How to Install a Website on a Server: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Hosting a website on a server is a key step in its creation and publication. This article provides a detailed step-by-step guide on how to install a website on a server from scratch.

Step 1: Preparing the Server

Before installing the website, it is necessary to choose the appropriate type of server:
  • VPS/VDS — a flexible and powerful option for projects with medium load.
  • Dedicated Server — for large projects with high resource requirements.

This guide covers the installation of the website on a clean VDS using the Lite 1 (1 core, 1 GB RAM, and 20 GB disk)

Step 2: Installing Web Server, PHP, and Database

To run the website, the following are required:
  • web server (Apache or Nginx)
  • PHP interpreter
  • MySQL or MariaDB database

For Ubuntu/Debian:

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install apache2 php php-mysql mysql-server unzip curl -y

For CentOS/AlmaLinux:

yum update -y

yum install httpd php php-mysqlnd mariadb-server unzip curl -y

After installation, start the services and configure them to start automatically:

# For Apache
systemctl start apache2     # Ubuntu/Debian  
systemctl start httpd       # CentOS/RHEL  

systemctl enable apache2    # Ubuntu/Debian  
systemctl enable httpd      # CentOS/RHEL  

# For MySQL/MariaDB
systemctl start mysql  
systemctl enable mysql

Step 3: Configuring the Database

Connect to MySQL: 
mysql -u root -p

Then, create the database and user:

CREATE DATABASE mysite_db;  
CREATE USER 'mysite_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password';  
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mysite_db.* TO 'mysite_user'@'localhost';  
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;  
EXIT;

Step 4: Uploading and Installing the Website

  1. Upload the website archive using FTP/SFTP (for example, via FileZilla) or SCP:
scp site.zip root@IP:/var/www/html/
  1. Extract the archive: cd /var/www/html/

unzip site.zip

  1. Check the permissions:
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/ && chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/

Step 5: Linking the Domain

  1. Register the domain on the website
  2. In the DNS settings, specify the A-record with your server's IP address.
  3. Wait from 5 to 30 minutes for the changes to take effect.

Step 6: Installing SSL (HTTPS)

It is recommended to install a free SSL certificate from **Let’s Encrypt**.

For Ubuntu/Debian:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y && certbot --apache

Follow the instructions to obtain and activate the certificate.

Step 7: Testing

Open the website in the browser at the address, for example: ``` https://example.com ```

Check:

  • Correct page display
  • Database operation
  • Presence of HTTPS and absence of errors

Conclusion

Installing a website on a server is a simple process with a clear guide. You can use a control panel or configure everything manually, depending on your goals and knowledge level.

If difficulties arise during the process, the DiorHost team is ready to help —
contact them via a ticket on the website or via technical support in Telegram.