The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Install Aegir on a dedicated VPS with root access, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a supported PHP and database combination, and either Apache or Nginx. On Debian or Ubuntu, the supported package path adds the Aegir repository, installs aegir3, and creates a Hostmaster control panel. You then add a Drupal codebase as a platform, verify it, and use Aegir’s hosting tasks to create the database, virtual host and Drupal site.
Need a server to try this on? Antihost offers Linux VPS plans with NVMe storage, full root access and a 14-day free trial.
This guide covers a single-server setup first, then Composer, Git and makefile platforms, routine deployment, and the separate-web/database-server architecture. Aegir’s documentation describes it as “a powerful hosting system that sits alongside a LAMP or LEMP server to create, deploy and manage Drupal sites”; its documentation currently identifies release notes for version 3.18 (accessed October 15, 2026). See the official Aegir documentation for release-specific changes.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What Aegir installs and manages
Aegir is a Drupal-based hosting system that automates the repetitive parts of running Drupal sites. The Aegir master (called Hostmaster) sits on your VPS and talks to the web server, database server and Provision framework. When you create a site, it can write the web-server configuration, create the database and database user, run the Drupal installation, and reload the affected services.
Aegir does not replace the operating system’s web server or database. It orchestrates services such as Apache or Nginx, PHP, MySQL or MariaDB, SSH, an MTA and filesystem permissions. That is why the initial installation needs administrative access and why a shared-hosting account is not an appropriate environment.
#1 Best Overall
- [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
- [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
- [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
- [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
- [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.
Prepare the VPS before running APT
Use a dedicated machine and controlled account
- Use a dedicated VPS or server with root or sudo access. The installer creates database users, writes virtual-host configuration and restarts services.
- Let the Provision framework run under the non-root
aegiraccount. Running Provision tasks as root defeats the ownership and permission model that keeps hosted sites separated. - Plan backups, monitoring, TLS certificates, firewall rules, unattended security updates and a restore test before placing a production site on the machine.
Set the hostname and DNS first
Choose an FQDN for the Aegir master, such as aegir.example.com. Create an address record pointing it to the VPS and make sure reverse DNS for the VPS address points back to the same hostname. Aegir uses the hostname in database grants and when it connects to remote servers, so an incomplete DNS setup can break installation even when the web server itself is reachable.
Each Drupal site needs its own DNS record (or an appropriate wildcard strategy) before you run the site-install task. Confirm that the record resolves from outside the VPS, not only from the local machine.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteInstall the operating-system prerequisites
The Aegir installation guide expects a supported Debian or Ubuntu system with SSH, PHP CLI and the required extensions, MySQL or MariaDB, an MTA such as Postfix, rsync, Git, unzip, Composer, and one web server (Apache or Nginx). Install the versions supplied for your distribution, then verify that the command-line PHP binary and the PHP runtime used by the web server are compatible with the Drupal release you intend to host.
Check Drupal’s requirements, not just Aegir’s
Drupal requirements change by major and minor release. Drupal.org’s PHP requirements table states that Drupal 10 needs PHP 8.1 or newer and notes that no supported Drupal version supports PHP 7. The database-server table gives version-specific MySQL and MariaDB requirements; for example, Drupal 11 lists MySQL 8.0 or newer and MariaDB 10.6 or newer, with InnoDB and PDO required for MySQL-compatible databases.
Rank #2
- 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
- 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
- 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
- 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
- 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.
These are Drupal constraints. An older Aegir page may show legacy PHP examples, but the PHP and database versions on your VPS must satisfy the exact Drupal core, contributed-module and distribution versions you will deploy. Record the target versions before installing Aegir so an apparently successful Hostmaster install does not leave you with an unusable platform.
Choose Apache or Nginx deliberately
| Decision point | Apache | Nginx |
|---|---|---|
| Package behavior | The Aegir package defaults are oriented toward Apache unless you select another stack. | Install Nginx and PHP-FPM explicitly; the package defaults expect Apache unless Nginx is already present. |
| PHP integration | Use the PHP package set appropriate to the distribution and Drupal release. | Use PHP-FPM and ensure the Nginx site configuration passes requests to the intended FPM socket. |
| Rewrite and security rules | Drupal’s Apache configuration commonly uses .htaccess. |
Recreate the security and rewrite behavior supplied by Apache’s .htaccess; Drupal.org discusses this distinction in its web-server requirements. |
| Operational choice | A familiar choice when existing administrators and tooling are Apache-based. | A practical choice when the team already operates Nginx and PHP-FPM and will maintain equivalent Drupal rules. |
Do not switch web servers midway through an installation. Decide which daemon owns ports 80 and 443, install its PHP integration, and test a simple PHP request before adding the Aegir repository.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Install Aegir on Debian or Ubuntu
The following is the official quick-start sequence for a recent Debian or Ubuntu host with an FQDN. Run it from an administrative account with sudo rights.
-
Install the core service packages:
sudo apt install mysql-server php-mbstring nginx php-cli php-fpm php-gd php-pear php-zip php-curlThis command is the Nginx/PHP-FPM variant. If you selected Apache, install the Apache and corresponding PHP package set instead of installing both web servers.
