Mambo Open Source/Have more than one mambo installation on the same server

This is a guide on how to set up multiple mambo installations on one server with only one database.

What is the ting?
When one wants to set up multiple installations on one server, there are some issues to deal with. The first is the amount of storage on the server. One mambo installation requires at least 8MB, so if you have a small web hotel with only 15 megs, you have already met a definite limitation.

If you have enough storage space, though, it is the database that is the "problem". It is not really a problem though, as there are workaround for this. If you have the option to have multiple databases with your web host, that is surely recommended. This is very easy to manage, and easy to use. But, the most common feature is only one mysql database.

The problem
The problem is of course overlapping tables. A database consists of many tables, and each of these tables contain data. Mambo has tables like "components", "users" and of course the "content" table. If you want to have two mambo installations on the same sql database, the problem occurs - the databases will overlap and overwrite each other!

The solution
Mambo has by default a setting called database prefix, that adds a prefix to all the tables. For instance, if the prefix is "mos_" (which is default in mambo - all tables will get this prefix unless otherwise is specified) and the table is named "downloads", the table will in fact be named "mos_downloads".

This prefix is specified during the installation of mambo. By default it is "mos_", as mentioned above, and that is what you should use for your site. Then, when installing the second site - simply change the database prefix! This will ensure that no tables overlap, and that everything runs smoothly.