Setting Up Automad CMS with Nginx and Let’s Encrypt SSL on Debian 10

Automad is a file-based content management system (CMS) and template engine written in PHP. It stores all content in
human-readable text files rather than using a database. This makes an Automad site fully portable, easy to install, and
manageable via version control systems like Git or Mercurial. Despite this simplicity, Automad offers database-like features
such as searching and tagging. Its built-in template engine allows even novice developers and designers to create
aesthetically pleasing themes and templates. This guide will walk you through installing and setting up Automad CMS on a
Debian 10 (buster) system using NGINX as the web server.

Requirements

The following requirements are necessary for installing and running Automad CMS:

• PHP version 5.4 or higher.
• Web server software like Nginx or Apache.

Prerequisites

• A Debian 10 (buster) operating system.
• A non-root user with sudo privileges.

Initial Steps

First, verify your Debian version:

lsb_release -ds
# Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)

Set the correct timezone:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

Update your package lists and upgrade the installed packages to make sure they are up-to-date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential packages necessary for administering Debian:

sudo apt install -y curl wget vim git unzip socat bash-completion apt-transport-https

Step 1 – Install PHP and Necessary PHP Extensions

Install PHP and the required PHP extensions:

sudo apt install -y php php-cli php-fpm php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-soap php-gd php-xml php-curl php-zip

To view the installed PHP modules, execute:

php -m
# ctype
# curl
# exif
# fileinfo
# ...

Confirm the PHP version:

php --version
# PHP 7.3.4-2 (cli) (built: Apr 13 2019 19:05:48) ( NTS )
# Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
# Zend Engine v3.3.4, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies
# with Zend OPcache v7.3.4-2, Copyright (c) 1999-2018, by Zend Technologies

Note: The PHP-FPM service starts automatically and is enabled on boot in Debian 10.

Step 2 – Install acme.sh Client and Obtain Let’s Encrypt Certificate (optional)

It’s recommended to secure your site with HTTPS. For obtaining a TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt, you can use the
acme.sh client, a lightweight and zero-dependency shell script.

Install acme.sh:

sudo su - root
git clone https://github.com/Neilpang/acme.sh.git
cd acme.sh
./acme.sh --install --accountemail your_email@example.com
source ~/.bashrc
cd ~

Verify the acme.sh version:

acme.sh --version
# v2.8.2

Generate RSA and ECC/ECDSA certificates for your domain/hostname:

# RSA 2048
acme.sh --issue --standalone -d example.com --keylength 2048
# ECDSA
acme.sh --issue --standalone -d example.com --keylength ec-256

You can add the --staging flag for test certificates.

Certificates and keys will be located at:

• RSA: /home/username/example.com.
• ECC/ECDSA: /home/username/example.com_ecc.

To list your certificates, execute:

acme.sh --list

Create directories for certificate storage:

mkdir -p /etc/letsencrypt/example.com
sudo mkdir -p /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc

Install and copy certificates to /etc/letsencrypt:

# RSA
acme.sh --install-cert -d example.com --cert-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/cert.pem --key-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/private.key --fullchain-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/fullchain.pem --reloadcmd "sudo systemctl reload nginx.service"
# ECC/ECDSA
acme.sh --install-cert -d example.com --ecc --cert-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc/cert.pem --key-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc/private.key --fullchain-file /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc/fullchain.pem --reloadcmd "sudo systemctl reload nginx.service"

Certificates will be auto-renewed every 60 days. Exit from root user and return to a regular sudo user:

exit

Step 3 – Install and Configure NGINX

Install NGINX from the Debian repository:

sudo apt install -y nginx

Verify the NGINX version:

sudo nginx -v
# nginx version: nginx/1.14.2

Create an NGINX server block file automad.conf:

server {
  listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
  listen 443 ssl http2;
  listen [::]:80;
  listen 80;
  # RSA
  ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/fullchain.pem;
  ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/private.key;
  # ECC
  ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc/fullchain.pem;
  ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc/private.key;
  server_name example.com;

  root /var/www/automad;

  index index.php index.html;

  client_max_body_size 100M;

  location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php$is_args$args;
  }

  location ~ \.php$ {
    fastcgi_index index.php;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.3-fpm.sock;
    fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    include fastcgi_params;
  }
}

Link the new configuration file to the NGINX sites-enabled directory:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/automad.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Check for syntax errors in the NGINX configuration:

sudo nginx -t

Reload NGINX:

sudo systemctl reload nginx.service

Step 4 – Install Automad CMS

Create the document root directory for Automad:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/automad

Navigate to the document root:

cd /var/www/automad

Download the latest release of Automad CMS. Remember to update version numbers for newer releases if needed:

sudo curl -O -J -L https://automad.org/download

Uncompress the downloaded archive:

sudo unzip marcantondahmen-automad-6fff2a0456dc.zip

Transfer all Automad files to the document root and remove the downloaded archive:

sudo mv marcantondahmen-automad-6fff2a0456dc/* . && sudo mv marcantondahmen-automad-6fff2a0456dc/.* .
sudo rm marcantondahmen-automad-6fff2a0456dc.zip
sudo rmdir marcantondahmen-automad-6fff2a0456dc

Set ownership of the /var/www/automad directory to www-data:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/automad

Step 5 – Complete the Automad Installation

To complete the installation, create a user account for using the browser-based Dashboard. Navigate to https://example.com/dashboard and follow the provided instructions.

You will need to create an account before using the Automad dashboard:

Complete the user account creation and move the generated file to the “/config” directory within the Automad
installation directory. You can then log in to the Automad dashboard:

Once logged in, you’ll see the Automad admin interface:

That’s it, you’ve completed the Automad installation.

Links

• Automad Official Website
• Automad Repository

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Automad?Automad is a file-based CMS and template engine that uses text files to store content instead of a database, making it
  easy to install, portable, and version-controlled.
• What web servers are compatible with Automad?Automad can work with either Nginx or Apache web servers.
• Why should I secure my site with HTTPS?Securing your site with HTTPS ensures data encryption over the network, making your website more secure.
• Is PHP-FPM required for Automad installation?Yes, PHP-FPM is required to manage PHP processes for serving Automad efficiently.
• How can I ensure my Let’s Encrypt certificates are kept up-to-date?The acme.sh script automatically renews certificates every 60 days, updating them without requiring manual
  intervention.