Rank #3
New Bee Guitar Cable 10ft Electric Instrument Bass AMP Cord- [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
- [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
- [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
- [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
- [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
-
Harden the initial database installation:
sudo mysql_secure_installationFollow the prompts to remove anonymous accounts and other insecure defaults, and choose a strong database administrator credential. Keep the credential available for the Aegir package prompt.
-
Install the signed Aegir repository key:
sudo wget -O /usr/share/keyrings/aegir-archive-keyring.gpg https://debian.aegirproject.org/aegir-archive-keyring.gpg -
Add the stable Aegir repository:
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/aegir-archive-keyring.gpg] https://debian.aegirproject.org stable main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/aegir-stable.list -
Refresh package metadata:
sudo apt update -
Install Hostmaster and the repository keyring package:
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.sudo apt install aegir3 aegir-archive-keyring
The package configuration asks for the MySQL password and Postfix configuration. Choose the mail option that matches your VPS’s role; a minimal MTA is sufficient for Aegir’s system messages if the VPS is not intended to be a full mail server. At the end of the installation, Aegir sends a one-time login URL for the Hostmaster control panel. Open it immediately and set a permanent administrator password.
What to check if the package install stops
- Confirm the FQDN resolves forward and backward before rerunning the package configuration.
- Check that only the selected web server is bound to ports 80 and 443.
- Verify that MySQL or MariaDB is running and that the password entered at the prompt is the administrative password created during database hardening.
- Read the package task output before retrying. Repeatedly running the installer while DNS or service ownership is wrong can create confusing partial configuration.
Manual installation when packages are unavailable
On a distribution without a usable Aegir package, follow the manual path in the installation documentation. Install the required system dependencies, create or switch to the non-root aegir account, install Drush, download Provision, clear Drush’s cache, and run the Hostmaster installer with a valid FQDN.
Rank #4
- Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
- Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
- All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
- Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
- Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.
drush dl --destination=/var/aegir/.drush provision-7.x
drush cache-clear drush
drush hostmaster-installRun these commands as the account intended to own Provision’s files, not as root. Supply the FQDN when the installer asks for it, then confirm the generated web-server and database configuration before exposing the control panel publicly.
Create a Drupal platform
A platform is the Drupal codebase from which one or more sites can be installed. It may contain a complete Drupal tree or be assembled from a reproducible source. Aegir supports a Drush makefile, a Composer project with composer.json, a Git repository containing a makefile, Composer project or full codebase, and an existing complete codebase.
Choose the source type
| Source | Best fit | Operational characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Composer project | Modern Drupal projects with explicit dependencies | A composer.lock file records resolved versions, making repeatable installs and dependency review easier. Aegir can run composer install for managed dependencies when Composer deployment is enabled. |
| Git repository | Teams that review code and configuration through version control | Provides a reviewable change history and a convenient rollback point when each deploy references a known commit. |
| Drush makefile | Legacy or distribution-style builds that still publish a makefile | Lists Drupal components for Aegir to assemble; the URL or path must be reachable and syntactically valid. |
| Existing codebase | Migration or a prepared Drupal tree | Useful when the full fileset already exists, but you remain responsible for confirming that its PHP, database and dependency versions are supported. |
Add and verify the platform in Hostmaster
- Sign in to Hostmaster and open Platforms → Add Platform.
- Enter a unique platform name. Use a name that identifies the Drupal major version or release line rather than a temporary hostname.
- Confirm or edit the publish path. Ensure the
aegiraccount can read and write the path as required by the selected workflow. - Provide the makefile URL or path, Git source, Composer project or existing codebase details.
- Save the platform and wait for Aegir’s verification task.
- Correct any inaccessible repository, invalid makefile, missing dependency or permission error, then rerun verification. Do not create sites from a platform that has not completed verification.
Enable Composer deployment when needed
For a Composer-managed platform, open Administration → Hosting → Optional system features → Aegir Deployment → Composer Deploy via Packagist and enable the option when your workflow requires it. Aegir scans for composer.lock and runs composer install for managed dependencies. Keep the lock file under version control and review dependency changes before promoting them to a production platform.
Install a Drupal site from the platform
Once the platform is verified, the site workflow creates the Drupal files, database and web-server entry as one sequence of Aegir tasks.
- Confirm that the site domain’s DNS record points to the VPS and that the hostname is the one you intend to publish.
- Open the Sites or hosting task workflow in Hostmaster and choose to create a site.
- Select the verified platform and the Drupal install profile appropriate to the project.
- Enter the site domain and the database name, user and password details requested by the form. Use a unique database credential for each site.
- Submit the task. Aegir generates the virtual-host configuration, creates the database, runs Drupal’s installation and reloads the affected services.
- Open the task log and check every stage for a successful result. A green-looking site is not sufficient if a database grant or post-install task failed.
- Test the site over HTTPS, including login, status reports, file uploads and any enabled search, queue or cron functionality.
Provision the TLS certificate and redirect policy using the certificate tooling you operate on the VPS, then test renewal before the first certificate expires. Keep the site’s DNS, certificate and Aegir domain values consistent; a mismatch commonly appears as a certificate-name error or an unreachable virtual host.
