How to install ProcessWire with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux

Install the Apache web server on Ubuntu 24.04 to handle website requests for your ProcessWire site. Apache is the software that shows your website to visitors. We use simple terminal commands to get Apache running, which is the first step for hosting ProcessWire.

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 local host 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 MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu 24.04 because ProcessWire needs a database to store all its website content. MariaDB is a good and dependable option for Ubuntu. Installing MariaDB using terminal commands is simple and prepares your server for ProcessWire.

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 ProcessWire database

Create a dedicated database for ProcessWire to manage its content after installing MariaDB. We will create a database named ‘processwiredb’ and a user called ‘processwiredbuser’ for secure access. This step ensures ProcessWire has its own space to store your website’s information.

As part of the setup, we will create a database named ‘processwiredb‘ and a corresponding user account called‘ processwiredbuser. ‘

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

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Install PHP and its required modules on Ubuntu 24.04 because ProcessWire is built using PHP. A single terminal command installs PHP and the necessary parts ProcessWire needs to work correctly. This ensures your server can process and run the ProcessWire application.

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-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download ProcessWire files

Download the ProcessWire files to set up your website by getting the latest version. We will unpack the files and place them in the correct folder for Apache to find. Adjusting permissions is the final step so Apache works well with your ProcessWire installation.

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

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

cd /tmp/
wget https://github.com/processwire/processwire/archive/master.zip
sudo unzip master.zip
sudo mv processwire-master /var/www/processwire

After extracting ProcessWire content, you download a site profile. Site profiles can be found at the link below.

ProcessWire site profiles

Before ProcessWire version 3.0.191, site profiles came with the ProcessWire core software. Developers moved these site profiles out of the core software to make the core download smaller, and users can now download them separately.

Run the command below to download the default beginner’s site profile. Unzip the file and copy it to the ProcessWire root folder.

wget https://github.com/processwire/site-beginner/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
unzip main.zip
sudo cp -rf site-beginner-main /var/www/processwire/site-benginner
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/processwire/

Once all the steps are done, configure the Apache webserver to serve the ProcessWire content.

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

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

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

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

You enable the virtual host for ProcessWire by running `sudo a2ensite processwire.conf` and then restart the Apache web server with `sudo systemctl restart apache2`. This makes Apache aware of the new website configuration, allowing it to serve your ProcessWire installation.

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

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for ProcessWire

Secure your ProcessWire website with an SSL/TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt on Ubuntu to protect visitor data. This process enables HTTPS, showing a padlock in the browser, which builds trust. We guide you through setting up Let’s Encrypt for a secure ProcessWire installation.

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://processwire.example.com

A ProcessWire installation wizard page should appear. Click on Get Started to start the installation.

Next, select the installation profile and continue.

On the next screen, check to see if all requirements are met and continue.

Next, type in the database name, account, and password and continue.

Next, type in the admin account, email address, and password on the next screen.

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

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• This tutorial covered the step-by-step process of setting up a ProcessWire site on Ubuntu 24.04 with Apache support.
• Following the outlined instructions, you can create a stable and secure environment for hosting ProcessWire-powered websites and applications.
• Apache as the web server and MariaDB as the database server, along with the installation of PHP, provides a comprehensive platform for running ProcessWire effectively.
• Additionally, the tutorial includes guidance on configuring Apache virtual hosts and setting up Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates for enhanced security.
• If you encounter any issues or require further assistance, please utilize the comments section for support and clarification.