ProcessWire is a powerful PHP-based Open-Source CMS that allows you to easily deploy and manage content on the web. With its intuitive web interface and a range of useful features, such as multi-language support, a powerful template system, and a fully modular plugin architecture, ProcessWire makes content management a breeze. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing ProcessWire CMS on Debian 11, ensuring that you have a smooth and seamless experience.

Prerequisites

Before we begin the installation process, there are a few prerequisites that need to be met:

1. A server running Debian 11.
2. A valid domain name pointed to your server’s IP.
3. A root password configured on your server.

Getting Started

To ensure that your system is up to date, it’s always recommended to update and upgrade all system packages before proceeding. You can do this by running the following commands:

apt update -y
apt upgrade -y

Once all the packages are updated, we can proceed with installing the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack, which is required to host ProcessWire CMS.

Install Apache, PHP, and MariaDB Server

To install the necessary components, including Apache, MariaDB (a MySQL drop-in replacement), and PHP, you can run the following command:

apt install apache2 mariadb-server php libapache2-mod-php php-common php-mysql php-xml php-xmlrpc php-curl php-gd php-imagick php-cli php-dev php-imap php-mbstring php-opcache php-soap php-zip php-intl unzip wget curl -y

This command will install all the required packages for hosting ProcessWire CMS on your server. Once the installation is complete, start the Apache and MariaDB services by running the following commands:

systemctl start apache2
systemctl start mariadb

With Apache and MariaDB up and running, we can now proceed to create a database for ProcessWire.

Create a Database for ProcessWire

By default, MariaDB is not secured, and the root password is not set. To secure MariaDB and set the root password, you can run the mysql_secure_installation script:

mysql_secure_installation

This script will guide you through the process of securing MariaDB and setting a new root password. Once MariaDB is secured, you can log into the MariaDB shell using the following command:

mysql -u root -p

Inside the MariaDB shell, create a new database and user for ProcessWire with the following commands:

CREATE USER 'processuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
CREATE DATABASE processdb;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON processdb.* TO 'processuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Make sure to replace ‘password’ with a strong password of your choice. These commands will create a new user and database for ProcessWire and grant all necessary privileges. With the database set up, we can now proceed to download and configure ProcessWire.

Download ProcessWire CMS

To download the latest version of ProcessWire CMS, you can use the wget command:

wget https://github.com/processwire/processwire/archive/master.zip

After the download is complete, unzip the downloaded file:

unzip master.zip

Next, move the extracted directory to the Apache web root directory:

mv processwire-master/ /var/www/html/processwire

Change the ownership and permissions of the ProcessWire directory:

chown www-data:www-data -R /var/www/html/processwire/
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/processwire/

With ProcessWire CMS downloaded and configured, we can now create an Apache virtual host configuration file for ProcessWire.

Create Apache Virtual Host for ProcessWire

To create the virtual host configuration file, run the following command:

nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/processwire.conf

In the nano editor, add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerAdmin admin@example.com

DocumentRoot /var/www/html/processwire
ServerName processwire.example.com

<Directory /var/www/html/processwire/>

Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted

</Directory>

ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save and close the file. Then, activate the Apache virtual host and rewrite module:

a2ensite processwire.conf
a2enmod rewrite

Finally, restart the Apache service to apply the changes:

systemctl restart apache2

You can verify the status of Apache by running the following command:

systemctl status apache2

If everything is set up correctly, you should see that Apache is running and active.

Perform ProcessWire Web Installation

Now, open your web browser and enter the URL http://processwire.example.com to access the ProcessWire web installation wizard. You will be redirected to the ProcessWire welcome page. Click on the “Get Started” button to proceed.

On the profile selection page, choose the “Blank” profile and click on the “Continue” button. This will take you to the package validation screen. Once all the requirements are validated, click on the “Continue To Next Step” button.

You will now see the database configuration page. Provide the necessary details, such as the hostname, database name, database username, password, and timezone. Click on the “Continue” button to proceed.

Next, define your admin username, password, and other settings. Click on the “Continue” button to initiate the installation process. Once the installation is complete, you will see a screen confirming the successful installation.

Click on the “Login To Admin” button to access the ProcessWire admin panel. Enter your admin username and password, then click on the “Login” button. You will then be redirected to the ProcessWire default dashboard.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed ProcessWire CMS on your Debian 11 server. You can now start using ProcessWire to publish and manage your content on the web.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we walked you through the process of installing ProcessWire CMS on Debian 11. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily set up a powerful content management system for your website. ProcessWire offers a range of features that make content management efficient and enjoyable. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us.

Shape.host provides reliable and scalable Linux SSD VPS hosting solutions. With our secure and high-performance cloud infrastructure, you can confidently host your ProcessWire CMS and deliver exceptional user experiences. Visit Shape.host for more information on our services.

Christian Wells