How To Install CakePHP on AlmaLinux 9

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install CakePHP on AlmaLinux 9. CakePHP is a robust open-source framework for PHP, designed to facilitate rapid application development with less code. It follows the model-view-controller (MVC) architectural pattern, providing a structured and efficient way to build web applications. CakePHP offers various benefits, including code generation, built-in database access, authentication, and much more, making it a preferred choice for many developers.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the CakePHP on AlmaLinux 9. You can follow the same instructions for CentOS and Rocky Linux or RHEL-based.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: AlmaLinux 9.
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
• An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies for CakePHP.
• CakePHP requires certain permissions that can only be granted to a superuser or a user with sudo privileges. Ensure that you have the necessary administrative access.

Install CakePHP on AlmaLinux 9

Step 1. Before installing any new software, it’s good practice to update your system. Use the following command to update your AlmaLinux system:

sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf update

Step 2. Installing PHP and Required PHP Extensions.

CakePHP requires PHP and several PHP extensions. Install them using the following command:

sudo dnf install php php-mbstring php-intl php-simplexml php-pdo

This command installs PHP and the necessary extensions for CakePHP.

Step 3. Installing Composer.

Composer is a dependency management tool for PHP, and it’s required for installing CakePHP. Install Composer with the following command:

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer

The first command downloads the Composer installer and runs it. The second command moves the Composer executable to a directory in your system’s PATH, making it globally accessible.

Step 4. Installing CakePHP on AlmaLinux 9.

To download CakePHP, navigate to your desired directory and use the following command:

composer create-project --prefer-dist cakephp/app:~4.0 my_app_name

Replace “my_app_name” with your desired application name. This command downloads the CakePHP framework and creates a new application in a directory named after your application.

CakePHP is installed during the download process. The create-project command above not only downloads CakePHP but also installs it, setting up a new CakePHP application in the process.

After installation, configure CakePHP by setting up the database and other settings in the config/app.php file. This file contains an array of configurations, including debug level, security salt, and database settings.

To verify the installation, navigate to the application directory and start the built-in server using the following command:

bin/cake server

This command starts the CakePHP server, and you can access your application by navigating to http://localhost:8765 in your web browser.

Step 5. Troubleshooting Common Issues.

1. Common issues and their solutions
   a. Missing PHP extensions: Ensure that all required PHP extensions are installed and enabled.
   b. Incorrect file permissions: Verify that the “logs” And “tmp” directories have the appropriate file permissions.
   c. Database connection issues: Double-check your database connection details in the “config/app.php” file.
2. Resources for further help
   a. CakePHP official documentation
   b. AlmaLinux community forums

Congratulations! You have successfully installed CakePHP. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing CakePHP on your AlmaLinux 9 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official CakePHP website.