How to install MODX CMS with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

Apache is the web server MODX needs, and installing it on Ubuntu 24.04 is easy using the terminal. You’ll run a couple of commands to get Apache set up so your website can run.

To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the Apache web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Once Apache is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Apache web server to start automatically when your server boots up.

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

You can test that the Apache web server is running by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

When you see the Apache2 Default Page, it means the Apache HTTP server is successfully installed.

Additional help on installing Apache on Ubuntu is in the link below.

How to install Apache on Ubuntu

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

MODX needs a database to keep all its website information, and MariaDB is a great choice for your Ubuntu 24.04 server. Installing MariaDB is simple and involves running a few commands in your terminal.

To install and use the MariaDB database server, use the instructions below.

Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the MariaDB database server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server

Once the MariaDB database server is installed, use the commands below to stop, start, and enable the MariaDB server to start automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Run the following commands to validate and test if the MariaDB database server is installed successfully.

sudo mariadb

Once you run the commands above, it will log you onto the MariaDB console and display a message similar to the one below.

Welcome to the MariaDB monitor.  Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 32
Server version: 10.11.2-MariaDB-1 Ubuntu 23.04

Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.

Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.

MariaDB [(none)]> 

The message tells you that the server is installed successfully.

Additional help on installing MariaDB.

• How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux
• MariaDB without password prompt

Create a MODX database

Once MariaDB is ready, you need to make a special database just for MODX and create a user account to access it. This section shows you the exact commands to create a database named ‘modxdb’ and a user ‘modxdbuser’.

As part of the setup, we will create a modxdb database and a user account called modxdbuser.

Finally, we’ll grant the modxdbuser full access to the modxdb database.

All the database steps above can be done using the commands below:

But first, log on to the MariaDB database server:

sudo mariadb

Then run the commands below to complete the steps:

CREATE DATABASE modxdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER modxdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON modxdb.* TO modxdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

MODX is built using PHP, so you must install PHP on your Ubuntu 24.04 system before MODX can work. We’ll show you the simple command to install PHP and all the necessary parts it needs.

Run the commands below to install PHP.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-intl php-mysql php-curl php-cli php-zip php-xml php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-ldap php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download MODX files

To get MODX up and running, you need to download its latest files and put them in the right place on your Ubuntu server. We’ll guide you through downloading the files and moving them where they need to go.

To always install the latest version, check the MODX’s download page. If a new version is available, replace the version number in the link below.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download MODX files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the MODX folder in the Apache root directory.

The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Apache web server to interact safely with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your MODX installation.

cd /tmp
wget https://modx.s3.amazonaws.com/releases/3.0.5/modx-3.0.5-pl.zip
unzip modx-*.zip
sudo mv modx-*/ /var/www/modx
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/modx

Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Apache web server below to serve the MODX content.

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for MODX.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/modx.conf

Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Apache server block.

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName modx.example.com
  ServerAlias www.modx.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/modx
    
  <Directory /var/www/modx/>
       Options FollowSymlinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
  </Directory>

       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file.

Then, run the commands below to enable the virtual host and restart the Apache server.

sudo a2ensite modx.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for MODX

It’s important to secure your MODX website with an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt to keep your visitors’ information safe. This section explains how to get a free SSL certificate for your Apache server, which MODX uses.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates for Apache.

How to set up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Once you have restarted the Apache web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Apache server block.

http://modx.example.com/setup

A MODX installation wizard page should appear. Select the installation language and click Continue.

Then, select MODX installation type. For this post, we’re choosing “New Installation.”

Next, enter the database name, account, and password and click Test. Create an admin account on the same page and continue.

Next, click the Install button to begin the installation.

On the next screen, ensure all the tests are successful and click Continue.

Your MODX site should be set up and ready to use.

Run this command to ensure that the /Core/ directory isn’t accessible from the web.

sudo mv /var/www/modx/core/ht.access /var/www/modx/core/.htaccess

That should do it!

Conclusion

• 💿 Installing MODX CMS with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 provides a flexible and reliable environment for efficient content management and web application customization.
• Combining MODX, Apache, and Ubuntu ensures a stable and secure environment for web applications, supported by a web server capable of handling HTTP requests and delivering web content. Apache and Ubuntu together offer a well-supported and stable operating system.
• The step-by-step guide covers the installation of the Apache HTTP server, MariaDB database server, PHP, and the necessary setup for MODX, including creating a MODX database. Additionally, it explains the process of ⬇️ downloading and configuring MODX files, setting up an Apache virtual host file, and securing the installation with Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS.
• Overall, following these comprehensive instructions will result in a successful installation of MODX CMS with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04, providing web administrators with the tools to build and manage websites and web applications effectively.