I'm all for the idea of outsourcing work to others but when you see companies charge $50 or more just to install a PHP script, it does make me angry how some people are being ripped off, so I thought I'd write a quick 'how to' on installing a PHP script.

Now I've kept it quite general, bu this method probably works for 99% of PHP scripts. First off, you need to make sure you have PHP web hosting, if you are on a Linux server then you have met this requirement, if you are not sure a quick look at your hosting company's website will tell you the answer.

You need to be able to transfer your files from your computer to your website, this isn't a lesson on FTP so I'll assume that you know how to use FTP to transfer files. As a reminder, you will need your hosting username and password to connect to your website. Connect to your server and navigate to where you want to install the PHP script, for example if you want to install it on example.com/directory then you need to navigate to (or create) the folder called 'directory' on your php web hosting account. If you want to install the script on the root of the domain (that just means if someone goes to example.com they will see the installed script) you want to put the files in the public_html folder.

Upload the files and while that is happening login to your cPanel (most php web hosting providers will have this) and go to Databases. Create a database name and follow up by creating and assigning a user for the database – make sure you make a note of the details as you will need them soon.

Most PHP scripts will have a file that you need to edit, it's usually called 'config' or 'database' and it basically tells the script how to connect to the database. You want to tell it how to connect to the database you just created, it may also ask you for the 'hostname' in this file, but 99% of the time it will be just 'localhost'. Save this file you have been working on and upload it to your website.

Sometimes PHP files and folders will need special permissions to make them writable or executable, to change the permissions you need to use a command called CHMOD and all FTP programs have one built in. Right click on the folder or file you want to change the permissions of and there will be an option called 'CHMOD' or 'Permissions'. You will see 9 boxes with options to set read, write and execute permissions for different levels of users. Giving full permissions is not advisable as it can be a security risk – some PHP web hosting companies disable full permissions altogether.

The final stage of installing your PHP script is to navigate in your browser to your website. Some scripts require you to go through an installation procedure where you install the database through the browser (ie. The script does it) and others require you to install the database yourself.

If you need to install the database yourself you need to login to your cPanel account and go to the phpMyAdmin section. There are two ways of installing the database, the first is to select the SQL tab, opening the database file in Notepad on your computer, copying the entire contents, pasting it in the text box and click “Submit”, this will install the database. The second option is to go to the Import tab and then uploading the database file.

So there you have it, I know it might seem a little bit abstract, but this is the process you must use to install a script on your php web hosting account. Most scripts come with detailed instructions which will give this guide much more clarity.