Installing Joomla 5 on a VPS: the easy guide to creating a website

Joomla

Creating a website can seem complicated, especially for those who have no experience in programming. For this and there is such a solution as Joomla - website builder, with which any novice can work.

To make the site was constantly available on the Internet, Joomla is installed on a virtual server - VPS. VPS is a solution for those who want more control and resources compared to regular hosting.

For example, LikeVPS offers favorable rates and good technical support, which makes it a suitable choice for beginners and advanced users. In this article, we will tell you how to install Joomla on VPS step by step so that everything works properly.

 

Joomla

How to choose a VPS?

When choosing a VPS, pay attention to a few key features:

  • RAM. The more RAM, the better the site will perform. It is recommended to choose a server with at least 2 GB RAM to avoid performance issues.
  • Processor (CPU). A powerful processor ensures that pages load quickly. This is especially important so that the site does not run slow.
  • SSD disk capacity. SSD disks provide high speed performance. LikeVPS uses NVME disks, which speed up access to data.

As an example, you can choose Lite+ tariff for 7.2$ per month or Lite++ for 11.4$. These are budget options, and you can always upgrade to a more powerful tariff in the future.

vps

Operating system installation

After gaining access to the VPS, you need to install the operating system. It is recommended to use Ubuntu, as it is the standard OS for servers. It has a large community where it is easy to find answers to questions. OS installation usually takes about 15 minutes.
SSH is used to connect to the server. On Windows you can download PuTTY, and on Mac or Linux you just need to open a terminal and enter the command:

ssh username@your_server_ip

Replace username and your_server_ip with your data. If there are any difficulties, LikeVPS technical support will help you with obtaining the necessary data.

Installing Apache

The next step is to install the web server. Apache is one of the most popular servers in the world. You can install it using the commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install apache2

After installation, you can test the server by entering the VPS address in the browser. If everything is done correctly, the Apache welcome page will be displayed.

Installing PHP

Now you need to install PHP, which is used to run Joomla. The installation is done with this command:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

It is also recommended to install additional modules such as php-xml and php-gd, as they are necessary for Joomla to work properly.

Installing MySQL

The next step is to install the database. Joomla uses MySQL to store information about the site. To install MySQL, run the command:

sudo apt install mysql-server

After installation, you need to run the security setup:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Next, open MySQL and create a database and user for Joomla:

sudo mysql
CREATE DATABASE joomla_db;
CREATE USER 'joomla_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON joomla_db.* TO 'joomla_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Don't forget to replace your_password with a strong password.

Loading Joomla

joomla 5

Now you can download Joomla. To do this, you need to go to the official site Joomla and download the latest version. The archive must be unpacked into the root directory of the server:

sudo mv Joomla* /var/www/html/

Verify that the Joomla files are correctly uploaded by running the command:

ls /var/www/html/

Make sure that the access rights are configured correctly:

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

Customizing Joomla

Now you can open the website address in your browser (for example, http://your_server_ip/Joomla) and follow the simple steps to install Joomla. Enter data to connect to the database, create an administrator account and configure the site.

If errors occur, you can refer to the Apache and MySQL logs to diagnose problems. Apache logs are located at /var/log/apache2/error.log, and MySQL logs are located at /var/log/mysql/error.log.

Now you have a full-fledged Joomla website installed on a VPS! Don't forget to update Joomla and keep up with security. The official Joomla documentation contains a lot of useful information about further customization, backups and improving your site's SEO.