If you want a Content Management System (CMS) that has enterprise-class features, is scalable and performs at a high level, then Zikula CMS is a good place to start. Zikula CMS is built on an open-source core with support for open standards, which might be very useful in helping you run your digital content. This CMS platform is designed for ease of use to allow enterprises and business owners to collaborate and automate engaging experiences with users across multiple devices, including mobile. For more about Zikula CMS, please check their Homepage. To get started with installing Zikula, follow the steps below:

Install Nginx HTTP Server

Zikula CMS 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

Zikula 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.

Zikula CMS 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-FPM on Ubuntu 16.04 and previous, you may need to run the commands below: Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2-FPM Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2-FPM 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 PHP-FPM service. 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 Zikula Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required for Zikula to function, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create a blank Zikula database. To log on to the MariaDB database server, run the commands below. Then create a database called Zikula Create a database user called zikulauser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download Zikula Latest Release

To get Zikula latest release you may want to use the GitHub repository. Install Composer, Curl and other dependencies to get started. After installing curl and Composer above, change into the Nginx root directory and download Zikula packages from Github. Always replace the branch number with the latest branch. Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the Zikula root directory and give Nginx control.

Configure Nginx

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for Zikula. This file will control how users access Zikula content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called zikula 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 Zikula

After configuring the VirtualHost above, enable it by running the commands below Then open your browser and browse to the server domain or IP address. You should see the Zikula setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Then follow the on-screen instructions. click Install Zikula! to begin the installation. Next, type in the database information you created above and continue. Next, create an admin account and continue. Finally, click Begin Installer to start. After a moment, Zikula should be installed and ready to use. That’s it! Congratulation! You have successfully installed Zikula CMS on Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04 and 18.10. You may also like the post below:

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