SiteGround Tutorials

dotProject Tutorial

Why choose dotProject Project Management software?

dotProject is an Open Source Project Management application, supported free of charge by web developers from all over the world. dotProject is written in PHP and is free to anyone who would like to download and use it. It is easy to work with DotProject because it has clean and simple user interface. Its core features include:

User Management
Ticketing Support System provided via email
Client Management
Task Listing
File Archive
Contact List
Calendar
Discussion Forum

dotProject tutorial covers the following sections:

Instructions on how to perform a DotProject installation
How to change dotProject themes
How to install extra modules in dotProject: forum, gantt chart, jpgraph

With SiteGround dotProject hosting services each customer receives a free installation of dotProject on his/her website. Our support team has experience in managing dotProject and will make sure that your project management site runs trouble-free!

You may use this tutorial for your own use. You may not distribute it in any form without the express permission of the publisher. You may provide a link to the publisher's web site, where this tutorial can be used from. This tutorial is provided free of charge and without any warranty of any kind.

dotProject Installation

How to install dotProject on your website

Get a FREE dotProject installation with SiteGround dotProject hosting Package!

DotProject is included in the Fantastico automated installation tool. The latest version can also be downloaded from here.

Once you download the release you want, you can upload it to your account using the File Manager tool or via FTP.

Here is a short step-by-step guide how to upload the file using the File Manager tool:

1. Go to your cPanel - 'File Manager' tool

2. Click on the yellow folder next to public_html

3. Click on Upload files

Once the file is up, you need to go to the File Manager (at your cPanel) and to unpack the file in the desired folder.

Here are the instructions on how to perform the installation, once you have the files uploaded:

1. Create a new database from the cPanel - MySQL Databases Area.

2. Add an username from the cPanel - MySQL Databases Area and add it to the database.

Open in your browser the following URL: http://YourDomain/dotproject/ (provided that you have not changed the name of the dotproject folder after extracting the file content)

Click on the link saying "Click Here To Start Installation and Create One! (forwarded in 5 sec.)?" or wait 5 seconds and you will be redirected to the installation page.

3. Follow the instructions:

Click on Start Installation button and disregard the red warnings.

Fill in the information about your database:
Database Host Name: localhost
Database Name : username_database* (the name of the user for the DB you created.)

* Please note that it gets the user prefix. For example if you add database called 'dpj' and your cpanel username is 'uname' the full name of the database is uname_dpj

Database User Name: the username that you created. (same prefix rule as the database)
Database User Password: the password for the username.
Leave all other settings as they are and click on install db & write config

If you have entered all fields correctly, you should get a screen stating the installation was comleted:

Click on "Login and Configure the dotProject System Environemnt"
Login with Username: admin Password: passwd

You will get a warning that the install directory is still present under your account.
The installation directory needs to be deleted. You can do that from the File Manager by clicking on the install folder and selecting delete instead of extract as described above.

From the Configuration menu, you need to change the value of the following:
Company Name: Set it to your company name.
Click on Save (bottom right corner).
The installation is fully completed. You can now add new projects to your application.

dotProject Themes

How to change dotProject themes

DotProject themes are not distributed much, because there are not many developers who are eager to create such themes. The dotProject script comes with three themes pre-installed and the developers believe this is more than enough for the client. Anyway, themes can be edited if you have some basic knowledge of php/html. The theme content can be found inside your dotproject install directory under the folder "style". You need to copy one of the folders with another name (the one of the theme you are going to create). Then you can edit the files inside so that they suit your needs.

Changing dotProject theme is easy:

1. Login to your dotProject

2. Click on "System Admin"

3. Select "Default User Preferences"

4. Select from the dropdown menu your theme name

5. Click on Submit at the bottom of the page.

If you happen to find or purchase a theme, just extract the content of the archive they provide you with inside the 'style' folder and then follow the steps above to activate it.

dotProject Modules

How to install Modules in dotProject

dotProject allows you to add extra functionality to it. We have chosen 4 major 'upgrades' to dotProject installation and will try to show you how easy is to install them.

dotProject Modules

Forum in dotProjectt

There is a pre-installed forums module in the installation of dotProject. You can access it by clicking on Forums on the main menu:

You need to create a new forum. This can be done by clicking on the button 'New Forum'

This will take you to a page where you need to input the details for the forum:

Forum name: the name of the forum
Related project: If you have a new project that you want to attach the forum to
Owner: You can select user to own the forum from the dropdown menu.
Moderator: You can select an user to be moderator of the forum.
Description: Write a short description of the forum.
Click Submit.

dotProject Modules

Gantt Chart in dotProject

The Gantt chart module is also pre-installed with dotProject.

Once you create a New Project, you can view the chart perfroming the following steps:

1. Go to Projects from the main menu.

2. Click on Gantt

3. The statistics can be generated manually selecting the time interval from the dropdown menu and then clicking on Submit

dotProject Modules

JPGraph in dotProject

The jpGraph library is a set of php files that process the statistics and create images based on them. It is connected to the Gantt chart, because it uses the jpgraph for creating its images.

The Jpgraph comes pre-installed with version 2.0 of the dotProject and we advise that you leave the box of specifying the jpGraph location empty. Anyway, if you decide to change the location of the jpGraph:

The libs that come with the installation can be found inside your installation directory under:

/lib/jpgraph

The path to the JpGraph can be changed from the Main Menu - System Admin - System Configuration - jpGraph locale

dotProject Modules

LDAP in dotProject

DotProject Supports LDAP connetivity. Unfortunately, SiteGround supports LDAP only on our Dedicated Servers or on a VPS.

You can use the dotProject with a remote LDAP server and in order to set it up you need to fill in the requested details in the System Admin - System Configuration - LDAP section.

Please, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or recommendations about this tutorial at: tutorials 'at' siteground.com