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+
+Friendika Installation
+
+We've tried very hard to ensure that Friendika will run on commodity hosting 
+platforms - such as those used to host Wordpress blogs and Drupal websites. 
+But be aware that Friendika is more than a simple web application. It is a 
+complex communications system which more closely resembles an email server 
+than a web server. For reliability and performance, messages are delivered in
+the background and are queued for later delivery when sites are down. This
+kind of functionality requires a bit more of the host system than the typical
+blog. Not every PHP/MySQL hosting provider will be able to support Friendika. 
+Many will. But please review the requirements and confirm these with your 
+hosting provider prior to installation.
+
+
+1. Requirements
+	- Apache with mod-rewrite enabled and "Options All" so you can use a 
+local .htaccess file
+
+	- PHP > 5.1. The later the better. You'll need 5.3 for encryption of key
+exchange conversations
+encryption support
+		- PHP *command line* access with register_argc_argv set to true in the 
+php.ini file
+		- curl, gd, mysql, and openssl extensions
+		- some form of email server or email gateway such that PHP mail() works
+		- mcrypt (optional; used for end-to-end message encryption)
+
+	- Mysql 5.x
+
+	- ability to schedule jobs with cron (Linux/Mac) or Scheduled Tasks
+(Windows)
+
+	- Installation into a top-level domain or sub-domain (without a 
+directory/path component in the URL) is preferred. Directory paths will
+not be as convenient to use and have not been thoroughly tested.  
+
+	[Dreamhost.com offers all of the necessary hosting features at a 
+reasonable price. If your hosting provider doesn't allow Unix shell access, 
+you might have trouble getting everything to work.] 
+
+2. Unpack the Friendika files into the root of your web server document area.
+
+	- If you copy the directory tree to your webserver, make sure
+	that you also copy .htaccess - as "dot" files are often hidden 
+	and aren't normally copied.
+
+3. Create an empty database and note the access details (hostname, username, 
+password, database name).
+
+4. Visit your website with a web browser and follow the instructions. Please 
+note any error messages and correct these before continuing.
+
+5. *If* the automated installation fails for any reason, check the following:
+
+	- ".htconfig.php" exists 
+		If not, edit htconfig.php and change system settings. Rename 
+to .htconfig.php
+	-  Database is populated.
+		If not, import the contents of "database.sql" with phpmyadmin 
+or mysql command line
+
+6. At this point visit your website again, and register your personal account. 
+Registration errors should all be recoverable automatically. 
+If you get any *critical* failure at this point, it generally indicates the
+database was not installed correctly. You might wish to move/rename 
+.htconfig.php to another name and empty (called 'dropping') the database 
+tables, so that you can start fresh.  
+
+7. Set up a cron job or scheduled task to run the poller once every 5-10 
+minutes to pick up the recent "public" postings of your friends. Example:
+
+	cd /base/directory; /path/to/php include/poller.php
+
+Change "/base/directory", and "/path/to/php" as appropriate for your situation.
+
+If you are using a Linux server, run "crontab -e" and add a line like the 
+one shown, substituting for your unique paths and settings:
+
+*/10 * * * *	cd /home/myname/mywebsite; /usr/bin/php include/poller.php
+
+You can generally find the location of PHP by executing "which php". If you 
+have troubles with this section please contact your hosting provider for 
+assistance. Friendika will not work correctly if you cannot perform this step.
+