How to Install October CMS with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

To install Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 for your October CMS setup, open your terminal and run the standard package manager commands. You need the Apache web server running so visitors can load your pages in their browsers. Once installed, Apache starts automatically and listens for incoming web traffic on your server.

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

To install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu 24.04, use the package manager in your terminal to download and set up the database software. MariaDB stores all your website content, user accounts, and settings securely. After installation, you must run the security script to protect your database from unauthorized access.

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 an October CMS database

To create an October CMS database, log into your MariaDB prompt and run SQL commands to set up a dedicated database and user account. This gives October CMS the specific permissions it needs to read and write site data without risking your entire server. Make sure to note down your database name, username, and password for the installation wizard.

As part of the setup, we will create an octcmsdb database and a user account called octcmsdbuser.

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

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

To install PHP on Ubuntu 24.04 for October CMS, use your terminal to download PHP along with the required extensions like curl, intl, and mysql. October CMS relies on these specific extensions to process code, connect to your database, and handle image uploads properly. Without them, your website will show errors or fail to load entirely.

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 October CMS files

To download October CMS files, get the latest version from the official website or use your terminal to fetch the installation package directly to your web root directory. You must place these files in the correct folder so Apache can serve them to your visitors. After downloading, adjust the file ownership so your web server can modify them.

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

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

This will allow the Apache web server to interact safely with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your October CMS installation.

cd /tmp/
wget http://octobercms.com/download -O octobercms.zip
sudo unzip octobercms.zip
sudo mv install-master /var/www/octobercms
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/octobercms

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

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

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

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName octobercms.example.com
  ServerAlias www.octobercms.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/octobercms
    
  <Directory /var/www/octobercms/>
       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.

Enable the virtual host configuration for October CMS by running the command `sudo a2ensite october.conf`. Then, restart the Apache web server with the command `sudo systemctl restart apache2` to apply the changes.

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

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for October CMS

To set up Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for October CMS, install Certbot and run the Apache plugin command in your terminal to generate a free security certificate. This forces your website to load securely over HTTPS, protecting visitor data from being intercepted. Certbot also handles automatic renewals so your certificate never expires unexpectedly.

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://octobercms.example.com/install.php/

An October CMS installation wizard page should appear. Select the installation language and continue.

Next, type in the database connection details created above and continue.

If you have a license, enter it. Otherwise, install without a license. View this page to obtain a free license.

After a brief moment, the installation should be completed.

Log on to the backend and start using the site.

That should do it!

If you run into trouble and you're prompted to install Composer to install and configure OctoberCMS, follow the steps below to resolve it.

First, run the command below to install Composer and configure October CMS to function correctly.

You will need a license key to proceed with the steps below. View this page to obtain a free license.

sudo apt install curl git
curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | sudo php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
cd /var/www/octobercms
sudo -u www-data composer install
udo -u www-data php artisan october:install
sudo -u www-data php artisan october:migrate

That should do it!

Conclusion:

Installing October CMS with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04 creates a strong and adaptable system for building interactive websites. This guide detailed the steps for the installation process, ensuring you can successfully set up October CMS.

• User-Friendly: October CMS is built on the Laravel framework, offering an intuitive interface for content management and customization.
• Robust Environment: The combination of Apache and MariaDB ensures a reliable environment capable of handling multiple visitors.
• Database Setup: Creating a dedicated database for October CMS is crucial for effectively managing your website's data.
• PHP Support: Installing the latest version of PHP is essential, as October CMS is a PHP-based application.
• Security: Implementing an SSL/TLS certificate with Let’s Encrypt enhances the security of your site by enabling HTTPS.
• Simple Installation Process: The outlined steps provide a straightforward method to get October CMS up and running on your Ubuntu server.
• Community Support: Access to additional resources and documentation can help troubleshoot any issues encountered during installation.

By following this guide, you’ll be equipped to harness the full potential of October CMS for your web development projects!