How to Install Evolution CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

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

Evolution CMS claims to be the world’s fastest, most customizable content management platform built with PHP, which is focused on speed, security, and flexibility.

There are several reasons why one might install Evolution CMS with Apache support on Ubuntu Linux.

First and foremost, Evolution CMS is a highly customizable content management platform built with PHP focused on speed, security, and flexibility. If you are looking for a CMS platform that is easy to install, simple to maintain, and flexible, then Evolution is an excellent place to start.

With Evolution, you get a platform that separates registered web users and groups from administration users and can grant some web users granular access to pages in the backend. Additionally, Apache2 HTTP Server is the most popular open-source web server available today, and Evolution requires a web server to function.

As for Ubuntu, it is one of the most renowned and reliable Linux distributions that provides a stable environment for web development.

Therefore, installing Evolution CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux is an ideal solution for web admins who want a fast, lightweight, and modular CMS platform that is easy to set up and maintain.

For more about Evolution, please check their Homepage

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

Evolution 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

Evolution 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

Evolution 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-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 Evolution CMS Database

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

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

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called Evolution.

CREATE DATABASE evolution;

Create a database user called evolutionuser with a new password

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

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON evolution.* TO 'evolutionuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download Evolution Latest Release

To get Evolution’s latest release, you may want to download it from its download page. Or use the commands below to use Wget and get it downloaded.

Once downloaded, extract the downloaded content into the newly created Evolution directory.

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

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

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

Configure Apache2

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

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

     <Directory /var/www/html/evolution/>
          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 Evolution and Rewrite Module

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

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

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

http://example.com/install

Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Next, select to perform a new installation. Then click Next to continue.

Choose your installation language and click Next.

Next, type in the database information created above and continue. You will have to validate each step before you’re allowed to continue.

After that installation, all components are selected and continued.

Finally, click Install.

That should install Evolution CMS. Log on with the admin credentials created above, and you’re done!

Congratulation! You have successfully installed Evolution CMS on Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04.

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