I am very new to all of this in fact I am betting ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: '@localhost' (Using password: YES)for MySQL and my host provider is trying to resolve that for me BUT in the meantime I have a few questions

I really love the whole content management idea but I want the site to look as much like my current site as I can. Is there a good faq article on how to customize the site? I don't mean just module order but the whole look of the site. Can you customize it in an html editor? I have been looking through some of the posts which suggested themes and templates and some of them are hot but it says I don't have access to view the articles that they posted.

Could someone please direct me to the most detailed information on how to start with either the default download template or a different template and customize it?

I hope this made sense with my limited understanding.

Thank you very much!!

First I want to welcome you to this community.

I suggest you search the f.a.q.'s first and then search the forums.
Then if you have still questions we are here to help you.

thank you for the welcome. did you read the part about that i did search the faq? i am not foolish. the pages i would like to see say that i do not have permission for some reason. i was hoping for a link or a direction to a specific area that might address the particulars of customization

Check plz your firewall.
Specific customization is only paid one. Here you'll find general information. Download some themes wich are heavy customized so you'll learn some things. I suggest the themes of xoopsfactory.

Quote:

Seems that this message is known to mySQL users.
Make a search at Google. I just found 2 forums to start with: ...here & here

From the the theme files you'll be able to manage the main structure of the site along with the main structural design of the different blocks you can activate. Along with that, each module has a series of templates of their own which can be modified to have the content display like you want, it's not very easy but it's not impossible either, among all the cms I have seen XOOPS is the most manageable and easiest to customize in design. One of the most customized designs I've seen is http://www.fantasyfootball.com/ , you can have that as an example of how XOOPS can be.

You should try the zeta reticuli theme and learn from it, it's the most advanced structure in themes I've seen so far.

You can also check out the 'Documentation' website linked on the left and google for XOOPS tutorials.