Installing Joomla on a VPS

Joomla is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) that allows you to build websites and online applications. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Joomla on a Virtual Private Server (VPS).

Prerequisites

• A VPS running a supported Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu, CentOS).
• A web server (such as Apache or Nginx) installed on your VPS.
• PHP 7.2 or higher installed.
• A MySQL or PostgreSQL database server.

1. Preparing Your VPS

Access your VPS via SSH:

ssh username@your_vps_ip

After logging in, update your package index:

sudo apt update

2. Installing Required Software

Install essential packages for running Joomla:

sudo apt install apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql mysql-server -y

If you’re using a different database, replace libapache2-mod-php php-mysql with the corresponding PHP module and client for your database.

3. Downloading and Extracting Joomla

Download the latest version of Joomla from the official website:

wget https://downloads.joomla.org/cms/joomla3/latest/Joomla_3.x.x-Stable-Full_Package.zip

Install unzip if not already installed:

sudo apt install unzip

Extract the downloaded zip file:

unzip Joomla_3.x.x-Stable-Full_Package.zip -d /var/www/html/joomla

4. Configuring Permissions

Set the correct permissions for the Joomla directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/joomla/
sudo find /var/www/html/joomla/ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
sudo find /var/www/html/joomla/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

5. Creating the Database

Log into MySQL to create a new database for Joomla:

mysql -u root -p

Then, run the following commands:

CREATE DATABASE joomla_db;
CREATE USER 'joomla_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON joomla_db.* TO 'joomla_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace your_password with a strong password.

6. Configuring Apache for Joomla

In order to serve Joomla correctly, you need to create a new configuration file for Apache:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/joomla.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/joomla
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the new site and rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite joomla.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

7. Completing the Installation

Now, open your web browser and navigate to:

http://your_vps_ip/joomla

Follow the installation wizard to complete the setup. You’ll need to enter the database details created earlier.

8. Conclusion

You have successfully installed Joomla on your VPS! This powerful CMS will enable you to create and manage your website efficiently. Explore its features, templates, and extensions to customize your site based on your needs.

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Dorian Kane

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