Installing Modules
You can add extra functionality to your Drupal site with Modules. The standard install of Drupal comes with many modules that can be enabled via Administer > Site Building > Modules. There are also many 3rd party modules available from the drupal.org site. Being opensource, there is a large community of people world-wide who contribute themes and modules for Drupal that are free to use.
Once you have located your new module, follow the steps below to install and activate the module.
- Download the module - Make sure the version of the module matches your version of Drupal. Note that modules labeled "CVS" or "DEV" are in a development stage. They may be written for a previous/current/future version of Drupal, and they are considered unstable and should be handled with care.
- Extract the files - When you first get the module, it will appear in a compressed file format such as 'tar.gz'. On Windows, use a program like 7-Zip to extract it. On the Mac, you can use Stuffit Expander. You should see a list of files extracted into a Folder.
- Upload the folder - FTP/Copy/SCP your files to the desired modules folder in your Drupal installation. The usual location is the modules/ directory of your Drupal installation.
- Read the directions - If the module has an installation file (usually INSTALL.txt and/or README.txt), read it for specific instructions. There are modules that require special treatment, and even modules that depend on other downloaded files to function properly. Sometimes the readme filename has no .txt extension. When you try to double-click on it, your computer doesn't know what program to use. Use your favorite text editor.
- Enable the module - Go to Administer > Site building > Modules. Check the 'Enabled' box next to the module and then click the 'Save Configuration' button at the bottom. NOTE: If you're upgrading an existing module you'll need to browse to your update page at www.example.com/update.php and click on 'run the database upgrade script'.
- Set permissions - Some modules will require you to change permissions or settings to get them working. Permissions and settings info may be in the instructions that came with the module. Usually, go to Administer > Users > Access control. Scroll down to see if the module appears in the list and, if it does, give the appropriate permissions to the appropriate roles.
- Adjust settings - Where will depend on the module you installed.
Standard Drupal modules include:
Aggregator -- Aggregates syndicated content (RSS, RDF, and Atom feeds).
Blog -- Enables keeping easily and regularly updated user web pages or blogs.
Blog API -- Allows users to post content using applications that support XML RPC blog API.
Book -- Allows users to collaboratively author a book.
Color -- Allows the user to change the color scheme of certain themes.
Comment -- Allows users to comment on and discuss published content.
Contact -- Enables the use of both personal and sitewide contact forms.
Forum -- Enables threaded discussions about general topics.
Help -- Manages the display of online help.
Legacy -- Provides legacy handlers for upgrades from older Drupal installations.
Locale -- Enables the translation of the user interface to languages other than English.
Menu -- Allows administrators to customize the site navigation menu.
Path -- Allows users to rename URLs.
Ping -- Alerts other sites when your site has been updated.
Poll -- Allows your site to capture votes on different topics in the form of multiple choice questions.
Profile -- Supports configurable user profiles.
Search -- Enables site-wide keyword searching.
Statistics -- Logs access statistics for your site.
Taxonomy -- Enables the categorization of content.
Throttle -- Handles the auto-throttling mechanism, to control site congestion.
Tracker -- Enables tracking of recent posts for users.
Upload -- Allows users to upload and attach files to content.
