The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →To install October CMS 4.x on an Ubuntu VPS, use PHP 8.2 or newer, Composer 2 or newer, the required PHP extensions, and a supported database. The standard Composer installation is composer create-project october/october myoctober, followed by php artisan october:install and php artisan october:migrate. Configure Nginx to serve the project’s public/ directory, not the project root.
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If Composer cannot be used, October CMS also provides a browser-based wizard. It requires an empty writable directory and browser access to install.php. The wizard is an alternative installation method, not a way to bypass October CMS’s server and PHP requirements.
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Check the server before creating the application. A VPS that runs an older PHP release may install successfully at the operating-system level but fail during October CMS setup or dependency resolution.
| Component | October CMS 4.x requirement | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 8.2.0 or higher | php -v must report a compatible version for the command-line PHP and the PHP runtime used by Nginx. |
| Composer | 2.0 or higher | composer --version should show Composer 2.x. |
| PHP extensions | PDO, cURL, OpenSSL, Mbstring, ZipArchive, GD and SimpleXML | Check the loaded modules with php -m. The database-specific driver is also required. |
| Database | MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.2; PostgreSQL 9.6; or SQLite 3.8.8 | Use a database version supported by your selected Ubuntu image and October CMS release. |
| Web server | Apache, Nginx, Lighttpd or Microsoft IIS | This guide uses Nginx. |
| Memory | 256 MB or more allocated memory, as listed by the official installer repository | Account for the operating system, database, Composer processes and site traffic in addition to this baseline. |
| Disk and permissions | Enough space for the application, vendor packages, uploads, logs and database | The project and the directories October CMS writes to must be writable by the appropriate deployment or web-server account. |
October CMS describes itself as a PHP web application that uses Composer to manage its dependencies. Composer is therefore the normal installation and deployment path for a new 4.x project.
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Prepare the Ubuntu VPS
1. Connect and update package metadata
Log in to the VPS with an account that can use sudo. Update Ubuntu before installing PHP or Nginx packages:
sudo apt-get updateExact package names and the PHP version supplied by Ubuntu vary by release and image. Confirm the resulting PHP version is at least 8.2 before proceeding.
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2. Install the PHP dependencies
The October CMS installer repository lists this dependency command for Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install php php-ctype php-curl php-xml php-fileinfo php-gd php-json php-mbstring php-mysql php-sqlite3 php-zipThis command includes the MySQL and SQLite drivers. If you select PostgreSQL, install the PostgreSQL PHP driver supplied for your Ubuntu/PHP combination as well. The command does not replace the PHP-version check: a machine can have every listed extension while still running an unsupported PHP release.
3. Verify PHP and extensions
Run the checks from the same account that will run Composer and Artisan:
php -v
php -mConfirm that PHP reports 8.2.0 or newer and that the module list contains the required capabilities, including PDO, cURL, OpenSSL, mbstring, ZipArchive, GD and SimpleXML. If a module is absent, install the matching Ubuntu package, then repeat the check. When PHP has separate command-line and Nginx/FPM installations, verify both use the intended version.
4. Install or verify Composer
Install Composer 2 through your Ubuntu package source or Composer’s official installation method, then verify it:
composer --versionDo not continue with Composer 1. October CMS 4.x requires Composer 2.0 or newer, and a version mismatch normally appears while resolving the project dependencies.
5. Prepare a database
Create an empty database and a dedicated database account using the database server’s administration tools. Record the database name, user, password, host and port; the October installer will ask for these values. Do not use the database administrator account for the website unless there is no practical alternative. For a small single-site VPS, SQLite can be simpler, while MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL is generally more appropriate when you need a separate database service, backups or multiple applications.
Install October CMS with Composer
The Composer route keeps the application and its dependencies in a reproducible project directory. The commands below use myoctober as the directory name; replace it with the directory you will serve.
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1. Create the project
composer create-project october/october myoctoberComposer downloads October CMS and its dependencies into myoctober. Run this in the parent directory where the application should live, such as a deployment directory outside your home directory. Avoid placing the project directly in a temporary directory that will later be removed.
