Installation Wizard

Chamilo 2.0 includes a web-based installation wizard that guides you through the initial setup. The wizard runs automatically when you access the platform for the first time.

Before You Start

Ensure the following prerequisites are met:

1. Your server meets all server requirements.

2. You have downloaded a packaged (zip or tar.gz) version of Chamilo.

3. Your web server is configured to serve the public/ directory as the document root.

4. Your .env file exists and is empty (the wizard will guide database setup).

Step 1: Installation Language

Installation wizard Step 1 — language selection

The first step lets you select the language for the installation process. Choose your preferred language from the dropdown.

If Chamilo detects an existing installation (for an upgrade), it will display the migration status and offer an upgrade path instead of a fresh install.

Step 2: Requirements Check

Installation wizard Step 2 — requirements check showing PHP version, extensions, and directory permissions

The wizard checks your server environment:

• PHP version is 8.2 or superior

• Required PHP extensions are installed (intl, gd, curl, zip, mbstring, xml, etc.)

• Recommended PHP settings — date.timezone is configured, adequate upload/memory limits

• Directory and file permissions — var/, config/, and public/upload/ are writable by the web server

If any requirements are not met, the wizard displays warnings or errors. Resolve them before proceeding.

Step 3: License

Installation wizard Step 3 — license acceptance

This step displays the GNU/GPLv3 license. You must check the "I accept" checkbox to proceed.

Optionally, you can expand the Contact information section to provide details about your organization (name, email, company, country). This is voluntary and helps the Chamilo community understand who uses the platform, but will also allow us to contact you very rarely about events happening close to you.

Step 4: Database Settings

Installation wizard Step 4 — database connection configuration

Enter your database connection details:

Field	Description
Database host	The hostname or IP of your database server (e.g., localhost or 127.0.0.1)
Database port	Default: 3306 for MySQL/MariaDB
Database name	The name of the database to use (alphanumeric and underscores only)
Database user	A database user with full privileges on the specified database
Database password	The password for the database user

Click Check database connection to test. The wizard will not let you proceed until the connection is successful. If the database already exists, a warning is displayed.

Step 5: Configuration Settings

Installation wizard Step 5 — administrator account, portal settings, and email configuration

This step combines administrator account creation, portal settings, and email configuration.

Administrator Account

Field	Description
Login	The administrator username
Password	Choose a strong password — this account has full platform access
First name	The administrator's first name
Last name	The administrator's last name
Email	Used for system notifications and password resets
Phone	Optional contact number

These admin details will also be used by Chamilo to populate the support contact details, so make sure you go reconfigure that in the settings after the installation concluded.

Portal Settings

Field	Description
Language	The default interface language
Portal name	The name of your platform (e.g., "My Organization LMS")
Company short name	Your organization's abbreviated name
Company URL	Your organization's website
Encryption method	Password hashing algorithm — bcrypt is recommended
Allow self-registration	Yes / No / After approval
Allow self-registration as trainer	Yes / No

Email Configuration

The email settings section lets you configure the mail transport (SMTP, Amazon SES, Mailjet, etc.) and test email delivery. See Email Configuration for details.

All these settings can be changed later from the administration panel.

Step 6: Last Check Before Install

Installation wizard Step 6 — review of all settings before installation

This step displays a summary of everything you entered for review:

• Administrator credentials (password is hidden by default — click the eye icon to reveal)

• Portal settings

• Database connection details

Review carefully, then click Install Chamilo to execute the installation. The wizard creates all database tables, populates initial data, and configures the platform.

Step 7: Installation Complete

Installation wizard Step 7 — completion with security advice and portal link

After installation completes successfully, the wizard shows:

• Getting started advice — Suggests creating your first course to explore the platform (as admin, you need to do this from the admin panel)

• Security recommendations:

  • Make the config/ directory read-only (chmod 0555)

  • Delete the public/main/install/ directory

• A link to your portal to log in with the administrator credentials you just created

Post-Installation

After completing the wizard:

• Remove or restrict access to the installer -- The wizard should not be accessible after installation. Chamilo typically locks it automatically, but verify that re-visiting the install URL redirects to the login page.

• Configure email delivery -- See Email Configuration.

• Set up backups -- Before adding content, configure automated database and file backups (Chamilo does not provide a solution for this, but copying the var/ folder and the database are the 2 most important elements).

• Review security settings -- See Security Settings.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Blank page at install URL	Check PHP error logs. Change to APP_ENV=dev in .env temporarily to see errors in the browser.
Database connection fails	Verify credentials, confirm the database exists, check that the database server allows connections from the web server host.
Permission denied errors	Ensure var/ is writable by the web server user.
Assets not loading (no CSS/JS)	Run yarn install && yarn build to compile frontend assets.