This text does not go into detail about installation on these packages, as you’ve probably had some experience in this department in the past. However, if there are any special considerations regarding installation, they will be duly noted. As well, you need to have all aspects of the LAMP system working properly before installing these packages.

Most all-inclusive Web CMSs have common functionality such as changing user permissions, modifying site layout, changing server settings, and so on. One thing that should be mentioned is that there is a lack of transactional CMS interfaces (shopping carts for e-commerce) with many of the so-called comprehensive CMS packages available.

ExponentCMS

ExponentCMS is available at http://www.exponentcms.org. At the time of this writing, the most current version is 0.96.3, and is what this section is based on. On the Exponent/Sourceforge interface at http://sourceforge.net/projects/exponent/, you can find links to screenshots, documentation, contributions, and the standard Sourceforge information.

Installation Notes

Installation is relatively simple, and the only thing you need to know before installation is that you will need to create a database. This applies to both remote and local installations. You will also need to have a user and password set up, as you will be asked to supply all that information during the installation process. 

General Overview/Default Installation

Installing this CMS gives you several features that are “active” by default. These are:

❑ Address Book: Organizes contact information.
❑ Admin Control Panel: Easy-to-use interface for administering the site.
❑ Calendar System: Keeps track of events with different views.
❑ Contact Form: Allows visitors to the site to contact you.
❑ Image Manager: Works with other modules to manage images on the site.
❑ Preview Link: Lets those working on the site preview their work.
❑ Private Messaging Center: Allows users to send emails or private messages to one another.
❑ Resource Manager: Organizes and displays uploaded files.
❑ Text Module: Displays text and keeps track of revisions.
❑ Weblog/Online Journal Manager: Organizes blog entries.
 

The “inactive” features (those you can simply turn on) are:

❑ Banner Manager: Manages banner ad campaigns and click-throughs.
❑ Content Rotator: Displays different images or text to the user each time they visit the site.
❑ Flash Animation Manager: Organizes a Flash Animation.
❑ Form Module: Manages any forms on the site.
❑ HTML Template Manager: Manages uploaded HTML templates.
❑ Login Module: Allows users to log in to the site.
❑ Multi-site Manager: Allows you to create and manage other sites.
❑ Navigator: Manages the navigation system.
❑ News Feed System: Organizes and displays news articles.
❑ Search: Allows users to search the site.
❑ UI Switcher: Gives users with the correct permissions the ability to switch from user to administrator. 

Through the easy-to-use admin Module Manager, you can activate or deactivate any of these modules with the click of a button.

Other modules are available for downloading from http://www.sourceforge.net. With the Extension Upload Manager, installing modules is easy; you don’t even need to unzip them.

These extensions include:
❑ Article Manager: Organizes and displays articles on the site.
❑ Bulletin Board: Manages site forum.
❑ FAQ: Manages the FAQ section of the site.
❑ Image Gallery: Allows users to rank and view images.
❑ Listing Manager: Organizes and manages listings, such as real estate listings.
❑ Page Displayer: Allows you to upload and display dynamically generated pages (such as PHP).
❑ Slideshow: Manages slideshows on the site.

Besides installing, activating, and deactivating site modules, as the site admin you can import data (such as a user list in csv format) through the admin interface. This makes it easy for you to convert from another system or from an internal database.
There is the WYSIWYG HTMLArea editor also embedded into the software, making it easy for your authors and contributors to add text. As an admin, you also have control over the HTMLArea toolbar, which lets you determine what text options your users have. 

Customizing the Default Settings

Like most other CMS packages, you can alter user settings in the Admin Control Panel. With Exponent CMS, you can set approval policies based on users and content, although this CMS is module-focused as opposed to user-focused. For example, you could create an approval policy for the Calendar module only that would require at least two approvals from other admins on the site before requested changes are shown. While you can also assign permissions for a module to a user or group, it is done through each specific module, rather than the user interface. There are no various levels of user access—either a user is an admin or not. Also, while you can view which users have permissions on which module, you cannot see all the modules a single user is responsible for.

In addition, Exponent CMS gives you some control over your settings in the Configure Site area of the admin interface.
 

Database Settings

You can switch between MySQL and PostgreSQL, and of course alter database name, username, password, port, and any table prefix names.

Display Settings/Themes

There are several themes pre-packaged with the site, but creating your own theme is easy enough by editing the appropriate files (or creating your own from scratch). Unless you love to reinvent the wheel, our suggestion is to pick the theme that comes closest to the layout you want to go with and edit from there. There is a link at the bottom of each of the sample themes (under the Manage Themes page) that allows you to view the complete file list for that theme, making it easy for you to see which files you need to alter to fit your needs.
In this section, you can also change how other contributors to the site are referenced, and how the dates and times are shown to website visitors. 

General Configuration Settings

Under this section, you can customize page titles, meta tags and keywords, and language selection. You can also turn on/off user registration, engage the CAPTCHA (Computer Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart) test to prevent bots from registering, and control session timeouts and SSL settings.

SMTP Settings

This is the place to set your SMTP ports, username, passwords, authentication methods, and so on. You can also switch to php_mail() function here if you would like.

Other Add-Ons

Besides activating/deactivating pre-installed modules, and installing new modules made available, there is also a hefty list of other contributions offered up by the masses. This is available through Exponent’s Sourceforge interface site at http://www.sourceforge.net, under the Tracker➪ Contributions section. It includes some pretty helpful add-ons, such as adding horizontal drop-down
navigation, so by all means check it out.

Changing the Layout and Look of Modules

While it’s easy to add and delete modules with ExponentCMS, it is even easier to move them around on the page. Making modules look different from one another proves to be a bit of a challenge, however. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strengths for this package are:

❑ Changing the layout and placement of the modules proves to be an easy task and WYSIWYG in nature. In addition, you are able to break the traditional two- or three-column layout and add subcolumns to all three traditional columns.

❑ Text modules keep track of revisions, and allow you to immediately view or restore old versions with one click. It would be nice if it showed who made the revision, but perhaps that feature will be available in future releases.

❑ The Preview feature lets you see what effect your changes have on the look of the site, without having to log out as an admin.

❑ Themes are a bit more esoteric and design-driven, as opposed to being function-driven as in some other CMSs.

One weakness is in user administration—the admin can’t see all the permissions or module responsibilities an individual user has. For example, if Bob is going to be on vacation, and you wanted to assign Bob’s modules to someone else, there is no easy way to see what Bob has the ability to do and what modules he can modify.
There is a reason CMS is on Sourceforge’s Top 10 “Most Active” download list. ExponentCMS is by far the easiest to administer open source CMS out there. Its strengths are more behind-the-scenes, however, as its focus is not necessarily on interactivity with the masses visiting the site, but on a core group of contributors over which the admin has control. If you’re in search of a good-looking “out of the box” site, ExponentCMS should be on your list to evaluate.