How to Install Dotclear on Windows 11

Dotclear is a free and open-source blogging platform. It is easy to install and use. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install Dotclear on Windows 11.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Install XAMPP

  1. Download the XAMPP package from the official website - https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html.
  2. Run the installer and follow the instructions.
  3. Choose the components you want to install, and the installation directory (default is C:\xampp).
  4. Click on the Install button to start installing XAMPP.

Step 2: Install Dotclear

  1. Extract the downloaded Dotclear package to C:\xampp\htdocs\dotclear-x.x.
  2. Rename the dotclear-x.x directory to dotclear.
  3. Open phpMyAdmin by going to http://localhost/phpmyadmin on your web browser.
  4. Click on the New button in the left-hand panel to create a new database.
  5. Give your database a name, e.g., dotclear.
  6. Leave the collation as the default.
  7. Click the Create button to create the database.
  8. Open config.php within C:\xampp\htdocs\dotclear, in a text editor.
  9. Find $dbcharset and ensure it's set to utf8mb4.
  10. Find $dbhost, $dbuser, and $dbpass and update them as follows:
$dbhost = 'localhost';
$dbuser = 'root';
$dbpass = '';
  1. Find $dbname = '' and replace it with $dbname = 'dotclear'.
  2. Save the file and close the text editor.

Step 3: Run Dotclear Installation

  1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/dotclear.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions, including setting the database details and creating your admin account.
  3. Once installation completed, you'll see a success page.

Step 4: Access your Dotclear Website

  1. After installation completed, go to http://localhost/dotclear/admin.
  2. Log in to the admin panel using the credentials you created during the installation.

Congratulations, you have installed Dotclear on Windows 11! You can now start blogging by creating new posts, customizing your website's appearance, and exploring the various features of Dotclear.