How to Install Backdrop CMS on Linux Mint

Backdrop CMS is a popular open-source content management system that is widely used for building websites and applications. Installing Backdrop CMS on Linux Mint is a straightforward process, and in this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to accomplish it.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• You have a Linux Mint installation or virtual machine running
• You have root or sudo user access
• You have a stable internet connection

Step 1: Install LAMP stack

To install Backdrop CMS, you will need a LAMP stack, which includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP. If you already have a LAMP stack installed, skip to step 2. Otherwise, follow these commands to install the LAMP stack:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-mysql libapache2-mod-php

During the installation process, you will be prompted to create a MySQL root password.

Step 2: Download Backdrop CMS

Download the latest Backdrop CMS release from the official website:

wget https://github.com/backdrop/backdrop/releases/download/1.18.1/backdrop-1.18.1.zip

Unzip the downloaded file:

unzip backdrop-1.18.1.zip

Step 3: Configure Apache for Backdrop CMS

Create a virtual host configuration file for Backdrop CMS:

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

Add the following lines to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/backdrop
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    <Directory /var/www/backdrop/>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/backdrop_error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/apache2/backdrop_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Replace example.com with your own domain name or server IP address.

Enable the virtual host configuration:

sudo a2ensite backdrop.conf

Restart Apache for the changes to take effect:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 4: Create a MySQL database for Backdrop CMS

Log into MySQL as the root user:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a new MySQL database and user for Backdrop CMS:

CREATE DATABASE backdropdb;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON backdropdb.* TO 'backdropuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Remember to replace "your_password" with your own password.

Step 5: Install Backdrop CMS

Copy the extracted Backdrop CMS files to the document root directory:

sudo mv backdrop /var/www/backdrop

Navigate to the Backdrop CMS directory:

cd /var/www/backdrop

Create a settings file for Backdrop CMS:

sudo nano sites/default/settings.php

Add the following lines to the file:

<?php
$databases = array (
  'default' =>
  array (
    'default' =>
    array (
      'database' => 'backdropdb',
      'username' => 'backdropuser',
      'password' => 'your_password',
      'host' => 'localhost',
      'port' => '',
      'driver' => 'mysql',
      'prefix' => '',
    ),
  ),
);

Again, replace "your_password" with your own password.

Create the files and private files directory:

sudo mkdir files private
sudo chmod 777 files private

Run the Backdrop CMS installer by opening your web browser and navigate to:

http://example.com/install.php

Follow the installation wizard steps, and enter the MySQL database credentials and other necessary details.

After successful installation, delete the install.php file:

sudo rm /var/www/backdrop/install.php

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Backdrop CMS on Linux Mint. You can now start building your website or application using Backdrop CMS. If you encounter errors or issues, refer to the Backdrop CMS documentation or seek help from the community.