Akeeba Kickstart is a PHP executable file (script) primarily used to partially automate the steps required before and after the restoration of a site backed up with Akeeba Backup or JoomlaPack. It can be used either standalone or in conjunction with the Akeeba Backup component.

Akeeba Kickstart streamlines the archive extraction - uploading - restoration - post-restoration workflow by allowing you to omit unnecessary steps. Actually, you only need to upload Akeeba Kickstart and the backup archive on the server you want to restore your site to. Akeeba Kickstart will extract (i.e. "unzip") the JPA or ZIP archive right on the server, safely rename your .htaccess and give you a link to start the restoration script which was embedded in the archive. When you're done with the restoration script, you click on the second link Akeeba Kickstart provides and it will rename back your .htaccess file, remove the installation directory, delete the backup archive and finally remove itself as well. Housekeeping is taken care of itself!

Akeeba Kickstart supports any archive in the standard ZIP or highly efficient JPA format. Akeeba Kickstart is agnostic of the contents of the archive. This means that you can use Akeeba Kickstart to extract anything: full or upgrade Joomla! packages, phpBB, Wordpress or Drupal installation ZIPs, an archive with your gallery's images, etc. The only difference in the process is that you skip clicking on the first link which would normally start the Akeeba Backup restoration script. And, yes, we have used it to deploy Joomla! upgrades and non-Joomla PHP software (even WordPress and Drupal) on popular commercial hosts ourselves!

Akeeba Kickstart is also localisable, meaning that it can display itself in your own language. All you have to do is to upload your language's translation INI file in the same directory as kickstart.php. The translation INI files are readily available in the Akeeba Kickstart distribution ZIP file.