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October CMS

Application512MB+ RAM

Modern Laravel-based CMS for developers

cmslaravelphpdeveloper

Deploy October CMS in 3 Steps

1

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

2

Select October CMS

Choose from our template library

3

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide

Deploy October CMS on a VPS with Server Compass

Use the October CMS template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted flexible content management system on your VPS, then verify the October CMS install wizard in a browser.

About 7 minutesBrowser verified
1
Step 1

Open the server Apps tab

Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.

Server Compass Apps tab before creating a October CMS app
2
Step 2

Choose an app template

Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.

Choosing to deploy an app from a Server Compass template
3
Step 3

Search for October CMS

Use the template picker search to find October CMS in the Server Compass template catalog.

Searching for October CMS in the Server Compass template picker
4
Step 4

Select the October CMS template

Choose the October CMS template. Server Compass fills the October CMS image, MySQL service, persistent site volumes, database settings, and required secret value.

October CMS template selected in Server Compass
5
Step 5

Review the October CMS settings

Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named octobercms-demo and used host port 3001.

Reviewing October CMS project settings and compose services
6
Step 6

Deploy October CMS

Review the generated environment values, keep the database password masked, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.

Reviewing October CMS environment variables and port before deployment
7
Step 7

Watch the deployment progress

Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the October CMS and MySQL images, starts the containers, and verifies the stack.

Server Compass deploying the October CMS template on the VPS
8
Step 8

Confirm October CMS is running

After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the October CMS app is marked Running with its application URL available.

October CMS template running in the Server Compass Apps tab
9
Step 9

Open October CMS in the browser

Click Open Application or open the application URL in a browser. The October CMS install wizard confirms the deployed app is reachable and ready for the database credentials.

The deployed October CMS install wizard loaded in a browser

After October CMS Opens

  • Complete the October CMS installer with the generated MySQL password from Server Compass.
  • Keep the database password masked in screenshots and docs.
  • Add a domain and HTTPS before inviting users or publishing content publicly.
  • Create roles and permissions before publishing editorial workflows.
  • Back up both the October CMS application volume and the MySQL data volume before storing production content.

Verified Result

The October CMS app loaded successfully in a browser and displayed the install wizard.

October CMS deployment questions

What does the October CMS template deploy?

It deploys October CMS with a MySQL 8.0 database and persistent application and database volumes.

Which port did the tutorial use?

The tutorial used host port 3001, which maps to the October CMS Apache web server on container port 80.

Why does the browser verification stop at the install wizard?

A fresh October CMS deployment is considered reachable when the install wizard loads. Continuing further would require entering generated database credentials, so the public guide verifies the safe pre-install wizard.

Should this become a blog post?

No. The deployment guide should live on the October CMS template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.

CLI Deployment

Deploy October CMS Yourself

Want full control? Here's how to deploy October CMS yourself using Docker Compose.

1

Access Your VPS Terminal

Use your terminal to securely access your server. You'll need your server's IP address.

terminal
# Connect via SSH
ssh root@your-vps-ip

# Alternative with key file
ssh -i /path/to/key root@your-vps-ip

First time? Make sure Docker is installed on your VPS. Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

2

Set Up the Deployment Folder

Initialize a project folder on your server.

terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/octobercms
cd ~/apps/octobercms
3

Set Up the Stack Definition

Use this Docker Compose configuration for your deployment:

docker-compose.yml
services:
  october:
    image: php:8.2-apache
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      - DB_CONNECTION=mysql
      - DB_HOST=db
      - DB_PORT=3306
      - DB_DATABASE=october
      - DB_USERNAME=october
      - DB_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - october_data:/var/www/html
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    command: >
      bash -c "
        docker-php-ext-install pdo pdo_mysql mysqli > /dev/null 2>&1;
        a2enmod rewrite > /dev/null 2>&1;
        if [ ! -f /var/www/html/artisan ]; then
          apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y -qq git unzip libzip-dev > /dev/null 2>&1 &&
          docker-php-ext-install zip > /dev/null 2>&1 &&
          curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer &&
          composer create-project october/october /var/www/html --no-interaction --prefer-dist &&
          cd /var/www/html && php artisan october:migrate --force &&
          chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html;
        fi;
        apache2-foreground
      "

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=october
      - MYSQL_USER=october
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "mysqladmin ping -h localhost -u root -p$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD || exit 1"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s

volumes:
  october_data:
  db_data:
Required Settings
PORTHost port to expose(default: 8080)
DB_NAMEDatabase name(default: october)
DB_USERDatabase user(default: october)
DB_PASSWORDDatabase password
DB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password
4

Start the Containers

Bring up your containers in detached mode.

terminal
# Start all services
docker compose up -d

# List running containers
docker compose ps

# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -f
5

Set Up Firewall Rules

Allow the application port through your server's firewall.

terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8080
Skip the Terminal

Let Server Compass do the heavy lifting.

Skip the terminal and deploy October CMS with a visual interface. Configure everything with clicks, not commands.

  • Beautiful interface
  • One-click deploys
  • Let's Encrypt SSL
  • Zero downtime
  • Container monitoring
  • Easy rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying October CMS with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

1

Complete installation wizard

2

Set up admin credentials

3

Install themes and plugins from the marketplace

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

October CMS FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting October CMS

How do I deploy October CMS with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select October CMS from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for October CMS?

October CMS requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing October CMS data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard October CMS backup and restore procedures.

How do I update October CMS to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest October CMS image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is October CMS free to self-host?

October CMS is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.

Ready to Self-Host October CMS?

Download Server Compass and deploy October CMS to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.

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