🌨️ How to Install WinterCMS: A Step-by-Step Guide

WinterCMS is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) built on the Laravel PHP framework. It is a fork of OctoberCMS and is great for developers who love clean code, customization, and full control over websites.

In this guide, you will learn how to install WinterCMS on your local computer or server using simple commands. Let’s get started!

🛠️ Requirements

Before installing WinterCMS, make sure your server or local environment meets the following:

• PHP version: 8.0 or higher
• Database: MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL
• Web server: Apache or Nginx
• Composer: Installed globally
• Node.js & npm (optional but needed for asset compiling)

You can check PHP version:

php -v

Check if Composer is installed:

composer --version

📦 Step 1: Install WinterCMS with Composer

The easiest way to install WinterCMS is using Composer.

Go to the folder where you want to install your project and run:

composer create-project wintercms/winter mywinterproject

Here, mywinterproject is your folder name. You can change it to anything.

This will download all WinterCMS files and dependencies.

📁 Step 2: Set File Permissions

Go into your project folder:

cd mywinterproject

Set correct permissions for storage and bootstrap/cache folders (for Linux or macOS):

chmod -R 775 storage
chmod -R 775 bootstrap/cache

Make sure your web server user (like www-data) has access. You can also set ownership:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data .

🌍 Step 3: Setup Web Server (Apache Example)

Create a virtual host for Apache:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName mywinter.test
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/mywinterproject/public

    <Directory /var/www/html/mywinterproject/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Then enable the site and rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite mywinter.test.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Don’t forget to add the site to your /etc/hosts file:

127.0.0.1 mywinter.test

🧩 Step 4: Run the Web Installer

Now open the site in your browser:

http://mywinter.test

You’ll see the WinterCMS installer wizard.

Fill the following fields:

• Database Connection (MySQL, MariaDB, etc.)
• Administrator Account
• Site Name

Click Install. WinterCMS will configure everything for you!

🔁 Step 5: Post-Install Setup (Optional but Recommended)

Install Backend Theme (Optional)

WinterCMS comes with a clean admin panel. But you can customize it later by installing themes or creating your own.

Install Plugins or Themes

You can install from the backend or using artisan command:

php artisan winter:plugin install Author.PluginName

Example:

php artisan winter:plugin install Winter.Blog

🧪 Troubleshooting Tips

1. Blank page? Check storage/logs for error messages.

2. Permission denied? Set correct permissions on folders and files as mentioned above.

3. Database connection error? Double-check your .env file or installer database settings.

🧰 Useful Artisan Commands

WinterCMS uses Laravel Artisan, plus its own commands.

✅ Conclusion

WinterCMS is a developer-friendly Laravel-based CMS that gives you full freedom to build any kind of website. It’s fast, clean, and powerful.

Now that you have installed WinterCMS, you can:

• Build themes and plugins
• Add content through the admin panel
• Use Laravel skills inside CMS development

If you get stuck, the WinterCMS Documentation is very helpful.