Download and install Drupal using installer

  • download the latest version of Drupal 10 installer from www.drupal.org
  • upload to your server, or place in your local server web root folder, www, htdocs, or public_html
  • extract installer, make sure the Drupal folders and files are immediately placed directly within the public folder, e.g. the list of examples indicated above
  • run the installer via browser by running https://www.domainname . com/ (online server/remote example), or http://localhost (local machine, computer example)

Configure Drupal’s media file system

  • Go to /admin/config/media/file-system; by default below needs to be set, changed, and pointed elsewhere
    • Not set
    • /tmp
  • Create sub-directories or sub-folders necessary for system tasks, e.g.
    • /private
    • /temporary
  • Download and edit your /sites/default/settings.php
  • Find the line code:
    # $settings[‘file_private_path’] = ”;
  • Uncomment by removing #, and update by entering your private folder name:
    $settings[‘file_private_path’] = ‘private’;
  • Find the line code:
    # $settings[‘file_temp_path’] = ‘/tmp’;
  • Uncomment by removing #, and update by entering your temporary folder name:
    $settings[‘file_temp_path’] = ‘temporary’;
  • Depending on your server configurations, leading slash maybe required, or not (e.g. /private, /temporary); you may also choose which location these will point to and indicated the corresponding preferred location or foldernames
  • Re-upload the settings.php file to its location; this will fail as the settings.php file in server is protected by a 444 Linux permissions, and could not be overwritten
  • Change permissions of settings.php from 444 to 644, ask help from your webhosting or web developer, or do this via File Manager from your hosting by right-clicking the file and setting permissions to reflect 644. CAUTION! Do not modify permissions other than 644, e.g. 7xx, this is a security risk
  • Go to and refresh the page /admin/config/media/file-system, check and verify the following are now set as configured:
    • private
    • temporary

Enable installation of modules (Update Manager)

By default, for security, D10 now disables being able to install and update modules by default out of the box. To enable this permission and feature:

  1. Go to /admin/modules
  2. Filter: Update Manager
  3. Check, click Install (to enable)
  4. For issues: Error message. Unable to install Update Manager, update.settings already exists in active configuration. You need either full Drupal developer support, or re-install Drupal again, some database or system config files corruption occurred. In this case a previous composer command was ran on the same directory, and replaced by manual installation the reason for the conflict. Check out related and possible solutions and fixes:
    https://www.drupal.org/forum/support/post-installation/2022-06-17/unable-to-install-update-manager
    https://www.drupal.org/node/3137656
    https://peoplesblog.co.in/articles/unable-to-install-update-manager-update-settings-already-exists-in-active-configuration.html
    See related article on this error.

Install essential and helper modules

  • Go to /admin
  • Search for drupal module + module name
  • Double check each should work with your Drupal version 10 as indicated, example as indicated:
    2.0.0 Stable release covered by the Drupal Security Team released 27 June 2023
    Works with Drupal: ^9.4 || ^10
  • To download or install, from the module or project page click on the module version number, e.g.
    2.0.0 e.g. to go to https://www.drupal.org/project/metatag/releases/2.0.0
  • Right click on “Download ZIP, or TAR” to copy the URL link address, e.g.
    https://ftp.drupal.org/files/projects/metatag-2.0.0.zip
  • Go to /modules/install to install modules, such as:
    • /backup_migrate
    • /admin_toolbar
    • /module_filter
    • /metatag
  • See list of recommended Drupal helper modules.

These are normally the initial steps and configurations who would normally need and prefer to make on your brand new Drupal 10 installation. The rest will proceed with actual website building, web designing, and development with your D10. Have fun!