Evolution CMS Installer

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, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter
- Go to "Advanced" tab → "Environment Variables"
- Under "System variables", find Path and click "Edit"
- Add the Composer bin directory path
- Click "OK" to save
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 installs bin/evo.bin or bin/evo.exe there).
Composer not found / Composer is a shell alias (common on hosting panels like Hestia): install a Composer executable on PATH or set EVO_COMPOSER_BIN to the full path, e.g. EVO_COMPOSER_BIN=$HOME/.composer/composer evo install.

Usage

Create a new Evolution CMS project

evo install

This command will:

Validate PHP version compatibility
Prompt you for the target installation directory when it was not passed as an argument
Prompt you for database configuration (with connection testing)
Prompt you for admin user credentials and directory
Prompt you for installation language
Prompt you to choose a project preset from evolution-cms-presets or enter a custom preset source
Download and install Evolution CMS (latest compatible version or from specific branch)
Configure the database connection
Run migrations and seeders
Create the admin user
Apply the selected project-layer preset

Command Options

evo install
evo install my-project
evo install my-project --preset=evolution
evo install my-project --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default
evo install my-project --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default@dev
evo install my-project --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default-daisyui
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 --force  # Force install even if directory exists
evo install my-project --cli --log  # Non-interactive mode + write log.md
evo install my-project --composer-update  # Use composer update during setup
evo install my-project --composer-clear-cache  # Clear Composer cache before install
evo install my-project --github-pat=TOKEN  # GitHub PAT for API requests
evo install my-project --extras=sTask,sSeo  # Install extras after setup (optional)
evo install my-project --extras=legacy-store:84@1.12.2  # Install a Legacy Store package by ID

Available Options

--preset: Project-layer preset spec. In TUI mode, omit it to choose from the evolution-cms-presets catalog or enter a custom source. In CLI mode, omit it for core-only install. Use evolution, default, evolution-cms-presets/default, evolution-cms-presets/default@dev, a Git URL, or a local path.
--db-type: Database type (mysql, pgsql, sqlite, or sqlsrv)
--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: database file name stored under core/database/, default: database.sqlite)
--db-user: Database user (not used for SQLite)
--db-password: Database password (not used for SQLite). If it contains shell special characters (e.g. ;, &, !), quote it: --db-password='p;ass'.
--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., 3.5.x, develop, nightly, main) instead of latest release
--force: Force install even if directory exists
--log: Always write installer log to log.md
--cli: Run in non-interactive CLI mode (no TUI)
--quiet: Reduce CLI output (warnings/errors only)
--composer-clear-cache: Clear Composer cache before install
--composer-update: Use composer update instead of composer install during setup
--github-pat / --github_pat: GitHub PAT token for API requests (avoids GitHub rate limits)
--extras: Comma-separated extras to install after setup. Managed extras can be passed by name (for example sTask,sSeo) and released packages are installed with * unless you pin a version. Dev-only managed packages use their default branch constraint, for example dev-main. Legacy Store packages can be passed by ID (for example legacy-store:84@1.12.2).

CLI Example (Non-interactive)

evo install demo \
  --cli \
  --branch=3.5.x \
  --db-type=sqlite \
  --db-name=database.sqlite \
  --admin-username=admin \
  --admin-email=admin@example.com \
  --admin-password=123456 \
  --admin-directory=manager \
  --language=uk \
  --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default

Notes:

--cli is non-interactive; use --extras to auto-install Extras.
--extras works in both TUI and CLI; when provided, the Extras selection screen is skipped and installation starts immediately.
Released Extras without an explicit @version are installed with Composer constraint *, so later Composer updates can pick up newer package versions. Dev-only Extras without releases use their default branch constraint, for example dev-main.
Legacy Store packages are selected by their catalog ID in CLI mode, e.g. --extras=legacy-store:84@1.12.2.

Project Presets

The installer separates the target project from the preset source.

