How to Install BackBee CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

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BackBee is an open-source content management system (CMS) that offers enterprise-class features for creating dynamic websites and blogs. It uses On-page Editing Technology (OPE Technology) for ease of use, even without prior technical knowledge. The platform encourages collaboration and enables engaging user experiences across multiple devices. Details provided also include specific steps for installing BackBee…

This article explains installing BackBee CMS with Apache support on Ubuntu Linux.

BackBee is a next-generation open-source content management system (CMS) that can create powerful and dynamic websites and blogs.

Installing BackBee CMS with Apache support on Ubuntu Linux is a great way to create powerful, dynamic websites and blogs. BackBee CMS is a next-generation open-source content management system (CMS) that offers enterprise-class features, scalability, and high performance.

Moreover, it is built on an open-source core with support for open standards, which makes it very useful in helping to run digital content.

Following the steps outlined in the article, you can install all the required packages and configure your server to run BackBee CMS on Ubuntu Linux with Apache support.

For more about BackBee CMS, please check their Homepage

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

BackBee CMS requires a web server, and the Apache2 HTTP server is the most popular open-source web server available today. To install the Apache2 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

Now that Apache2 has been installed browse your browser to the URL below to test whether the web server works.

http://localhost

If you see the page above, then Apache2 is successfully installed.

Install MariaDB Database Server

BackBee also requires a database server to store its content. MariaDB is a great place to start if you want a genuinely open-source database server. To install MariaDB, 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 18.10 and 18.04 LTS

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

Next, run the commands below to secure the database server with a root password if you were not prompted to do so during the installation.

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 the 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

Once MariaDB is installed, run the commands below to test whether the database server was installed.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Type the root password when prompted.

The server was successfully installed if you see a similar screen.

Install PHP 7.2 and Related Modules

BackBee CMS is a PHP-based CMS, and PHP is required. However, PHP 7.2 may not be available in Ubuntu’s default repositories. To run PHP 7.2 on Ubuntu 16.04 and previous, you may need to run the commands below:

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

Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2

sudo apt update

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

sudo apt install php7.2 libapache2-mod-php7.2 php7.2-common php7.2-mysql php7.2-gmp php7.2-curl php7.2-intl php7.2-mbstring php7.2-xmlrpc php7.2-gd php7.2-bcmath php7.2-xml php7.2-cli php7.2-zip

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

sudo nano /etc/php/7.2/apache2/php.ini

The lines below are a good setting for most PHP-based CMS. Update the configuration file with these and save.

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

Every time you change the PHP configuration file, you should restart the Apache2 web server. To do so, run the commands below:

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Once PHP is installed, create a test file called phpinfo.php in the Apache2 default root directory to test whether it’s functioning. ( /var/www/html/)

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

Then, type the content below and save the file.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Next, open your browser and browse to the server’s hostname or IP address, followed by phpinfo.php

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

You should see the PHP default test page.

Create BackBee Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages required for BackBee to function continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create a blank BackBee database.

To log on to the MariaDB database server, run the commands below.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called backbee

CREATE DATABASE backbee;

Create a database user called backbreaker with a new password

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

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON backbee.* TO 'backbeeuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download BackBee’s Latest Release

To get BackBee’s latest release, you may use the GitHub repository. Install Composer, Curl, and other dependencies to get started.

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

After installing curl and Composer above, change into the Nginx root directory and download BackBee packages from Github.

cd /var/www/html
sudo git clone https://github.com/backbee/backbee-cms.git backbee
cd /var/www/html/backbee/
sudo composer install

Then, run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the BackBee root directory and give Apache2 control.

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

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for BackBee. This file will control how users access BackBee content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called backbee. conf

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/backbee.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/backbee/public
     ServerName example.com
     ServerAlias www.example.com

     <Directory /var/www/html/backbee/public/>
          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.

Enable the BackBee and Rewrite the Module

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

sudo a2ensite backbee.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see the BackBee setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully.

http://example.com/

Then, follow the on-screen instructions. Confirm that all the requirements are met and continue.

Next, type in the database information you created above and continue.

Next, set up the site URL and continue.

After a brief moment, BackBee should be installed and ready to use. Read the text after the installation to configure your environment. These are the recommended settings for BackBee.

After a moment, BackBee should be installed and ready to use. You should be able to log on with the admin account created above.

That’s it!

Congratulation! You have successfully installed BackBee CMS on Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04 and 18.10.

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