Operate and update sites safely
Aegir’s task log is the first place to investigate a failed verify, migrate, backup or deploy operation. Use the platform and site commands exposed by your Aegir installation for those actions rather than editing generated virtual-host files by hand; manual edits can be overwritten by the next task.
- Verify: use a verification task after changing a platform, PHP version, web-server configuration or database connection.
- Deploy: promote a reviewed Git commit or Composer lock-file change to the platform, then run the site deployment task and inspect its log.
- Migrate: take a tested backup before changing the Drupal core, database engine or platform path. Confirm the destination platform’s requirements first.
- Backup: keep database and files backups in a location independent of the VPS, and periodically perform a restore to prove that the backup is usable.
- Security updates: keep Drupal core, contributed modules, PHP and the database on supported security branches. Test updates on a separate platform before production.
Use separate web and database servers
Aegir supports a hub-and-spoke arrangement in which the Aegir master controls a remote web or database server. This can isolate workloads and provide an independent scaling path, but it adds network and credential dependencies.
- Build and harden the remote server first. Install its web server, PHP or database service, SSH and the required Aegir/Provision components.
- Establish DNS, firewall rules and SSH authentication between the Aegir master and the remote host. Restrict access to the addresses and accounts that actually need it.
- In Aegir, add the remote server and verify its services.
- Install or select a Drupal platform on that server.
- Add the Drupal installation and run verification before assigning production sites.
| Consideration | Single VPS | Separate web and database servers |
|---|---|---|
| Operational complexity | One operating system, local service calls and one backup boundary. | More SSH credentials, firewall rules, DNS records, monitoring targets and failure points. |
| Workload isolation | Web and database processes share CPU, memory and storage. | Web and database resources can be sized and maintained independently. |
| Scaling path | Scale the VPS or move the whole stack together. | Scale or replace the web and database tiers separately. |
| Latency and network surface | Local database connections avoid an inter-server hop. | Database traffic crosses a network boundary and needs firewalling, encryption considerations and latency monitoring. |
| Backup and recovery | Coordinate one machine image or a local-plus-offsite backup plan. | Synchronize web files, database dumps and configuration across independent recovery procedures. |
| Team skills | Suitable for a small team comfortable with one Linux host. | Requires staff who can administer SSH trust, routing, service health and credential rotation across hosts. |
Security and reliability checklist
- Keep the Aegir master and hosted sites on a dedicated server, use least-privilege accounts and never run Provision tasks as root.
- Run
mysql_secure_installation, remove anonymous database accounts and use strong, unique credentials for the database administrator and every Drupal site. - Verify forward and reverse DNS for the master and every remote server before installation.
- Choose Apache or Nginx deliberately and reproduce Drupal’s rewrite and security behavior when using Nginx.
- Check PHP, database, Composer and Drupal compatibility before creating a platform; consult Drupal.org’s PHP matrix and database matrix for the exact release.
- Limit SSH and database ports at the firewall, disable unused services, and rotate keys and passwords when administrators or vendors change.
- Configure TLS, off-host backups, monitoring and unattended security updates, and document a tested restore procedure.
- Keep the one-time Hostmaster login URL private and set the administrator password immediately after first login.
Common failures and their fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Package configuration cannot determine the host | Missing or inconsistent FQDN or reverse DNS | Fix the address and PTR records, confirm resolution from the VPS and rerun configuration. |
| Aegir cannot create a database user | Wrong MySQL credential, hardened account mismatch or database service unavailable | Test the administrative login locally, check the database service status and use a dedicated credential with the required privileges. |
| Site responds with the wrong virtual host | Site DNS still points elsewhere, or another web server owns the port | Check DNS, listening sockets and the generated virtual-host configuration; keep only the intended daemon bound to ports 80 and 443. |
| Composer platform verification fails | Missing composer.lock, incompatible PHP extension or inaccessible package source |
Run Composer validation in the project, install the required PHP extensions, ensure the repository is reachable and rerun verification. |
| Nginx site loads but Drupal paths return 404 or expose files | Apache .htaccess behavior was not translated to Nginx rules |
Review Drupal’s Nginx guidance, add equivalent front-controller and protected-file rules, reload Nginx and retest anonymous and authenticated paths. |
| Remote-server task times out | SSH key, firewall, DNS or service verification problem | Test SSH from the Aegir master using the Provision account, open only the required firewall path, verify hostnames and rerun the server verification task. |
When this architecture is the right fit
Aegir is most useful when you operate multiple Drupal sites and want a repeatable control plane for codebases, databases, virtual hosts and routine tasks. A single VPS keeps the first deployment simpler. A Composer or Git platform gives a stronger review and rollback workflow than ad-hoc file copies, while a makefile remains appropriate for projects built around that format. A split web/database design becomes worthwhile when independent scaling or workload isolation outweighs the additional network, security and recovery work.
Start with one correctly named, hardened VPS; verify Drupal’s version-specific requirements; complete a platform verification; and only then create the first site. That sequence prevents most failures that otherwise appear later as broken database grants, incompatible PHP extensions or an unreachable virtual host.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
