How to Install MODX on VPS: Detailed Guide

MODX is a modern CMS and framework suitable for both simple and complex projects. This guide shows how to manually install MODX (Revolution) on a VPS with Ubuntu using LAMP or LEMP stack.

Step 1. Prepare the Server

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2. Install LAMP or LEMP Stack

For Apache (LAMP):

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-mysql libapache2-mod-php php-cli php-curl php-xml php-mbstring unzip -y

For Nginx (LEMP):

sudo apt install nginx mysql-server php-fpm php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-xml php-mbstring unzip -y

Step 3. Create the Database

sudo mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE modx;
CREATE USER 'modxuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'securepass';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON modx.* TO 'modxuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 4. Download and Install MODX

cd /var/www/
wget https://modx.com/download/latest -O modx.zip
unzip modx.zip -d modx
cd modx/*/
cp -r * /var/www/modxsite/
cd /var/www/
chown -R www-data:www-data modxsite
chmod -R 755 modxsite

Step 5. Configure Virtual Host

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/modx.conf

ServerName yourdomain.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/modxsite
  
    AllowOverride All

sudo a2ensite modx
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6. Install via Browser

Go to http://yourdomain.com/setup and complete the MODX installation:

• Choose language and installation type
• Enter database connection details
• Create an admin username and password
• Finish setup and delete the setup folder

Tips from Bit.Hosting

• Set up HTTPS using Let's Encrypt
• Only install MODX Extras from trusted sources
• Use built-in cache and compression
• For high performance, enable Redis or OPCache
• Protect the /manager path and configure backups

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If you’re having trouble installing MODX — contact Bit.Hosting support. We’ll help you set everything up! 🚀