Adding Themes & Modules

Adding Modules & Themes

We are often asked what is the easiest way to add Modules & Themes.

Modules and Themes are usually distributes as compressed TAR files. You will see an extension on the file when you download it similar to ".tar.gz" or ".tar.bz2"

First, you need a program to uncompress and untar the file. If you are using Windows, we suggest you use 7-zip, available from http://www.7-zip.org. If you have an Apple, all the programs you need are included with OS X. If you need a GUI to help you along, check out "Untar" from Edenwaith. It is available at http://www.edenwaith.com/products/untar

If you don't have a stellar FTP program, we recommend FileZilla from http://filezilla-project.org which will allow you to upload entire directories with one or two easy clicks! It is available for a variety of Operating Systems.

Once downloaded and installed, you can turn these downloaded files into regular directories/subdirectories/files.

Remember, a tar.gz or tar.bz2 file is in a sense "double archived" so you may need to use 7-zip twice. The first run will convert the file into a regular ".tar" file without the compressed extension.

Now you can use 7-zip again to extract the files in the ".tar" file.

When you are done, you should have a regular directory containing the module.

For example, if you downloaded the file:

mydrupal5module-5.x.11.tar.gz

After unpacking, you would have a directory whose top level directory is (most likely) :

mydrupal5module

You can now upload this into your Drupal space using FTP.

Remember, modules and themes go into, respectively:

{ROOT OF YOUR DRUPAL SPACE}/sites/all/modules/
{ROOT OF YOUR DRUPAL SPACE}/sites/all/themes/

So, in the above example, after uploading you should have:

{ROOT OF YOUR DRUPAL SPACE}/sites/all/modules/mydrupal5module/

In most cases, only one directory should have been created under modules (note, some modules my come pre-packed with other support modules) and all the "stuff" in that module should be under that directory. Don't just FTP all the individual files in your unpacked modue/theme into the directory.


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