How to install Concrete CMS manually

This article describes how to manually install the Concrete CMS (formerly Concrete5) content management system on your A2 Hosting account.

Installing Concrete CMS

Concrete CMS is compatible with all A2 Hosting accounts, and the installation process is straightforward.

To install Concrete CMS manually, follow these steps:

1. Use your web browser to go to https://www.concretecms.com, click GET STARTED, and then click Download.
2. Download the latest installation .zip file to your local computer. In this procedure, we use the concrete5-8.5.5.zip file.
3. Extract the .zip file on your computer.
4. Use FTP to upload the contents of the extracted concrete5.8.5.5 directory to the public_html directory of your A2 Hosting account.
   • This step assumes that you want to install Concrete CMS in your account's document root directory. If you want to install Concrete CMS in a subdirectory, upload the files to the subdirectory instead.
   • The exact name of the extracted Concrete CMS directory may differ based on the version you download.

5. Create a MySQL database and database user for Concrete CMS. You will need this information later during the installation process.
   

   • If your account includes cPanel, please see this article for information about how to create a MySQL database and user.
   • If your account does not include cPanel, you can create a MySQL database and user from the command line. For information about how to do this, please see this article.

6. Use your web browser to go to the Concrete CMS installation URL. The Install concrete5 page appears.
   

   If you uploaded the Concrete CMS files to the document root directory, the installation URL is your domain name (for example, http://www.example.com). If you uploaded the Concrete CMS files to a subdirectory, add the subdirectory's name to the URL.
7. In the Language list box, select the language you want to use for the ConcreteCMS interface, and then click the white arrow.
8. The ConcreteCMS installer tests your account to ensure it meets installation requirements. Click Continue to Installation.

9. Under Site, in the Name text box, type a name for your site.
   

   The name appears in the title bar of users' web browsers when they visit your site.
10. In the Administrator Email Address text box, type the administrator's e-mail address.
11. In the Administrator Password and Confirm Password text boxes, type a password for the administrator.

12. Under Starting Point, select one of the following options:
    

    • To create a site with sample content, select Full Site.
      If this is your first time setting up a Concrete CMS site, we recommend you select this option.
    • To create an empty site, select Empty Site.

13. Under Database, complete the following fields:
    

    • In the Server text box, type localhost.
    • In the MySQL Username text box, type the name of the database user you created in step 5.
    • In the MySQL Password text box, type the password of the database user you created in step 5.
    • In the Database Name text box, type the name of the database you created in step 5.
14. Under Privacy Policy, select the check box to agree.

15. Click Install concrete5. The installation process begins.
    

    Be patient—it can take several minutes for the installation process to finish.
16. When installation completes, click Edit Your Site to visit your site.

More Information

For more information about Concrete CMS, please visit https://www.concretecms.com.