I am trying to build a DNN website that's as simple as possible to use, offering content contributors only the options that they will ever need to consider, especially pertaining to page skins and containers.

I have created a child portal that I will eventually convert into a parent, probably by exporting it as a template, then importing it into a new and "empty" parent.

I have learned (the hard way) that when one installs a skin at the host level, it ends up being "available" to any portals created off of it. If anyone knows of a straightforward way to fix this (I.e. go backwards), I'd love to know about it!

My dream is to only make available to a user the skins and containers that are applicable to the site they are working on -- not all of the other hanging-on skins and containers that are currently presented. I have just created my new child portal, indicating it to be totally blank. Then, I brought in my new skin - the one I want exclusively used in the site. I then changed the default skins and containers (admin - site settings - appearance) to my new skin and container. I also changed the only page in the site (the home page) to have the new skin and container. All of these changes originally indicated the DarkKnight skins and containers. I even ensured I'd done things properly by going to admin - page management - appearance and used "copy selected skin to childpages". Every page - including all of the admin and other pages - are either my new skin, or "none specified."

At this point, as far as I'm concerned, DarkNight is not being used anywhere on my little site that has absolutely no content added to it and my next step is to try and kill off that skin from the portal. Right? But this doesn't seem to be the least bit straightforward! I go to admin - skins and am presented with a frustrating interface whose functionality is not very clear. If both host and site are checked, the pull-down shows three potential skins: DarkKnight, my new skin, and the bothersome skin that I installed through the host menu. When I choose DarkKnight, it indicates that I cannot delete the skin because it is in use. Fair enough, because the host box is checked and DK is a "host skin." But when I uncheck host, the only option in the pull-down I get is my new skin - and I obviously don't want to be rid of it!

So, how can I possibly configure my new site so that *nobody* even sees a container option pertaining to anything to do with DarkKnight - or my other tag-along, host-installed DNN skin?!

Perhaps a better way to state this would be, "How can I create a new portal (child or parent) that has absolutely no inherent skin or container connections within it, other than the single set of skins and containers that I wish to designate to it?"

Cheers!

Ian

Ian,

If I got your question right, the easiest way would be to move the folder /Portals/_default/skins/DarkKnight to /Portals/[PORTAL ID]/skins/DarkKnight and /Portals/_default/Containers/DarkKnight to /Portals/[PORTAL ID]/Containers/DarkKnight

This way the skin and container will only be available for the portal that you have copied them to.

But be careful: If you already have pages using the DarkKnight from its current location, them you will see an error on those pages, as the skin will no longer be in the same folder as it was originally. Then you can choose another skin for such pages.

Cheers,

Aderson;

Thanks for the quick and helpful response. I'll give it a try later today, using my FTP client and hopefully it'll work as it should.

The biggest problem with this is that, if I continue to create other new portals off of the primary one, I'm repeatedly going to have to go through the same routine! As I stated at the close of my posting, is there not a way that I could use the Host- Site Management - Add New Site function and create a single-page, bare-naked, website portal with no "baggage" (i.e. skins and containers that I don't want) attached to it? If there isn't, is seems to me there ought to be!

Cheers!

Ian

The current versions of DotNetNuke (perhaps starting with Version 6) include a "Blank Website" template. It consists of a single Home page. It will pick up the default Host skin and container. That's because every site must have a default skin and container.

There's nothing that would stop you from creating your own favorite default site and exporting a template. That can be added to an existing site, or included in the zip file for an install package. Place it in the Portals/_default folder.

You can also auto-install skins by placing their install packages in the Install/skin folder.

Note also that there is a _default skin and _default container. I don't see a UI to actually specify _default for the skin or container. However, you can copy and rename it (to MyDefault, for example) and use it. You can even make an installable skin package and auto install it as mentioned above.