Indexhibit is solely supported by our users and we do need financial help and support to keep the project independent - just as, we believe, most of our users wish to remain independent in their own careers.

All you need to do is login to our site and purchase the Indexhibit that you have been using - click here. You can even purchase multiple copies at the same time.

We greatly appreciate your help.

Shortly, Indexhibit v2.1 will finally be released - we'll have more to say about things at that time.

Thank you!

Upgrading a site from version 0.73 or older to version 2 is now much easier. We have provided a tutorial about upgrades.

Additionally, we also wrote a tutorial about how to update your version 2 Indexhibit to a newer version.

We have fixed a number of bugs and we will shortly be posting information about this on our development blog.

We are still watching the installation/upgrade process closely and we want to know how it's working for you. We recently brought on three people to help us work through the summer on bugs and new features. If you would like to help please get in touch.

It is quite safe and easy to update an Indexhibit verion 2 or greater website. We have separated the 'studio' from the 'website' which allows for very easy updates.

Before performing any kind of upgrade or update backup your files.

After you have downloaded and unzipped your Indexhibit files, you simply need to only reupload the 'ndxzstudio' folder. Afterwards, when you log in to the studio you will see a yellow banner across the top of the studio with a link to complete the upgrade. Unless there are additional instructions, you are then updated.

Updating the website files in the 'ndxzsite' folder should be done on a case by case basis - per format, per plugin, etc. We are working on a new update system to help you identify which files have updates available for them. Additionally, when people ask questions about problems or bugs in the forum they are often directed to file updates if they are available - consulting the forum the best place for detailed information.

This Sunday, June 24th, we're going to be hanging around the forum specifically to help people with installation problems from 2 - 6pm (GMT - London time). If you have been having any difficulties please drop by - we'll have live chat turned on will be helping directly resolve any issues.

This is a great opportunity for us to refine the installation/upgrade tools and get feedback from our users.

Have a great (hopefully sunny) weekend.

If you have purchased Indexhibit and have not received access to your download on your account page please send us a note - we will look into the matter immediately.

And thank you very much for supporting Indexhibit.

We have also heard from many people all across the globe who utilize Indexhibit in their own coursework - teaching Indexhibit. We want to hear about your experiences, wishes and even complaints about Indexhibit within the academic setting.

We plan to combine the information with our own and create tools that can be of value and assistance for those teaching Indexhibit (and perhaps basic programming for arts/design students in general).

If you know anybody teaching with Indexhibit or if you have utilized it yourself, please pass the word along and/or get in touch with us via our contact page. Thanks.

We are having some difficulties with our registration system that popped up over the weekend. If you are having problems keep checking this post - we will make an announcement when it is resolved later this afternoon.

Thanks for your patience.

Currently, Indexhibit 2 has been translated to the following languages:

English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Basque, Catalan and soon Chinese Simplified and Traditional.

We would love to have it translated into Russian, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese as soon as possible. We welcome any and all languages, too.

If you think you are up for the task or know somebody who might be interested please let us know. Thanks.

We take security seriously and we try to the best of our abilities to prevent damage happening to your website. However, this is an ongoing battle with constantly updating code to stay up-to-date and we recommend that you check our website frequently for updates. We will also soon be adding an auto-notification for updates within the Indexhibit CMS.

Some security tips:

1 - before you install ask your host if you can use 755 permissions instead of 777 with your CMS. 755 is a safer set of permissions and some hosts have them setup so you can still upload files without worry.

777 permissions are technically always insecure but they have become necessary over the years for many websites.

2 - keep your site up-to-date.

3 - choose a good password - not something that a bot can easily figure out.

4 - be careful installing things to your website that you have found around the web. This website is the official location for themes, plugins, exhibit formats and even Indexhibit and we will test thoroughly before they are added to our website.

5 - if you are going to share your site be careful who you are giving logins to.

6 - when in doubt, ask a question in our forum.

There is a new Indexhibit website and Indexhibit CMS. We have made many new improvements and built things with our users and the future in mind.

This is only the beginning of the next phase for Indexhibit - we will have alot to tell you in the coming weeks and months. We have alot of work to do.

Feel free to try out the online demo and/or register and ask questions in our forum.

We hope you find Indexhibit useful.

PS: We'll be adding an archive of plugins, formats, etc., for previous version of Indexhibit shortly.

