How to Install Joomla on Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, and Rocky Linux

Introduction

Joomla is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) used for building websites and online applications. It is user-friendly, flexible, and highly customizable. This guide will show you how to install Joomla on Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, and Rocky Linux.

Prerequisites

Before installing Joomla, ensure you have the following:

• A server running Ubuntu 22.04/20.04, Debian 11/10, AlmaLinux 9/8, or Rocky Linux 9/8.

• Root or sudo access.

• A LAMP or LEMP stack installed (Apache/Nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP).

• Git and unzip installed.

Step 1: Update Your System

Update your package lists and upgrade installed packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y  # For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf update -y  # For AlmaLinux/Rocky

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Install Apache/Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, and other dependencies:

# For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install apache2 mariadb-server php php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip unzip git -y

# For AlmaLinux/Rocky
sudo dnf install httpd mariadb-server php php-cli php-mbstring php-xml php-curl php-zip unzip git -y

Start and enable services:

sudo systemctl enable --now apache2 mariadb  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl enable --now httpd mariadb  # AlmaLinux/Rocky

Step 3: Configure Database

Secure your MariaDB installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Create a database and user for Joomla:

sudo mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE joomla;
CREATE USER 'joomla_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON joomla.* TO 'joomla_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 4: Download and Set Up Joomla

Navigate to the web root and download Joomla:

cd /var/www/
wget https://downloads.joomla.org/cms/joomla4/latest -O joomla.zip
sudo unzip joomla.zip -d /var/www/html/joomla

Set correct permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/joomla
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/joomla

Step 5: Configure Apache/Nginx

Apache Virtual Host Configuration

Create a new virtual host file:

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

Add the following content:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/joomla
    ServerName your-domain.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/joomla>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

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

Enable the site and restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite joomla.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Nginx Configuration

Create a new Nginx configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/joomla.conf

Add the following content:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;
    root /var/www/html/joomla;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    }
}

Restart Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 6: Finalize Joomla Installation

1. Open your browser and visit http://your-domain.com.

2. Follow the on-screen setup wizard.

3. Enter the database details configured earlier.

4. Complete the installation and log in.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Joomla on Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, or Rocky Linux. Your CMS is now ready to use. To enhance security, enable SSL with Let’s Encrypt and configure a firewall.