Our previous tutorial showed you how to install ChurchCRM on Ubuntu with Apache2 (LAMP ). You can find that tutorial here. For the uninitiated, ChurchCRM is an open-source CRM software built for churches that can serve as a strong alternative to the popular CRM systems in use today. This free CRM is built on the LAMP / LEMP stack and offers features that will help you run your business and collaborate with your customers, employees, and church members. For more about ChurchCRM, please check its homepage. To get started with installing ChurchCRM, follow the steps below:

Install Nginx HTTP Server

ChurchCRM requires a web server and the Nginx HTTP server is the most popular open-source web server available today. To install the Nginx server, run the commands below: After installing Nginx, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the Nginx service to always start up with the server boots. Now that Nginx 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 Nginx is successfully installed.

Install MariaDB Database Server

ChurchCRM 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 always to 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): Press the Enter Set root password? [Y/n]: Y New password: Enter the 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.

ChurchCRM is a PHP-based platform.  PHP 7.2-FPM may not be available in Ubuntu default repositories. To run PHP 7.2-FPM on Ubuntu 14.04, you may need to run the commands below: Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2-FPM Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2-FPM and related modules. After installing PHP 7.1, run the commands below to open the PHP default configuration file for Nginx. 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 Nginx web server. To do so, run the commands below:

Create ChurchCRM Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required for ChurchCRM to function, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create a blank ChurchCRM database. To log on to the MariaDB database server, run the commands below. Then create a database called churchcrm Create a database user called churchcrmuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download ChurchCRM Latest Release

The churchCRM community edition can be downloaded from its download page here. On the Ubuntu terminal, run the commands below to download, then extract to its root directory. Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the ChurchCRM root directory and give Nginx control.

Configure Nginx

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for ChurchCRM. This file will control how users access ChurchCRM content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called churchcrm 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 ChurchCRM

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 ChurchCRM setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. Then follow the on-screen instruction. Validate that all requirements are met and continue During the setup, you’ll be prompted to enter a Root Path For the tutorial, we’re going to be accessing the portal from our main domain ( http://example.com ).  Leave blank. Next, type in the database name, username, and password, then complete the setup After that, you should be able to log in with the credentials below: Username: Admin Password: changeme Conclusion: You have successfully learned how to install the ChurchCRM platform on Ubuntu. You may need to configure additional settings, but the steps above give you a basic starting point. If you find errors with the steps above, please comment below: You may also like the post below: