default_template not working on new 2.1 installation

[Techiant]

I am creating a test site for upgrade. I tried multiple times with clean install. Still, the new install is unable to see the default_template directory taht it creates.
I even made a duplicate of default_template (default_template2), and that one shows up. If i manually change the database entry to point to default_template, I get an error message in admin for missing template. How am I supposed to use the Bootstrap-based template? All I see is Classic Contemporary and Responsive Classic Template.

Thanks for any tips!

Here are the screenshots:

[Shop Suey]

In my understanding template_default isn't a full template theme design by itself.
It is a base template which inherits lots of files files for all your templates.
So e.g. not how child themes at WordPress are.

I just checked my installation and there are only "classic" and "responsive_classic" to choose from though there are three folders at this location.

$ ls www/dev/includes/templates/
classic  responsive_classic  template_default

[Shop Suey]

The Bootstrap template is available as plugin.
I don't know why you have this template_default2 folder.

[swguy]

Bootstrap help is here:

https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/template/bootstrap/

[Techiant]

Bootstrap help is here:

https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/template/bootstrap/

I appreciate the link, but I already looked through the docs, and while there is (very limited) info, on bootstrap - e.g., we can change colors in admin, it doesn't address the question I asked - I am unable to set the Bootstrap based template - I only see classic green and classic responsive, the third template (template_detault) directory that is there is not showing up in my theme choices and the only way I can make i show up if I make a copy of it (e.g. default_template2.

Also, I am desperately trying to find ANY themes that work with 2.0 but there isn't even a 3rd party marketplace with themes that can make the ZC2.0 not look like 90s website. Could you point me to the source where I can customize the site besides changing basic colors under the hood?

Thanks

[Techiant]

Digging further, I found the Github page with ZCA-Bootstrap-Template-3.7.6.
After downloading this template, it appears that it contains a whole bunch of empty directories and no instructions on how to install it. README file just circles back to the github page. Completely lost - are we supposed to install this just like any other template? What do we do with empty directories? Was it supposed to be included in ZC2.1 main install file since the Bootstrap is apparently a major change? Puzzling that decades-old classic green is included but not the Bootstrap template so that we can use it from fresh install. Is it not ready for primetime? So many questions and very few answers in the documentation.

[pilou2]

The zip file for ZCA-Bootstrap-Template-3.7.6 contains 3 folders, docs, includes, YOUR_ADMIN and few files. And they are not empty, who would distribute empty folders???
I let you guess in which folder the documentation is... There is a chapter call Initial Install with all the needed instructions.

[Techiant]

That was the puzzling bit. I redownloaded the source and it appears that for some reason some files didn't unarchive (shouldn't have trusted windows). Will try with new source, thanks