How can I install multiple extensions in one shot in a Joomla! 3 site?

Question

I'm currently building boilerplates (i.e. sites to Site Transfer as a starting point for new client web sites).

My preference is to load up all extensions in the boilerplate, transfer the site to a client's hosting account, finalize the development and then uninstall the extensions I don't use.

However, as I have several 'boilerplates' and about 60 to 70 extensions (when you add up all components, modules and plugins) - so this is extremely time consuming.

I've been looking for a 'multi-extension installer' - but looking at the JED (http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/core-enhancements/installers), the available multi-installers only go up to J! 2.5.

In the Joomla! Docs - there is an article on creating packages.

This method allows for combining multiple extensions in one zip for install, but has the drawback of "Combining them in a package will let the user install and uninstall both extensions in one go."

I'd like to install multiple extensions in 'one-go' - but have the ability to uninstall extensions without having to uninstall the entire package.

1) Is a 'multi-installer' for J!3 available?

2) Is there a way to install multiple extensions in one shot for J!3?

This would be a huge time saver.

Answer 1

You have 3 options here.

Option 1: As you have already mentioned, you can install everything as 1 package, however it's not really the most efficient method. This method is useful for extensions which have dependencies, but your package of extensions will have to be installed or uninstalled as a bundle, but not separately.

Option 2: You can install everything together at once under 1 extension. Take Akeeba Subscriptions for example. You have the main backend and frontend component that get installed, along with individual plugins. The individual plugins can then be installed/uninstalled manually. This would be done through an script.php in a function. Take a look at this and maybe also take a look at some other extensions such as Akeeba Subscription to see how they do it.

Option 3: You could do what some template providers do such as Yootheme and Rockettheme, which is making 1 big bundle which contains the whole Joomla package along with your extensions which will get installed when the user is setting up Joomla. Do do this, you simply need to:

1. Install Joomla
2. Install all your extensions
3. Download a fresh copy of Joomla
4. Extract the folder called installation from the fresh copy and put it in the root of your previous Joomla site
5. Take a backup of your database and replace the .sql file in the installation folder.

There may also be a few custom tweaks that you want to make to let the user choose if they want to install Joomla with or without the extensions.

There may be some other methods but none that I can think of at the moment.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

Check out Joomla extensions packager at http://www.joomla-extensions-packager.org

The form is limited to 10 extensions, but you can use the library to generate unlimited package by simple php script (example is available at packager's github)

Or you can use the form multiple times (recursively), as it supports package extension type, so its able to pack packages of more packages with many many extensions ;-)

Answer 3

I guess you could use something like a package manager like Composer, supported since joomla! 3.4

Here is a nice extension manager via Composer, you can simply write a .json with all the packages you need and Composer will do the rest https://github.com/joomlatools/joomla-composer