{"id":2099,"date":"2025-12-03T02:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T08:50:02","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-02-02T00:46:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-01T23:46:18","slug":"how-to-install-drupal-cms-with-apache-and-free-let-039-s-encrypt-ssl-on-ubuntu-24-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/netcloud24.com\/knowledgebase\/how-to-install-drupal-cms-with-apache-and-free-let-039-s-encrypt-ssl-on-ubuntu-24-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Linux VPS & VPS Windows Setup Guide | NetCloud24 Drupal CMS with Apache and Free Let's Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 24.04"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Drupal is a powerful content management system (CMS) widely used for building websites. In this guide, we will show you how to install Drupal with Apache web server and secure it using a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on Ubuntu 24.04. Whether you’re setting this up on a Windows VPS UK<\/strong>, Windows VPS<\/strong>, or any other UK Windows VPS<\/strong> environment, the steps are easy to follow.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Update Your Server<\/h2>\n

First, ensure your system packages are up to date. SSH into your server (whether it’s a local server or a Windows VPSVirtual Private Server Hosting<\/strong> solution) and run the following commands:<\/p>\n

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y<\/pre>\n
Step 2: Install Apache Web Server<\/h2>\n
Next, install Apache, the web server that will serve your Drupal site. On your VPS Windows VPS Servers<\/strong> or any Windows VPSVirtual Private Server<\/strong>, use this command:<\/p>\n
sudo apt install apache2 -y<\/pre>\n
Once installed, start and enable Apache to run at boot:<\/p>\n
sudo systemctl start apache2\r\nsudo systemctl enable apache2\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Step 3: Install PHP and MySQL<\/h2>\n
Drupal requires both PHP and a database. To install PHP 8.1 and MySQL on your Windows VPS Hosting UK<\/strong> or Ubuntu system, run:<\/p>\n
sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-gd php-curl php-zip php-mbstring -y\r\nsudo apt install mysql-server -y\r\n        <\/pre>\n
After installing MySQL, secure your database server:<\/p>\n
sudo mysql_secure_installation<\/pre>\n
Step 4: Create a MySQL Database for Drupal<\/h2>\n
Log in to MySQL to create a database and user for Drupal:<\/p>\n
sudo mysql -u root -p<\/pre>\n
Then run the following commands to create the database, user, and grant necessary privileges:<\/p>\n
CREATE DATABASE drupal;\r\nCREATE USER 'drupaluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';\r\nGRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON drupal.* TO 'drupaluser'@'localhost';\r\nFLUSH PRIVILEGES;\r\nEXIT;\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Step 5: Download and Install Drupal<\/h2>\n
Go to the \/var\/www\/html<\/code> directory and download the latest version of Drupal:<\/p>\n
cd \/var\/www\/html\r\nsudo wget https:\/\/www.drupal.org\/download-latest\/tar.gz -O drupal.tar.gz\r\nsudo tar -xzvf drupal.tar.gz\r\nsudo mv drupal-* drupal\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Set the proper ownership and permissions for the Drupal directory:<\/p>\n
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data \/var\/www\/html\/drupal\r\nsudo chmod -R 755 \/var\/www\/html\/drupal\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Step 6: Configure Apache for Drupal<\/h2>\n
Create a new Apache configuration file for Drupal:<\/p>\n
sudo nano \/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/drupal.conf<\/pre>\n
Add the following configuration:<\/p>\n
\r\n    ServerAdmin admin@example.com\r\n    DocumentRoot \/var\/www\/html\/drupal\r\n    ServerName your_domain_or_ip\r\n\r\n    \r\n        AllowOverride All\r\n    \r\n\r\n    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}\/drupal_error.log\r\n    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}\/drupal_access.log combined\r\n\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Enable the new site and the Apache rewrite module:<\/p>\n
sudo a2ensite drupal.conf\r\nsudo a2enmod rewrite\r\nsudo systemctl restart apache2\r\n        <\/pre>\n
Step 7: Install Let’s Encrypt SSL<\/h2>\n
Now, secure your Drupal site with a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. If you’re on a VPS Windows VPS Servers<\/strong> or Windows VPSVirtual Private Servers<\/strong>, the process is the same. First, install Certbot:<\/p>\n
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y<\/pre>\n
Then, run Certbot to install and configure SSL:<\/p>\n
sudo certbot --apache<\/pre>\n
Follow the prompts to complete the SSL setup. Certbot will automatically configure your Apache server to use SSL.<\/p>\n
Step 8: Complete Drupal Installation<\/h2>\n
Finally, complete the Drupal installation through the web interface. Open your browser and navigate to https:\/\/your_domain_or_ip<\/code>. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure the database and set up your Drupal site.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
You\u2019ve successfully installed Drupal CMS with Apache and a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on Ubuntu 24.04. Whether you’re managing a local server or a Windows VPS UK<\/strong>, Windows VPS<\/strong>, or UK Windows VPS<\/strong>, these steps will ensure a secure and functional Drupal site. For reliable Windows VPS<\/strong> solutions, visit .<\/p>\n<\/section>\n