# Global Configurations

- Draft version

Global Configuration is the main configuration center in Mambo. Changes made in this area will update your configuration.php file. This file needs to be writable in order for you to be able to edit your configuration.
To the right of the write status of configuration.php is a check box labeled Make unwriteable after saving. Checking this box will change the permission of configuration.php to unwritable once you have applied your changes. This is a good idea for security reasons.
Site Tab:
Site Offline - With this you can effectively switch on and off your website 'Frontend'. You will most likely use this option if you are extensively updating your web site and data, and do not wish to have your visitors view the site until you have finished. Remember to turn this option back on again once you're done.

Offline Message - This is an offline message that your visitors will see on the 'Frontend'. When the Site Offline switch is in the ‘YES’ position, it will display this:
"This site is down for maintenance. Please check back again soon."
You can change this text to whatever message you would like your visitors to see.

System Error Message - This is message that will display if the initial database connection fails. You can type anything you like in this box. We suggest something friendly and apologetic, stating that your site will be available again as soon as possible. You can use standard HTML code in this box also, for instance, <br /> to return a line. You might also consider adding an email address, so that your visitors can contact your System Administrator, or the Webmaster.

Site Name - This option allows you to set the content of the title bar for your site. It can also be displayed in your template by inserting the following code statement into your template file [Mambo_root/templates/template name/index.php] where you wish your Site Name to appear:

%%<?php echo $_CONFIG->SITENAME; ?>%%

Search Engine Friendly URL's - This option is available only to Apache users. The option when set to 'Yes' enables Mambo to output friendly URLs rather than normal database generated URLs. Mambo comes with an htaccess.txt file in the root which should be renamed to .htaccess, before enabling this function.

Show Unauthorised Links - With this option turned on, the public or unregistered users will see content to which they would not otherwise have access, (ie content given an Access Level of 'Registered' or 'Special'). But with this option off they will only see content with an Access Level of 'Public'. Access levels for Content, for instance, are set during the creation process by selecting the appropriate level under the Publishing tab.

Allow User Registration - This option allows you to globally set whether visitors to your site can register for a user account. If set to 'Yes', the Login Form will include the prompt “No account yet? Create one”. If set to 'No', they will not be presented with an option to register.

Use New Account Activation - If Yes, an activation link will be sent to user's e-mail address. User can not login until he has clicked on the activation link. If No, user will be able to login right away without activation.

Email New User Password - With this option set to 'Yes', the new user will receive their password details via email.

Require Unique Email - Select whether you want to prevent registration with duplicate e-mail address. In combination with user activation this option prevents users to sign up several times using the same e-mail address.

Debug Site - This option allows you to view the error messages that are created by your site's php installation. It can be a handy tool for debugging if you are having some problems, and also for reporting errors to your System Administrator or Web host. The levels of error reporting can be set under the Global Configuration>Server tab, and are as follows:
System Default, None, Simple and Maximum.

WYSIWYG Editor - You can define which of the installed Text Editors you want to use.
List Length - Sets the default length for lists in the Administrator. Please note that if you have previously visited a page with a list, changing this setting in Global Configuration will not be immediately visible. However, the setting you specify will be honoured as a default upon your next login.
Favourites Site Icon - This sets the icon that appears in some browsers next to the name and/or address of your site. By default this is the Mambo flower.
Locale Tab:
Language - This define the default language you would like to use on your site.

Time Offset - This option sets the time offset in hours between your server location and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time - UK). It will show the time chosen on the same line.

Country Locale - This option sets the location, for instance en_GB would be the setting for the UK.

Content Tab:
Linked Titles - The title of a content item will be hyper-linked rather than having a 'Read On...' link.
Read More Link - This will display a button at the foot of content that reads "Read more".
Item Rating / Voting - This option allows the rating of content items. If set to 'Yes', a 'Star Bar' will be shown on each content item, as well as a form for submitting your rating. The rating form is not shown for articles in 'Blog' lists, and the Star Bar is only shown for those items with Intro text.

Author Names - This option allows the Author's name to be shown or hidden when a content item is displayed.

Created Date and Time - This option allows the creation date and time to be shown or hidden when a content item is displayed.

Modified Date and Time - This option allows the last modified date and time to be shown or hidden when a content item is displayed.
Hits - Displays the number of hits an article/content has had.
PDF Icon - This option allows you to show or hide the PDF maker icon that is displayed when viewing a content item.
NOTE: This will not display at all if your media directory is not writable.

Print Icon - This option allows you to show or hide the Printer Friendly Version icon that is displayed when viewing a content item.

Email Icon - This option allows you to show or hide the Email Page to Friend icon that is displayed when viewing a content item.
Icons - When hidden links to Email/Print/PDF will be text rather than icons.

Table of Contents on multi-page items - This option will allow the generation of a Table of Content for multi-page content items. To create page breaks, you must insert a page break Mambot, {mospagebreak} using the editor.

Back Button - This option allows you to show or hide a back button to make it easier for users to navigate your site.

