Thanks for the response, Carlos. Unfortunately, clients in the real world expect results, not riddles. Your response certifies my point (“But DNN has several critical prerequisites that maybe are not explained or emphasized enough in the documentation.”). I have sat here with a $40 DNN book authored by the creators of DNN and followed their steps to the letter. Can you tell me, for example, where in any DNN installation documentation it explains that you must remove comment tags from the web.config file after modifying it?
I not only have the experience in the technology areas you mentioned, but I’m also experienced in documenting my work properly. Unfortunately, DNN has not. I’m sure DNN is a viable product but a lot of us will never know due to unnecessary installation woes (just Google ‘Dot Net Nuke installation issues’ to witness some of the woes experienced by many others). This was the point of my first statement.
I challenge you to do a fresh install using the steps outlined in the book ‘Professional DotNetNuke 4’ authored by Shaun Walker and crew. You will find the steps do not render a successful install. I have been able to complete the install to a point only to receive a “Home page not found” error upon clicking the login link. This was only after troubleshooting several issues during the installation to get it to that point.
I’m not expecting a “never fail” install like MS Office. I am expecting that, if this product is to ever be relevant to some of us, that the install process be better documented and TESTED. I understand there are geeks out there that enjoy the challenges of failed installs like this. Navigating unnecessary issues gives them a sense of worth. My sense of worth comes from providing workable solutions to my clients.
Although I have spent an unacceptable amount of time dealing with this already and although my colleagues poke fun at me that I’m wasting my time studying “freeware”, I will give this one more shot. However, you are now officially my sponsor. Any issues I run across and have spent a fair amount of time troubleshooting on my own will be taken up with you. Your new task in your DNN life is to field any relevant questions I have regarding the install process in order to convince me of the product’s validity. I will trust that you have the experience to handle this. I know I do so the issue must be DNN.
Mark