Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any new software, it is important to update your system to ensure that all packages are up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Keeping your system updated is essential whether you are hosting Concrete5 locally or deploying it on a VPS Windows Servers environment.

Step 2: Install Apache, PHP, and Required Extensions

Concrete5 requires Apache as the web server and PHP to run. Install Apache, PHP, and the required PHP extensions using the following command:

sudo apt install apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-gd php-intl php-curl -y

After the installation, enable Apache to start on boot and make sure it’s running:

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
            

This setup provides the necessary environment for running Concrete5, whether you're using a local server or a Windows VPS hosting UK.

Step 3: Install and Configure MySQL

Concrete5 requires a database to store its data. Install MySQL with the following command:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Once installed, secure the MySQL installation by running:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to secure your database. Then, log in to the MySQL shell:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a database and user for Concrete5:

CREATE DATABASE concrete5_db;
CREATE USER 'concrete5_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON concrete5_db.* TO 'concrete5_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
            

This step sets up the database for Concrete5, ensuring it's ready for installation, whether you're hosting locally or on a Windows VPS Italy server.

Step 4: Download and Install Concrete5

Download the latest version of Concrete5 from the official website. Navigate to the web root directory and download Concrete5 using wget:

cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://www.concretecms.org/download_file/-/view/115798/ -O concrete5.zip
            

Extract the downloaded file:

sudo unzip concrete5.zip

Rename the extracted folder to something simpler (optional):

sudo mv concrete5-* concrete5

Set the correct ownership of the Concrete5 directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/concrete5

This step prepares Concrete5 for installation, whether you're deploying it on a local server or on a Windows VPS hosting UK environment.

Step 5: Configure Apache for Concrete5

Create a new virtual host file for Concrete5:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/concrete5.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain:

    ServerAdmin admin@your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/concrete5
    ServerName your-domain.com
    ServerAlias www.your-domain.com

    
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    

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

            

Enable the site and the Apache rewrite module, then restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite concrete5.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
            

This configuration ensures that Apache can serve your Concrete5 site, whether you're hosting it locally or on a Windows VPS hosting UK.

Step 6: Complete Concrete5 Installation

Open your browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com. You will be guided through the Concrete5 installation process, where you will need to provide the database credentials created earlier and set up your admin account.

Once completed, Concrete5 will be installed and ready to use, providing a fully functional CMS, whether you're hosting it on a local server or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 7: Install Let's Encrypt SSL

To secure your Concrete5 site, you can use Let's Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate. First, install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache</