Hi,

I am new to XOOPS. I just installed it on a local test system and there are no modules pre-installed.

In "Where are the modules in XOOPS 2.0.14?" I read which modules are most important to download and install, but there is no link to the latest versions of these modules.

Another problem is that after hunting for the modules given in "Where are the modules in XOOPS 2.0.14?" it appears that many of them are still in development, or at a development stage before Production Quality, or they are for V2.2, not V2.0.1x.

This lack of a full trial installation is confusing. It makes it look like one needs to be a programmer and/or hacker to use most of the XOOPS modules, since most of them appear to be pretty buggy. Most module reviews are showing problems with installation and configuration.

I see a lot of PHP and MySQL code corrections, database table modifications (hacks), CSS V2.2 and XHTML noncompliance, and many "fixes" that are needed to get the basic modules like FAQs, Articles, DocumentManager, and others. What gives? (I don't see this with modules and components for CMSs like Mambo and Joomla.)

Is this just my perception from browsing through the modules and support forums, or is a fairly high level of skill beyond module installation and basic configuration need to setup and administer XOOPS sites?

Module versions are splattered all over, mixing V2.0.14 and V2.2 modules together within the same thread.

What are the fundamental skills that a site developer (not a XOOPS developer) need to download, configure, and manage XOOPS modules, users, security, and content?

At the mo, most modules I have been trying with 2.2.5 rc2 which have been working fine..
So do 2.0.16 reason is all of us try lots of new things...

A lot of the errors are lack of organization of a one simple guide to Xoops, as many people ask the same questions regardless if you write them in FAQ's ECT....

So when problems arise you see odd people among us who are testing and fixing, and many trying to learn...not that it is that complicated.....more it is simple to start and so people want to experiment more from the framework of tools XOOPS has to offer.

if you're new to xoops, you would also be better using the latest current version which is 2.0.16.

most modules work in those versions..

also as for development, you'll find that a vast majority of modules are always in development (but that doesn't mean they are not stable or unsuitable for production use).

lysakowski

Worry not! Help is at hand. For some (free) documentation see HERE

For some (paid for) documentation see HERE

Also, the XOOPS team did put together some packages of common modules for specific target audiences, e.g. intranet, commercial, community sites etc. Now, I can only find thw V2.2 sets HERE and you don't want those (2.2 is not officialy a production platform but I use it ) However, if you look at the full descriptions and see what mdules are in them it will give you flavour of what you want and then you can search in the main module repository for the latest versions.

Some personal observations/preferences:
- You should always have the Protector module installed
- If you want keyword management for SEO use XBS MetaTags
- Full blown News and articles - use smartSection
- Forums - use CBB
- Contact forms - use Liaise
- Simple articles - use TinyContent

Xoops and its module development is a highly active environment - keep an eye on the News section of this site to see what I mean. It's in an almost constant state of enhancement which is what makes it one of the best CMS' going. It has a large and vibrant community, so search the forums and chances are you'll find answers to what you want. There is even a thread somewhere on what modules to use for specific purposes.

Welcome to XOOPS and enjoy.