This article heading includes the word "component" (see the Glossaryfor a definition of a component).
Why, you might ask? Because what is generally considered as your site's homepage is just another component, com_frontpage, as you can easily verify by clicking your non-SEF'd "Home" link.
This article aims at reducing the confusion between your HOMEpage and the FRONTpage component, as this is really only the same in the default Mambo setup, but can easily be changed. In fact, the first page to be displayed when entering your domain's URL into a browser (aka Homepage) is the content linked to by the mainmenu's first link!
This is the com_frontpage component in a default setup. Now try to move anything else to that first spot, a content item link, another component link, as you like, and preview the site...
That being said, the frontpage component is really important, as it provides the content for your site's RSS feeds (all items with the "Show on frontpage" checkbox ticked), used or not as Homepage. Settings for this component are accessed through the Content => Frontpage Manager link. On this screen, you can remove items from frontpage display (and thus RSS inclusion) or reorder the items for display.
[Please note that a few settings for your feeds layout are to be found under Components => Syndication.]
Configuration of the com_frontpage component
You may wonder why this component (we now have realized it is "just another" component) is not listed under the corresponding menu, and also how to tweak its settings to suit you?
While I can't answer the first part (hell, I never said I know it all, and I didn't design the interface ...), I AM able to lead you to the configuration of the component with just a few easy clicks
1. Menu menu => mainmenu link
2. The first item here is by default titled "Home" (this can be renamed). Notice it is of Type: Component - FrontPage! Click it!
3. Surprise: all the settings you ever wanted and more, here they are!
4. Tweak, apply, and preview the site to check out the changes.You can set, for example:
1. the page title (and its display)
2. the number of items the show
3. in how many columns you want them to display
4. if images should be visible etc ...
Now, that was easy, wasn't it? Try a few other components as first items and check your homepage, maybe you'll find something you like..
You could even create a custom content item, with embedded modules ... and use that. Free your mind, as it says..
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(Reproduced
with kind permission of eyezberg)
Added by