Installing Bolt CMS with Nginx and Let’s Encrypt on FreeBSD 12

System Requirements

Bolt CMS requires the following:

• PHP version 5.5.9 or higher with extensions: pdo, mysqlnd, pgsql, openssl, curl, gd, intl, json, mbstring, opcache, posix, xml, fileinfo, exif, zip.
• Access to SQLite (bundled with PHP), MySQL, or PostgreSQL.
• Apache with mod_rewrite or Nginx (configuration below).
• At least 32MB memory for PHP.

Prerequisites

• FreeBSD 12 installed.
• A non-root user with sudo privileges.

Initial Setup

Verify your FreeBSD version:

uname -ro

# FreeBSD 12.0-RELEASE

Set your timezone:

tzsetup

Update your system packages:

freebsd-update fetch install
pkg update && pkg upgrade -y

Install essential packages:

pkg install -y sudo vim unzip wget bash

Step 1 – Install MySQL and Create a Database for Bolt

Bolt supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. We will use MySQL:

Install MySQL:

sudo pkg install -y mysql57-server

Check MySQL version:

mysql --version

# mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.7.27, for FreeBSD12.0 (amd64)

Enable and start MySQL:

sudo sysrc mysql_enable="yes"
sudo service mysql-server start

Secure MySQL and set the root password:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Would you like to setup VALIDATE PASSWORD plugin? N
New password: your_secure_password
Re-enter new password: your_secure_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

Connect to MySQL shell:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a MySQL database and user:

CREATE DATABASE dbname;
CREATE USER 'username'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL ON dbname.* TO 'username';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Replace dbname, username, and password with your values.

Step 2 – Install PHP and Necessary Extensions

Install PHP and extensions:

sudo pkg install -y php72 php72-ctype php72-curl php72-dom php72-hash php72-iconv php72-gd php72-json php72-mbstring php72-openssl php72-session php72-simplexml php72-xml php72-zip php72-zlib php72-pdo php72-pdo_mysql php72-mysqli php72-filter php72-ftp php72-tokenizer php72-calendar php72-pecl-APCu php72-opcache php72-sqlite3 php72-pdo_sqlite php72-intl php72-posix

Check PHP version:

php --version

# PHP 7.2.22

Enable and start PHP-FPM:

sudo sysrc php_fpm_enable=yes
sudo service php-fpm start

Step 3 – Install acme.sh Client for SSL (Optional)

For SSL, use Let’s Encrypt certificates via Acme.sh:

Install Acme.sh:

sudo pkg install -y acme.sh

Check Acme.sh version:

acme.sh --version

# v2.8.2

Obtain RSA and ECC certificates:

# RSA
sudo acme.sh --issue --standalone --home /etc/letsencrypt -d example.com --keylength 2048
# ECDSA
sudo acme.sh --issue --standalone --home /etc/letsencrypt -d example.com --keylength ec-256

Certificates located in:

• RSA: /etc/letsencrypt/example.com
• ECC: /etc/letsencrypt/example.com_ecc

Step 4 – Install NGINX and Configure for Bolt CMS

Install Nginx:

sudo pkg install -y nginx-devel

Check Nginx version:

nginx -v

# nginx version: nginx/1.17.1

Enable and start Nginx:

sudo sysrc nginx_enable=yes
sudo service nginx start

Configure Nginx for Bolt:

sudo vim /usr/local/etc/nginx/bolt.conf

server {
  listen 80;
  listen 443 ssl;
  server_name example.com;
  root /usr/local/www/bolt/public;
  index index.php;

ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/example.com/private.key;
…
}

Note: For production configuration, visit Bolt Docs.

Add to nginx.conf:

include bolt.conf;

Check Nginx configuration:

sudo nginx -t

Reload Nginx:

sudo service nginx reload

Step 5 – Download and Install Bolt CMS

Create a directory for Bolt:

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/www

Navigate to the directory:

cd /usr/local/www

Download Bolt CMS:

sudo wget https://bolt.cm/distribution/bolt-latest.zip && sudo unzip bolt-latest.zip

Remove the downloaded ZIP file:

sudo rm bolt-latest.zip

Rename directory for convenience:

sudo mv bolt-v3.6.10 bolt

Make configuration changes:

sudo mv .bolt.yml.dist .bolt.yml
sudo mv composer.json.dist composer.json
sudo mv composer.lock.dist composer.lock
sudo mv src/Site/CustomisationExtension.php.dist src/Site/CustomisationExtension.php

Change ownership to the www user:

sudo chown -R www:www /usr/local/www/bolt

Step 6 – Complete Installation and Setup

Open your site in a web browser:

Create the first user to complete setup:

Useful Links

• Bolt Official Site
• Bolt GitHub Repository

FAQ

What is Bolt CMS?

Bolt is a lightweight, open-source Content Management System built with PHP.

Is Bolt CMS free?

Yes, Bolt is open-source and available for free under the MIT-license.

Can I use Bolt CMS with SSL?

Yes, you can secure Bolt CMS with an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt using the acme.sh client.

Which database systems does Bolt CMS support?

Bolt CMS supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite.