Installing composer

Composer is a dependency manager for PHP that allows you to install and manage libraries and frameworks easily. On ruachost.com, Composer can be installed and configured directly from the command line.

Why Use Composer?

• Manage project dependencies automatically.

• Keep libraries up to date with a single command.

• Ensure consistent environments across development and production.

• Required by popular frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter.

Steps to Install Composer

Step 1: Log in via SSH

• Access your hosting account using SSH.

• Navigate to your home directory:

  Bash
  
  cd ~
  

Step 2: Create a Bin Directory

• Create a directory for Composer:

  Bash
  
  mkdir -p ~/bin
  

   

Step 3: Download the Installer

• Run the following command to download Composer’s installer:

  Bash
  
  wget https://getcomposer.org/installer -O composer-setup.php
  

   

Step 4: Install Composer

• Execute the installer:

  Bash
  
  php ~/composer-setup.php
  

   

• Move the Composer binary to your bin directory:

  Bash
  
  php ~/composer-setup.php --install-dir=$HOME/bin --filename=composer.phar
  

   

Step 5: Create a Helper Script

• Create a helper script to run Composer easily:

  Bash
  
  cat > ~/bin/composer << 'EOF'
  #!/bin/bash
  php $HOME/bin/composer.phar "$@"
  EOF
  

   

• Make the script executable:

  Bash
  
  chmod +x ~/bin/composer
  

Step 6: Update Your PATH

• Add the bin directory to your PATH:

  Bash
  
  echo 'export PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bash_profile
  source ~/.bash_profile
  

Verifying Installation

• Run the following command to confirm Composer is installed:

  Bash
  
  composer -V
  

• You should see the Composer version number displayed.

Updating Composer

• To update Composer to the latest version:

  Bash
  
  composer self-update