The following steps should guide you in getting a Drupal installation set up in an OIT Web Hosting account.
Should I Use Drupal on OIT Web Hosting?
Drupal 10 is now fully supported on OIT Web Hosting. However, this does not mean that it is the right choice for everyone. For smaller, simpler sites, a WordPress site on Sites @ Georgia Tech might be a good option to consider. Please see the OIT FAQ guide, Is Drupal the right choice of CMS for my site?, for further discussion of web hosting options.
Regardless, it is strongly recommended that no new sites be built on Drupal 7, as version 7 is reaching the end of its life on November 28, 2022. After that date, it will no longer receive any security support from its developers.
A Turnkey Drupal 10 Website on OIT Web Hosting
OIT is now offering an updated version of Drupal Express for Drupal 9 based websites. When requesting a new Web Hosting account, you can mark this option on the request form and your account will be pre-loaded with a ready-to-use version of Drupal 9 complete with the official Georgia Tech web theme and page layout system.
Other Options for Drupal 10
Before you Begin: If you haven't done so already, you'll need to request a hosting account from OIT. You will also need to know how to access the Plesk control panel for your account in order to complete the rest of these steps, and you may also wish to set an SSH password or SSH key so that you can SSH into your web hosting space.
If you decided to set up Drupal somewhere else to build your site, and now want to move that site to OIT Web Hosting, you should see our separate Site Migration Guide.
Installing Drupal 10 Using GitHub and Composer
If you prefer to manually install Drupal 8 with the official Georgia Tech components, there is a GT Installer script available to guide you through the process. Please also see the following OIT FAQ guides:
Installing Drupal 10 Manually From a Downloaded Archive File
Another way to install Drupal is to download the installer and copy it to your hosting account. Please note that this method is not compatible with the official Georgia Tech web theme, so it is only suitable for sites that do not need this theme (e.g. student organization sites, research project sites, etc.)
- Visit the Drupal.org website and download the latest version of the Drupal 9.x series for any site that needs to have standard Georgia Tech branding.
- Use the latest stable release of Drupal
- If your are comfortable with using SSH to connect to your Web Hosting account, you can select either download format (.tar.gz or .zip). If you prefer to upload the archive file to your Web Hosting account via the Plesk control panel, you must download the ZIP format file.
- Upload the archive file to your OIT Web Hosting Account and unpack it where you want your Drupal installation to live. From within the Plesk control panel, you can upload the archive file via the File Manager. Once the file is uploaded, just select it in the File Manager to unpack it. After the archive file has been unpacked, move it to your hosting account's "/private/" folder.
- In the Plesk control panel, go to the Databases manager and create a new database. Copy down the database name, the database user name, and the password, as you will need them later.
- Navigate to your Web Hosting site's URL and you should get an installation screen for Drupal. Follow the prompts and answer the questions - they should mostly be straightforward. Refer to the Drupal Installation Guide if you need any help.