Site packages for learners
When you install Exponential, the new site is not built from code alone. It is built from site installer packages: archives that carry content classes, content, settings, roles and install scripts (Site packages: start here). Knowing which package you installed tells you what your study site contains and why.
Contents
- Packages in one minute
- The default: sevenx_multisite
- Other packages useful for study
- Choosing a package when you install
- What to study in the site packages section
Packages in one minute
- A package is a folder with a
package.xmland the files it names, shipped as one archive ending in.ezpkg. - A site package is a package of type
site. It requires other packages (content classes, content) and can carry install scripts that set up siteaccesses, extensions, roles and preferences. - The installers (the setup wizard, the kickstarter and
exp:install) read packages from a package server, exponential.packages.exponential.earth. - The 6.0.15 index offers twelve site packages.
Source: Site packages: start here.
The default: sevenx_multisite
sevenx_multisite is the package installed when nothing else is chosen. It sets up two public websites in one
installation, Fit & Healthy and Bold Agency, plus the administration and editor siteaccesses, with page
layouts from the explayouts extensions (sevenx_multisite).
What that means for your studies:
| You get | Useful for |
|---|---|
| Demo articles, recipes and images | Editing, search and translation exercises on realistic content |
The siteaccesses site, bold and bold_ger | Seeing how one installation serves several sites and languages |
| Published layouts with zones, blocks and rules | The layouts project |
| Roles for Anonymous, Member, Editor and Partner users | The roles project |
| Many active extensions | Seeing what extensions add, in Setup > Extensions |
Source: sevenx_multisite: what an install gives you.
Other packages useful for study
| Package | What it installs | Why a learner might choose it |
|---|---|---|
sevenx_multisite_clean | The same site package without the demo articles, recipes and images | To build a site structure from nothing in project 2 |
cjw_multisite | The CJW starter site, with starter content in German and English | To compare two packages, and to study a site built around a theme extension |
sevenx_site, sevenx_site_clean | Simpler site packages | To see a smaller installation |
Sources: The clean variant and sevenx_site, cjw_multisite.
Choosing a package when you install
exp:install takes the package with --package (Install in one command).
The cjw_multisite page shows this example:
php bin/php/console exp:install --apply --package=cjw_multisite --languages=eng-US,ger-DEAdd the options of your first install (--random-password, --url=...), and --force when you replace an existing
study site (Resetting and rebuilding your study site). In the setup
wizard, the package is chosen on the Site package page.
What to study in the site packages section
The section is written for administrators, developers and hosts; for a learner these pages are a good order:
- What a site installer package is
- The .ezpkg file and the package.xml reference
- What you have after installing sevenx_multisite
- sevenx and cjw compared
- What is on the package server
- Making your own site package, when you have built a site worth sharing
- Contribute your site package
The trainers' course Multisite and site packages covers the same ground with exercises.
Related pages
- Your first site: three ways
- Site packages glossary
- Understanding siteaccesses and settings
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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