I am a XOOPS newbie and I've been reading the Installation Instructions and I have a couple questions about the following:

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There are still numerous hosting services with hosting plans that do not offer all of the above. (And even then, sometimes these programs are rather outdated.)

Questions:

1) On a host with free hosting plans (such as zendURL.com), is it possible to create and manage additional MySQL databases independently of using the Cpanel? I'm talking about something I could upload and install on my own. Couldn't I just install phpMyAdmin on a host to make additional databases?

Many free web hosts only provide 1 MySQL database and, even then, there is sometimes a strict size limit. If a particular plan comes with 2 GB of storage and only one 10 Mb MySQL database, I'd prefer to take better advantage of the storage space.

2) Does XOOPS use the MySQL database to store all or most of its data? Or, can it be set up so that it only uses MySQL to index the data and store most of the content outside of the database? (Sorry... perhaps I just don't grasp how MySQL works?)

3) About how many MB in size is the MySQL database for a typical small/medium (about 50 members) Invision Forum website? I'm asking for a guestimate...

4) Is it possible to set up MySQL, PHP and/or Apache on a free web host (such as Yahoo Geocities) when none of these services are provided in their free plan? Again, I'm talking about something you could install on your own.

One reason I'm asking these questions is because of something I read in the forums: Re: Has XOOPS lost its appeal?

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As I plan on using a variety of modules (including a forum, image gallery, guestbook, blog, and more) I worry that I will run out of MySQL databases and/or room. I may end up with a commercial hosting package, but I still need to know my needs/requirements.

1. No. You tell phpmyadmin your MySQL username and password; phpmyadmin looks up your privileges via MySQL. You cannot override those privileges unless you have administrative (root) access to MySQL.

2. XOOPS stores almost everything in the MySQL database. Exceptions would be the configuration settings in mainfile.php, and uploaded files. Of course third-party modules could be written to do things differently.

3. I don't know.

4. No. You need administrative access to the web server to do that.

I'd recommend getting a commercial hosting account with a provider that offers a range of hosting plans, with no extra fee for upgrading to a different plan. Then you could start with a small, inexpensive plan, and upgrade later if needed.

You could also install XOOPS on your own computer, using something like XAMPP, to get an idea of the resources needed.

Those are some helpful answers and suggestions. This really helps clarify what I need. Thank you for your time.

There's just something else that has me concerned:

5) Is it possible to make a local (on my own PC) backup of the MySQL database(s) which reside on my web host?

6) If the above is true, then is it possible to upload your backup database to replace the contents of the existing one?

I have a feeling that this might depend on the web host and what kind of plan you have.

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Yes, most definitely

PhpMyAdmin (which is installed in many/most hosts' CPanel) will let you make a backup of the database using the "Export" function. It will even let you chose whether to compress the file or not.

This is part of my regular backup routine.

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Yes, most definitely

You can upload the contents of the .sql file to a new database using CPanel/phpmyadmin using a sql command.

If you add "drop table" and "create table" commands to your backup .sql file then this will replace the contents of old tables with more up to date info.


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Even the most basic of hosting accounts will have a CPanel with phpmyadmin and if not then you can usually add your own phpmyadmin installation to your website.

You might find this information useful and reassuring.