Indexhibit 2 has much greater capabilities over previous versions. For this reason, there will be some work required for this upgrade. In the future, after the upgrade, it will be much easier to update and maintain your website.

Updating Themes

There are a number of changes to the syntax for template variables and plugins. Let's list the changes that need to be made. Variables should be changed from:

Plugins should be changed from:

Indexhibit has a new feature that will queue your CSS and Javascript calls, so you should change to the following lines in the 'head' of your template:

Consult the /ndxzsite/default/index.php file to see the full HTML for the base template.

In the template itself you will need to change:

At the end of your template, just before the closing 'body' tag, you should add the following too plugins:

Note: if you wish to stay with the old 'index' (without all of the new features and should work with your previous #menu customizations) you can use the alternative index plugin:

CSS Changes

The major change with CSS involves the basic structure:

You will need to update these throughout your style.css file and also possibly in exhibit formats.

Finally, check to make sure that any variables you might have in your Pre or Post Nav are using the double curly brackets as well - in the studio Admin section.

Updating Exhibit Formats

Exhibit formats are much more powerful now which will bring alot of really exciting possibilities over time. Updating them is not difficult unless you have made alot of customizations to them. This tutorial will cover the basics but you should consult our forum for more information and help. You can also look at existing formats in /ndxzsite/plugin/ to get an idea of their general structure.

Note: we will be updating the common formats and providing them in our plugins sections - check back soon to see if your format has already been updated.

You need to move your old exhibit formats from /ndxz-studio/site/plugin/ to /ndxzsite/plugin/ and rename them from exhibit.$format.php to format.$format.php. If your file already exists than it has been updated.

Formats need to be identified by the Indexhibit studio - you need to put some header information at the top of the document just after the first line:

Near the top of your file you might seem some lines that could look like the following:

The first line would be changed, within the "createExhibit" function (below) like:

The second line would be changed like (note that you need to get the name of the file correct):

And the third line is simply deleted - it's not longer needed.

Turn your functions into a Class by wrapping all of them with:

Replace your images query with the following:

We are providing the old Grow format (known as Visual Index for Indexhibit 2) in the plugins area for you to see as an example how an exhibit format can be updated.

While this format tries to provide the basic information about updating your exhibit formats it's not unlikely that it might not cover your situation. Feel free to tell us about your situation in our forum.

Themes can change the overall look and layout of your site. The "default" theme which arrives with Indexhibit produces the "index" + "exhibit" format.

If you wish to customize your site further we suggest that you duplicate the default folder, give it a new name, and then make your changes/additions. You've just created your own theme.

Formats

Formats, or more precisely exhibit formats, define how you present your work in the exhibit area of your website. Try out the different exhibit formats and their various options to understand the full range of possibilities. Each format has their own unique global and exhibit level options. Global options are found in the Admin > Formats area, while exhibit level options are accessible when editing Exhibit Options.

Plugins

Plugins are utilities that add specific abilities to your website. Plugins come in many different varieties: some have customizable options while other some. Some plugins may require special installation so it's very important to read the instructions.

Contribute

Themes, exhibit formats and plugins can be found in the plugins area.

We encourage you to contribute your own customization to the Indexhibit community: once they are tested and approved by Indexhibit, they will be added to the list and be available to other users.

Send your customizations to customize [at] indexhibit [dot] org.

404 Not Found

Double check the address in your browser's navigation bar and make sure you have uploaded Indexhibit to the right folder on your server: is it in your web root? Have you uploaded the Indexhibit folder contents there or the whole folder? Only upload the contents of the folder - not the folder itself.

Use your FTP application to double check if the folder where you uploaded the system is readable.

Folders or files are not writable

Use your FTP application to change the folder permissions. Usually, you can hit Command + I to get a permissions dialog.

Please check your config settings again

Indexhibit cannot connect to your database. Make sure your database information is correct. Exact spelling, including use of blank spaces and upper and lowercase, is important. Confirm and double confirm your database connection information with your webhost.

Multiple installations in the same database

To use multiple installations of Indexhibit with the same database, simply change the default value of the “database append” field during the installation process, for example: ndxz2_. This must be different for each Indexhibit installation.

If you cannot find a solution

Register, search and/or ask for help in our forum.

This tutorial is based on version two of Indexhibit.

