Hello all!  I'm just getting started with DNN.  I'm a total newbie, but have read enough to know of the many benefits DNN offers.

Here's what I'd like to accomplish.  Perhaps someone can help me bypass some of the common mistakes and put me on the right track...

I wish to be able to create multiple ASP.NET DNN sites (in C# if that matters).  I need to know the process or what files to include, basically whatever it takes to create a DNN site.  What I'd like to do if possible is have a common set of DNN files so that when I create multiple sites on the same server, I don't have to have X copies of the same file set for DNN.  Is this possible and easily managed?  Updates would be simplified this way too whenever DNN make a release.

Any advice to get started quickly to accomplish this would be appreciated!

Looks like this is the "professional" version?  Is that the only version which can handle what I'm talking about?  What about the standard, free edition?

How do I find out how to get this started?  I also presume each website can be totally different looking with different modules, but just be driven from one set of DNN files?

1.  Ok, I took your advice and have downloaded the "install" package.  I've waded through the configuration and got things to install on my local computer as "localhost".

I understand how to add modules to a particular portal (right now I just have the default one) and manage settings per page, but how do I alter the overall appearance of the site for (non-logged-in uses)?

I have an HTML template I'd like to use.  I cannot find where to alter the "master" page (if such a creature exists in DNN) for this portal.

2.   when I install on my web server (it's dedicated and I have remote access to it), I don't have VS running on it.  How will I deploy, compile and run the "install" files/website?  Do I install on the "localhost" there?  I have an immediate need for 2 portals.  I am familiar with IIS 7 (running Windows Web Server 2008) at least enough to configure the "aliases" I think they're called (e.g. "mydomain.com" and www.mydomain.com and map them to an IP address (by the way, my server uses a single IP for all its domains). 

It seems that I would want to install DNN (parent) as something "above" the portals I plan to have.  But perhaps I am supposed to install it under the initial portals domain name and go from there?  Not clear on how this works.