Install CiviCRM on Drupal 7¶
???+ tldr "About this document"
Drupal 7 is now officially End of Life and is *not recommended for new sites*.
If you are still using Drupal 7 [this list of options will help you evaluate your best course of action](https://civicrm.org/drupal-7-options).
Get the code¶
The CiviCRM download page provides a pre-built archive for use with Drupal 7. A typical archive file is ~20mb and looks like civicrm-X.Y.Z-drupal.tar.gz. It contains a folder named civicrm/.
In Drupal 7, there is a folder for storing add-on modules: DRUPAL_ROOT/sites/all/modules.
Download the archive and extract it into this folder. Here are a few ways to do that:
??? example "Download via web-browser"
This method does not require shell access on the server. You may adapt it based on your server's arrangement.
* On the [CiviCRM download page](https://civicrm.org/download), click the link for CiviCRM / Drupal 7. Save the file locally.
* Extract the archive locally. For example, on a Linux workstation, one might say:
```bash
cd ~/Downloads
tar xvzf civicrm-X.Y.Z-drupal.tar.gz
```
* Observe the new folder `civicrm/`.
* Using your preferred file-transfer system (SSH/SFTP, `rsync`, `git`, `mv`, etc), transfer the `civicrm/` folder to `DRUPAL_ROOT/sites/all/modules`.
??? example "Download via curl + tar"
This method requires shell access to the Drupal server.
* On the [CiviCRM download page](https://civicrm.org/download), note the current version.
* In the shell, navigate to the Drupal module folder (*adjust as appropriate*):
```bash
cd DRUPAL_ROOT/sites/all/modules
```
* In the shell, run the `curl` and `tar` commands. Adjust the version `X.Y.Z` to the appropriate value.
```bash
curl -L "https://download.civicrm.org/civicrm-X.Y.Z-drupal.tar.gz" | tar xvz
```
??? example "Download via Drupal web UI"
This is the easiest way for a new administrator. However, it may not work in all deployments or all versions. For example, if the Drupal server has a locked-down configuration, then it may encounter permission errors or timeouts. The only way to find out is to try.
* On the [CiviCRM download page](https://civicrm.org/download), right-click the link for CiviCRM / Drupal 7. Copy the URL.
* Login to your Drupal site with *administrator* permissions.
* Navigate to **Modules >> Install new module**.
* Paste the URL
* Click "Install"
??? warning "This may not work with CiviCRM 5.13-5.30"
In CiviCRM versions 5.13 - 5.30, the prebuilt tarball included a symlink which is not accepted by the Drupal 7 installer. This should work again in 5.31.
<!-- TODO: After 5.31 has been out for a while, we can move this option higher up and remove/downgrade the notice. -->
??? warning "The "Upload"/"Browse" option is unlikely to work."
The **Install new module** page provides another option for uploading the archive from your local computer. In a default PHP configuration, the upload limits are too conservative to accept the CiviCRM archive.
In all cases, the final outcome should be the creation of a new folder:
DRUPAL_ROOT/sites/all/modules/civicrm
Get the translations for Drupal 7¶
The basic CiviCRM release includes support for US English (en_US). To use another language or dialect, please download and extract the translation files.
Run the installer for Drupal 7¶
The installer verifies requirements, prepares the database, and initializes the configuration file. You may run the installer through the web interface (which is simpler) or the command-line interface (which has more options).
??? example "Run installer via Drupal 7 web UI"
1. Enable the "CiviCRM" module:
* Login to your Drupal site with *administrator* permissions.
* Navigate to the "Modules" page (`admin/modules`).
* Find "CiviCRM" and enable it.
* At the bottom, click "Save Configuration".
2. After enabling, the status message will display a link to "configure CiviCRM". Click it.
??? question "What if I didn't notice the link?"
Use the URL bar. Navigate to the `civicrm` page (e.g. `https://example.com/civicrm`).
3. The CiviCRM installer will open.
* *If there are unmet requirements*, the installer will list them. Consult the [Requirements](../requirements/index.md) documentation for additional advice.
* *If all the requirements are met*, proceed through the brief questionnaire.
* *If you have [a separate MySQL database for CiviCRM](../requirements/index.md#mysql-connection)*, then locate "Environment: CiviCRM Database". Click the edit icon and enter the [database URL](../requirements/index.md#mysql-connection).
* Finally, click "Install CiviCRM".
??? example "Run installer via the command-line"
CiviCRM has a command-line administration tool, `cv`, which can perform installation. For details, see [command-line installer](../general/cli-cv.md).
Troubleshooting¶
- Review the Troubleshooting page for help with problems you may encounter during the installation.