There are a variety of places where you can customize your Indexhibit website. These are the most common places edits can be made:

1. Admin > Plugins
2. Admin > Formats
3. Exhibit > Edit
4. /ndxzsite/$theme/style.css
5. Exhibit format / CSS rules

Admin > Plugins

Indexhibit ships with a plugin called "Indexhibit Style" that can easily change the most basic attributes of your site including:

- color of links
- text style
- width of 'index'
- line height

Simply enable the plugin to activate it - then make your adjustments. This plugin can not do everything (we plan to add more features to it in the future). Remember, you can always disable this plugin if you wish.

Admin > Formats

In the Admin > Formats area of the Indexhibit studio some formats have global options you can adjust. For instance, the Visual Index format (the default format for Indexhibit) allows you to change the basic white space around thumbnails, the thumbnail orientation within the bounding box and also whether you want a dark or light overlay (if you are using that onclick behavior).

These preferences will remain constant through all of your exhibits utitlizing Visual Index.

Exhibit > Edit

When you are editing your exhibit you have additional options for refining the look in the Exhibit Options dialog. Each format has it's own particular set of options, but usually you can change:

- image display size
- thumbnail size/shape
- files before or after text
- display of titles

Editing your style.css file

You will most likely need to your which theme you are using. You can find this information in the Admin > Themes section. The location of your theme is at:

There are also additional CSS rules in the base.css file in the same folder - these are for advanced users.

If you are editing with your text editor, you must be familiar how it works and also how to use FTP in order to load your file properly. Simply download the file, edit and reupload. Be sure to Shift + Browser refresh to see CSS changes.

Additionally, if you have placed edit permissions on the files in your themes folder you can edit them directly via Admin > Assets. Be careful because you can easily lose changes.

There are also inherent file security risks when using 777 permissions - ask your host if you can use 755 instead. Otherwise, it's a good idea to change your permissions back to 755 after you had edited them (using your FTP application).

Exhibit format / CSS rules

In some cases, you may need to edit your exhibit format of it's own particular CSS rules. You can find exhibit formats at:

Normally, CSS rules are near the end of the file. Be very careful when making edits directly in the exhibit formats.

Feel free to ask more specific questions in our forum regarding customizations.

Good luck!

As of July 4th we have a new upgrade process. The new upload tool is much safer and does not change your existing Indexhibit site database. If you are simply updating your Indexhibit version 2 to a newer version read this tutorial.

We would like to stress that in many cases simply starting with a new installation may be better than upgrading your older version Indexhibit. Read through all of the tutorial before you attempt the upgrade. We also recommend that you read this tutorial about changes to Indexhibit.

The good news is that you can update your older version of Indexhibit to the new version and keep your site relatively the same as it was before (if you choose). However, the more you have customized your site, the more work it may require to fully complete the upgrade.

The upgrade to Indexhibit 2 (from all previous versions) is not simply a one-to-one translation - you will need to complete a series of steps involving:

- uploading new CMS and upgrading the database
- updating your theme/CSS
- updating your exhibit formats

You might consider installing Indexhibit as a new installation and starting over with your content. You could still follow these directions for updating your theme and exhibit formats.

Preparing for the upgrade

Backup the files for your site. Using your FTP application archive all Indexhibit related files to your computer. You must backup the following folders:

You must do this! Failure to do this could result in a total loss of your site should something go wrong during the upgrade process.

Uploading the new files

Note: we have changed the name of the /ndxz-studio folder to /ndxzstudio (without the hyphen). We did this because we wanted to be certain that people could not lose their customizations during the upgrade. If you have backed up your site, this should not matter, but we know that many people skip that step. Again, backup your site now.

After you have downloaded the files from Indexhibit, unzip the folder and upload:

Folders to the same directory as your existing site (aka the 'root' directory) via your FTP application. If you wish to move your new Indexhibit site to a folder afterwards (working on it privately) you can do this later.

DO NOT upload the /files/ folder as you already have this.

Add a folder called 'dimgs' to your /files/ folder.

Next, place 0777 (0755 if your host permits it) permissions on the following folders:

Database Update

Direct yourself to the following url:

Select your language and proceed.

The upgrade tool will try to find your previous Indexhibit installation - it will automatically detect your previous database connection into. If you wish to use the content from your previous site be certain that you have followed the previous instructions. If something is not right, post a note to our forum.

If you are not running PHP5 you might seem some error messages immediately - ask your host to upgrade you (they are almost always very happy to do so with out additional fees).

Fill in the additional fields before you submit the installation.

Indexhibit will now ask you if you wish to import the content from your previous site. Simply push the button and it will proceed.

