How to Install HostCMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

HostCMS is a content management system (CMS) software built on PHP that focuses on online stores and corporate and content projects.

If you are looking for a solution that combines CMS, CRM, and eCommerce in one platform, then HostCMS is an excellent place to start. It is built to manage content and create online stores with a responsive template to display correctly in browsers on any device — phone, tablet, laptop, or PC, which might be very useful in helping you run your digital content.

This CMS platform is designed for ease of use to allow web admins to collaborate and automate engaging experiences with users across multiple devices, including mobile.

For more about HostCMS, please check their Homepage

To get started with installing HostCMS, follow the steps below:

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

HostCMS 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

HostCMS 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 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

HostCMS 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-sqlite3 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 HostCMS Database

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

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

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called host cms

CREATE DATABASE hostcms;

Create a database user called hostcmsuser with a new password

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

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON hostcms.* TO 'hostcmsuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download HostCMS Latest Release

Download the HostCMS install file from the link below:

http://www.hostcms.org/hostcms/editions/free/

You can also use the commands below to download and install

sudo mkdir /var/www/html/hostcms
cd /var/www/html/hostcms
sudo wget http://www.hostcms.org/download/install/install.php

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

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

Configure Apache2

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

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/hostcms.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 [email protected]
     DocumentRoot /var/www/html/hostcms
     ServerName example.com
     ServerAlias www.example.com

     <Directory /var/www/html/hostcms/>
          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 HostCMS and Rewrite Module

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

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

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

http://example.com/install.php

Then, follow the on-screen instructions. The first page should be in Russian. Click Next to choose the installation language.

Choose the installation language and continue.

Next, validate that all PHP requirements are met and continue.

After that, type in the database connection info created above and continue.

HostCMS has free and paid versions. The free version offers limited sets of features. If you have the license key, type it in or click Next to use the free version.

Finally, install with standard modules and complete the setup

Enjoy~

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