Extensions are downloadable packages which can be installed on a phpBB board to add new features and functionality. Extensions are the successor to MODs as of phpBB 3.1 and they are a vast improvement. With extensions, you no longer have to modify a single line of code in phpBB. Extensions are simply uploaded to your board and enabled inside the ACP. Updating, disabling and removing extensions is equally as easy to perform.
Installing an Extension
Inside your phpBB board"s directory is an " ext " folder. This is the location where all extensions are stored. Every extension follows the same folder hierarchy in which extensions are grouped into folders by the author"s vendor name. If you downloaded an extension named " foobar " from the author/vendor " acme " then it would be uploaded to " ext/acme/foobar ". Any other extensions created by the author/vendor " acme " would also be stored in " ext/acme/ ". For example:
PhpBB/ ext/ acme/ foobar phpbb/ boardrules boardannouncements
1. Download and unzip
Once you have downloaded an extension, you will need to unpackage it on your computer, as extensions are typically available in the compressed "zip" file format.
In Windows, to unzip the extension, simply double click it from Windows Explorer view (for instance, if you downloaded the extension to My Documents, you would open My Documents and double click the file). Proceed to click "Extract all files" under the address bar (Windows Vista, 7 and 8) or under the Folder Tasks menu (Windows XP) from within the Explorer window and follow the prompts.
On Mac, zipped files are automatically unzipped upon download by Safari (this setting can be disabled by unticking "Open safe files" in Safari"s preferences) and can be accessed through the downloads list.
2. Upload to your board
To upload files, open your favourite FTP client (such as FileZilla, CuteFTP, SmartFTP, etc - even some internet web browsers have this capability) and log in to your account. Generally your publicly accessible files will be in an area named " public_html " or similar. Navigate to your board folder. In this example we will look at transferring the " acme/foobar " extension. You would need to navigate to the " ext/ " directory once you are in your board folder.
Drag the folder " acme/foobar " to the " ext " folder in your FTP client. Normally there will be a small folder icon within the FTP client (this may vary from client to client) followed by the name of the directory - this is where you should be dragging the file to. If there is already an " acme " folder inside your " ext " folder, then just copy the " foobar " folder to " ext/acme/ ".
3. Enable
Once the extension has been uploaded, navigate in the board"s ACP to Customise -> Manage extensions. You should see your recently uploaded extension listed under "Disabled Extensions". Simply click its "Enable" button and installation is complete!
Updating an Extension
Updating an extension is a simple process that can be completed in a few simple steps with minimal disruption to your board. The following steps assume you have already downloaded and un-zipped a new version of an existing extension running on your board.
1. Disable
Disabling an extension will effectively turn it off, removing it from your board. If the extension is critical to your board"s functionality, it would be safest to disable your board before performing this update process.
2. Delete extension files
Using your FTP program delete the extension"s files from the filesystem. In most cases you can simply delete the extension"s entire directory, which will remove all of its files from your filesystem.
3. Upload new extension files
Using your FTP program upload the new extension files (or the entire extension directory) to the correct location.
4. Enable
Once the extension has been uploaded, navigate in the board"s ACP to Customise -> Manage extensions. You should see your recently uploaded extension listed under "Disabled Extensions". Simply click its "Enable" button and the update is complete!
Removing an Extension
Sometimes it is necessary to remove an extension. phpBB allows you to disable an extension and to permanently delete it from your board.
1. Disable
Disabling an extension will effectively turn it off, removing it from your board. However, all modifications made to your database are still intact, so you can re-enable the extension without losing any of its stored settings and data. To disable an extension, simply click its "Disable" button in the Extensions Management page.
2. Delete data
To delete the extension, click the "Delete Data" button in the Extensions Management page after the extension has already been disabled. This is a destructive move that will delete any settings and data used by the extension from the database. (If you re-enable the extension at this point, it will be as if it were being installed for the first time.) Once you have deleted the data you can safely use your FTP program to delete the extension"s folder from the " ext " directory.
Allows you to configure custom commands and manage WinSCP extensions .
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The list in the upper part of the page shows configured custom commands , followed by installed extensions . The command and extensions display in the same order as they will appear in File(s) > Custom Commands menu. The commands and extensions are separated by a horizontal line. Initially the list will contains a set of example commands and the official extensions.
The Description column shows a name of the command/extension as will appear in File(s) > Custom Commands menu. The Command column show the command itself. The L/R column shows L for local commands or R for remote commands.
Hovering a mouse cursor over the command/extension displays a hint with additional information. For extensions, it particularly shows a path to an extension file .
Configuring Custom Command
Use the Add > Add Custom Command to add a new custom command. The Custom command editor dialog will appear. The newly added command will be inserted before a command selected in the list or at the end, if no command is selected.
Use the Edit button to edit the selected custom command. The Custom command editor dialog will appear.
Use the Remove button to remove the selected custom command. If you remove command by mistake, you can always cancel whole Preferences dialog to undo all changes.
Managing Extensions
Use the Add > Add Extension to install a new extension. The Add Extension prompt displays. Enter a URL to download an extension file from; or a path to a local extension file. The extension file will be validated and installed to the WinSCP application data folder .
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Use the Remove button to remove the selected extension. When the selected extension is an official extension, the extension is just hidden (its extension file stays). To restore a hidden extension, you have to locate its extension file (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\WinSCP\Extensions\SearchText.WinSCPextension.ps1) and use the Add > Add Extension to re-add it. When the selected extension is a user-installed extension, its extension file is removed along.
Use the Configure button to configure the selected extension. Each extension can have its own set of configuration options (or none at all). For all extensions it is possible to configure a custom keyboard shortcut .
Before starting it always is wise to read the documentation associated with an extension. Most extensions have homepages and forums, and it is a good idea to look at them first. If there is a README file included with the extension, you should read it.
For most extensions and most users, the procedure will be:
- Download the extension to your local machine as a zip file package.
- From the backend of your Joomla site (administration) select Extensions → Install/Uninstall.
- Click the Browse button and select the extension package on your local machine.
- Click the Upload File & Install button.
- Some extensions may provide further instructions on installation.
- Note that modules and plugins must be enabled before they will work.
There are some situations in which this procedure will not work.
Sometimes you need to unzip the file locally prior to installing. If you get an error saying that the file is not in the correct format, the need to unzip is a common cause of this. After unzipping try installing the individual items. Note that the files you upload using the installer still need to be zipped.
Sometimes you cannot use the automated installer. For example, very large extensions may exceed the maximum upload size allowed by your host.
Also, If you see an error like this:
Warning: is_dir() : open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/) is not within the allowed path(s): ...
this is because of a restriction of your hosting account which leads Joomla! to try to check if the root directory exists. You will not be able to use the automated installer.
Manual Installation
First, unzip all of the files in a local directory (for instance com_installer). Then transfer the directory (using FTP) to a folder under the install directory (for instance administrator/components), appropriate for the type of extension you are installing (visible in its xml file, a line like
