Installing a Custom Drupal Theme

Okay, so you don't like any of the default themes that came with Drupal. Well, you have a few options:

1. Download a free custom theme from Drupal.org
2. Buy a custom theme on the internet from a site such as Template Monster
3. Hire a designer to create one for you
4. Design your own

Regardless of which option you pick, you will still have to install the new theme on your server.

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Download the Custom Theme

For this example we are going to pick a free theme from Drupal.org. Once you are on Drupal.org, click Themes – located in the top right column.

Next, you want to ensure that the theme you pick corresponds with the same version of Drupal that you have installed. Agoodi is installed under the 6.x version, so we are going to click on 6.x to filter out other versions.

For this example we are going to install the Zen Theme. The reason I chose the Zen Theme is because we are going to use it later to build our own custom theme.

Most themes have a demonstration page that allows you to get a better feel for its design and functionality. If you want to check out some demonstrations, you can usually find a link on the theme’s page.

Once you find a design you like, click “Find Out More”.

Next, navigate to the bottom and on your left side under "Resources" you will see a link called, “Try out a demonstration”.

Important note if you are following along step by step: As I wrote earlier, “most” themes have a link. Unfortunately, for this example Zen Theme doesn’t have one so for the pic above I used a Zen Subtheme called, “The Morning After” for illustration purposes only.

Okay, so back to the download. So far, you have checked out all the themes, navigated to the demo pages, and found a theme to download – click “Download” making sure that you've clicked the corresponding version. For agoodi it is 6.x

Step 2: Uploading Files to the Server

Now that you have downloaded your custom theme, it is time to upload it to the server.

Open the file manager on the server’s control panel.

Next, you will want to navigate to the Public_html folder – open the tree and then select theme folder as shown below:

1. Open Public_html tree
2. Click on theme

Now that you have successfully navigated to the correct folder you will need to upload your theme.

1. Ensure you have the correct folder by checking the path.
2. Click upload

Depending on your host provider, a new window or screen will appear, click browse and navigate to the new themes location on your hard drive. Double check your file path as well, shown in the circle below.

Presto! You have successfully uploaded your new Drupal theme.

But wait! There's more.

Your theme is still packed tight in a tar file or a zip file. Next, you will have to extract the files.

1. Check the box next to your new theme
2. Click Extract

Your theme should appear in a folder as shown below.

Step 3: Enabling the Theme
You’re almost done. Now, let’s go to your website and log in as the administrator.

After you have logged in:

1. Click Administrator
2. Click Site Building
3. Click Themes

Once you have navigated to the theme's setting page you will have to save your new configurations.

1. Check the Enable box
2. Check the Default theme button – Only if you want your new theme to be the default setting.
3. Click Save Configuration

Congratulations! You have just successfully installed your first custom Drupal theme.