How To Install Drupal on Linux Mint 22

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Drupal on Linux Mint 22. Drupal is a powerful and versatile Content Management System (CMS) that has become a cornerstone for web developers and content creators alike. Its robust features and flexibility make it an excellent choice for building websites of all sizes, from personal blogs to enterprise-level applications. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of installing Drupal on Linux Mint 22, a popular and user-friendly Linux distribution.

Linux Mint 22 provides a stable and efficient platform for hosting Drupal, offering enhanced performance and security. By following this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll be able to set up a fully functional Drupal environment on your Linux Mint system, opening up a world of possibilities for your web development projects.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the installation process, let’s ensure you have everything you need to get started:

System Requirements

• A computer running Linux Mint 22
• At least 2GB of RAM (4GB or more recommended)
• Minimum 15GB of free disk space
• An active internet connection

Required Software

We’ll be installing the following software components:

• Apache web server
• PHP (version 7.4 or higher)
• MariaDB (or MySQL) database server

User Privileges

You’ll need root or sudo access to your Linux Mint system to perform the installation. Ensure you have the necessary permissions before proceeding.

System Update

It’s crucial to start with an up-to-date system. Open a terminal and run the following command to update and upgrade your packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This command will ensure your system has the latest security patches and software versions.

Step-by-Step Installation Process

Now that we’ve covered the prerequisites, let’s proceed with the installation of Drupal on your Linux Mint 22 system.

Step 1: Install Required Software

We’ll begin by installing the necessary software components: Apache, MariaDB, and PHP along with its required modules.

Installing Apache Web Server

Apache is one of the most popular web servers and is well-suited for hosting Drupal. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

Once installed, Apache will start automatically. You can verify its status by running:

sudo systemctl status apache2

Installing MariaDB Database Server

MariaDB is a fork of MySQL and provides excellent performance for Drupal sites. Install it with this command:

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y

Installing PHP and Necessary Modules

Drupal requires PHP and several PHP modules to function correctly. Install them using the following command:

sudo apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-curl php-gd php-soap php-zip libapache2-mod-php -y

Verifying Installations

After installing the required software, it’s a good idea to verify their versions:

apache2 -v
mysql --version
php -v

These commands will display the version information for Apache, MariaDB, and PHP respectively.

Step 2: Configure MariaDB Database

Now that MariaDB is installed, we need to secure it and create a database for Drupal.

Securing MariaDB Installation

Run the following command to secure your MariaDB installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow root login remotely, and remove the test database.

Creating a Database and User for Drupal

Next, we’ll create a database and user for Drupal. Log into MariaDB as root:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Once logged in, run the following SQL commands:

CREATE DATABASE drupal;
CREATE USER 'drupaluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON drupal.* TO 'drupaluser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace ‘yourpassword’ with a strong, unique password of your choice.

Step 3: Download and Extract Drupal

With our database set up, we can now download and extract the Drupal files.

Downloading Drupal

Use wget to download the latest version of Drupal:

wget https://www.drupal.org/download-latest/tar.gz -O drupal.tar.gz

Extracting Drupal

Extract the downloaded file:

tar -xvf drupal.tar.gz

Moving Drupal Files

Move the extracted files to the web server root directory:

sudo mv drupal-* /var/www/html/drupal

Step 4: Set Permissions and Ownership

Proper file permissions and ownership are crucial for security and functionality.

Setting Ownership

Set the correct ownership for the Drupal directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/drupal/

Setting Permissions

Set the appropriate permissions:

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/drupal/

Step 5: Configure Apache for Drupal

Now we need to configure Apache to serve our Drupal site.

Creating a Virtual Host Configuration

Create a new virtual host configuration file for Drupal:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/drupal.conf

Add the following content to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/drupal

    <Directory /var/www/html/drupal>
        AllowOverride All
    </Directory>

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

Replace ‘yourdomain.com’ with your actual domain name or server IP address.

Enabling the New Site

Enable the new site and disable the default site:

sudo a2ensite drupal.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

Enabling Apache Rewrite Module

Enable the Apache rewrite module and restart the service:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Complete Installation via Web Browser

With all the server-side setup complete, we can now finish the Drupal installation through the web interface.

Accessing the Installation Wizard

Open a web browser and navigate to your server’s IP address or domain name. You should see the Drupal installation page.

Installation Steps

1. Choose your preferred language and click “Save and continue”.
2. Select an installation profile (Standard is recommended for most users).
3. On the database configuration page, enter the details you set up earlier:
   • Database name: drupal
   • Database username: drupaluser
   • Database password: (the password you set)
4. Click “Save and continue” and wait for the installation to complete.
5. Configure your site settings, including site name, admin username, password, and email address.
6. Click “Save and continue” to finish the installation.

Post-Installation Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed Drupal on your Linux Mint 22 system. Here are some important post-installation steps to consider:

Testing and Verification

Log into your new Drupal site using the admin credentials you set during installation. Explore the admin dashboard to ensure everything is working correctly.

Securing Your Installation

Enhance the security of your Drupal installation by restricting access to sensitive files:

sudo chmod 440 /var/www/html/drupal/sites/default/settings.php

Optional Configuration

Consider implementing HTTPS with SSL certificates to encrypt data transmission between your server and visitors. You can obtain free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt or other Certificate Authorities.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While installing Drupal on Linux Mint 22 is generally straightforward, you might encounter some issues. Here are solutions to common problems:

Apache Not Starting

If Apache fails to start, check the error logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

Common issues include port conflicts or misconfigured virtual hosts. Ensure no other service is using port 80 and that your virtual host configuration is correct.

Database Connection Errors

If Drupal can’t connect to the database, double-check your database credentials in the settings.php file:

sudo nano /var/www/html/drupal/sites/default/settings.php

Ensure the database name, username, and password match what you set up earlier.

PHP Module Missing

If you encounter errors about missing PHP modules, you can install them using:

sudo apt install php-[module_name]

Replace [module_name] with the name of the required module.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Drupal. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of Drupal CMS on the Linux Mint 22 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Drupal website.