When completed, it will log you into the preferences area of the Indexhibit studio (the default login/password is index1/exhibit just in case). You should change the login information to something you can easily remember.

Note: Indexhibit will auto generate section pages for every section in your site. If you have been utilizing 'section sections' you will need to make adjustments for them.

Your website is now upgraded but you still have some work to do updating your themes/templates and exhibit formats.

A "clean URL" does not contain a query string within the URL (as found in the address bar). A clean URL would look like this:

Note that the above URL does not contain "index.php?" - the following would be considering a messy URL.

What is the advantage to having Clean URLs?

They are simply much nicer, more semantic and easier to remember. Google will index both clean and messy URLs to their search engine.

Default Installation

The default installation of Indexhibit comes with messy URLs setup because many hosts do not allow clean URLs. You need to enable them.

What is required for Clean URLs?

Your server needs to have a server technology called "mod_rewrite" properly setup and enabled for your account. If you have any question whether you have this or not you should ask your hosting service. Or, you might simply try to the following instructions to see if clean URLs will work on your site.

Enabling clean URLs

First, make sure that you have changed the name of the "htaccess" file that ships with Indexhibit to ".htaccess" (with the opening .).

In the ndxzsite/config/options.php file change:

to:

Next, refresh your website and see if the links work as clean URL's.

Troubleshooting the .htaccess file

Aside from a server that does not have mod_rewrite (again, confirm with your host that it's available), the most common issue with the .htaccess file is that you may need to edit the file - all servers are setup slightly differently.

Indexhibit ships with the following htaccess rules:

If this does not work, most of the time a simple correction will allow the file to work. We have found that the following rules are the most common necessary change. Note the addition of the slash on the last line:

If this does not work, there could be a variety of issues and you should ask your host if they have a recommended set of rules for making clean URL's/mod_rewrite work on their server.

If you find any other htaccess rules that work on your server let us know and we'll post them here.

If you are familiar with domain names, webhosting, setting up the database and/or FTP you can skip to the short installation version here.

These instructions are only for new installations of Indexhibit (upgrades have a different set of instructions and files).

Webhosting and domain name

To install Indexhibit, you will need a domain name and server space from a Webhost. A domain name is the url of your website - like 'mywebsite.com'. Server space is a part of a server that is connected to the internet and in which you can put files that will be accessible through the web. This is not in your computer!

You will need to get both the domain name and the server space before you can install Indexhibit. You can buy them separately, or if your webhost provides domain names, you can buy them together through your webhost. If you choose this option, make sure that they buy the domain in your name, so you're free to change webhosts in the future without losing your domain name.

If you want to purchase your domain name separately from the webhost we recommend [Enom.com] or [Moniker.com]. From here, you direct your DNS settings to your webhost (who will provide the necessary information about this).

What webhost should I use?

The requirements to install Indexhibit are quite simple. Your webhost should be compatible with the following specifications (you should ask them if it's not clear for you):

- Apache server (not Windows)
- PHP 5 or greater
- MySQL 4 or greater
- optionally, ask them if they allow mod_rewrite for "clean urls"

We provide a list of reputable hosts we've worked with over the years here.

Once you have your domain name and webhosting you are ready to setup your FTP application and database.

FTP applications

An FTP application is a tool used for connecting your computer to your webhost - this allows you to upload/download files directly and safely from them. Your host will provide you with FTP host, login and password information which will allow you to make the connection.

There are a great variety of FTP applications on the market so we'll simply get to our recommendations:

Mac

Coda - is both an FTP and text editing application. Eventually you will need both during the existence of your website. Coda, which is not free, stands above other similar applications because it is full featured, very well designed and intended for visual people (who need to play with code).

Mac, PC & Linux

Filezilla - is another free FTP application that is also quite popular and useful.

Creating your MySQL database

Before you can install Indexhibit you must have a database setup on your webhosting account. Webhosts have different ways of doing this and you should consult with the support services (many webhosts come with database preinstalled, too).

Indexhibit requires that you have the following information for installation:

Database Host/Server
Database Name
Database User name
Database User password

Ask your host for help obtaining this information if necessary. Once you have everything prepared you are ready to begin installing Indexhibit.

Synopsis of Installation

1 - download/unzip/upload
2 - place permissions
3 - input info/install to database
4 - update your information
5 - delete install.php

Download

Register at Indexhibit.org to download the files directly to your computer. Unpack the Indexhibit.zip files with your unzip application (usually you can simply double click on the file itself).

