Preparing to Install

Goal¶

Outline the steps to download the core software, and handle any required prerequisites.

How to install and configure server software (if installing on your own computer)
How to set up hosting for a generic web site
How to create a database

Server software must be installed on the computer where you plan to host your site. See Concept: Server Requirements for a list of requirements.

See Setting Up an Environment with DDEV for the recommended way to get started running the software locally.

Depending on how you plan to download the core software, you may need to install additional software tools first. See Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software and Concept: Additional Tools.

Choose methods for downloading and installing the core software, from those listed in Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software. The rest of these instructions apply to the Composer and manual download options; if you chose other options, like a one-click installer from a hosting provider, consult the relevant documentation for any additional steps.
Set up a URL and hosting for your site on the server. Verify that the hosting is working by putting a simple HTML file in the web root directory of the hosting, and visiting the URL for your site.
Create a database, along with a database user account with full access.
Download the core software files to the web root directory, using the method you decided on. See Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software for links to instructions.

See Running the Interactive Installer to run the interactive installer.

Attributions