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Choose Omeka S or Omeka Classic before provisioning the VPS
The two Omeka editions are separate applications. Their supported PHP versions, database drivers, required extensions, configuration files, background-job behavior, and module or theme compatibility are not interchangeable. Decide which edition you are deploying before selecting a PHP package or copying files.
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|---|---|---|
| Operating system and web server | Linux with Apache; AllowOverride All and mod_rewrite are required |
Linux with Apache and mod_rewrite |
| Database | MySQL 5.7.9 or newer, or MariaDB 10.2.6 or newer | MySQL 5.5.5 or newer |
| PHP | PHP 8.1 or newer; PHP 8.4 is supported beginning with Omeka S 4.2 | PHP 7.1 or newer; the Classic requirements page says 3.2.1 supports PHP as high as 8.5 |
| Required PHP extensions | pdo, pdo_mysql, mbstring, and xml |
mysqli and exif |
| Image and thumbnail support | Optional: ImageMagick, the PHP imagick extension, or GD |
ImageMagick is required by the stated Classic requirements |
| Main configuration location | config/database.ini |
Use the configuration file shipped with the Classic release |
“Newer PHP” is not automatically safer. A release can fail when an extension is missing or when a theme or module expects an older API. Match the application version to the PHP version installed on the VPS, and test upgrades on a copy before changing a production site.
What the VPS must provide
Use a Linux VPS where you have root or sudo access, control over Apache and PHP packages, access to web-server and PHP logs, and a backup mechanism. Storage should cover the operating system, database, Omeka code, uploaded files, generated thumbnails, and at least one local staging copy. A managed VPS is acceptable only if its control panel still lets you set Apache overrides, enable rewrite support, select the required PHP extensions, and read the relevant logs.
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- Administrative access through SSH or an equivalent console.
- A supported Linux distribution with security updates.
- Apache, PHP, and MySQL or MariaDB package control.
- A DNS name pointed at the VPS and a document root dedicated to this installation.
- Regular database and
files/backups stored outside the VPS. - Firewall rules that expose HTTP and HTTPS while restricting database access to the local machine or trusted hosts.
The exact package names differ by distribution. The commands below illustrate a Debian or Ubuntu-style system; use the equivalent packages and service names on another Linux distribution.
Prepare Apache, PHP, and the database server
Update the operating system, install Apache, the PHP version required by your chosen edition, the database server, and the extensions listed in the table. Do not install two competing PHP versions and assume Apache and the command line will choose the same one.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-cli libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-mbstring php-xmlFor Classic, add the package providing mysqli, exif, and ImageMagick if your distribution splits them from the base PHP package. For Omeka S thumbnail generation, install either ImageMagick with the PHP imagick extension or GD. Confirm what Apache and the shell actually use:
php -v
php -m
sudo apachectl -M | grep rewrite
sudo systemctl status apache2
sudo systemctl status mysqlThe module list should show the extensions required by the edition. If php -m reports the right modules but Apache uses a different PHP handler, inspect the enabled Apache configuration and PHP-FPM service before continuing.
Create a dedicated database and account
Give each Omeka installation its own database and database user. Omeka S documentation specifically advises not reusing a database or table prefix from another Omeka installation. Separate credentials limit accidental cross-site changes and make migrations easier.
sudo mysql
CREATE DATABASE omeka_site CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'omeka_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-long-random-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON omeka_site.* TO 'omeka_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;Use a password manager to generate the password and keep it out of shell history where possible. If the database is on another host, replace localhost with the permitted source address, open only the required firewall path, and verify that the database server accepts remote connections. A successful login from the VPS is a useful pre-installation check:
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mysql -u omeka_user -p -h localhost omeka_siteDownload, configure, and place Omeka in the document root
Omeka S
- Download the Omeka S release archive that matches your planned deployment and verify the archive before extraction.
- Extract it outside the public directory first, then copy the resulting application directory into the site document root, such as
/var/www/omeka-s. - Before uploading or exposing the site, edit
config/database.iniand enter the database name, user, password, and host created in the previous section. - Keep the file readable by the web server but not world-writable. Never place database credentials in a file served as a static download.
Omeka Classic
- Download the Classic release that matches the PHP version and the modules or themes you intend to use.
- Extract the archive into the document root or a subdirectory, preserving the supplied
.htaccessfile. - Use the browser installer to enter the database host, name, user, and password when prompted.