For TUI installs, you can run the installer with no arguments and choose the target directory, database, admin user, language, project preset, and optional Extras inside the wizard:

evo install

If you already know the target directory or branch, pass only those values and let TUI ask the rest:

evo install /path/to/my-site --branch=3.5.x

When --preset is omitted in TUI mode, the installer fetches public repositories from https://github.com/evolution-cms-presets/ and shows them as preset choices. The same screen also includes:

Custom repository, Git URL, or local path for private presets or local development checkouts
Evolution core only (no project preset) for a plain core install

You can still pass a preset directly when you want to skip the preset picker:

evo install /path/to/my-site \
  --branch=3.5.x \
  --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default-daisyui

For CLI installs, provide all required answers up front. This installs a new project into the target directory, then copies the evolution-cms-presets/default project layer into that project:

evo install /path/to/my-site \
  --cli \
  --branch=3.5.x \
  --db-type=sqlite \
  --db-name=database.sqlite \
  --admin-username=admin \
  --admin-email=admin@example.com \
  --admin-password=change-me \
  --admin-directory=manager \
  --language=uk \
  --preset=evolution-cms-presets/default

--preset=evolution-cms-presets/default means "copy this preset as the bootstrap project layer." It does not define the future GitHub identity of the created site. The target directory or its own Git remote can still be your own project repository.

The default preset does not install Extras. Use --extras=sTask,sSeo only when you intentionally want those packages in the project.

Presets can declare required managed Composer Extras in core/custom/composer.json. The installer reads those Composer requirements after the preset is applied, matches them against the managed Extras catalog, then runs the Extras installer so provider discovery, asset publishing, migrations, and cache clearing still happen. Required Extras are automatically selected after the preset is applied, stay locked in the TUI, and are still installed when the user chooses to skip optional Extras:

{
  "require": {
    "evolution-cms/etinymce": "*"
  }
}

Legacy or non-Composer required Extras can still be described in core/custom/preset.json when needed, but Composer package dependencies should live in core/custom/composer.json.

Accepted preset sources:

default resolves to https://github.com/evolution-cms-presets/default.git
evolution-cms-presets/default resolves to https://github.com/evolution-cms-presets/default.git
evolution-cms-presets/default@dev resolves to the same preset repository with Git ref dev
evolution-cms-presets/blog-daisyui resolves to the official blog starter preset
owner/private-preset can be entered in TUI as a custom source when your Git environment can access it
full Git URLs are used as-is; add #dev when you need a URL ref
local paths are used as-is

Use a branch or tag suffix only when you need to install a non-default preset ref. Local preset development can point directly at a checkout:

evo install /path/to/my-site --preset=/path/to/default-preset

Evolution Core Only

Standard Evolution CMS installation with all core features.

evo install my-project --preset=evolution

In TUI mode, omit --preset and keep the default No project preset (Evolution core only) choice.

Custom Project Presets

Project presets are applied through the installed Evolution CMS core/artisan preset:install command after the core installation and database setup complete.

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)

Managed Extras Wizard (TUI)

Post-install selection: After the core installation, the installer opens the Extras selection screen directly with default Extras preselected.
Selection UI: Shows bundled defaults and managed Extras first, with checkboxes, versions, descriptions, and search.
Legacy Store: Legacy Store packages are hidden behind the Show Legacy Store action so the main list stays focused.
Batch install: Installs selected Extras one-by-one via php artisan extras extras <Name> <version> and shows progress/status. Released managed packages default to *; dev-only packages default to their branch constraint such as dev-main.
Post steps: Runs php artisan migrate once after all Extras, then php artisan cache:clear-full.
Flow: Install -> Extras selection -> Progress -> Summary

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 prefill the Evolution branch and let TUI ask for directory, preset, DB, admin, language, and Extras:
go run ./cmd/evo install --branch=3.5.x
# 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:

http://localhost:8000

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 xdebug or 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

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 172 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
bin		bin
cmd/evo		cmd/evo
installer/bin		installer/bin
internal		internal
src		src
tests		tests
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
composer.json		composer.json
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
install.php		install.php
phpunit.xml.dist		phpunit.xml.dist

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Evolution CMS Installer

Requirements

Install

Linux / macOS

Windows

Verify Installation

Update

Troubleshooting

Usage

Create a new Evolution CMS project

Command Options

Available Options

CLI Example (Non-interactive)

Project Presets

Evolution Core Only

Custom Project Presets

Features

Automatic Version Resolution

Smart Database Configuration

Managed Extras Wizard (TUI)

Inspired by Docker Implementation

Development

Requirements

Installation for Development

Run installer via Go (TUI)

Local Development (Built-in PHP Server)

Requirements

Running the Development Server

Recommended Entry Point (Router Script)

Using SQLite for Fast Local Setup

Important Notes

Running Tests

Legacy Installer

License

Contributing

Support

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