‍In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of installing Joomla on AlmaLinux 9 with the LAMP stack. Joomla is a powerful and popular content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage websites with ease. By following this tutorial, you will be able to set up Joomla on your AlmaLinux 9 server and start building your website in no time. So, let’s dive in!

Step 1: Create a Database

To get started, we need to create a database and a user that Joomla will use to interact with the database. Follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your AlmaLinux 9 server as the root user.
2. Open the terminal and enter the following command to access the MySQL shell:

mysql -u root

3. Once you are in the MySQL shell, run the following command to create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE shapehost_db;

Replace shapehost_db with the desired name for your database.

4. Next, create a user and grant all privileges to the user for the newly created database. Run the following command:

GRANT ALL ON shapehost_db.* TO shapehost@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'YOUR-PASSWORD-HERE';

Replace YOUR-PASSWORD-HERE with a strong and secure password.

5. After granting the privileges, flush the privileges to ensure the changes take effect:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

6. Finally, exit the MySQL shell by typing:

QUIT

Congratulations! You have successfully created a database and a user for Joomla to use. Make sure to remember the database name, username, and password as we will need them later in the installation process.

Step 2: Install Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate

To secure your Joomla website with SSL/TLS encryption, we will install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. Follow the steps below to install the certificate:

1. Refer to our guide on How to Install Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate for detailed instructions on installing the certificate.

By installing the SSL certificate, you will ensure that your Joomla website is accessed securely over HTTPS, providing a secure connection for your visitors.

Step 3: Download and Install Joomla

Now that we have the database and SSL certificate in place, let’s proceed with downloading and installing Joomla. Follow the steps below:

1. Open the terminal on your AlmaLinux 9 server.
2. Download the latest version of Joomla from the official website using the following command:

wget https://downloads.joomla.org/cms/joomla4/4-2-6/Joomla_4-2-6-Stable-Full_Package.zip

3. Once the download is complete, unzip the Joomla package to the appropriate directory:

unzip Joomla_4-2-6-Stable-Full_Package.zip -d /var/www/html/joomla

4. Adjust the file permissions to ensure that the Joomla files are readable by the web server:

chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/joomla
chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/joomla
chcon -R -t httpd_sys_content_rw_t /var/www/html/joomla

These commands will set the correct permissions and ownership for the Joomla files, allowing the web server to access and serve them properly.

Step 4: Configure Apache vHost

To configure Apache to serve your Joomla website, we need to create a new virtual host configuration file. Follow the steps below:

1. Open the terminal on your AlmaLinux 9 server.
2. Create a new Apache configuration file for your Joomla website using your preferred text editor. For example:

nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/shapehost.com.conf

3. Insert the following configuration code into the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName shapehost.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/joomla

<Directory /var/www/html/joomla/>
DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
</Directory>

ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/shapehost.com-error.log
CustomLog /var/log/httpd/shapehost.com-access.log combined

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =shapehost.com
RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</VirtualHost>

Make sure to replace shapehost.com with your actual domain name.

4. Save the file and exit the text editor.
5. Restart Apache to apply the changes:

systemctl restart httpd

6. Enable the HTTP and HTTPS services in the firewall to allow incoming traffic to your Joomla website:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
firewall-cmd --reload

Step 5: Configure Joomla

Now that we have completed the server-side setup, it’s time to configure Joomla using the web-based installation wizard. Follow the steps below:

1. Open your web browser and enter your domain name or server’s IP address followed by /joomla in the address bar. For example: https://shapehost.com/joomla.
2. You will be redirected to the Joomla installation page. Select your preferred language and click on the “Next” button.
3. On the next page, enter the database details you created earlier. Provide the database name, username, and password in the respective fields. Leave the rest of the settings as default unless you have specific requirements.
4. Click on the “Next” button to proceed.
5. On the next page, enter the site name, description, email address, and other relevant information for your Joomla website. Customize these settings according to your preferences.
6. Click on the “Next” button to continue.
7. You will now see a confirmation page with a summary of your Joomla installation settings. Review the information and click on the “Install” button to begin the installation process.
8. Joomla will now install the necessary files and database tables. Once the installation is complete, you will see a success message.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Joomla on AlmaLinux 9 with the LAMP stack. You can now log in to the Joomla administrator dashboard and start building your website.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered the complete process of installing Joomla on AlmaLinux 9 with the LAMP stack. We started by creating a database and user for Joomla, then installed a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for secure communication. Next, we downloaded and installed Joomla, configured Apache to serve the Joomla website, and finally, configured Joomla using the web-based installation wizard.

Joomla is a versatile and powerful CMS that allows you to create stunning websites with ease. By following this guide, you have taken the first step towards building your online presence with Joomla. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team at Shape.host. We offer reliable and scalable cloud hosting solutions, including Cloud VPS, to ensure your Joomla website runs smoothly and securely.

Christian Wells