Using Joomla

Installing and Assigning Templates

Templates in Joomla are considered extensions (like components, plug-ins, and modules) since they essentially extend Joomla in various ways. There are two ways to install templates in Joomla. We’ll show you both ways, but we recommend using the Extension Manager installer as the preferred method.

Installing a Template Package File

We’ll assume you’ve already downloaded a template package (usually a template folder that’s been compressed into a ZIP or TGZ file) from either a free source or one of the many Joomla template developers. RocketTheme is our favorite, and it has many attractive templates for sale and a bunch of nice freebies for you to try out.

Let’s walk through the steps to install a template package file using the Extension Manager installer:

1. Go to Extensions→Install/Uninstall.

2. Click the Choose File button and select the template package on your computer (see Figure 11-5).

3. Click the Upload File & Install button.

Figure 11-5. Installing a template package

You should now see the installation success screen, as shown in Figure 11-6.

Figure 11-6. Successful template installation

If your upload and installation was successful, you can skip to Assigning the Default Template. If not, make sure you’re using a valid template package. Some ...