How to Install CakePHP on AlmaLinux: A Comprehensive Guide

CakePHP is a widely used PHP framework that simplifies the development of web applications by offering a well-organized structure, built-in tools, and conventions for coding. If you’re running AlmaLinux—a community-driven, enterprise-level Linux distribution based on RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)—you can set up CakePHP as a reliable foundation for your web projects.

This blog post will walk you through installing and configuring CakePHP on AlmaLinux step-by-step. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a functional CakePHP installation ready for development.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to CakePHP and AlmaLinux
2. Prerequisites
3. Step 1: Update Your System
4. Step 2: Install Apache (or Nginx) and PHP
5. Step 3: Install Composer
6. Step 4: Install MySQL (or MariaDB)
7. Step 5: Download and Set Up CakePHP
8. Step 6: Configure Apache or Nginx for CakePHP
9. Step 7: Test CakePHP Installation
10. Conclusion

1. Introduction to CakePHP and AlmaLinux

CakePHP is an open-source framework built around the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, which provides a streamlined environment for building robust applications. With features like scaffolding, ORM (Object Relational Mapping), and validation, it’s ideal for developers seeking efficiency.

AlmaLinux is a free and open-source Linux distribution that offers the stability and performance required for hosting CakePHP applications. It is a drop-in replacement for CentOS, making it an excellent choice for enterprise environments.

2. Prerequisites

Before beginning, make sure you have the following:

• A server running AlmaLinux.
• Root or sudo privileges.
• A basic understanding of the Linux terminal.
• PHP version 8.1 or higher (required for CakePHP 4.x).
• Composer installed (dependency manager for PHP).
• A database (MySQL or MariaDB) configured for your application.

3. Step 1: Update Your System

Start by updating your system to ensure it has the latest security patches and software versions. Open the terminal and run:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf upgrade -y

4. Step 2: Install Apache (or Nginx) and PHP

CakePHP requires a web server and PHP to function. This guide will use Apache as the web server.

Install Apache:

sudo dnf install httpd -y

Start and enable Apache to ensure it runs on boot:

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Install PHP and Required Extensions:

CakePHP requires PHP 8.1 or later. Install PHP and its necessary extensions as follows:

sudo dnf install php php-cli php-common php-mbstring php-intl php-xml php-opcache php-curl php-mysqlnd php-zip -y

Verify the PHP installation:

php -v

Expected output:

PHP 8.1.x (cli) (built: ...)

Restart Apache to load PHP modules:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

5. Step 3: Install Composer

Composer is an essential tool for managing PHP dependencies, including CakePHP.

Install Composer:

1. Download the Composer installer:

   php -r "copy('https://getcomposer.org/installer', 'composer-setup.php');"
   

2. Install Composer globally:

   sudo php composer-setup.php --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
   

3. Verify the installation:

   composer --version
   

6. Step 4: Install MySQL (or MariaDB)

CakePHP requires a database to manage application data. You can use either MySQL or MariaDB. For this guide, we’ll use MariaDB.

Install MariaDB:

sudo dnf install mariadb-server -y

Start and Enable MariaDB:

sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Secure the Installation:

Run the security script to set up a root password and other configurations:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Create a Database for CakePHP:

Log in to MariaDB and create a database and user for your CakePHP application:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Execute the following SQL commands:

CREATE DATABASE cakephp_db;
CREATE USER 'cakephp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cakephp_db.* TO 'cakephp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

7. Step 5: Download and Set Up CakePHP

Create a Directory for CakePHP:

Navigate to the web server’s root directory and create a folder for your CakePHP project:

cd /var/www
sudo mkdir cakephp-app
cd cakephp-app

Download CakePHP:

Use Composer to create a new CakePHP project:

composer create-project --prefer-dist cakephp/app:~4.0 .

Set Correct Permissions:

Ensure that the web server has proper access to the CakePHP files:

sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/cakephp-app
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/cakephp-app/tmp /var/www/cakephp-app/logs

8. Step 6: Configure Apache for CakePHP

Create a Virtual Host Configuration:

Set up a virtual host for your CakePHP application:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/cakephp-app.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/cakephp-app/webroot

    <Directory /var/www/cakephp-app/webroot>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/cakephp-app-error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/httpd/cakephp-app-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save and exit the file.

Enable Apache mod_rewrite:

CakePHP requires URL rewriting to work. Enable mod_rewrite:

sudo dnf install mod_rewrite -y
sudo systemctl restart httpd

Test your configuration:

sudo apachectl configtest

9. Step 7: Test CakePHP Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to your server’s IP address or domain. If everything is configured correctly, you should see CakePHP’s default welcome page.

If you encounter any issues, check the Apache logs for debugging:

sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/cakephp-app-error.log

10. Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed CakePHP on AlmaLinux. With this setup, you now have a solid foundation for building web applications using CakePHP’s powerful features.

From here, you can start creating your models, controllers, and views to develop dynamic and interactive web applications. AlmaLinux’s stability and CakePHP’s flexibility make for an excellent combination, ensuring reliable performance for your projects.

Happy coding!