OctoberCMS is a free, open-source, self-hosted, and secure content management platform based on the Laravel PHP framework. It is simple and modular, built from the ground up to allow webmasters and editors to create powerful and dynamic content websites. When looking for a great content management system, don’t ignore OctoberCMS. Although WordPress is the king of CMS, OctoberCMS has some benefits that are probably not available on WordPress and other CMS out there. This post covers installing the latest version of OctoberCMS on Ubuntu Linux.

How to install October CMS on Ubuntu Linux with Apache support

As described above, OctoberCMS is a free, open-source, self-hosted and secure content management platform based on the Laravel PHP framework. Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux with Apache support.

Install Apache

Since a web server is required to run OctoberCMS, go and install the most popular web server, which is Apache2. To do that, run the commands below. Next, run the commands below to stop, start and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

Install MariaDB

OctoberCMS also requires a database server to function, and MariaDB is a great place to start when looking for the open-source database server. To install it run the commands below. After installing, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to always start up when the server boots. After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server. 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

PHP 7.1 isn’t available on Ubuntu’s default repositories. To install it, you will have to get it from third-party repositories. Run the commands below to add the below third party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.1 Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.1 Run the commands below to install PHP 7.1 and related modules. After installing PHP 7.1, run the commands below to open the Apache2 PHP default file. Then make the change to the following lines below in the file and save.

Create OctoberCMS Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, go and create a blank OctoberCMS database. Run the commands below to log on to the database server. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above. Then create a database called october Create a database user called octoberuser with a new password Then grant stripeuser full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download OctoberCMS Latest Release

Next, visit the OctoberCMS site and download the latest version. After downloading, run the commands below to create a root directory for OctoberCMS and extract the downloaded file into the Apache2 root directory. Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for OctoberCMS to function.

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure Apache virtual host configuration file for OctoberCMS. This file will control how users access OctoberCMS content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called octobercms.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. Save the file and exit.

Enable the OctoberCMS and Rewrite Module

After configuring the Virtual Host above, enable it by running the commands below To load all the settings above, restart Apache2 by running the commands below. Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see OctoberCMS setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Next, follow the on-screen instructions. you will be asked to input your database configuration, administrative details, and other configuration settings. When complete you may sign in and start using OctoberCMS. Enter the database info and continue Create the administrator login for the site and continue After that select to install with a theme, then sit and relax and wait for the installation to complete. Enjoy! Return to http://example.com/backend/ anytime thereafter to sign in.