Manual Installation of SMF

How to download SMF and upload the files on your hosting account

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First of all, you'll have to download your Simple Machines Forum (SMF). This can be done easily from SMF official website

Once the SMF installation package is on your local computer, you're ready to upload it to your web hosting account. There are two ways to do it. The first one is to use an FTP client. A good way to understand how to do that is to visit the FTP tutorial.

Please, note that you'll have to create a directory inside your ~/public_html/ where you want your SMF to be stored (e.g. /public_html/forum), then you can use the drag and drop option of the FTP client to upload your SMF install package to the directory you've just created. Once it's uploaded please login into your cPanel -> File Manager and follow the Step_7 instructions below to extract your SMF install package.

The other way is to use the File Manager at your cPanel. To do it you'll just follow the steps:

Step 1: Login into your cPanel by using the following link:

http://www.your_domain_name_here.tld/cpanel

Step 2: Click on your "File Manager", which will be the tool that'll help you upload your package.

Step 3: Click on "Upload files(s)" at the top of the File Manager.

Step 4: Use some of the "Browse…" buttons to select the SMF package which is stored on your local computer at this moment. Once you navigate to it press on the "Upload" button.

Once the SMF package is successfully uploaded to your ~/public_html/, you'll have to create a directory where you want your SMF to be extracted.

Step 5: Navigate to your ~/public_html/ directory by using the yellow directories and at the top of your screen you'll see the link named "Create New Folder", then by clicking on it you'll note that at the right side of your screen a text field will appear and you'll have to write in it the name of the directory where your SMF will be stored (e.g. forum).

So you're now ready to move the SMF install package to directory you've just created.

Step 6: Navigate to your ~/public_html/ directory and click on the name of the SMF install package, then you'll note a menu will appear at the right side of your screen. Click on the "Move File" button.

After that click on the yellow folder icon in front of "public_html", then the content inside "public_html" will be listed and by clicking on the name of the "forum" directory you've created before, you'll move your SMF install package in this directory.

Step 7: Navigate to the directory where you've just moved your SMF install package by using the yellow folder icons again. After that click on your SMF package name, you'll note that at the right side of your screen a menu will appear again. This time you'll have to use the "Extract File Contents" option. Once you click on it the SMF install package will be extracted in your current directory.

Step 8: Once it's extracted you can now proceed with the SMF installation.