After spending hours on end trying to install the latest DNN and seeing no documentation I can find on how to set it up on a webserver I am very frustrated. Perhaps DNN should now say, "DNN the Portal CMS System For Developers Only". Installation is an integral part of any software yet apparently the inner core team has ignored it, farmed it out to a third party tool which is compeltely useless. In browsing some of the talk of that I see a good deal of, "For people who have install problems I refer them to the documentation" which seems to cover local installs just fine but webserver? Nothing I could find.

So... I call my host provider, thats Affinity, third largest host provider on the planet. Microsoft Gold Certified. They look at the DNN site. The gentlemen I speak with is MS Certified. Tell's me take one look at the forums. More installation troubles/posts than any other thread. He continued to say, "This is why its free. If it were a professional commercial application these problems simply would not exist". He recommended I use Joomla which I am already familiar with which actually "IS" the #1 Portal/CMS system and runs happily on a Linux or Windows Server. It installs quite easy, unlike this and is actually "more complex" than DNN. Which, is why I'd like use DNN for a current project so external users/admins dont need face the complexity inside Joomla.

Installation is integral to software, it should be easy and painless. Without the ability to easily install and thus use the software the software is rendered useless no matter how good anyone cares to claim it is. Installation is as core to the software as the software itself. Yet, it appears the "inner core" has allowed this to become a project for someone external core who in post after post I read either A. Does not respond or B. says, "I refer people to the manual". Lets get real. I cannot imagine how many people have downloaded the recent DNN and just gave up because they cant get it to even install properly. Perhaps if "Microsoft" has interests in where this project goes or is going they may be quite unaware that the average Joe cant even install it and is forced to hand edit text files!!!! Perhaps they can have someone take a few hours to allow the software to be installed without said party needing to be a programmer. The folks at Mambo, Joomla, Drupal seem to have done so.

Yes... I am frustrated.

What happens when I try install? Its a virgin installation. DNN comes back saying, "Upgrade Failed" (I am not upgrading, virgin install).

Perhaps I can find someone local to help.

But I write this message hoping that Shaun may see it and have the inner core group take sometime and make web installation painless and easy as it should be and get "installation" out of the hands of the person whom as I traverse this site continually see, "Refer to the manual" yet is charged with creating an installer software which should have already existed before any release. Again, its just engineering 101. Dealers dont sell cars and say, "Oh by the way, you need install a battery, tires, brake fluid before it will work". Microsoft doesnt release MS Office saying, "Oh, you need to edit some text files to tell Office where its configuration files are, what video card you have and how much memory".

I understand from reading at the site the inner core team has basically rewritten much of the guts of DNN and now its far more efficient and such. Thats GREAT! But, to the average Joe it means absolutely nothing if they cant even easily install it ona  web server. In fact, not to be nasty or anything it just appears completely unprofessional. Its kinda like, "Here's this fantastic new tool. Guess what, since you cant install it you cant use it".

Perhaps the "tech" I spoke with is right, that DNN is slated to become the domain of developers only or host firms who automated installations. At least one of the "preferred firms" bannered as a DNN host on the site I dealt with 2 years ago and they are by far the worst host provider I have ever dealt with. We had a eCommerce site with them that was repeatedly hacked and they 1. Could care less, 2. It was verified by the software creator (#1 commerce creator in the UK) that the security issue was the host, they replicated it. 3. They contacted the host provider and again host provider could care less. They (like many) simply do not care, to them accounts are accounts, its a "YP" (your problem) not their problem. We went to Affinity as they do care. It is in fact the only host provider of many over the years I have had dealings with that ALWAYS cares and ALWAYS is straight forward and utilize state of the art. For example, Windows Hosting does not slap DB server software on shared servers, they use standalone DB servers period.

So why did'nt they solve my DNN issue?

They looked at the DNN site. They said clearly installation is a problem, the largest forum threads are installation problems. With the site we are looking to build its important that things work and have a reasonable expectation things stay working. They said they cannot come close to a guarantee that my time, their time and money is best spent attempting to use DNN. I'll quote, "Any software that claims to be mature, that claims to be a #1 solution yet neglects the most basic element of software engineering (being installation) clearly is not being honest with themselves or the prospective community. We cannot ensure any reasonable expectation that this software is your best option for your project especially when the most basic necessity of easy installtion is completely neglected." And then Joomla was recommended to me which actually is the #1 global CMS/Portal software in existence today.

Again, I want use DNN as I know Joomla's internal complexity for complete Noobs to Internet publishing. Been there, done that. DNN would make this project a breeze and not have me needing to constantly ride over the top of the project to make sure the administrative users are not creating a disaster.

How about an installation guide or better yet wizard for the rest of us who are not developers?

Clearly... installation is a problem.