Installing DNN

  • Common hosting installation options

Web Server Basics

In order for a website to exist, it must be hosted on a computer known as a web server, which is accessible to the outside world via the Internet or accessible to a local network of computers (for example, in an office environment) for an intranet site. Literally thousands of companies provide services revolving around website hosting; picking the right one to host your website is an important decision. We will cover some of the deciding factors ...

Get DotNetNuke® 5 User's Guide: Get Your Website Up and Running now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.