Goal
Outline the steps to download the core software, and handle any required prerequisites.
Prerequisite knowledge
- How to install and configure server software (if installing on your own computer)
- How to set up hosting for a generic web site
- How to create a database
Site prerequisites
Server software must be installed on the computer where you plan to host your site. See Section 3.2, “Concept: Server Requirements” for a list of requirements.
See Section 3.5, “Setting Up an Environment with DDEV” for the recommended way to get started running the software locally.
Depending on how you plan to download the core software, you may need to install additional software tools first. See Section 3.4, “Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software” and Section 3.3, “Concept: Additional Tools”.
Steps
- Choose methods for downloading and installing the core software, from those listed in Section 3.4, “Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software”. The rest of these instructions apply to the Composer and manual download options; if you chose other options, like a one-click installer from a hosting provider, consult the relevant documentation for any additional steps.
- Set up a URL and hosting for your site on the server. Verify that the hosting is working by putting a simple HTML file in the web root directory of the hosting, and visiting the URL for your site.
- Create a database, along with a database user account with full access.
- Download the core software files to the web root directory, using the method you decided on. See Section 3.4, “Concept: Methods for Downloading and Installing the Core Software” for links to instructions.
Expand your understanding
See Section 3.7, “Running the Interactive Installer” to run the interactive installer.
Videos
Additional resources
Attributions
Written and edited by Drew Gorton, Michael Lenahan at erdfisch, Jennifer Hodgdon, and Jojy Alphonso at Red Crackle.
What are the requirements for running the core software?
Disk space
The total amount of disk space needed for your site is not a fixed amount, as it depends on your site. The base files for the core software take up about 100 MB on the web server. You will need more space if you install additional modules or themes, and you’ll also need space for media, backups, and other files generated by and uploaded to your site. The database also uses disk space, although that is typically not in the same area (and in some cases, not even on the same server) as that used by the site files.
PHP
PHP 8.3 or a higher PHP 8 version. PHP must be set up with a minimum memory size of 64MB; if you are running multiple modules on your site or using memory-intensive PHP-based command-line tools (such as Composer), considerably more memory than that may be needed.
Certain PHP extensions are also required; the exact list of required PHP extensions depends on how you install the core software and which modules you are using on your site. Generally, hosting service providers have installed all the PHP extensions you will need. If you are self-hosting or running your site on your local computer, you will get error messages during installation if any required PHP extensions are missing, and should be able to install them and continue. See PHP requirements for a complete list of requirements.
Web server
Apache (Recommended)
Apache is the most commonly used web server. The core software will work on Apache 2.4.7 or higher hosted on UNIX/Linux, OS X, or Windows that have the Apache mod_rewrite module installed and enabled. The Apache VirtualHost configuration must contain the directive AllowOverride All to allow the .htaccess file to be used.
PHP Local Server
You can temporarily run a local demo site on your computer using just PHP, without installing web server software.
Nginx
Nginx is a commonly used web server that focuses on high concurrency, performance and low memory usage. The core software will work on Nginx 0.7 or greater hosted on UNIX/Linux, OS X, or Windows. The ngx_http_rewrite_module must be installed and enabled.
Database
Use one of the following databases:
- MySQL - 8.0+ (MariaDB 10.6+, Percona 8.0+) or higher with an InnoDB-compatible primary storage engine
- PostgreSQL - 16 or higher with the pg_trgm extension
- SQLite - 3.45 or higher. Temporary local demo sites use SQLite, which is distributed as part of PHP and doesn’t require installing separate database software, but make sure your version of PHP has the minimum SQLite included.
Additional resources
Attributions
Adapted by Karl Kedrovsky, Brian Emery, and Jennifer Hodgdon, and Joe Shindelar at Drupalize.Me from "System requirements", copyright 2000-2025 by the individual contributors to the Drupal Community Documentation.
