Install and Configure OctoberCMS in the ServBay Environment

What is OctoberCMS?

OctoberCMS is an open-source content management system (CMS) based on the Laravel framework. It provides powerful features and flexible scalability, suitable for building various types of websites. OctoberCMS is renowned for its simple user interface and developer-friendly features.

Steps to Install OctoberCMS

In this article, we will introduce how to install and configure OctoberCMS in the ServBay environment.

Step 1: Create a Project Directory

First, create a new project directory in the www directory of ServBay:

cd /Applications/ServBay/www
mkdir servbay-octobercms-app
cd servbay-octobercms-app

Step 2: Install OctoberCMS Using Composer

Since ServBay comes with Composer, we can use Composer to install OctoberCMS directly:

composer create-project october/october .

Step 3: Create Database and User

1. Access the phpMyAdmin Database Management Tool Provided by ServBay

   Open https://servbay.host/, click "phpMyAdmin" to enter the phpMyAdmin database management tool.

2. Create a Database User

   1. Enter the User Accounts Page

      • On the main page of phpMyAdmin, click "User Accounts" in the top menu.

   2. Add a New User

      • Click "Add User Account".
      • Fill in the following information:
        • Username: october_user
        • Hostname: localhost
        • Password: Enter a secure password, e.g., password123
        • Re-enter: Enter the password again
      • In the "Database for user" section, choose "Create database with same name and grant all privileges".
      • Ensure "Grant all privileges" is checked.
      • Click the "Go" button.

Step 4: Configure the Web Server

1. Add a New Website

   Open ServBay, click on the "Host" tab, and add a new website:

   • Name: My OctoberCMS Site
   • Domain: servbay-octobercms.local
   • Website Type: PHP
   • PHP Version: Choose the appropriate PHP version
   • Root Directory: /Applications/ServBay/www/servbay-octobercms-app

2. Save Configuration

   Save the configuration and restart ServBay.

Step 5: Configure OctoberCMS

1. Edit Environment Configuration File

   In the project root directory, copy the .env.example file to .env:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit the .env File

   Open the .env file with a text editor and configure the database connection information and other necessary settings:

   DB_CONNECTION=mysql
   DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
   DB_PORT=3306
   DB_DATABASE=october_user
   DB_USERNAME=october_user
   DB_PASSWORD=password123

Step 6: Run the OctoberCMS Installer

1. Access the Installation Page

   Open your browser and visit https://servbay-octobercms.local/install.php, you will see the OctoberCMS installation page.

2. Fill in Database Information

   Follow the prompts on the page to fill in the database connection information:

   • Database Type: MySQL
   • Database Host: localhost
   • Database Name: october_user (same as the username)
   • Database Username: october_user
   • Database Password: password123

3. Fill in Admin Information

   Follow the prompts on the page to fill in the admin username and password information.

4. Complete Installation

   Click the "Install" button to complete the installation process.

Step 7: Install Plugins and Themes

1. Install Plugins

   Log into the OctoberCMS admin backend, click "Plugins", search for and install the plugins you need.

2. Install Themes

   Click "Appearance" -> "Themes", select and install a theme you like.

Building a Website with OctoberCMS

Now that you have successfully installed and configured OctoberCMS in the ServBay environment, you can start using it to build your website. Here are some common operations:

Create Pages and Content

1. Create Pages

   In the OctoberCMS admin backend, click "CMS" -> "Pages", create a new page, fill in the page title and content, then click "Save".

2. Create Content Blocks

   Click "CMS" -> "Content", create a new content block, fill in the content title and content, then click "Save".

Configure Navigation Menu

1. Create Menu

   In the OctoberCMS admin backend, click "CMS" -> "Partials", create a new partial for the navigation menu.

2. Add Menu Items

   Add the pages and content blocks to the navigation menu, then click "Save".

Customize Widgets

1. Add Widgets

   In the OctoberCMS admin backend, click "CMS" -> "Partials", create a new partial for widgets.

2. Configure Widgets

   Configure the widget settings as needed, then click "Save".

By following the above steps, you have successfully installed and configured OctoberCMS in the ServBay environment and started using it to build your website. The powerful features and flexibility of OctoberCMS make it an ideal choice for building various types of websites.