Introduction: Use Bitnami for Drupal 8 Server Deployment
This Tutorial will show how to install a full LAMP stack for a web server with Drupal 8 using the Bitnami disk image service for VPS, Dedicated, & Cloud Hosting plans.
Bitnami provides a single executable file that can be used to install the Linux operating system, Apache web server, MySQL database framework, & PHP package together.
Choose the Bitnami Drupal 8 distribution with the latest D8 security release and install the full LAMP stack together with the CMS files, phpMyAdmin, & other system tools.
Step One: Install the Bitnami Drupal 8 LAMP Stack Package
Drupal 8 developers can install the CMS with a full LAMP stack that is configured for optimal use as a web server for enterprise requirements & advance security tested.
Bitnami gives Drupal 8 developers three main options for full stack deployment:
- On the cloud: Single-Tier
- Kubernetes: Containers & Helm Charts
- Localhost: Win / Mac / Linux & Virtual Machines
Depending on the project requirements & hardware environment, developers can select the package distribution that best suits the Agile/Scrum team working methodology.
The most popular option for Bitnami disk images with Drupal 8 is to install the choice of Linux or Windows on a VPS, Cloud, or Dedicated server. Then run the “one click†executable that will install Apache, MySQL, PHP, & other utilities on the hardware.
REQUIRED DOWNLOAD:
- Bitnami Drupal LAMP Stack: (Download Files)
The Bitnami Drupal LAMP stack will run on CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, CloudLinux, Slackware, Oracle, etc. as required or use Windows Server for WAMP.
Note: The default bare-bones install for Bitnami Drupal 8 is Debian Linux.
To install, upload the Drupal 8 Drupal LAMP stack installer package to the web server.
Next: Run the following commands to change the permissions on the installation files & launch the Bitnami stack package:
chmod 755 bitnami-drupal-8.6.3-0-linux-x64-installer.run ./bitnami-drupal-8.6.3-0-linux-x64-installer.run
Make sure to change the version numbers to match the current distribution or release. The Bitnami LAMP stack will install on Linux, Windows, or Mac OS as required.
Step Two: Install the Bitnami Drupal 8 VM Stack Package
Alternatively, one of the easiest ways to begin a Drupal 8 development project is to install a Bitnami full stack Drupal 8 package for a LAMP server in VirtualBox & use Git for Version Control requirements.
Note: The same VM package will also install on VMware tools using Fusion. This method may also efficiently make use of a Git Repository like GitHub or GitLab.
A common Agile method for Drupal 8 website development is to use Git for Version Control between a local VirtualBox installation and a staging subdomain environment.
Drupal 8 developers & PHP/MySQL programmers can test their code changes in the development subdomain before pushing the changes live to the production website.
REQUIRED FILES – DOWNLOAD:
- Bitnami Drupal LAMP VM Stack: (Download Files)
The Bitnami Drupal VM LAMP stack installs in either VirtualBox or VMware to build a full stack web server in a development environment that can be used for version control.
To install, download the Drupal 8 LAMP.ova file for VirtualBox and use that to build a new Virtual Machine (VM) on a local desktop or laptop computer with any OS.
REQUIRED FILES – DOWNLOAD:
- VirtualBox: (Download Files)
If not already present on the workstation, download & install Oracle’sVirtualBox application (free) to create and build isolated Virtual Machine (VM) partitions on a desktop/laptop computer.
Note: Any operating system (except Mac) can be installed on a VM partition. The current default Linux distro is Debian 9 (64 bit) for the Drupal 8 VirtualBox.ova file.
Select “Import Appliance†in VirtualBox and choose the bitnami-drupal-8.6.3-0-linux-debian-9-x86_64.ova file or current version.
Import the default settings for the VM. Allow a few minutes for the disk image to import, then power on the new Virtual Machine. Login with the credentials:
- Username: user or bitnami
- Password:bitnami
Collect the IP Address to access the web application & then load the website in the browser. Launch the Drupal 8 installation screen & create a new MySQL database in phpMyAdmin, granting all permissions to the user. Enter the other required information.
After the LAMP stack is installed with Drupal 8 on VirtualBox, use Git, SVN, CVS, etc. for Version Control or use Docker disk images to export the full web server stack to a Git Repository. The Bitnami disk images can be used across Agile team development environments & for staging module/theme code changes in sandbox subdomains.
Note: Use VMware Fusion to make use of the VirtualBox.ova file for VM creation. Developers with VMware Workstation or vSphere can use CLI tools to install.
Step Three: Use Docker Disk Images on Cloud Hardware
The Bitnami Drupal 8 LAMP stack can be used on public cloud hosting hardware from Google, AWS, Azure, & Oracle with custom configured disk images for installation.
- Bitnami Drupal 8 Single Tier Stack: (Download Files)
Bitnami offers a “one click†installation service for the major public cloud hosts that can be launched from their website:
To install Drupal 8 on a public cloud host using Bitnami Single-Tier stack images, load the registered domain name by IP Address and install the MySQL database information. Use phpMyAdmin or the command line to create the MySQL database.
Conclusion: Includes Subscription Fees & Vendor Lock-In
Using Bitnami for full stack LAMP server deployments with the Drupal 8 CMS files included on an optimal web server build is able to save hours in systems administration time. The Debian Linux install package includes Apache, PHP, MySQL, & web utilities.
Some of the Public Cloud & StackSmith services may require Bitnami subscriptions, creating a risk of Vendor Lock-in to the platform. However, BitnamiVirtualBox disk images for Drupal 8 can be an important aspect of Agile development teams as well.
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