How to install Microweber with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

Apache is a popular web server that will host your Microweber site on Ubuntu 24.04. To install it, open your Ubuntu terminal and run the commands ‘sudo apt update’ followed by ‘sudo apt install apache2’. This gets the necessary web server software ready.

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

Microweber needs a database to store its information, and MariaDB is a great choice for your Ubuntu 24.04 server. Install MariaDB by opening your terminal and typing ‘sudo apt update’ then ‘sudo apt install mariadb-server’. This sets up the database system.

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 Microweber database

After installing MariaDB, you need to create a dedicated database for Microweber. We’ll set up a database named ‘microweberdb’ and a user called ‘microweberdbuser’ to manage it. This ensures Microweber has its own secure space for data.

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

Finally, we’ll grant the microweberdbuser full access to the microweberdb 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 microweberdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER microweberdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON microweberdb.* TO microweberdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Microweber is built using PHP, so you’ll need to install it on your Ubuntu 24.04 system. Run the command ‘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-bcmath php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap’ in your terminal to get the latest version and all the necessary extensions.

Then, run the commands below to install the latest PHP version.

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-bcmath php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download Microweber files

Now it’s time to get the Microweber website software onto your Ubuntu server. Visit the official Microweber download page to find the link for the latest version. Then, use commands in your terminal, like ‘cd /tmp/’ and ‘wget [download_link]’, to download the files and extract them into the correct folder.

To always install the latest version, check the download page for Microweber. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download the Microweber files. Next, extract the content into the Microweber 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 Microweber installation.

cd /tmp/
wget https://updater.microweberapi.com/builds/master/microweber.zip
sudo unzip microweber.zip -d /var/www/microweber
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/microweber

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

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

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

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName microweber.example.com
  ServerAlias www.microweber.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/microweber
    
  <Directory /var/www/microweber/>
       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 microweber.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for Microweber

To keep your Microweber website secure, you should set up an SSL/TLS certificate using Let’s Encrypt with your Apache server on Ubuntu. This process encrypts data between your visitors and your site. You can follow a guide on setting up Let’s Encrypt for Apache to add this important security layer.

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://microweber.example.com

A Microweber installation wizard page should appear. Type in the database details created above.

Create an admin account and click Install.

Microweber should be installed and ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

In this guide, we walked through the installation process of Microweber CMS on Ubuntu 24.04 with Apache. Key points to remember include:

• Microweber CMS provides a user-friendly interface for website building, including drag-and-drop features and an integrated online store.
• Apache is a reliable web server hosting Microweber, offering stability and robust performance.
• The installation involves three major components: Apache, MariaDB, and PHP, highlighting the importance of each in running Microweber effectively.
• Proper configuration and permission settings are crucial for security and functionality.
• Utilizing Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS enhances the security of your Microweber installation by enabling HTTPS.
• These steps will result in a fully functional Microweber site that is ready for content creation and e-commerce.

You can confidently set up Microweber and build your online presence with these instructions.