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How to Install Anchor CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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The article provides step-by-step instructions to install Anchor CMS on Ubuntu Linux, with Apache support. Anchor, an open-source CMS designed for bloggers, offers unique features compared to other PHP-based CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. The installation process involves setting up an Apache2 HTTP server, MariaDB, PHP 7.1 and related modules, configuring the Anchor database,…

This article describes the steps to install Anchor CMS on Ubuntu Linux with Apache support.

Anchor is a simple, open-source content management system (CMS) with a slick admin interface. Its lightweight codebase is designed with performance in mind.

Installing Anchor CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux allows you to set up a simple, lightweight, open-source content management system (CMS) with a user-friendly admin interface. By using Ubuntu Linux, you can ensure better security and compatibility with other open-source software.

Additionally, Apache is the most popular web server, and installing it on Ubuntu is simple. Overall, this installation process provides bloggers with an easy-to-use CMS with features not found in PHP-based CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal.

For more about Anchor CMS, check out its homepage.

Install Anchor CMS on Ubuntu Linux with Apache support

As described above, Anchor is a simple, open-source content management system (CMS) with a slick admin interface.

Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux.

Install Apache2 HTTP Server on Ubuntu

Apache2 HTTP Server is the most popular web server. Install it since Anchor needs it.

To install Apache2 HTTP on the Ubuntu server, run the commands below.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

After installing Apache2, the commands below can stop, start, and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop apache2.service
sudo systemctl start apache2.service
sudo systemctl enable apache2.service

To test the Apache2 setup, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address. You should see the Apache2 default test page, as shown below. When you see that, Apache2 will work as expected.

http://localhost
apache2 ubuntu install

Install MariaDB

Anchor CMS also requires a database server to function. And MariaDB database server is a great place to start. To install it, run the commands below.

sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client

After installing MariaDB, the commands below can stop, start, and enable the service to start when the server boots.

Run these on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo systemctl start mysql.service
sudo systemctl enable mysql.service

Run these on Ubuntu 17.10 and 18.04 LTS

sudo systemctl stop mariadb.service
sudo systemctl start mariadb.service
sudo systemctl enable mariadb.service

After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server by creating a root password and disallowing remote root access.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

  • Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter
  • Set root password? [Y/n]: Y
  • New password: Enter password
  • Re-enter new password: Repeat password
  • Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y
  • Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y
  • Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y
  • Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Restart MariaDB server

sudo systemctl restart mariadb.service

Install PHP 7.1 and Related Modules

PHP 7.1 may not be available in Ubuntu default repositories for some systems. So, you will have to get it from third-party repositories if you need it.

Run the commands below to add the below third party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.1

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.1

sudo apt update

Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2 and related modules.

sudo apt install php7.1 libapache2-mod-php7.1 php7.1-common php7.1-mysql php7.1-mcrypt php7.1-mbstring php7.1-xmlrpc php7.1-soap php7.1-gd php7.1-xml php7.1-cli php7.1-curl php7.1-zip

After installing PHP 7.2, run the commands below to open the PHP default config file for Apache2.

sudo nano /etc/php/7.1/apache2/php.ini

Then, save the changes on the following lines below in the file. The value below is an ideal setting to apply in your environment.

file_uploads = On
allow_url_fopen = On
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 100M
max_execution_time = 360
date.timezone = America/Chicago

After making the change above, please save the file and close it.

To test PHP 7.2 settings with Apache2, create a phpinfo.php file in the Apache2 root directory by running the commands below

sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

Then, type the content below and save the file.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Save the file. Then browse to your server hostname followed by /phpinfo.php

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

You should see the PHP default test page.

PHP 7.2 ubuntu nginx

Create Anchor Database

Now that you’ve installed all the required packages, continue below to start configuring the servers.

First, run the commands below to create an Anchor CMS database.

Run the commands below to log on to the database server. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called an anchor.

CREATE DATABASE anchor;

Create a database user called anchoruser with a new password

CREATE USER 'anchoruser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON anchor.* TO 'anchoruser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download Anchor Latest Release

Next, visit the Anchor site and download the latest package. You can also run the commands below to install git, which is required to download Anchor packages from GitHub.

After downloading, run the commands below to extract the downloaded file and move it into a new Anchor root directory.

sudo apt install git curl

Next, run the commands below to install the composer package and install. You must have the curl package installed for the commands to work. If not, just run sudo apt install curl to install it…

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | sudo php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer

After that, please change it to the Anchor root directory to install the PHP-required packages.

cd /tmp && sudo composer create-project anchorcms/anchor-cms
sudo mv anchor-cms /var/www/html/anchor

Then, run the commands below to set the correct permissions for Anchor to function correctly.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/anchor/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/anchor/

Configure Apache Anchor Site

Finally, configure the Apache2 configuration file for Anchor. This file will control how users access Anchor content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called an anchor.conf

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

Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location.

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

     <Directory /var/www/html/anchor/>
          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 and exit.

After configuring the VirtualHost above, please enable it by running the commands below.

Enable the Anchor Site

After configuring the VirtualHost above, please enable it by running the commands below, then restart the Apache2 server.

sudo a2ensite anchor.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache2

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Next, open your browser and browse the server hostname or IP address. You should see the Anchor setup page.

Anchor CMS Ubuntu Install

Next, enter the database connection details you created above. The anchor needs them to store your blog’s information, so you must fill these in correctly. Again, you’ll need to contact your WebHost if you don’t know what these are.

Anchor CMS Ubuntu setup

Next, create an admin account for the backend and complete the installation.

Anchor CMS install

Enjoy!

Anchor CMS ubuntu install

Don’t forget to run the commands below to delete the install folder.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/anchor/install/

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Richard Avatar
Richard
Richard, the owner and lead writer at Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast passionate about simplifying complex IT topics. His years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations have honed his ability to provide practical insights and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He’s deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions. He enjoys watching football, cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with his family when he’s not writing or managing Geek Rewind.
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