1. Introduction
2. Quick Installation
3. New Installations
1. Requirements
2. Installing with MS Access Database
3. Installing with MS SQL Database
4. Upgrade from MaxWebPortal
5. Upgrade from Previous SkyPortal Versions
6. Post-Install Tasks
7. Frequently Asked Questions
8. Contact Info
9. Copyright and Disclaimer
10. Conclusion
    

We are glad you found the new website for SkyPortal and hope you continue to visit us for support of your portal. If you downloaded our software from any site other than http://www.SkyPortal.net, please contact us and let us know as it is in violation of the SkyPortal Licensing Agreement.

SkyPortal is a modular web portal and online community system which includes advanced features such as web-based administration, polls, private/public events calendar, user customizable skins, classifieds, user control panel, links manager, downloads manager, article manager, picture gallery and much more. Easy-to-use and powerful user interface allows members to add news, content, write reviews and share information among other registered users.

This version has many bug fixes, several new security related features, and, above all, has many of the most popular features available to make one of the most feature-packed releases of SkyPortal ever!

To see a list of the new features available for this release, please visit our website at www.SkyPortal.net.

SkyPortal has been designed to be as easy to install as possible. Follow these instructions and you should have no problems. If you do encounter any problems installing SkyPortal, please feel free to contact us.

If you are sure that your hosting service or server will run SkyPortal or have previously used SkyPortal, you can use these steps to quickly get started. For a more detailed explanation please go to the next section.

Please read this section thoroughly before proceeding with installation.

1. Extract the files to a local directory on your computer.
2. Open config.asp in your favorite text editor. example: notepad
   Do not use Microsoft Word, Microsoft WordPad, or Microsoft Frontpage to edit these files as each might corrupt the file.


3. Open the db folder and rename your database.
   example: my_database.mdb


4. Change the strConnString variable with the correct path to where your database file (*.mdb) is going to be on the server. If you are unsure of which strConnString to use, please use the default one.


5. Change the strWebMaster variable to what you want your admin login name to be. Don't forget the comma after the name. You will use this name when you run SITE_SETUP.ASP


6. Upload all files (except your database) to a web accessible directory on your server or hosting account.



7. Upload the blank (empty) database to a directory that has read and write permission. Ideally, this directory is not accessible by anonymous visitors to prevent people from downloading your database. This should be the same path as in the strConnString.



8. The FILES directory needs to have read, write and delete permissions in order to use the Upload feature.



9. Open your favorite browser and run site_setup.asp to fill in the setup form.
   example: http://www.yourwebsite.com/site_setup.asp

You have now finished setting up SkyPortal on your server. Please read Post-Install Tasks section.

Please read this section thoroughly before proceeding with installation.

1. Extract the files to a local directory on your computer.
   
2. Open config.asp in your favorite text editor. example: notepad
   Do not use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Frontpage to edit these files as each might corrupt the file.



3. Change the strConnString variable with the correct information to connect to an empty MS SQL database.
   You may use DSN to connect or use the IP address of the database.
   
4. Change the strWebMaster variable to what you want your admin login name to be. Don't forget the comma after the name. You will use this name when you run SITE_SETUP.ASP


5. Upload all files to a web accessible directory on your server or hosting account.


6. The FILES directory needs to have read, write and modify permission in order to use the Upload features.


7. Open your favorite browser and run site_setup.asp to fill in the setup form.
   example: http://www.yourwebsite.com/site_setup.asp

You have now finished setting up SkyPortal on your server. Please read Post-Install Tasks section.

This section is only for intermediate users who know exactly what they are doing.
Backup all your files and database before proceeding with the installation.

This version of SkyPortal will detect and upgrade MaxWebPortal v1.3x,
MaxWebPortal v2.1x and upgrade it to the newest version of SkyPortal.

