Please help me install ModX

I am new and Dont understand how to setup a Database, I get these erorrs
Pre-install validation

Setup has carried out a number of checks to see if everything’s ready to start the setup.

Checking PHP version: OK!

Checking if sessions are properly configured: OK!

Checking if assets/cache directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/cache directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/cache/siteCache.idx.php file is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/cache/sitePublishing.idx.php file is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/images directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/images directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/export directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/export directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if manager/includes/config.inc.php exists and is writable: Failed!

For new Linux/Unix installs, please create a blank file named config.inc.php in the manager/includes/ directory with file permissions set to 0666.

Creating connection to the database: Database connection failed!





I am unsure what the next step needs to be.
So far I have uploaded the ModX to my (html) folder and run the setup program... but I have no database and obviously there were some other problems... how do I Find out what OS My server is? I Have "Media Temple" http://www.mediatemple.net/

I’ve not used MT for hosting but typically, you should set up a database in your hosting control panel either by a wizard or phpmyadmin. This has to be done before you can set up MODx. This should be very easy. If you need help with this you should ask or search MT on how to setup a DB.

Cheers,

Jay

ok so i girgured out how to create a DB but now at the installation these errors come up



Checking PHP version: OK!

Checking if sessions are properly configured: OK!

Checking if assets/cache directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/cache directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/cache/siteCache.idx.php file is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/cache/sitePublishing.idx.php file is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/images directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/images directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if assets/export directory exists: OK!

Checking if assets/export directory is writable: Failed!

Checking if manager/includes/config.inc.php exists and is writable: Failed!

For new Linux/Unix installs, please create a blank file named config.inc.php in the manager/includes/ directory with file permissions set to 0666.

Creating connection to the database: OK!

Checking table prefix ``: OK!

how would i change these files to become writeable?..

In most FTP clients you are able to select the file/directory and modify its permissions. If you are using a web-based file manager provided by your host they generally provide the same facility too.

It seems that you also need to rename the file:

/manager/includes/config.inc.php.blank

to:
/manager/includes/config.inc.php

and then change permissions as necessary.

I am currently in the web based file manager, it DOES show that the files are NOT accessible, not writable, but it doesnt show me how to change that...

/manager/config.inc.php is created by the installer. The issues are that the installer is running a config check and has found errors.

The folders need to have their permissions set to 755 or 777 depending on your server config. As was stated you need to use your FTP application to set permissions. Filezilla has a right-click context menu as do most FTP other applications. Don’t try to use the filemanager as most of these make it very hard to set permissions.

From the MODx documentation:

...When you have put the unzipped files and folders in your website, make sure that the /assets/cache (and its files), /assets/export and /assets/images folders are world-writeable (777). You also may need to create an empty file in the manager/includes directory named config.inc.php and make it world-writable. After the installation is completed, change the permissions on that file to read-only. If your installation is running PHP with suexec you do not want these world-writable permissions.

Ok I See now, Even though I am logged in as the owner they need to be WORLD writable to be written to. I found inside my web-based File Manager a Way to make them world writable. Now I am down to the last error, working on it now. thank you all so much! so far so good!

Installation successful... Now, can I change all the attributes back to owner editable only? the folders too? right?

also, I got this warning

Configuration warning: ’register_globals is set to ON in your php.ini configuration file’

What does this mean?
This configuration makes your site much more susceptible to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. You should speak to your host about what you can do to disable this setting.



And can i just edit the php.ini and change that one thing?

All the manager folders should be set back to 655, and the config.inc.php file should be 444 (read-only). It won’t hurt for the two index.php files to be 444 as well; helps stop the more basic script kiddies from overwriting them if they manage to break in to the server.

The assets/cache, assets/images and assets/files folders still need to be 777 (world-writable).

If you have access to your php.ini file, yes, you can turn off register_globals there. Otherwise you can use your .htaccess file to turn it off.

Well I tried opening the .php file and its a bunch of code, that line isnt in there, do i need to add it? I opened it in a web browser.

Also, The login User / password boxs dont show up on my page at all. and if I click to create account it tells me that a user password has been mailed even though i never typed anything. Im sure I just need to set it up, I cant find a good read-me though im sure it exists ill have to look harder.