Install b2evolution on Ubuntu 24.04 with Nginx

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

Nginx is a popular web server that b2evolution needs to run, and installing it on Ubuntu is simple. You can get Nginx set up quickly using your terminal by running two basic commands: first ‘sudo apt update’ and then ‘sudo apt install nginx’.

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

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

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

sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

You can test that the Nginx 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 Welcome to nginx!, it means the Nginx HTTP server is successfully installed.

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

How to install Nginx on Ubuntu

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

b2evolution requires a database to keep all its content, and MariaDB is a great choice for this. To install MariaDB on your Ubuntu system, open your terminal and type ‘sudo apt update’ followed by ‘sudo apt install mariadb-server’.

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 b2evolution HRM database

Once MariaDB is installed, you need to create a special database for b2evolution to store its data. This guide will show you how to create a database named ‘b2edb’ and a user called ‘b2edbuser’, giving them all the necessary permissions.

As part of the setup, we will create a b2edb database and a user account called b2edbuser.

Finally, we’ll grant the b2edbuser full access to the b2edb 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 b2edb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER b2edbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON b2edb.* TO b2edbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Since b2evolution is built with PHP, you’ll need to install it on your Ubuntu system to make b2evolution work. The command ‘sudo apt install php-fpm 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 php-‘ installs PHP and all the extensions b2evolution needs.

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

sudo apt install php-fpm 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 php-ldap php-imap

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download b2evolution HRM files

Getting the b2evolution files onto your Ubuntu server is the next step, and you can find the latest version on the official b2evolution website. We’ll download the files to the ‘/tmp/’ directory using a direct link from the download page and then extract them to get ready for the installation.

To always install the latest version, check the download page for b2evolution. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download the b2evolution files. Next, extract the content into the b2evolution folder in the Nginx root directory.

The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Nginx web server to interact safely with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your b2evolution installation.

Next, run the commands below to change Nginx root folder permissions so the b2evolution app can function correctly.

cd /tmp
wget https://b2evolution.net/media/blogs/downloads/v7/b2evolution-7.2.5-stable-2022-08-06.zip
sudo unzip b2evolution-*.zip -d /var/www
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/b2evolution/

Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Nginx web server below to serve the b2evolution content.

Run the commands below to create a Nginx virtual host file for b2evolution.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/b2evolution.conf

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

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    root /var/www/b2evolution;
    index  index.php;
    server_name  b2evolution.example.com;

    access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.access.log;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.error.log;   
    
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ .php$ {
         include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
         fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
         fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
         include fastcgi_params;
    }

}

Save the file.

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

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/b2evolution.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx.service

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for b2evolution

Securing your b2evolution site with an SSL/TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt is important for protecting visitor data. This process encrypts the connection between your users and your server, and this guide will walk you through setting it up specifically for Nginx on Ubuntu.

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

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

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

http://b2evolution.example.com/install/index.php

The b2evolution installation wizard should appear.

Type in the database name and password, then click the Update config file button.

Select New Install and click Next.

Click Install to begin.

b2evolution should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

Installing b2evolution with Nginx on Ubuntu provides a powerful and efficient blogging and content management platform. Here are the key takeaways:

• Nginx Performance: Nginx ensures high performance and scalability, making it ideal for managing multiple blogs and high traffic.
• MariaDB Integration: The integration of MariaDB as the database server allows for reliable data management and storage.
• PHP Support: 💿 Installing the latest version of PHP enables compatibility with b2evolution’s features and functionality.
• Secure Setup: Implementing SSL/TLS with Let’s Encrypt secures your site and protects user data.
• Flexible Configuration: The configuration process allows customization to fit your hosting needs.
• User-Friendly Installation: The b2evolution installation wizard simplifies the setup process, making it accessible even for beginners.

With these steps, you are now ready to leverage the full potential of b2evolution for your blogging and content management needs. Enjoy your new site!