How to Make a Free Membership Website

Download the .zip file containing the latest version of the Joomla content management system to your hard drive. Extract the zip file to a place on your hard drive that is easily accessible by your favorite FTP client.
Start your FTP client and connect it to the root directory of your website. Once logged in, transfer the Joomla files to the root directory of your website. Keep in mind that it will likely take a few minutes to transfer all these files. Once all the directories and files have transferred, you are ready to begin the installation of your Joomla website.
Open a browser and navigate to your website's URL followed by '/installation' (www.yourwebsite.com/installation). This should bring up the first page of the Joomla installer and ask you which language you would like to set for your installation. Select the appropriate language and click 'Next.'
Ensure that your web hosting meets the system requirements by confirming that the pre-installation checklist has been met satisfactorily. Click 'Next.'
Review and agree to the GN General Public License (GNU GPL ). Click 'Next.'
Supply your database configuration information, including host name, user name, password and database name. If you have not created these items, do so now via your host's MySQL administration panel. Keep in mind that often times web hosts add prefixes to both user names and database names. For example, if you create a database named 'joomla' on a fake web host named 'acme,' the web host will likely apply a prefix such as 'acme_joomla' to the database name. Also, keep in mind that after you create the user, you will need to assign that user full privileges to the database you just created. Once these fields are filled out appropriately, click 'Next.'
Select the appropriate FTP options that will meet your needs and click 'Next.'
Give your website a name and enter pertinent information. Based upon your level of experience, you can install the sample data or not. For beginners, sample data is useful to get the feel of the Joomla system. To install the sample data, select the radio button and click 'Install Sample Data.' Once the sample data is installed, click 'Next.'
Remove the installation directory. This is a security feature of Joomla and you will not be able to proceed until the installation directory has been removed.
Log in to the administration end of your new website by navigating to your website's URL followed by '/administrator' (www.yourwebsite.com/administrator). Once logged in, navigate to Site > Global Configuration > System and select 'Yes' under the subheading 'User Settings.'
Navigate to Extensions > Module Manager and select the 'Login Form' hotlink from the list of modules. Ensure that the module is enabled, possesses the 'Public' access level and is enabled on the pages you require.
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How to Set Up a Wiki Site

Set up an account with a wiki-compatible Web host. Not all site hosting accounts are capable of running wiki technology. The server must support Apache, PHP 5+ and MySQL 4+ in order to set up a wiki site. While such hosts are typically pricier than standard hosting, budget hosts such as Fat Cow and Blue Host (see Resources) offer discount hosting that meets the technical requirements of most wiki software.
Download free or paid wiki software. While various companies offer wiki software for personal and public use, WikiMedia's free software (see Resources) is one of the most widely used and has the most comprehensive features because it was originally developed to operate sites such as Wikipedia.
Double-click the file you downloaded in Step 2 to decompress the installation package. A new folder will appear containing all of the wiki software's installation files.
Launch your FTP software and connect to your personal server. Your login information is typically your domain name and the password you chose when registering a hosting account. If you can't remember your login details, refer to the registration documents provided to you when you set up your account with a Web host.
Upload the decompressed installation folder from Step 3 to your hosting server by dragging the folder to your FTP software window. Wait for the FTP program to complete the transfer. Depending on your Internet connection, this may take several minutes.
Open your Web browser. Navigate to the following address: http://yourdomain.com/mediawiki/config/index.php. Replace 'yourdomain.com' with the domain name you registered in Step 1. WikiMedia's installation page will appear.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the wiki site setup. You will need to provide specific configuration options, such as the name you wish to use for your wiki and the name of your MySQL database (provided by your Web host).
Click the 'Install MediaWiki' button at the bottom of the page. Your wiki site is now set up and you may begin editing or creating pages from within the wiki interface.
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