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A note on multiple applications

The site you are currently has multiple applications installed. https://incubator.create.fsu.edu/ hosts a WordPress instance, but you are currently reading this lesson on a platform called Scalar. This means that Scalar is installed at the directory “curriculum” and the resulting URL reads https://incubator.create.fsu.edu/curriculum.

There are many reasons why you would want to have two separate applications installed on your site. The main reason would be if you have different types of content you want to host on different parts of the site. In the case of the PEN & Inc website, we have two different audiences: the general FSU community and current incubator participants. We installed the WordPress site at the “home” because we wanted the landing page to focus on providing general information about the program for a general audience: how to apply, the types of projects we support, and benefits of the program. The Scalar installation hosts different content with a different audience. Scalar has a lot of functions that are useful for self-guided tutorials, like a page-through interface, pop-up editorial notes, tables of contents, user annotations, etc. We chose it because it is a better platform for the content we wanted to deliver to our audience.

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Installing Applications in CreateFSU
CreateFSU allows you to manage one or more applications through your administrative dashboard (also called CPanel). To install an application, navigate to the “All Applications” icon on the CreateFSU dashboard.
Here you will see a list of applications that the CreateFSU team thinks are most relevant to the FSU community. There are dozens of other applications that are not listed in the CreateFSU dashboard that you can still install on your CreateFSU account. Installatron has a full list of applications that are available for installation. If you know you want to use an application that is not shown on the CreateFSU dashboard, email lib-create@fsu.edu to get access.
Once you have selected the application you want to install, click on it and select “+ install this application” on the next screen. On the installation screen, the domain field should show your CreateFSU URL. If this is the first application you’ve installed, you will notice that the “Directory (Optional)” field is blank. If you want the application you’re installing to host the landing page for your site, leave this field blank. If you are installing a secondary application, you will need to specify a directory.
The list of configuration settings will differ for each application, but we recommend that you keep them the same as the default. This will ensure that your site is in compliance with security best practices and remains updated. You should change the "Site Title," "Tagline" or other fields related to your site's identity. This will help with Google search indexes and will ensure that your site is labelled correctly in tabs and bookmarks.
We also recommend that you update your admin username to something that you will remember. You can also view and save the admin password to a password manager or replace the password with one you will remember. If you are using wordpress, you will be able to automatically log in to your WordPress account through the CreateFSU dashboard. All other applications require that you log in using your admin credentials. So, if you plan to use an application other than Wordpress, ensure that you remember your password or save it in some secure location.
Once you have configured all of the settings to your liking, you should click "+ install" at the bottom of the page, and wait for your applicaton to finish installing.
To access your installed applications, you should go back to the CreateFSU dashboard and select "My Apps." The "My Apps" interface will show all of your installed applications, and give you some options for reconfiguring the settings on your installation.
Next, we will go over a selection of the different applications in CreateFSU and try to give you some tips on picking an application that is right for your project.