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How to Install webEdition CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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The content presents a detailed tutorial on how to install webEdition CMS on Ubuntu. WebEdition, based on PHP and MySQL, is a free-to-use content management system known for a customizable feature-rich platform and user-friendly design. The installation process includes setting up Apache2 HTTP Server, MariaDB Database Server, and PHP 7.2 before configuring the servers for…

This brief tutorial will show students and new users how to install Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04 LTS web editions.

The webEdition CMS (content management system) is based on PHP and MySQL and is excellent for users who wish to manage their websites and blogs quickly. This CMS has a significant function spectrum and can be customized easily.

The web edition is free to download and use and comes with an intuitive user interface, granularly administered users and groups, and a responsive design that supports all modern devices.

This fast and lightweight platform gives web admins modular and extensible features via plugins to collaborate and automate engaging experiences with users across multiple devices, including mobile.

For more about the web edition, please check their Homepage

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

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

webEdition requires a web server, and 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

webEdition 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 MariaDB service to start up 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

webEdition 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-soap 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 webEdition CMS Database

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

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

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then create a database called webedition

CREATE DATABASE webedition;

Create a database user called webeditionuser with a new password

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

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON webedition.* TO 'webeditionuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download webEdition Latest Release.

To get the latest web edition 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 webEdition directory.

cd /tmp
wget http://download.webedition.org/releases/OnlineInstaller.zip
unzip OnlineInstaller.zip
sudo mkdir /var/www/webedition
sudo cp OnlineInstaller.php /var/www/webedition

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

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/webedition/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/webedition/

Configure Apache2

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

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

     <Directory /var/www/webedition/>
          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 webEdition and Rewrite Module

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

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

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

http://example.com/OnlineInstaller.php

Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup. Select the installation language, then continue.

webEdition Ubuntu install

Here, you can select the stable or pre-release version. For production sites, the stable version is best.

webEdition Ubuntu install

On the next page, validate that all requirements are met and continue.

webEdition Ubuntu install

Select a DocumentRoot path for the installation. If the current setting is correct, then leave it blank and continue.

webEdition Ubuntu install

Next, type in the database connection info created above. The database name, username, and password. then continue

webEdition Ubuntu install

Next, accept the default and continue.

webEdition Ubuntu install

After that, create an admin account that will be used to manage the backend portal.

webEdition Ubuntu Setup

Next, wait for all packages to be downloaded, installed, and configured.

webEdition Ubuntu Setup

After that, webEdition should be ready to use.

webEdition Ubuntu Setup

Log in and begin setting up your environment!

webEdition Ubuntu Setup

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

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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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Comments

  1. Jan Boen Avatar
    Jan Boen

    Great! Is there a follow on where I can find out how to configure the system so that it can eg send an e-mail as part of doing a password reset or such?

    Reply

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