HOWTO install script using SSH on Linux hosting

Have you ever was bored by installing some script via FTP, where you need to download archive to your PC, than unpack and upload every file to your hosting?(which could take a while even on speed connection if program contain many small files).
If you have a Linux based hosting and SSH option in your account, you don't have to do this anymore, such script installation steps would take only few seconds. Also using SSH you can delete, change permissions, backup databases, move files and directories in very fast manner, usually in much more productive way than with control panels provided by hosting.

Example of how to install Joomla on hosting with SSH support:

1. First, you need some SSH client, for Windows I would recommend PuTTY which is freely available for download. For Linux I'm using OpenSSH, but PuTTY could be used as well.

2. Next you need to connect to your account through SSH program, in PuTTY find menu Session and input host you wish to connect, usually it would have format like yousiteurl.net but in some cases it may look like this ssh.yoursiteurl.net(you can find this info it in control panel or check with your hosting support), change protocol to SSH and click "Open", you can also save session parameters for future use.

3. Once you click open you'll need to input login and password, in most cases it's same as main login and password for your account, but some hosts setup different login and password, so it's better to check it out first.

4. Once logged in, you should see prompt like this:

Quote

Last login: Fri Feb 8 20:33:30 2008 from 92.113.60.216
yourlogin@yoursiteurl.net[~]#

.
Now you need to proceed to directory you wish to install script. You can do this either using console commands or by launching MC(MidnightCommander) file manager which preinstalled on many machnies. If you choose second way simply type mc.
If first method type ls and you'll see structure of directories in your account which would look less or more like this:

Quote

./ .contactemail .htpasswds/ .spamassassin/
../ .cpanel/ temp.tmp .spamassassinenable
access-logs@ .cpanel-datastore/ .lastlogin spamreport/
auto-whitelist .cpanel-ducache logs/ .sqmaildata/
.bash_history .cpanel-logs mail/ tmp/
.bash_logout .dns .mailboxlist .trash/
.bash_profile .emacs .mc/ www@
.bashrc etc/ .mysql_history .zshrc
.canna .filter public_ftp/
.cedit/ .ftpquota public_html/

There should be directory which called either "docs", "public_html", "www", or "www@". This directory is the place where your site is stored and therefore you need to upload your script there. Once it found simply type cd www.
You can also check in your FTP program where you usually upload your files e.g. if it's "/home/yourlogin/public_html" in SSH type: cd /home/yourlogin/public_html
If you're in doubt, feel free to ask here, just don't reveal any passwords or login info publicly, it's dangerous!

5. Now we ready to download our script, for example I've choose Joomla which seems to be popular lately, but this example would work with many other software including forums and blogs scripts. First choose file you need to download: http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/
on download page copy link you wish to download in clipboard, I've choose to download: Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2

To download this file type this: wget http://joomlacode.org/gf/download/frsrelease/6828/22536/Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2
In few seconds file will be downloaded to current directory of your hosting account.

6. now you need to unpack it, if you're using command line type ls first, to see the name of the file and type:
tar jxvf Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2
If you don't wish to type whole string, try this:
tar jxvf Jo[TAB]
(by [TAB] I mean hitting "Tab key") So if there are only one file in directory which have it's name started from "Jo" shell will complete name for you, if there are more files like this you'll see prompt to choose one from list.

In most cases files in these archives are packed with correct permissions so you don't need to change anything, which is also advantage of using SSH method. So once you've unpack file you're ready to continue with web installation steps.
Article doesn't look short, but it's only to describe the way how it's working, in reality it takes less than half minute to perform all all these steps once you get used to this way of working.

Let me know if it was useful, and if you got some troubles, feel free to ask and I'll try to help you.

If you wish to re-post this or other tutorial, please contact me.

PS here is other HOWTO I wrote about common Linux commands which may come in help.