Joomla is a very popular content management system (CMS) and has a wide range of extensions that allows it to be very customizable.

The following tutorial will show you how to install this flexible, free and open source platform for digital publishing and collaboration on a Gandi Simple Hosting instance.

First, download the Joomla 3.3.0 installation file, unzip it on your local machine, and then transfer the entire contents of the directory (not the directory itself!) into the htdocs/ directory of your desired vhost, using an sFTP client or other method of your choice (how?).
For example: If you want your Joomla site to be accessible directly from www.example.com, then put the files and folders in the htdocs/ directory under your www.example.com virtual host. Via sFTP, the directory path should look like this: vhosts/www.example.com/htdocs/.

As soon as all the files and folders have transferred, go to the URL corresponding to the directory in which you have placed the files.
For example: If you transferred your Joomla files to www.example.com, then you will need to type ”http://www.example.com/ ” into the address bar of your browser.

You should then see a 3-step Joomla setup page:

You must enter the name of your site, the email address, username and password of the Super User. Choose a strong password, and remember it, as you will have to enter again at a later point. You can also enter a description for your site (optional).
Finally, you must decide if your site should be published or unpublished at the end of the installation.

After validating the first step, you will be asked to enter information about the database of your Joomla installation:

Choose MySQL for the type of database, localhost for server name, and root for the username. Leave the password blank.
The name of the database and the default prefix are generated randomly. You can choose to name it something else if you wish.

Once you submit this page, Joomla will be automatically installed and the database will be created without any further action needed on your part.

In the third step, you just have to choose your type of website and you'll see a summary of the configuration:

If you are new to Joomla, we suggest choosing the “Learn Joomla” type site. The site will be automatically prepopulated with articles and information allowing you to more easily understand this very comprehensive and flexible CMS.

Now, just press the Install button!

You have one more (important) step to take: delete the installation directory, as it is no longer necessary. A simple click on the appropriate button is all that's needed.

Voila, you're done. Now the only thing for you to do is enjoy your brand new CMS :)

We’ve kept the tutorial page for the installation of Joomla version 2.5.1 if you prefer to install an older version.