🚀 Get Started with Mothership
Welcome to Mothership, the all-in-one toolkit for freelance web developers and small agencies using Joomla! This section will guide you through installing the extension and getting it ready for client work.
✅ Requirements
- Joomla! 5.0 or newer
- PHP 8.1+
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
- Recommended: Composer (for advanced workflows and dev environments)
🧩 Installation Options
Option 1: Standard Joomla Install (Quick Start)
- Download the latest ZIP from the Download Page.
- In Joomla Admin, go to System → Extensions → Install.
- Upload the ZIP file and click Install.
- Once installed, go to Components → Mothership to begin setup.
💡 Tip: Make a backup of your site before installing new extensions.
Option 2: Composer Install (For Developers)
composer require trevorbicewebdesign/mothershipAfter Composer install:
- Go to System → Manage → Discover and click "Install" on Mothership.
- Enable required plugins via Extensions → Plugins.
⚙️ Use symbolic links if working with Local by Flywheel or Docker environments.
🧭 First Steps After Installation
- Create Your First Client
Go to Components → Mothership → Clients and click New. - Set Up Invoices
Navigate to Invoices, then click New to create your first invoice and add line items. - Enable Payment Plugins
Visit Extensions → Plugins, search forMothership - Payment, and enable your preferred methods. - Configure Global Settings
Customize currency, invoice format, and email templates via System → Manage → Mothership Configuration.
🛠 Optional: Domain & Hosting Tools
Mothership includes scanning tools to help identify where client websites are hosted and what CMS they're using.
- Go to Components → Mothership → Domains.
- Click New and enter a domain name.
- Tools will attempt to detect DNS, host, and CMS.
🔍 Scans are performed locally. No domain data is sent to external services.