Upload

Locate the 'root' directory of your website (or the directory of your choice) with your FTP application. Webhosts have many different setups in this respect so you should ask them for help if you can't identify the 'root' directory of your website by yourself. Normally, you will be looking for folders with names like "public_html", "root", "www", etc.

Using your FTP application, upload the files to the root directory (or directory of your choice). Make sure you upload the files from within the folder you downloaded from Indexhibit - do not upload the folder itself or you will end up with your website at www.yourwebsite.com/indexhibit/.

Permissions

With your FTP application, you need to change 'permissions' on some files before you can proceed. To access permissions of files and folders, you need to look at their 'properties' or 'information'. If you click/highlight a file or folder and then command + I you will usually be presented with the permissions dialog.

You need to change the permissions of the following folders to 777 (or ask your host if 755 will work instead - it's safer):

/files/
/files/gimgs/
/files/dimgs/
/ndxzsite/config/
/ndxzsite/cache/

Now, you are ready to install Indexhibit.

Installation

You have created the database and have uploaded all the files to the server changing the folders permissions. Now you install Indexhibit. These instructions are only for new installations of Indexhibit (upgrades have a different set of instructions and files).

- Go to the installation page via your web browser.

www.yourdomain.com/ndxzstudio/install.php

Replace www.yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

- Select a language and click on the next button.

- Once you have selected the language, Indexhibit checks that the permissions are correctly set. If everything is green you can go on.

- Enter your personal information.

This is information of your own choice and can be changed later.

- Enter your database information.

This is where you put in the information you saved about your MySQL database:

Database Host/Server
Database Name
Database User name
Database Password
Database Prefix - only change if installing more than once to same database

If you are having problems with installation search our forum and/or ask specific questions. Also, consult our common installation problems tutorial.

- Modify your login and password.

Here you should confirm your name, last name and email address. The most important part is where you create your Indexhibit login and password. Fill in the login field with a username of your choice and write a password twice to confirm you wrote it correctly. In case this page closes before changing your login and password, do not worry, you can access with the default information - "index1" is the login and "exhibit" is the password.

- Delete install.php

If the installation was successful, you have one last step before you can start playing with your website. Access your server with your FTP application, open the ndxzstudio folder and delete the install.php file. This is extremely important to keep your contents safe.

- Load content into your website

Go to www.yourdomain.com/ndxzstudio/ and login to start uploading content to your website.

HELP!!!

If you are having problems with installation search our forum and/or ask specific questions. Also, consult our common installation problems tutorial.

If you are not familiar with domain names, webhosting, setting up the database and/or FTP you can read the long version of this tutorial here.

These instructions are only for new installations of Indexhibit (upgrades have a different set of instructions and files).

Thank you to Pau Valiente for the video.

Synopsis

1 - download/unzip/upload
2 - place permissions
3 - input info/install to database
4 - update your information
5 - delete install.php

Download

Register at Indexhibit.org to download the files directly to your computer. Unpack the Indexhibit.zip files with your unzip application (usually you can simply double click on the file itself).

Upload

Locate the 'root' directory of your website (or the directory of your choice) with your FTP application. Webhosts have many different setups in this respect so you should ask them for help if you can't identify the 'root' directory of your website by yourself.

Using your FTP application, upload the files to the root directory (or directory of your choice). Make sure you upload the files from within the folder you downloaded from Indexhibit - do not upload the folder itself or you will end up with your website at www.yourwebsite.com/indexhibit/.

Permissions

With your FTP application, you need to change 'permissions' on some files before you can proceed. To access permissions of files and folders, you need to look at their 'properties' or 'information'. If you click/highlight a file or folder and then command + I you will usually be presented with the permissions dialog.

You need to change the permissions of the following folders to 777 (or ask your host if 755 will work instead - it's safer):

/files/
/files/gimgs/
/files/dimgs/
/ndxzsite/config/
/ndxzsite/cache/

Creating a Database

You will need to create a MYSQL database using your webhost's control panel. You will need the following information from the database you've created:

- Database Host/Server
- Database Name
- Database User name
- Database Password

If you have any trouble getting this information, ask your webhost for help.

Installation

You have created the database and have uploaded all the files to the server changing the folders permissions. Now you install Indexhibit.

- Go to the installation page via your web browser.

www.yourdomain.com/ndxzstudio/install.php

Replace www.yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

- Select a language and click on the next button.