If the archive was extracted on a workstation, check hidden files before uploading. A missing .htaccess can look like a PHP failure because routes that should be rewritten to the application instead return errors or incorrect pages.
Configure Apache rewrites and AllowOverride
Clean Omeka URLs depend on Apache rewrite support. Enable mod_rewrite, and make sure the directory containing Omeka is covered by a Directory block with AllowOverride All. Without the override, Apache ignores the application’s .htaccess rules even when the file is present.
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2A minimal virtual host for a site installed at /var/www/omeka-s looks like this:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName archive.example.org
DocumentRoot /var/www/omeka-s
<Directory /var/www/omeka-s>
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/omeka-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/omeka-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>Enable the site, test the configuration, and reload Apache:
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sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2The test must report a valid configuration before you reload. If the site is installed in a subdirectory, adjust the document root and preserve the release’s expected base path. A reverse proxy, control panel, or PHP-FPM setup may use a different virtual-host layout, but the requirements remain: Apache must load rewrite support, and the Omeka directory must allow the required overrides.
Set ownership and write permissions safely
Apache needs to write Omeka’s files/ directory for uploaded media and generated data. The relevant Omeka log directory must also be writable when application logging is enabled. Make only those runtime directories writable; do not make the whole application tree world-writable.
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sudo chown -R root:www-data /var/www/omeka-s
sudo find /var/www/omeka-s -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find /var/www/omeka-s -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/omeka-s/files
sudo chmod -R u+rwX,g+rwX /var/www/omeka-s/filesUse the web-server account for your distribution instead of assuming it is www-data. If you later enable Omeka logging, apply equivalent ownership and permissions to the documented log location. Excessive permissions can hide the real problem while creating a larger security risk.
Finish the browser installation and verify the PHP CLI path
- Open the site URL, followed by
/admin, in a browser. - Complete the installation form. Enter the dedicated database credentials exactly, including the host name.
- Create the administrator account with a unique password and store the recovery information securely.
- Sign in and open the System Information page.
- Check the PHP command-line path shown there. Omeka S uses PHP CLI for background jobs; an invalid or stale path can leave jobs failing even when page requests work.
- If autodetection selected the wrong binary, set the path manually to the PHP executable used by the supported installation, then run another system-information check.
Do not delete the installation files until you have confirmed that the administrator area, a public item page, an upload, and any enabled background job all work. Take a database and file backup immediately after the clean installation.
Use a log-first method for every HTTP 500
HTTP 500 means the server could not complete the request; it does not identify the cause. Record the exact time, URL, and action that produced the response, then inspect the log lines from that minute. The Omeka forum’s practical guidance is that an Apache problem normally appears in Apache’s log, while a PHP problem may appear in the Apache log or in a separate PHP log, depending on the PHP setup.
Check Apache and PHP logs first
sudo tail -n 100 /var/log/apache2/error.log
sudo tail -n 100 /var/log/apache2/omeka-error.log
sudo journalctl -u apache2 --since '15 minutes ago'
sudo journalctl -u php8.2-fpm --since '15 minutes ago'Replace the PHP-FPM service name with the version actually installed. On another distribution, use its Apache and PHP log paths. Look for a fatal error, an uncaught exception, a missing class or extension, a permission denial, a syntax error in a virtual host, or a database connection failure. The first relevant line at the request time is usually more useful than the final generic 500 line.
Then inspect Omeka’s own logs
Omeka’s application logs can reveal a module, theme, routing, or database error that Apache reports only as a generic failure. Ensure the relevant log directory is writable before relying on it. Omeka Classic can write errors to application/logs/errors.log when log.errors is enabled. Omeka S has its own error-logging configuration and developer-style diagnostics.
Never paste credentials, session tokens, or private item data into a public support request. Copy only the timestamped error and the surrounding stack information needed to identify the failing component.
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Fix the common causes in the order they appear
1. PHP version or extension mismatch
Confirm the application edition and exact release, then compare it with the PHP version used by Apache, not only the one returned by an SSH shell. Omeka S 4.2 requires PHP 8.1 or newer plus pdo, pdo_mysql, mbstring, and xml. Classic 3.2 requires PHP 7.1 or newer plus mysqli and exif. A missing extension commonly produces a fatal “class not found” or “undefined function” entry in the log.
