How to install an extension

Install Joomla extension in a few steps

If you see the NorrNext extension is the ideal one for building your site, you may easily install it in few steps. Download it as a zip file. Now enter your site development environment, open the Extension Manager. You may do this selecting the menu with similar name on the top panel. After this, you will have a new page open. It is Install page. There you can choose one of three tabs, which will help you to build-in an extension into your site:

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Upload Package File

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Choose the first tab. Click on Browse. In the opened file system, find the zip-file that you downloaded previously. Click on it and Open. In such way, you select the extension for uploading. After that, run the installation with the Upload Package File button. It is supposed to start just after. While installation is executing keep the browser open. Closing it will interrupt the process.

Once the process is over the Extension page will open. There you can see all the extensions available. This is also the place, where you can check for new versions of extensions and get them along with completely new ones. It happens that installation process terminates and the error message pops out. Sometimes the process goes smoothly but in the installation status there is a red point. It also means that something went wrong and the installation terminated incorrectly. The cause of the problem is usually in the size of installation package, which overflows restrictions of hosting providers. In that case, you have to find another way of installation.

Install from Directory

If you use this method of installing, ensure that your installation package is a folder and not a zip-file. There is a way to go around some provider’s uploading restrictions using this method. First, you have to unpack your extension zip-file to get some small files instead of a large one. Upload them to the temporary folder on your server one by one. You can do this because the size of individual file no more exceeds the provider’s restrictions.

Once the package is uploaded, go to Extension Manager and then to required tab. Copy the path to your folder into the field and start the installation.

Install from URL

If you have an external link to the extension, you will likely use this method. It is fast and doesn’t require storing the files locally. In addition, you do not have to deal with provider’s restrictions problems. The mobile users who are working on their site from the road might find this way ideal.

To use this method choose the last tab.

How to Update an Extension

The developers update their extensions pretty often. Most of those updates contain minor bug-fixes and functionality changes. However, when Joomla! gets new version the developers have to make significant changes in their products. That is why you have to keep your extensions up to date.

There are two ways of updating. The first one is easier but has a significant disadvantage. You cannot use it if the extension is not free. However, if it is free, you can easily update it through the menu.

Go to Extension Manager and select Update to get access to Update Menu (point1 in figure below).

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Now you will notice all of your extensions and the Find Updates button in the left top corner. Use it to detect out-of-date extensions. Once the function has done its job, put a check next to extension that you wish to be updated. Activate the update processes with the Update button. Wait until Joomla! ends updating.

As said before not every Joomla! extension can be updated through Update manager. Some of them require installation of new version over existing one. These are Premium extensions, which are available only for club subscribers. If you noticed that one of those is out of date, go to NorrNext site and download new version. Log in to enable download function. Once the needed file is downloaded, install it as a new extension.