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How to Install MukurtuCMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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Mukurtu CMS, a Drupal-based Content Management System, empowers communities to manage and share content ethically. It facilitates collaboration and engagement across multiple devices, including mobile. The platform requires an Apache2 HTTP server, MariaDB Database server, and PHP 7.2, along with associated modules, installed. After safely installing these packages and configuring the servers, a new database…

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

Mukurtu (MOOK-oo-too) CMS is based on Drupal and aims to empower communities to manage, share, and exchange content in an ethically-minded way. It is managed by Washington State University’s Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation.

Installing MukurtuCMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux provides an excellent starting point for web developers who want to create a Drupal-based CMS that is easy to install, maintain, and extensible.

Apache is the most popular open-source web server available today, and it provides a secure, stable, and fast platform for serving web pages. Furthermore, Ubuntu is a well-established and widely used Linux distribution known for its ease of use and excellent support.

By installing MukurtuCMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux, you can create a robust, powerful, and scalable CMS that can meet your organization’s or community’s needs.

For more about MukurtuCMS, please check their Homepage

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

MukurtuCMS 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
Apache2 Test Page

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

Install MariaDB Database Server

MukurtuCMS 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.

mariadb welcome

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

Install PHP 7.2 and Related Modules

MukurtuCMS 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.

PHP Test Page

Create MukurtuCMS Database

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

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

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called mukurtucms

CREATE DATABASE mukurtucms;

Create a database user called mukurtucmsuser with a new password

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

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON mukurtucms.* TO 'mukurtucmsuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download MukurtuCMS Latest Release

To get MukurtuCMS’s latest release, you may want to use the GitHub repository. Install the git tool to download MukurtuCMS packages.

sudo apt install git

After installing curl and Composer above, change into the Apache2 root directory and download MukurtuCMS packages from Github.

cd /var/www/html
sudo git clone https://github.com/MukurtuCMS/mukurtucms.git

Run the commands below to configure MukurtuCMS database settings.

sudo cp /var/www/html/mukurtucms/sites/default/default.settings.php /var/www/html/mukurtucms/sites/default/settings.php
sudo nano /var/www/html/mukurtucms/sites/default/settings.php

Near the bottom is the $databases array. At a minimum, you must fill out the ‘database,’ ‘username,’ and ‘password‘ to connect to the database you just created.

### mukurtu values to fill

$databases = array (
  'default' =>
  array (
    'default' =>
    array (
      'database' => 'mukurtucms',
      'username' => 'mukurtucmsuser',
      'password' => 'password_here',
      'host' => 'localhost',
      'port' => '',
      'driver' => 'mysql',
      'prefix' => '',
    ),
  ),
);

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

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

Configure Apache2

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

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

     <Directory /var/www/html/mukurtucms/>
          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 MukurtuCMS and Rewrite Module

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

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

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

http://example.com/install.php

Then, follow the on-screen instructions. Choose the installation language, Save, and continue.

Mukurtucms Ubuntu Install

Then, the script should complete the installation and allow you to create an admin account.

Mukurtu CMS Ubuntu Setup

After that, Mukurtu CMS should be ready to use

Mukurtu CMS Ubuntu install

Enjoy~

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

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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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