HostCMS is a content management system (CMS) software built on PHP that has a focus on online stores, and corporate and content projects. 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 webmasters 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 Nginx HTTP Server

HostCMS requires a web server and the Nginx HTTP server is probably the second most popular open-source web server available today. To install the Nginx server, run the commands below: After installing Nginx, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the Nginx service to always start up with the server boots. Now that Nginx is installed. to test whether the web server is working, open your browser and browse to the URL below. If you see the page above, then Nginx is successfully installed.

Install MariaDB Database Server

HostCMS also requires a database server to store its content. If you’re looking for a truly open-source database server, then MariaDB is a great place to start. To install MariaDB run the commands below: After installing MariaDB, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to always start up when the server boots. Run these on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Run these on Ubuntu 18.10 and 18.04 LTS 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. 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

Now that MariaDB is installed, to test whether the database server was successfully installed, run the commands below. type the root password when prompted. If you see a similar screen as shown above, then the server was successfully installed.

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: Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2 Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2 and related modules. After installing PHP 7.2, run the commands below to open the PHP default configuration file for Nginx. The lines below are a good setting for most PHP-based CMS. Update the configuration file with these and save. Every time you make changes to the PHP configuration file, you should also restart the Nginx web server. To do so, run the commands below: Now that PHP is installed, to test whether it’s functioning, create a test file called phpinfo.php in the Nginx default root directory. ( /var/www/html/) Then type the content below and save the file. Next, open your browser and browse to the server’s hostname or IP address followed by phpinfo.php You should see the PHP default test page.

Create HostCMS Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are 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. Then create a database called hostcms Create a database user called hostcmsuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and 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 Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the HostCMS root directory and give Nginx control.

Configure Nginx

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 hostcms 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 HostCMS and Rewrite Module

After configuring the VirtualHost above, enable it by running the commands below Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see the HostCMS setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Then follow the on-screen instruction.  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 just 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. You may also like the post below:

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