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Omeka: Plugins

Plugins

Plugins are essentially bonus features that add new functionalities to your exhibits. You can find the complete list of plugins for downloading on the Omeka Website. 

Installing Omeka Plugins

As you begin to use your Digital UIC Omeka install you may wish to add additional functionality by way of the various open source plugins available at http://omeka.org/add-ons/plugins/. Although Omeka doesn’t currently include an automated installer for plugins, the process of uploading them to your space is outlined here.

  1. To get started you’ll want to log into your cPanel (digital.uic.edu/dashboard) using your Net ID and password.
  2. In cPanel you’ll access the File Manager located under the Files section.File manager link in cPanel
  3. In the File Manager you’ll navigate on the lefthand sidebar down to your plugins folder which should be one of several folders within your Omeka install (your root directory for your domain is public_html).Omeka file folder in cPanel file directory
  4. Here you will see all plugins currently in your Omeka install. To add a new one you want to have downloaded the zip file locally to your computer from Omeka’s website first. Then click the Upload button to upload the file.upload link in the File Manager of cPanel
  5. Here you will see all plugins currently in your Omeka install. To add a new one you want to have downloaded the zip file locally to your computer from Omeka’s website first. Then click the Upload button to upload the file.drag and drop interface for installing plug-ins
  6. You should now see a zip file for your plugin in the plugins folder. The last step is to extract the contents of the zip file to the same folder. To do this select your file and click the Extract button.Extract button in cPanel
  7. Once the plugin is extracted you can delete the zip file and the plugin will now be available for activation within your Omeka administration interface.

Examples

While some users may find that they want to explore the many plugins available, most people will only use a handful of them. Here is a short list of potentially useful plugins:

Simple Pages: Most users will want to utilize this plug in to make basic landing pages, such as an "About" page.

Batch Uploader: Allows the user to upload many files at once.

Commenting: Allows visitors to your site to comment on items, collections, or exhibits.

Contribution: Allows collecting items from site visitors.

Docs Viewer: Embeds a Google document viewer into item show pages. PDF documents, PowerPoint presentations, TIFF files, and some Microsoft Word documents are supported.

SimpleContactForm: Adds a simple form that allows users to contact the administrator.