Install the missing module for the active PHP version, restart or reload the PHP handler, and retry the same URL. If the installed PHP is outside the edition’s supported range, either install a supported PHP version or upgrade the application and verify module and theme compatibility. Do not solve a compatibility error by disabling random extensions.
2. Apache rewrite, AllowOverride, or .htaccess failure
Check all three conditions together:
mod_rewriteis loaded.- The Omeka directory is covered by
AllowOverride Allor by an equivalent configuration that permits the required rewrite directives. - The release’s
.htaccessfile exists in the expected directory and was not omitted as a hidden file during upload.
Run apachectl configtest after editing the virtual host. A directive rejected by Apache will appear immediately in the syntax-test output or service journal. A route that fails only when opened directly, while the home page loads, strongly suggests a rewrite or base-path issue rather than a database failure.
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3. Database credentials or permissions
Recheck the host, database name, user, and password character by character. Test the same credentials from the VPS with the MySQL client. Confirm that the account has privileges on the intended database and that the database service is running. For Omeka S, these values belong in config/database.ini; changing a different configuration file will have no effect.
Do not point a new installation at an existing Omeka database unless you deliberately planned a migration and have a verified backup. Reusing another installation’s tables or prefix can produce missing-table errors and data corruption.
4. Filesystem permissions
If the log reports “permission denied” while uploading, generating a thumbnail, or writing a log, inspect the owner and mode of files/ and the relevant log directory. The account running Apache or PHP-FPM must have write access. Restore restrictive read permissions on application code after correcting the runtime directories.
5. Invalid PHP CLI path
A website can render pages while background jobs fail because the CLI path points to a removed PHP binary. Use Omeka S’s System Information page, compare the configured path with command -v php, and set the correct executable when necessary. Re-run the job after changing it and inspect the PHP CLI output separately from Apache’s request log.
6. A module or theme introduced the failure
If the 500 began immediately after enabling a module, theme, or update, disable that component using the edition’s administration tools or a controlled filesystem rollback, then retest. Restore the last known-good code and database backup if the administration area is unreachable. Keep a written list of each change so you can identify the first failing action instead of changing several variables at once.
Enable diagnostics temporarily, then turn them off
For Classic, the documented diagnostic options include setting SetEnv APPLICATION_ENV development or enabling error display in .htaccess. Classic can also log to application/logs/errors.log when log.errors is enabled. Omeka S provides developer-style error tracking through its error-logging configuration.
Use verbose display only on a private staging copy or during a short, access-controlled maintenance window. PHP notices can disclose filesystem paths, database details, and request data. Once you have captured the stack trace, restore production error handling and keep logging enabled at a level that does not expose secrets.
Recovery matrix for a 500 response
| What you observe | Most useful next check | Typical corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| 500 immediately after changing PHP | Apache/PHP log for missing extensions or fatal compatibility errors | Install the edition’s required modules or switch to a supported PHP version |
| Home page works but item or admin routes fail | Rewrite module, AllowOverride, and presence of .htaccess |
Enable rewrite support and correct the virtual-host directory block |
| Failure on install or after editing database settings | Database-client login and the application configuration file | Correct host, database, user, password, and grants |
| Upload or thumbnail operation fails | Owner and mode of files/, plus ImageMagick/GD availability |
Grant the web server write access and install a supported image backend |
| Pages work but scheduled/background work fails | Omeka S System Information PHP CLI path | Point Omeka to the valid PHP executable and rerun the job |
| No useful application log is created | Log-directory ownership and application logging settings | Make the log location writable, enable logging briefly, and retry |
After the installation: hardening and maintenance
- Apply operating-system, Apache, PHP, database, and Omeka security updates on a maintenance schedule.
- Keep the database and uploaded files in separate backups, and test restoring both to a staging VPS.
- Restrict database network access and use SSH keys or another strong administrative login method.
- Serve the site over HTTPS and redirect plain HTTP once the certificate is working.
- Monitor Apache, PHP, and Omeka logs for repeated fatal errors, authentication failures, and disk-space warnings.
- Document the Omeka edition, release, PHP binary path, enabled extensions, virtual-host file, database name, and backup location.
- Before upgrading PHP or Omeka, clone the VPS or restore a backup to staging, test administrator login, public routes, uploads, thumbnails, modules, themes, and background jobs.
A predictable deployment is the best defense against a 500: one supported edition, one dedicated database, explicit Apache rewrite settings, minimum necessary write permissions, and logs that are readable at the moment a failure occurs.
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