Setting up a clean install of a Kentico 5.5 site

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Kentico comes pre-installed with starter sites that include sample document types, templates, and layouts. These items exist to give you a starting point and demonstrate features of Kentico. In most cases, when building a custom site, you will want to install Kentico without these extraneous items. Having only items that pertain to your site in the CMS will make for a better user experience for your CMS Desk and Site Manager users. I will walk you through the installation process, highlighting the sections in which you can choose to minimize the items that will be installed on your site. This is not a full guide to cover all installation options, for a complete guide refer to the installation section in the Kentico Developers Guide (http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/index.html?installation_overview.htm).

Kentico CMS Web Installer

To start, launch the Kentico CMS Web Installer from your start menu.

Select which version of the .Net framework you would like to use.

Select a target location (I'm choosing "I want to use built-in web server in Visual Studio 2010").

Choose a location to install the web files.

On Step 3 for the installation type you will want to choose "Custom installation".

Select custom installation

Under the "Web templates" section uncheck everything except Blank site. By doing this, the installation files for the starter sites will not be put into your web directory.

Deselect Templates

Click "Next" and the files will be installed to the directory you selected earlier.

This is optional, but the next thing I do is delete favicon.ico and WebProject.sln from the web directory, create a new solution for my project, and add the web site to my solution.

Delete Files

New Site Wizard

After you have the solution open, run the web site.

Put in SQL Server credentials.

Choose to create a new database or use an existing database.

On Step 5 - Starter Site choose "Continue to the New site wizard" and click "Next".

Choose new site wizard

In the New site wizard Step 1 choose "Use web site template" and click "Next".

Use web site template

In the New site wizard Step 2 choose "Blank Site" and click "Next".

Choose blank site

In the New site wizard Step 3 enter your site name, site code name, and domain name then click "Next".

In the New site wizard Step 4 you will be presented with the option to choose which objects will be imported into your site. Here is where you can choose to remove the objects that you do not want installed in your site. The first thing we want to remove is located in Global object > Administration > Users. Uncheck "Andrew Jones".

Remove user

The next thing to remove is the sample style sheets. Go to Global objects > Development > CSS stylesheets and select "None". We will be building our own style sheets so there is no need to import these.

Remove style sheets

Now we want to get rid of our unwanted document types. Go to Global objects > Development > Document types. You can uncheck the following document types without losing any functionality:

  • Article
  • Cell phone
  • FAQ
  • Job opening
  • Knowledge base article
  • Laptop
  • Office
  • PDA
  • Press release
  • Simple article

Remove document types

We will be making our own layouts so let's get rid of those too. Go to Global object > Development > Page layouts and select "None".

Remove page layouts

We are making our own page templates as well. Go to Global object > Development > Page templates and select "None".

Remove page templates

Click "Next" to import the objects and create the site.

After the import is complete click "Finish".

Now navigate to Site Manager > Development > Page templates. Here you will find empty folders for all of the page templates that we did not import. You can delete all of the folders that are empty.

Now you have a clean empty site to start development.

 
Posted by Ryan Williams on 10/15/2010 3:40:29 PM
  
Comments
Josh Gipper
I've also found that it's good to remove all the options in Global objects > Development > Categories and Global objects > Development > Web part containers. Then remove Afghanistan (or leave it it's your choice) in Global objects > Development > Countries.
6/15/2011 4:40:17 PM

Ryan
@RetroRocket
In the custom installation if you deselect all of the web templates, you should not see any template files for the Community site. As far as the modules, in version 5.5 you have the option to modify an existing Kentico CMS installation where you can add or remove modules (http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/index.html?web_installer_existing_installation.htm). I don't know if Kentico has plans to make a lighter version, but a good place to make and view suggestions is on the Kentico User Voice site (http://kentico.uservoice.com/).
11/4/2010 1:37:45 PM

RetroRocket
It still feels as though the project installs with a lot of unnecessary files (like the folders which installs the Community site). I've tried installs that reduce the number of modules, but I'm always afraid I'm hamstringing the project and I can't go back and 're-install' them. Is Kentico thinking of a 'lighter' version?
11/4/2010 12:30:11 PM

Brant
This has really helped us with user-training; clients don't get as confused by seeing all the features that they don't use in their site.
11/4/2010 11:21:49 AM