Good morning,
I'm new, and I don't know how to go about this at all. I'm using shared hosting (HostGator). It seemed logical that I'd download Moodle, then upload it to my web server, and then navigate to an install page in that directory using Chrome. I don't know what the install page is, though, and it occurs to me that it's probably not that simple.
The help entry mentions setting up my own local web server and details that at length. I'm not going to do that. And it kind of scared me away from reading further into it.
I suppose that my other option is MoodleCloud. I'm on the fence about it - I've already spent too much money this month.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Have you tried the free trial of MoodleCloud?
The free trial is 28 days - enough time to get an idea of whether you want to continue trying to install it yourself or buy a package.
Installation quick guide gives the basic idea. Moodle can be installed in all sorts of platforms, accordingly there is a large number of variations under Category:Installation.
Shared hosting providers often offer "one-click" installations. But the general consent in this forum is that one-click not professional.
Shared hosting providers often offer "one-click" installations. But the general consent in this forum is that one-click not professional.
Those methods are considered DIY, in the spirit of Free and Open Source Software, whereas some "one click" hostings are not really that. In contrast to the FOSS there are pre-installed Moodle instances which you rent, called Software as a Service (SaaS) in the jargon. MoodleCloud is one of them. You can't really compare FOSS and SaaS side-by-side, they are apples and oranges.
That sounds good. Thank you both for your advice. I'll try the quick installation guide, and if I don't get anywhere, I'll see if I can get that free trial of MoodleCloud. Already created a database, just have to wait to get home to work on the rest of the steps.
For reference (and education), here is information about installing Moodle on your PC or Mac. It might help give you a perspective on Moodle.