Getting Started with FearlessCMS

Welcome to FearlessCMS! This guide will walk you through the installation and initial setup process to get your CMS up and running.

📋 Table of Contents

• System Requirements
• Installation Methods
• Initial Setup
• First Steps
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting

🖥️ System Requirements

PHP Requirements

• PHP Version: 7.4 or higher (8.0+ recommended)
• Required Extensions:
- curl - HTTP requests and API calls - json - JSON data processing - mbstring - Multibyte string handling - phar - PHAR archive support - zip - ZIP file handling - openssl - Encryption and SSL support

Server Requirements

• Web Server: Apache, Nginx, or any PHP-compatible server
• File Permissions: Write access to project directory
• Memory: Minimum 128MB RAM (256MB+ recommended)
• Disk Space: At least 100MB free space

Optional Dependencies

• Node.js & npm: Required for export functionality
• MySQL/MariaDB: For database plugins (optional)

🚀 Installation Methods

Method 1: Automated Installer (Recommended)

The easiest way to install FearlessCMS is using the built-in installer:

• Download and Extract

bash
   # Download FearlessCMS
   wget https://github.com/your-repo/FearlessCMS/archive/main.zip
   unzip main.zip
   cd FearlessCMS-main
   

• Run the Installer

bash
   # Web-based installation
   # Navigate to install.php in your browser
   http://your-domain.com/install.php
   
   # Or use command-line installation
   php install.php --check
   php install.php --create-dirs
   php install.php --install-export-deps
   php install.php --create-admin=admin --password=yourpassword
   

• Complete Installation
- Create necessary directories - Install export dependencies - Create administrator account - Set up initial configuration

Method 2: Manual Installation

For advanced users who prefer manual setup:

• Create Directory Structure

bash
   mkdir -p config admin/uploads uploads content sessions cache backups .fcms_updates
   

• Set Permissions

bash
   chmod 755 config admin/uploads uploads content sessions cache backups .fcms_updates
   

• Create Configuration Files

bash
   # Copy and modify example configuration files
   cp config.example/ config/
   

⚙️ Initial Setup

1. Directory Creation

The installer will create these essential directories:

FearlessCMS/
├── config/                 # Configuration files
├── admin/uploads/          # Admin file uploads
├── uploads/                # Public file uploads
├── content/                # Content files
├── sessions/               # Session storage
├── cache/                  # Cache files
├── backups/                # Backup storage
└── .fcms_updates/         # Update files

2. Configuration Files

Essential configuration files are created:
• config/config.json - Site configuration
• config/users.json - User accounts
• config/cms_mode.json - CMS operational mode
• config/theme_options.json - Theme settings

3. Administrator Account

Create your first admin account:

bash
php install.php --create-admin=admin --password=securepassword123

Security Note: Use a strong, unique password!

🎯 First Steps

1. Access Your Site

• Frontend: Navigate to your domain
• Admin Panel: Go to /admin and log in

2. Choose CMS Mode

Select your operational mode in the admin panel:
• Full Featured: Complete control (self-hosted)
• Hosting Service (Plugin Mode): Curated plugins, no store
• Hosting Service (No Plugin Management): Restricted, pre-configured

3. Select a Theme

Choose from available themes or create your own:
• Navigate to Themes in admin panel
• Preview available themes
• Activate your preferred theme

4. Create Your First Content

• Use the Content Editor to create pages
• Add navigation menus
• Configure site settings

🔧 Configuration

Site Configuration

Edit config/config.json:

json
{
    "site_name": "My Awesome Site",
    "site_description": "A great website built with FearlessCMS",
    "admin_path": "admin",
    "default_theme": "default"
}

CMS Mode Configuration

Edit config/cms_mode.json:

json
{
    "mode": "full-featured"
}

Available Modes:

• full-featured - Complete access
• hosting-service-plugins - Plugin management only
• hosting-service-no-plugins - No plugin management

Theme Options

Customize your theme in config/theme_options.json:

json
{
    "logo": "/uploads/logo.png",
    "hero_banner": "/uploads/hero.jpg",
    "accent_color": "#007bff",
    "show_sidebar": true
}

🎨 Ad Area System

Automatic Integration

The Ad Area System automatically integrates with all themes:
• Full Featured Mode: No ads displayed (clean experience)
• Hosting Service Modes: Professional ad area visible

Customization

Edit themes/ad-area.html to customize:
• Ad content and messaging
• Visual design and styling
• Call-to-action buttons
• Feature highlights

Testing

Test the ad area system:
• Change CMS mode to hosting service mode
• Navigate to any page
• Verify ad area appears
• Test across different themes

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Installation Issues

#### Permission Errors

bash
Check directory permissions
ls -la config/
ls -la uploads/
Fix permissions
chmod 755 config uploads
chown www-data:www-data config uploads

#### PHP Extension Issues

bash
Check loaded extensions
php -m | grep -E "(curl|json|mbstring|phar|zip|openssl)"
Install missing extensions (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install php-curl php-json php-mbstring php-phar php-zip php-openssl

#### Node.js Dependencies

bash
Check Node.js installation
node --version
npm --version
Install if missing
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Getting Help

• Check Error Logs: Review PHP and web server error logs
• Verify Requirements: Use php install.php --check
• Test Permissions: Ensure write access to directories
• Community Support: Ask questions in project forums

🛡️ Security Best Practices

After Installation

• Delete Installer: rm install.php
• Secure Permissions: chmod 644 config/.json
• Use HTTPS: Enable SSL/TLS in production
• Regular Updates: Keep PHP and dependencies updated

Production Deployment

• Environment Variables: Use FCMS_CONFIG_DIR for external config
• Firewall Rules: Restrict admin access
• Backup Strategy: Regular backups of config and content
• Monitoring: Log access and error events

📚 Next Steps

Learn More

• CMS Modes Guide - Understanding operational modes
• Theme Development - Creating custom themes
• Plugin Development - Extending functionality
• Ad Area System - Customizing advertising

Available Plugins

FearlessCMS comes with several built-in plugins to enhance your website:
• Parallax Sections Plugin - Add stunning parallax scrolling effects to your content
• Blog Plugin - Create and manage blog posts with categories and tags
• Forms Plugin - Build custom contact forms and surveys
• SEO Plugin - Optimize your content for search engines
• E-commerce Plugin - Set up an online store with products and payments

Advanced Configuration

• File Permissions Guide - Security setup
• Installation Script - Advanced installation options
• Configuration Guide - System configuration

🆘 Support

If you need help getting started:

• Check this guide for common solutions
• Review error messages for specific issues
• Verify system requirements using the installer
• Ask the community for additional support

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Welcome to FearlessCMS! 🚀

This documentation is maintained by the FearlessCMS community. Last updated: January 2024