2. Enter the project
cd myoctoberAll subsequent php artisan commands must run from this project directory so Artisan can load the application and its dependencies.
3. Run the October installer
php artisan october:installThe command guides the initial configuration. Supply the database connection details when prompted and allow it to create the application configuration. Keep credentials accurate: a typo in the database host, port or password prevents the later migration step from connecting.
4. Initialize the database
php artisan october:migrateThe migration command creates and updates the tables required by the installed October CMS version. If it reports a connection error, check the database service, credentials, selected driver and PHP database extension before repeating the command.
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5. Create the administrator account in the browser
After the command-line installation finishes, configure the Nginx virtual host and browse to the site’s domain. October CMS then lets you access the backend panel and create the administrator user profile. Use a unique administrator password and store it in a password manager.
Use the non-Composer wizard when Composer is unavailable
The official wizard is intended for environments where Composer cannot be run. It does not remove the need for a compatible PHP environment, database and web server.
- Prepare an empty directory for the October CMS installation.
- Download the October CMS installer archive using a trusted official distribution channel and unpack it into that directory.
- Grant the installation directory and its contents the write permissions required by the wizard. Prefer ownership by the deployment/web-server account and narrowly scoped write permissions rather than making the entire VPS filesystem world-writable.
- Configure the domain or temporary virtual host so the directory can be reached by a browser.
- Open
install.phpat that address and follow the wizard’s steps for database and administrator setup. - After installation, remove or protect any installer files if the wizard instructs you to do so, and ensure the public document root is the application’s public directory where applicable.
This path is useful on a locked-down server, but Composer remains the clearer choice for repeatable updates and production deployments.
Configure Nginx for October CMS
Serve only the public directory
Point the Nginx document root at the project’s public/ directory, for example:
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Base the server block on October’s supplied configuration
October CMS’s deployment guidance provides an nginx.conf file in the project. Use that file as the basis for the Nginx server block rather than inventing a generic PHP rewrite configuration. A typical layout has the project outside the public root and includes the project configuration from the virtual-host definition:
server {
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/myoctober/public;
# Use the nginx.conf supplied with this October CMS project here.
# Replace the path with the actual project location.
}The exact directives depend on the October CMS release and your Ubuntu Nginx package. Preserve the supplied rules for front-controller routing, static files and PHP handling, and change only paths, host names and socket details required by your VPS.
Enable the domain and reload Nginx
- Create the virtual-host file in the location used by your Ubuntu Nginx layout.
- Set
server_nameto the domain you will use and setrootto the project’spublic/directory. - Make the site available through Ubuntu’s Nginx configuration and ensure the required PHP handler is enabled.
- Check the configuration before reloading:
sudo nginx -t- Reload Nginx after the test succeeds:
sudo systemctl reload nginxIf the test fails, fix the reported file, directive or path before reloading. A browser showing the default Nginx page usually means the request reached a different server block; verify DNS, server_name, the enabled-site configuration and the document root.
Check DNS and the first browser request
Point the domain’s DNS records at the VPS address before opening the installer or backend. Once DNS resolves to the server and Nginx is serving the project, visit the domain in a browser and complete any remaining October CMS setup prompts. The browser must be able to reach the same PHP runtime and database configuration that you tested from the command line.
Deploy an October CMS project to production
A production deployment differs from the first local-style installation because a Composer project may need authentication and production-only dependency settings.
1. Place the project on the server
Clone or otherwise transfer the project into the server’s deployment directory. Keep the repository’s application files outside the Nginx public root; only public/ should be directly served.
2. Provide Composer authentication
If the project requires Composer authentication, copy its auth.json to the server securely, or recreate the project association with:
php artisan project:set <license key>Protect the authentication file and license information with the same care as database credentials. Do not place secrets in a publicly served directory or commit them to a public repository.
3. Install production dependencies
composer install --no-devRun this from the project directory. The --no-dev option excludes development dependencies intended for local work.
