4.1.5 Installing Joomla

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Joomla is a free content management system (CMS, Content Management System) with open-source code, created for building websites of any level of complexity — from personal blogs to corporate portals and online stores.

It is written in PHP, uses MySQL or MariaDB databases, and works on any web server that supports PHP (Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, etc.).

Joomla is valued for its balance between simplicity and flexibility:

  • has a built-in visual editor and template system;
  • supports modules, plugins, and components (similar to extensions);
  • allows user, role, and multilingual management “out of the box”;
  • optimized for SEO and caching;
  • has a large international community and thousands of free add-ons.

In essence, Joomla is a website builder with an architecture close to a framework: developers can create their own extensions and themes, while administrators can manage content without programming.

Information: Regularly update the Joomla CMS and installed plugins. This is important for protection against vulnerabilities and compatibility with new versions of PHP and MySQL. Always make a backup of your site and database before updating.

Environment preparation

Requirements

  • Ordered service Hosting, Virtual, or Dedicated server
  • PHP ≥ 8.1 with extensions mysqli, json, mbstring, xml, zip
  • MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.3+
  • Domain name (can be connected later)

Environment variables

  • DOMAIN_NAME — your domain
  • DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD — database parameters
  • UPLOAD_PATH — path for Joomla files

Manual installation via FTP or file manager

  1. Download the latest stable Joomla version from the official website.

  2. Upload the archive to your domain directory www/DOMAIN_NAME using the file manager or by connecting via FTP protocol, and extract the archive.

  3. Create a new database.

  4. Open your site address in a browser (http://DOMAIN_NAME or https://DOMAIN_NAME) to start the Joomla web installer. In the window that opens, the installation wizard will appear, where you need to sequentially specify the site parameters:

    • enter the site name;

Site name joomla

  • administrator login;

login joomla

  • database data (DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD).

db data joomla 5. After completion, delete the installation/ directory (the system will suggest this automatically).

Installation on your own server or VPS

Attention: Docker is used only in the absence of third-party admin panels. If your server is managed through a hosting panel (for example, ISPmanager or cPanel), perform all steps directly in it; in this case Docker is not required.

If you are using a VPS or dedicated server, prepare the stack Nginx / Apache + PHP + MySQL or deploy Joomla using Docker.

Then upload Joomla to the site root and go through the web installation in the same way as with FTP.

Note: when installing on a dedicated server or VPS, make sure that ports 80 and 443 are open, and that the permissions for the directories /tmp, /logs, and /images allow writing for the web user.

Additional features setup

Connecting an SSL certificate

To work via the secure HTTPS protocol, use Let’s Encrypt or a commercial SSL certificate.

Performance optimization

  • Enable Joomla caching in the admin panel: System → Global Configuration → System → Caching.
  • Configure PHP OPcache (if available in the hosting panel).

Functionality check

  1. Open https://DOMAIN_NAME/administrator and log in to the Joomla panel.
  2. Go to System → Information — make sure all PHP extensions are marked in green.
  3. Go to https://DOMAIN_NAME/ — the main page of your Joomla site will open. Make sure it is displayed correctly and available without errors.
  4. Create a test page or publication. If it opens on the site — the installation is successful.

Common errors

Error / Symptom Cause Solution Diagnostics
Database connection error Incorrect DB_USER or DB_PASSWORD Check the settings in configuration.php Open the file and make sure the login and DB name are correct
White screen after installation PHP error or missing module Enable debugging in configuration.php ($debug = true;) Check web server or control panel logs
Cannot delete installation directory Insufficient file permissions Delete via FTP or panel file manager Check 755 permissions for directories

Official documentation