evolution-cms / installer
Evolution CMS Installer - CLI tool for installing Evolution CMS projects
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Type:project
pkg:composer/evolution-cms/installer
Requires
- php: ^8.3
- ext-json: *
- ext-mysqli: *
- ext-pdo: *
- ext-zip: *
- guzzlehttp/guzzle: ^7.10
- symfony/console: ^7.0
- symfony/filesystem: ^7.0
- symfony/process: ^7.0
Requires (Dev)
- mikey179/vfsstream: ^2.0
- phpunit/phpunit: ^11.0
Suggests
- ext-readline: Optional: improves interactive CLI experience for PHP tooling; not required for the Go-based installer.
README
CLI tool for creating new Evolution CMS projects.
Requirements
- PHP 8.3+
- Composer 2.x
Install
Install globally using Composer:
composer global require evolution-cms/installer
Important: Add the Composer global bin directory to your PATH so the evo command is accessible from anywhere.
Linux / macOS
Add to your shell configuration file (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.profile):
export PATH="$HOME/.config/composer/vendor/bin:$PATH"
Then reload your shell configuration:
source ~/.bashrc # or source ~/.zshrc
Windows
-
Find your Composer global directory (usually
C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Composer\vendor\bin) -
Add it to your system PATH:
- Press
Win + R, typesysdm.cpl, press Enter - Go to "Advanced" tab → "Environment Variables"
- Under "System variables", find
Pathand click "Edit" - Add the Composer bin directory path
- Click "OK" to save
- Press
-
Restart your terminal/command prompt
Verify Installation
After setting up PATH, verify the installation:
evo version
On first run, the evo PHP bootstrapper downloads the matching Go binary from GitHub Releases, verifies it via checksums.txt, stores it next to the bootstrapper, then runs it.
To pre-install the Go binary (optional):
evo self-install
Update
Recommended:
evo self-update
Alternative:
composer global update evolution-cms/installer
Troubleshooting
- GitHub API rate limit: set
GITHUB_TOKEN(classic or fine-grained token with public repo access) in your environment. - Permissions: ensure the package
bin/directory is writable (the bootstrapper installsbin/evo.binorbin/evo.exethere).
Usage
Create a new Evolution CMS project
evo install my-project
This command will:
- Validate PHP version compatibility
- Prompt you for database configuration (with connection testing)
- Prompt you for admin user credentials and directory
- Prompt you for installation language
- Download and install Evolution CMS (latest compatible version or from specific branch)
- Configure the database connection
- Run migrations and seeders
- Create the admin user
Command Options
evo install my-project --preset=evolution evo install my-project --db-type=mysql evo install my-project --db-host=localhost --db-name=evo_db evo install my-project --admin-username=admin --admin-email=admin@example.com evo install my-project --admin-directory=manager evo install my-project --language=en evo install my-project --branch=develop # Install from specific Git branch evo install my-project --git # Initialize a Git repository evo install my-project --force # Force install even if directory exists
Available Options
--preset: The preset to use (default:evolution)--db-type: Database type (mysql,pgsql,sqlite, orsqlsrv)--db-host: Database host (default:localhost, not used for SQLite)--db-port: Database port (defaults: 3306 for MySQL, 5432 for PostgreSQL, 1433 for SQL Server)--db-name: Database name (for SQLite: path to database file, default:database.sqlite)--db-user: Database user (not used for SQLite)--db-password: Database password (not used for SQLite)--admin-username: Admin username--admin-email: Admin email--admin-password: Admin password--admin-directory: Admin directory name (default:manager)--language: Installation language (default:en)--branch: Install from specific Git branch (e.g.,develop,nightly,main) instead of latest release--git: Initialize a Git repository and create initial commit--force: Force install even if directory exists
Presets
Evolution Preset (Default)
Standard Evolution CMS installation with all core features.
evo install my-project
# or
evo install my-project --preset=evolution
Custom Presets
You can create custom presets by extending the Preset class. See the src/Presets/ directory for examples.
Features
Automatic Version Resolution
- PHP Compatibility Check: Automatically finds the latest Evolution CMS version compatible with your PHP version
- Version Validation: Validates PHP version requirements before installation starts
- Smart Version Selection: Checks GitHub releases and composer.json requirements to determine compatibility
- Latest Compatible Version: Always installs the newest version that works with your PHP setup
- Branch Installation: Install from specific Git branches (develop, nightly, main) for development or testing
Smart Database Configuration
- Multiple Database Support: Supports MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and SQL Server
- Automatic Port Detection: Automatically uses correct default ports (3306 for MySQL, 5432 for PostgreSQL, 1433 for SQL Server)
- Connection Testing: Tests database connection before proceeding with installation, with retry option
- Collation Resolution: Intelligently handles database collations, including those not in the server's collation list
- Install Type Detection: Automatically detects if this is a fresh install or an update
- Secure Configuration: Creates database config files with proper permissions (read-only)
Inspired by Docker Implementation
This installer incorporates best practices from the Evolution CMS Docker implementation, including:
- Database configuration file generation
- Install type detection
- Proper handling of MySQL and PostgreSQL differences
Development
Requirements
- PHP 8.3+
- Composer 2.x
- Database: MySQL 5.7+ / MariaDB 10.3+, PostgreSQL 10.0+, SQLite 3.26.0+, or SQL Server 2017+
Installation for Development
git clone https://github.com/evolution-cms/installer.git
cd installer
composer install
Run installer via Go (TUI)
Requirements: Go (see go version in go.mod).
From installer/:
go run ./cmd/evo install
# or
make install
Other commands:
# # Note: `evo doctor` command has been removed. go run ./cmd/evo version go run ./cmd/evo install -f
Local Development (Built-in PHP Server)
For local development and quick testing, you can run Evolution CMS using PHP’s built-in web server.
This approach does not require Apache, Nginx, or PHP-FPM and is intended for development purposes only.
Requirements
- PHP 8.3+
- SQLite or a running database server (MySQL / PostgreSQL)
- Installed project via
evo install
Running the Development Server
Navigate to your Evolution CMS project root and run:
php -S localhost:8000
Then open your browser at:
Recommended Entry Point (Router Script)
To ensure correct handling of friendly URLs, static assets, and the manager interface, it is strongly recommended to use a router script.
Create a file named router.php in the project root:
<?php $path = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], PHP_URL_PATH); $file = __DIR__ . $path; if ($path !== '/' && file_exists($file) && !is_dir($file)) { return false; } require __DIR__ . '/index.php';
Start the server using the router:
php -S localhost:8000 router.php
Using SQLite for Fast Local Setup
For the fastest local development experience, SQLite is recommended:
evo install my-project --db-type=sqlite
This allows you to start the project instantly without running a database server.
Important Notes
- Do not use the built-in PHP server in production
- No HTTPS support
- Single-threaded, no process manager
- Intended for local development, debugging, and testing only
Running Tests
composer install
composer test
Or run PHPUnit directly:
vendor-php/bin/phpunit
Go unit tests:
go test ./...
Run PHP tests with coverage:
composer test-coverage
Note: Code coverage requires either Xdebug or PCOV PHP extension to be installed:
- Xdebug:
pecl install xdebugor install via your OS package manager - PCOV:
pecl install pcov(faster alternative to Xdebug for coverage only)
After installing, restart PHP-FPM or your web server.
Legacy Installer
The old install.php file is still available in this repository for backward compatibility and quick installations.
License
GPL-3.0-or-later
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
Support
- Documentation: https://docs.evo.im
- Issues: https://github.com/evolution-cms/installer/issues
- Community: https://t.me/evolutioncms