- Once you have selected the language, Indexhibit checks that the permissions are correctly set. If everything is green you can go on.

- Enter your personal information.

This information can be changed later.

- Enter your database information.

This is where you enter the information you saved about your MySQL database:

Database Host/Server
Database Name
Database User name
Database Password
Database Prefix - only change is installing more than once to same database

- Modify your login and password.

Here you should confirm your name, last name and email address. The most important part is where you create your Indexhibit login and password - fill in the login field with a username of your choice and write a password twice to confirm you wrote it correctly. In case this page closes before changing your login and password, do not worry, you can access with the default information - "index1" is the login and "exhibit" is the password.

- Delete install.php

If the installation was successful, you have one last step. Access your server with your FTP application, open the ndxzstudio folder and delete the install.php file.

- Load content into your website

Go to www.yourdomain.com/ndxzstudio/ and login to start uploading content to your website.

HELP!!!

If you are having problems with installation search our forum and/or ask specific questions. Also, consult our common installation problems tutorial.

Over the years we have seen alot of different webhosts and while there are some really good, affordable webhosts, there are also alot of very cheap and low quality hosts as well. The following is a list of things to consider when choosing a webhost and also our recommendations.

1 - Cost should not be your primary concern. Free is usually unstable. Very cheap, is usually over sold and will become unstable later (generally the database will become extremely slow).

2 - What kind of support do they offer: wiki, tutorials, email, ticketed, phone, live chat? How quickly do they respond to questions?

3 - What kind of control panel do they have? cPanel, which is very common, is useful but very ugly. Look for a host who might offer something clear and customized for the user.

4 - Databases should not cost extra - you should get more than one as part of the package. Nearly all webhosts offer more bandwidth and space than you will need so it's not much of an issue.

5 - Ask your friends and colleagues about their own experiences, as well.

Please note that we have not authorized any webhosts to use our name selling hosting for Indexhibit. No webhosts, aside from the two we refer, help support this project financially. We have asked them to stop but they will not. You are welcome to choose your own webhost but please do not use hosts that are using our hard work/support, name and reputation for their own personal profit.

Recommendations

We are only going to recommend hosts we have alot of experience with. We have worked with some amazing hosts over the years, which were not always inexpensive - this list represents what we feel is good value for the average webhostee.

Indexhibit is paid a referral fee if you sign up with these hosts - it's another way you can help support Indexhibit. Please remember to let them know we sent you...

Dreamhost

Dreamhost is a very popular and successful webhost which has been around for many years. They offer their own customized control panel which is very complete - it has more features than you will likely ever need. We have found their support to be very responsive and detailed in their answers. When you sign up they will give you a years free domain name and register it under your name (not theirs).

Please use our coupon so we receive the commission: INDEXHIBIT

» Dreamhost

Hostgator

Yes, we were afraid of their branding too, but they have been a great host. Indexhibit.org (this website) has been hosted with them for a couple years now without fault. They provide a live 24/7 chat support system that has always been fast and friendly for us. Their control panel consists of cPanel but you can quickly get the job done.

» Hostgator

If you sign up with one of our links we'll even install your site for you - but you need to make sure we are receiving the commission. Just send us a note via our contact page.

To make a free request, register with our website and follow the directions.

Feel free to email us at support at indexhibit dot org with non-website problem related questions only. Please use our forum to ask questions regarding your website. Thank you.

Skype:
Indexhibit

Address:
Indexhibit Ltd.
4 Powell Road
London
E5 8DJ
United Kingdom

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
9am - 5pm

Forum

In addition to our tutorials you can register and utilize our forum to search and ask more specific questions.

Tutorials

We want to provide as much support as possible. If you have any ideas for additional tutorials please let us know - contact.

Paid Assistance

On the rare occasion you need immediate technical support we can provide this service for 50 euros/hour (one hour minimum). Depending upon our availability, we can normally provide this service Monday - Friday within 24 hours (usually quicker) of being contacted. Serious inquiries only - contact.

Currrently, we are setting up a separate archive for the previous versions of Indexhibit.

Chapter One

The first time I made a website was in early 2000, I wanted to publish the works I was making. After experimenting with a number of templates I rejected them in favor of a list of links. This format did not seam like an ‘idea’ or ‘concept’, I had not invented it or copied it, I had made it with the same pragmatic and functional necessity as my shopping list, and my weekly to-do list. Unlike my other lists, my website list was interactive, each link opened a work in the area immediately to its right.