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4. Create and edit the environment file
cp .env.example .envEdit .env with production application, database and other service settings. Never commit .env; it contains sensitive credentials and environment-specific values.
5. Run migrations
php artisan october:migrateRun migrations only after the production database connection in .env is correct. Take the database backup and follow your change-control procedure before applying migrations to an existing site.
6. Mirror public assets
php artisan october:mirrorThe mirror command exposes assets required in public/. Run it again whenever you add or update plugins or themes whose assets need to be publicly available. A missing mirrored asset can appear as broken styles, scripts or images even though the plugin itself installed correctly.
Troubleshoot the most common installation failures
Composer refuses to create the project
- Run
php -vand confirm PHP is 8.2 or newer. - Run
composer --versionand confirm Composer is 2.0 or newer. - Check
php -mfor missing extensions, especially PDO, cURL, mbstring, XML/SimpleXML, GD and ZipArchive. - Check available memory. The installer repository lists 256 MB or more; a low-memory VPS may need a larger plan or temporary swap configured according to your provider’s guidance.
october:install or october:migrate cannot connect to the database
- Confirm the database service is running and reachable on the configured host and port.
- Verify the database name, user, password and driver in the installer or
.env. - Make sure the matching PHP database extension is installed; the Ubuntu command above includes MySQL and SQLite drivers, while PostgreSQL needs its corresponding driver.
- Check that the database user has permission to create and alter the application’s tables.
Nginx returns 403, 404 or downloads PHP files
- Confirm the root is the project’s
public/directory, not the project root. - Use the October project’s supplied
nginx.confas the configuration basis. - Check ownership and read/execute permissions on every parent directory.
- Run
sudo nginx -t, inspect the active server block and reload Nginx after corrections. - If PHP files download instead of executing, the Nginx PHP handler or PHP-FPM socket is not connected to the intended PHP version.
The site loads but CSS, JavaScript or plugin images are missing
- Confirm the affected plugin or theme is installed in the project.
- Run
php artisan october:mirrorfrom the project directory. - Check that Nginx can read the resulting files under
public/and that the browser is requesting the correct domain and paths.
The wizard cannot write files
Grant write access to the installation directory and its contents for the account used by the web server or installer. Correct ownership and targeted permissions are safer than a blanket world-writable setting. After setup, reduce permissions to the minimum required for normal operation.
Choose the October CMS major version deliberately
Do not select a major version solely because it is already installed on another server. Compare PHP compatibility, Composer constraints, database support, license or project-authentication behavior, and whether the application is pinned to a specific major release.
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|---|---|---|
| 4.x | PHP 8.2.0 or higher; Composer 2.0 or higher; current guide in this article | New installations and projects that can meet the current requirements. |
| 3.x | PHP 8.0 or higher | An existing application already pinned to 3.x, subject to that release’s own dependency and database requirements. |
| 2.x | Older requirements; the documentation explicitly warns that version 2 is not compatible with PHP 8.1 | Only an existing legacy application whose dependencies and runtime are intentionally maintained for 2.x. |
If you are migrating an existing site, identify its locked October CMS major version before upgrading PHP or replacing the VPS. A server that satisfies 4.x may still break a 2.x application, while downgrading PHP to preserve an old application can prevent a new 4.x installation.
Quick Recap
Post-install checklist
- PHP reports 8.2.0 or newer for October CMS 4.x.
- Composer reports version 2.0 or newer.
- Required PHP extensions are loaded for the PHP runtime used by both CLI and Nginx.
- A supported MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL or SQLite database is configured.
- The project’s Nginx root is
public/, with the supplied October Nginx configuration incorporated into the server block. - The domain resolves to the VPS and the October backend opens in a browser.
- Production deployments have secure Composer authentication, a correctly configured uncommitted
.env, completed migrations and mirrored assets where needed. - Administrator credentials, database credentials and deployment secrets are stored securely.
- Backups cover both the database and uploaded/application data before future upgrades or migrations.
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