Instead of dealing with properties files on the file system prior to installation, all basic configuration settings are now available through the UI. To initialize a new XNAT installation:
You'll find the following settings there:
These values can be changed at any time after setup in the Admin UI. See XNAT Site Settings
These values are populated by default, and should not be changed unless you really know what you're doing. These are also "set it and forget it" values, and we highly recommend that you do not change these values on a running instance of XNAT. For details on these settings, See Understanding the Components of XNAT
Mail Server Settings
Once you confirm these settings, your XNAT will take a moment to configure itself, then it is ready to run and will take you to the default home page.
For any future changes via the Admin UI, go to the top menu and click on the Administer menu.