At this same time many other websites I visited seemed to indulge in creating elaborate interfaces, often embellishing content with complex time consuming gimmicks. I became increasingly frustrated by having to learn and adapt to each unique display. Occasionally I would find another website that used the same ‘list’ structure as my own. I would enjoy the familiarity and ease at which I could immediately start exploring the sites content. In response I posted an invitation for others to replicate and copy this format, I stated ‘the more who use the list format, the more ubiquitous and archetypal the format becomes and the easier it is to navigate’.

My invitation was to establish a display format for the web, akin to other archetypal formats from other mediums, such as the ‘codex’ form of the book.

In a relatively young medium where innovation, constant development and technological progress, the invitation was meet with some skepticism and opposition. I did not want to slow innovation for the web, I wanted to make things simpler for myself and others whose primary concern was accessing its content. It was a reaction against websites that did not function unless you had installed the latest bit of software that was always too advanced for my aging laptop.

Like minded people took up the invitation, ‘grassroots’ style. For each site that replicated the format I created a link from the invitation page to their website and asked them to do the same, each making the format more visible. After two years 200 websites all built to the same specifications, each with different content, where all linked to each other starting a mini social network.

Chapter Two

In January 2006 I received an email from Jeffery Vaska introducing himself as a designer and programmer with an interest in collaborating to creating a user friendly web application based on the list format. We started talking and a natural collaboration began from a strong commitment to the same idea. Shaped by conversation and shared enthusiasms, ‘Indexhibit’ was born, and publicly released in January 07, one year after first meeting in Brussels.

The web application was built and designed by Vaska. Sites made using it were technically superior to the majority of the ‘early’ adopters of the format. They were ‘internet friendly’, easier for search engines to find their content, they could be updated with greater ease, and they had a number of customization options. Each site displayed the credit, ‘Built with Indexhibit’ as a link back to the community, enabling others to find it, and connecting each user to all other users.

Since its release it has been embraced by a diverse creative community helping establish the format as an archetypal display for the web. Indexhibit has evolved into a self sufficient community. Users receive technical support in the forum from existing users.

Chapter Three

A large part of Indexhibit’s appeal and popularity has been that it is simple to use and free of charge. We are an independent entity which does not depend upon sponsors or any governmental organizations for financial help. For Indexhibit to survive and be sustainable for the future we want to cover the cost of development and pay for additional hardware. At this point, five years after Indexhibit was released, and as Indexhibit Two is launched, we have introduced a nominal pricing structure for the CMS application. This will enable Indexhibit to remain independent, allow it to grow and improve for all users.

We will be completely revamping the way our participants list works - stay tuned for more information.

Indexhibit CMS 2 enables you to create your own website. It enables people with little or no previous website knowledge to publish text, image, sound and video.

It is accessible via 'modern' web browsers: Firefox, Safari, Chrome. There are many user-friendly and advanced features, including:

- multi-file upload
- drag/drop reordering
- easy selection of exhibit formats
- change of thumbnail size and shape
- exhibit format specific options
- file based tagging system
- password protection of exhibits
- youtube and vimeo input
- multi-user
- native page caching
- simple statistics
- built-in CSS/code editor
- permalinks for images
- plugin system for easy expandability
- and more

The best way to discover how Indexhibit works is to play with the online demo.

In order to access the Indexhibit download you will need to register. Once registered you can pay via Paypal and access a dowload link for the CMS. It is a one time fee valid for the duration of that version series of Indexhibit.

Individual
25 Euros *
Student, independent, professional

Studio
75 Euros *
Group, collective, agency

* UK/EU residents plus 20% VAT

Register

System Requirements:

- Apache server
- PHP5.1.0+
- MySQL4+
- 'modern' web browser (Safari 4+, Firefox 4+, Chrome, Opera, IE9+)

If you are looking for a webhost - we recommend.

Indexhibit is committed to being inclusive and available for everybody and offers a free concessions version upon request - register for more information. Please note, free users must display an active ‘Built with Indexhibit’ link on their site. Only registered users will receive support in the forum, with payed users receiving priority.

This is a new section of our website - this is just the beginning. Check back often for updates.

If you would like to contribute your plugins or themes send them to contact [at] indexhibit [dot] org - and we'll respond with additional information as soon as we can (give us a week or two please).