Step 1 - Set-up checklist
Things you need to use Typomania
You don't need much - a domain name and a Typomania account are usually enough
The Red Lion
A pub without a website
I've chosen a nearby pub that currently doesn't have a website for this walkthrough demonstrating how Typomania can be used to create one.
Several previous tenants have set-up websites for the pub in the past, so the most obvious choices of domain name have already been registered. I've registered redlion-sp.co.uk - the 'sp' representing Swaffham Prior, the village the the pub is in.
Initial set-up
While the DNS for the newly registered domain name is propagating through the global DNS system, I'm going to set-up an empty framework. For this project I'm going to use a Raspberry Pi 4 hosted by Mythic Beasts.
Installation is partly manual, mainly for security reasons. I copy a few files to the server, create a config file so that the relevant domain name will work, and register the project with a version control system so that it can be redeployed to an alternative server if there's ever a hardware issue. Back-ups of files and a data are fully automatic.
The process enables a lot, but doesn't take long. I've completed this instance in a minute or while on a train, writing this.
Once the domain name is pointing to the right place, the next step is to install SSL certificates and create a database with a bunch of tables. After that, the first time the site is loaded in a browser several static files and directories are created, and the final operation is locking some file permissions and there we are - a live website ready for content.
'Global' settings