SuiteCRM is one of the best open-source CRM management software to run your business. It is used by thousands of businesses worldwide to manage their CRM and ERP processes. It contains all the functionalities required for running any business with CRM needs. SuiteCRM is a good place to start when you’re looking for a customer relationship management solution. This open-source CRM software is built on the LAMP / LEMP stack and offers features that will help you run your business and collaborate with your customers and employees. For more about SuiteCRM, please check its homepage. This brief tutorial is going to show students and new users how to install SuiteCRM on Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 LTS. To get started with installing SuiteCRM, follow the steps below:
Install Apache2 HTTP Server
SuiteCRM requires a web server and the Apache2 HTTP server is the most popular open-source web server available today. To install the Apache2 server, run the commands below: After installing Apache2, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots. Now that Apache2 is installed. to test whether the web server is working, open your browser and browse to the URL below. If you see the page above, then Apache2 is successfully installed.
Install MariaDB Database Server
SuiteCRM also requires a database server to store its content. If you’re looking for a truly open-source database server, then MariaDB is a great place to start. To install MariaDB run the commands below: After installing MariaDB, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to always start up when the server boots. Run these on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Run these on Ubuntu 18.10 and 18.04 LTS Next, run the commands below to secure the database server with a root password if you were not prompted to do so during the installation. When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.
Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter Set root password? [Y/n]: Y New password: Enter password Re-enter new password: Repeat password Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Y Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Y
Now that MariaDB is installed, to test whether the database server was successfully installed, run the commands below. type the root password when prompted. If you see a similar screen as shown above, then the server was successfully installed.
Install PHP 7.2 and Related Modules
SuiteCRM is a PHP-based CMS and PHP is required. However, PHP 7.2 may not be available in Ubuntu’s default repositories. To run PHP 7.2 on Ubuntu 16.04 and previous, you may need to run the commands below: Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2 Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2 and related modules. After installing PHP 7.2, run the commands below to open the PHP default configuration file for Apache2. The lines below are a good setting for most PHP-based CMS. Update the configuration file with these and save. Every time you make changes to the PHP configuration file, you should also restart the Apache2 web server. To do so, run the commands below: Now that PHP is installed, to test whether it’s functioning, create a test file called phpinfo.php in the Apache2 default root directory. ( /var/www/html/) Then type the content below and save the file. Next, open your browser and browse to the server’s hostname or IP address followed by phpinfo.php You should see the PHP default test page.
Create SuiteCRM Database
Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required for SuiteCRM to function, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create a blank SuiteCRM database. To log on to the MariaDB database server, run the commands below. Then create a database called suitecrm Create a database user called suitecrmuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.
Download SuiteCRM Latest Release
To get SuiteCRM’s latest release you may want to use the GitHub repository. Install the git tool to download SuiteCRM packages. After installing the curl above, change into the Apache2 root directory and download SuiteCRM packages from Github. Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the SuiteCRM root directory and give Apache2 control.
Configure Apache2
Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for SuiteCRM. This file will control how users access WebsiteBaker content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called suitecrm. conf Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location. Save the file and exit.
Enable the SuiteCRM and Rewrite Module
After configuring the VirtualHost above, enable it by running the commands below Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see the SuiteCRM setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Then follow the on-screen instruction. accept the agreement. then continue Next, validate that all your PHP requirements are met and continue After that, type in the database connection info you created above and continue. You’ll also create an admin account to manage the SuiteCRM portal. After installing, log on to the backend using the admin account created previously. Enjoy! Congratulation! You have successfully installed SuiteCRM on Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04 and 18.10.