Upgrading from MaxWebPortal v1.3x or MaxWebPortal v2.1x

1. Backup your entire site, database and all.
2. Download and unzip the SkyPortal 'core' to your hard drive.
3. If you are upgrading the any or all of the existing Articles, Downloads, Classifieds,
   Forums and/or Pictures. Download them from the SkyPortal website and unzip
   them to your SkyPortal folder.
4. Edit CONFIG.ASP for your existing database connection, SuperAdmin members,
   LCID, and other settings you wish to set.
5. Edit fp_custom and make sure the 'include' files are uncommented
   (per module instructions).
6. Upload all files to your webserver.
7. Copy your avatar folder to your "files" folder
8. Copy your "files/gallery_images" folder and rename it "pictures".
9. Run site_setup.asp and follow the instructions to upgrade your database.
10. Any modules in the list that are NOT selected to upgrade will have their
    database tables deleted along with all data in them.
11. Login to your site and go to the admin area and run the Avatar Sync to
    populate the new folder path in the database for your site avatars.
12. If you have active forums, do not set your portal time-offset to a negative number.
13. Delete any files in your site root that start with "create****.asp".
14. Delete the contents of the "install" folder.
15. Delete "site_setup.asp" .
    
    
    NOTE: YOUR CURRENT THEME/SKIN WILL NOT WORK WITH SKYPORTAL.
    

This section is only for intermediate users who know exactly what they are doing.
Backup all your files and database before proceeding with the installation.

This will detect and upgrade SkyPortal vRCx to the newest version of SkyPortal.

Upgrading from SkyPortal vRCx

• Backup your entire site, database and all.
• Download and unzip the SkyPortal 'core' upgrade files to your hard drive.
• Download all modules that you use on your site
• Unzip the modules into the same folder as your upgrade files
• Edit CONFIG.ASP for your existing database connection, SuperAdmin members,
  LCID, and other settings you wish to set.
• Edit fp_custom and make sure the 'include' files are uncommented
  (per module instructions).
• Upload all files to your webserver.
• Run site_setup.asp and follow the instructions to upgrade your database.
• Run the create*****.asp files for each of the modules that you downloaded
• Delete any files in your site root that start with "create****.asp".
• Delete the contents of the "install" folder.
• Delete "site_setup.asp".

       NOTE: YOUR CURRENT RC3 THEME/SKIN WILL WORK WITH THIS VERSION OF SKYPORTAL.

Once you have successfully installed SkyPortal, log in with the login name you used as the strWebMaster (without the comma at the end) and password you chose, click the Admin Options link located on left menu. Log in again, to access the admin control panel.

For additional security, it is recommended to move your access database file to a private folder and rename the file. example: DogHouse.mdb. This is the same name used in the strConnString variable in the config.asp file. It is also recommended that you delete the site_setup.asp file from your server as well as any files inside of the "install" folder.

Please take your time and go through every option in the admin control panel.
There is a lot there to absorb!

• Delete any files in your site root that start with "create****.asp".
• Delete the contents of the "install" folder.
• Delete "site_setup.asp" .

Q: I got this error message "Operation Must Use An Updatable Query" on the bottom of every page, how do I fix it?
A: This error is typically encountered when Internet Guest account (IUSR_MACHINE), which is by default part of the "Everyone" group, does not have Write permission on the database. Give read and write permission to the directory where the database file is stored.

Q: I'm running SkyPortal on a Non-US English server, the dates are not displayed properly. How can I fix it?
A: Open config.asp in your favorite text editor.  Change Session.LCID = 1033 to Session.LCID = 1036 (French). To find the LCID of your country please visit this site.

This package and its contents are Copyright © 2005 - 2006 SkyPortal.net All Rights Reserved. By downloading this program, you are agreeing to the terms of the SkyPortal EULA. All copyright notices regarding SkyPortal must remain intact in the scripts and in the outputted HTML.

If you have any problems, find any bugs or have suggestions (for improvement or otherwise) please use our support forum at http://www.SkyPortal.net to communicate your issue(s) with us.

SkyPortal is a product of the combined work of many individuals that contributed (and are continuing to contribute) countless hours of non-funded development time. All of them deserve full credit for this wonderful product's existence.

We wouldn't be here today if it weren’t for Droiyan, MaxWebPortal and all of the individuals who contributed in many ways and many others from our forums.