Content Item Navigation - This shows 'Next' and 'Previous' links when viewing content items in a category.
Multi Lingual content support - This allow the site to utilise the MambelFish component. The MambelFish component must be installed for this to work.

Database Tab:
Warning: These are very important settings. If your Mambo Web site has been installed on your behalf do not alter these settings.

Hostname - This is typically set to 'localhost'.

My SQL Username - This is the username used to access your Mambo database.

My SQL Password - This is the password used to access your Mambo database.

My SQL Database - This is the name of the database your Mambo installation uses.

My SQL Database Prefix - This is the prefix used for records in your Mambo database. Typically “mos_" by default.
Warning: DO NOT CHANGE UNLESS YOU HAVE A DATABASE BUILT USING TABLES WITH THE PREFIX YOU ARE SETTING!!
Server Tab:
These items are predefined during the installation and are not configurable through this tab.

Absolute Path - The Absolute Path is the directory information used by Mambo on the server that orientates it to it's surrounding system.

Live Site - This is the absolute URL (web address) for your installation of Mambo.

Secret Word - Unique word for every Mambo installation. Used for security functions.

GZIP Page Compression - This option allows your web server to send compressed data if supported by the server itself and the client web browser. If enabled, this could significantly decrease the load time of your site for your visitors.

Login Session Lifetime - This option allows you to set in seconds the time an Administration session should be allowed to stay live before automatic logout occurs. After automatic logout, the Administrator will be required to login again using the correct username and password.

Error Reporting - If this option is enabled under the Site tab, then using the drop down box, select the level or reporting required.
Options are System Default, None, Simple and Maximum.
- System Default - This turns Error reporting to the system default according to php.ini on the server.
- None - This turns off error reporting.
- Simple - This turns error reporting to simple options using the following options: error_reporting (E_ERROR|E_WARNING|E_PARSE)
- Maximum - This turns error reporting to the Maximum level using the followingoptions: error_reporting (E_ALL)
File Creation - By default files created by the installation of components, modules and mambots inherit the server default permissions. By selecting CHMOD new files you can over-ride the server permisions.
Directory Creation - As with files new directories will by default inherit the server default permissions. Select CHMOD new directories to over- ride the server permissions.
Metadata Tab:
Meta Description - This is a description of your website. You may want to limit your description to maybe twenty words or so, depending on the Search Engine you are targeting. Make it concise and pertinent to your site's contents. You can include some of your keywords and key phrases here too. As some search engines read more than 20 words you can add one or two sentences. Please make sure that the most important part of your description is in the first 20 words.

Meta Keywords - The optimal number of characters for a keyword description is said to be between 300 and 500. Do not repeat words too often and either separate your keywords with a comma or a space, or group two or three words together. 'Mambo Open Source' would be an example of this.
Show Title Meta Tag - Shows the Title meta tag when viewing content.
Show Author Meta Tag - Shows the Authors meta tag when viewing content.

The Description and Keyword Meta tags will have a bearing on how Search Engines will index your site. Some Search Engines completely ignore Metadata altogether. You should do some research on Search Engine Optimization if high rankings and Search Engine traffic are important to you.

Mail Tab:
Mailer - You can choose which mailer you wish to use: PHP mail function, Sendmail or SMTP Server.

Mail From - You can choose which email address will show as the sender.

From Name - You can choose what name will show as the sender.

SMTP Auth - This is whether SMTP Authentication is required by your host.

SMTP User - If authentication is required and set above, enter your username.

SMTP Pass - If authentication is required and set above, enter your password.

SMTP Host - This is often set as localhost, but you may need to check this with your host.

Cache Tab:
Caching - This allows for caching of certain elements within Mambo. This will generally improve the performance of your site.

Cache Folder - This is the folder or directory to store the cache files. This must be writable for this caching to be successfully implemented. Contact your Web Master if you have any difficulties.

Cache Time - This is the maximum length of time, in seconds, for a cache file to be stored before it is refreshed.

Statistics Tab:
Statistics - If this is set to 'Yes', the browser and visitor domain statistics will be collected on the basis of settings in the Content Tab. If this is set to 'No', the browser and visitor statistics will not be collected. If your site experiences a slight 'delay' the first time a user visits the site you should set this to 'No'.

Log Content Hits by Date - This option enables logging of the hits on content items, on a daily basis. There are currently no in-built analysis routines, to complement this logging feature. Be warned that this will tend to collect masses of data over time.

Log Search Strings - This option enables logging of the search text, entered by a user. Such logging facilitates the 'tuning' of your web site, giving you an insight into how your visitors are trying to find the information they seek. Analysis reporting is provided under Site>Statistics>Search Text.

SEO Tab:
Search Engine Friendly URLs: This changes the way site links are presented and optimises them so that search engines can access more of your site. This option is ONLY available to sites hosted on Apache servers. If you use this option you must rename your htaccess.txt ffile to .htaccess.

Dynamic Page Titles - This option sets the page titles (that appear at the top of a viewers browser) to be the same as the page title they are viewing. Again this helps search engines.

NOTE: You must 'Save' your changes once you have finished, using the 'Save' icon in the tool bar.