How to Install Backdrop CMS on FreeBSD Latest

Backdrop CMS is a popular open-source content management system that can be installed on various operating systems, including FreeBSD. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Backdrop CMS on FreeBSD Latest.

Prerequisites

To install Backdrop CMS on FreeBSD, you need the following:

• A FreeBSD Latest installation with root access or a user with sudo privileges
• Apache or Nginx web server
• PHP 7.3 or higher
• MySQL or MariaDB database

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Before installing Backdrop CMS, you need to make sure your FreeBSD system has all the required packages installed. To do that, run the following commands:

sudo pkg update
sudo pkg install apache24 php74 php74-mysqli php74-openssl php74-curl php74-gd php74-zlib php74-zip php74-json php74-session php74-filter php74-hash php74-mbstring php74-mysql php74-pdo php74-simplexml

This will install Apache web server, PHP along with all the required extensions, and other packages needed by Backdrop CMS.

Step 2: Configure Apache Web Server

To configure Apache for Backdrop CMS, you need to first enable the required modules. To enable the modules, run the following commands:

sudo echo 'apache24_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_socket_name="php-fpm"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_listen="127.0.0.1:9000"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_user="www"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_group="www"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_max_children="50"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_start_servers="5"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_min_spare_servers="5"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'php_fpm_max_spare_servers="35"' >> /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf
sudo echo 'extension=pdo_mysql.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=mysqli.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=gd.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=zip.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=session.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=simplexml.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=hash.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini
sudo echo 'extension=mbstring.so' >> /usr/local/etc/php.ini

Then, open the Apache configuration file /usr/local/etc/apache24/httpd.conf and add the following block at the end of the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /usr/local/www/backdrop
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com

    ErrorLog "/var/log/httpd-backdrop_error.log"
    CustomLog "/var/log/httpd-backdrop_access.log" common

    <Directory /usr/local/www/backdrop>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

This configuration block sets up a virtual host for your Backdrop CMS, points the document root to /usr/local/www/backdrop, and sets up the log files.

Step 3: Install Backdrop CMS

Now, you are ready to install Backdrop CMS on your FreeBSD system. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Backdrop CMS download page and download the latest release for FreeBSD.

2. Extract the downloaded file to the document root directory by running the following command:

   sudo tar -xvf backdrop-1.x.x.tar.gz -C /usr/local/www/
   

   Replace 1.x.x with the version number you downloaded.

3. Create a MySQL or MariaDB database for your Backdrop CMS by running the following command:

   mysql -u root -p
   CREATE DATABASE backdrop_db;
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON backdrop_db.* TO 'backdrop_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   exit;
   

   Replace backdrop_db, backdrop_user, and your_password with your own values.

4. Rename the example.settings.php file to settings.php:

   cd /usr/local/www/backdrop/
   sudo mv example.settings.php settings.php
   

5. Edit the settings.php file and update the database settings:

   $databases = array (
     'default' =>
     array (
       'default' =>
       array (
         'database' => 'backdrop_db',
         'username' => 'backdrop_user',
         'password' => 'your_password',
         'host' => 'localhost',
         'port' => '',
         'driver' => 'mysql',
         'prefix' => '',
       ),
     ),
   );
   

6. Set the correct ownership and permissions on the Backdrop CMS files:

   sudo chown -R www:www /usr/local/www/backdrop/
   sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/local/www/backdrop/
   

Step 4: Access Backdrop CMS

Finally, open your web browser and go to http://example.com or http://your_server_ip_address. You should see the Backdrop CMS installation page.

Follow the installation wizard and provide the necessary information, such as site name, site email, and the administrator account credentials. When you are done, you will have a fully functional Backdrop CMS website running on FreeBSD.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!