Please read this guide carefully as there are some aspects that might be relevant for you.

Prerequisites

1. Piuck the right version - LanterFish 1.0.3.x only works with Joomla 2.5. while 1.3.x series is also compatible with Joomla 3 (including 3.2).
2. PHP 5.3 or 5.4 - while 1.0.3.x will likely work on 5.2. it is not offically supported anymore
3. mysqli driver (NOT mysql, note the ending i)
   go to Joomla 2.5 Global Configuration —> Server —> Database Settings and make sure that the database Type is Mysqli
4. The Joomla multilingual system built in the core is not compatible with translations made using LanternFish. You must either use LanternFish to translate your contents or you must use the core Joomla way to create a multi-lingual website.
   To use LanternFish you have to disable the core Joomla Language Switcher module (Backend > Extensions > Module Manager > select the modules "Language Switcher" and unpublish them) and disable the Language filter and Language code system plugins (Backend > Extensions > Plug-in Manager > select the plugins "System - Language Code" and "System - Language Filter" and unpublish them).

Test environment (and settings in case of problems)

Installation

1. Download the latest LanterFIsh package from our downloads.
2. Use the ZIP archive with your Joomla extension manager
   The package includes the core component as well some additional plugins all these will be installed automatically and are available for your afterwards

Post-installation

Enable LanternFish language selector

Check whether the frontend LanternFish language selector module (Backend > Extensions > Module Manager > "LanternFish language selector") is published, assigned to relevant pages and published on a position that appears in your template.

Check the Content Languages

Check the Content Languages (Backend > Components > LanternFish > Content Languages): only active languages are shown in the frontend. Make sure each language has an Internal. Title and a Native Title.
-> LanternFish only uses short language code and since e.g. de-CH and de-DE are considered the same language

Check/disable core Joomla multilingual system

Disable the core Joomla Language Switcher module and the Language filter and Language code system plugins. The core Joomla multilingual system is not compatible with LanternFish translations so you must decide which system you will use on the site. See pre-requisite nr. 4.

Check LanternFish system plugins ordering numbers

The Joomfish system plugins need to come before all other system plugins and their ordering numbers must be:

For LanterFish 1.3.7 and newer:

1 - "LanternFish - Database Abstraction Layer"
2 - "LanternFish - Core overrides".
3 - "LanternFish - Basic Router"

For LanterFIsh older than 1.3.7

1 - "LanternFish - Basic Router", 2 - "LanternFish - Database Abstraction Layer", 3 - "LanternFish - Core overrides".

All other system plugins need to have ordering numbers higher than 3.
Find your system plugins here: Backend > Extensions > Plug-in Manager > Dropdownbox: - Select Type - = system.

Add languages after installation of LanternFish

When you install a new language after you have installed LanternFish the language automatically shows up in the Content Languages screen (Backend > Components > JoomFish > Content Language). You may want to change the Internal title (title of the language used in JoomFish' backend) and the Native Title (title used in the language selection module in the frontend). The language is only shown in the frontend language selection module if it is set to active (check the box and save).

Re-install LanternFish

A re-installation of LanternFish is not needed for any upgrade or other activity. If you are going to do this please uninstall the core extension (LanternFish component). This will uninstall all additional extensions as well. All Database entries are kept, only files (component, module and plugins) are removed.

In case of an issue with the un-installation please ensure all files as well as the database entries within the extension table are removed before you install a new version of LanternFish.