The program is unpacked into its own folder next to the store — /pimport, for example. It has no business inside the store: it is not a module and does not touch the store’s files.
Six steps
Open install.php in a browser. The installer walks you through:
- Environment — the same checks described in “What it needs from hosting”. It will not let you past a red line; yellow ones it lets through.
- Database — host, port, database name, user, password. The settings are written into
core/Config/config.ini. - Store — which engine and where its database is. The rest about the store the program works out itself.
- Tables — its own tables get created. This step is not fast; do not close the page.
- Administrator — login and password for the panel.
- Done.
After installing
Delete install.php — the last step has a button for it. While the file is there, anyone who knows the address can see your database settings.
The installer can also run on a working system: then it first asks for the administrator login and password, and afterwards serves to update the schema and change settings. So when upgrading a version you put the file back, walk the steps and delete it again.
If something goes wrong
Check write permissions for tmp/ and core/Config/: without them the installer cannot save settings or create temporary files.