Deploying Yii2 Applications

Deploying your Yii2 application on Hostinger using Git and SSH is a more secure and maintainable approach. Instead of directly uploading files into public_html, we will:

• Use Git for version control
• Deploy the app to a separate directory (projects/)
• Create a symbolic link to public_html for better structure

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1. Setting Up Git for Deployment

First, upload your Yii2 project to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

1.1 Add Your Project to GitHub

1. Initialize Git in your Yii2 project:

git init

2. Add a remote repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket):

git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git

3. Push the Yii2 project:

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git push -u origin main

This ensures your project is version-controlled and ready for deployment.

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2. Connect to Hostinger via SSH

2.1 Enable SSH Access on Hostinger

1. Log in to Hostinger’s Control Panel
2. Go to Advanced → SSH Access
3. Copy the SSH credentials (Host, Username, Port)

2.2 Connect to Hostinger via SSH

On your local terminal, run:

ssh u820827383333@your-hostinger-ip -p 65002

Replace your-hostinger-ip and 65002 with your Hostinger SSH details.

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3. Deploy Yii2 to a Secure Directory

3.1 Create a Secure Directory for Yii2

Once logged into SSH, create a projects/ folder outside public_html:

mkdir -p ~/projects/dynamicduniya

3.2 Clone Your Yii2 Project from GitHub

Navigate to the projects/ directory and clone your repository:

cd ~/projects
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git dynamicduniya

Your Yii2 project is now stored securely outside public_html.

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4. Set Up Symbolic Link to public_html

Since Hostinger serves content from public_html, we create a symbolic link to point to our projects/dynamicduniya/web folder.

4.1 Remove the Default public_html Directory

rm -rf ~/domains/dynamicduniya/public_html

Deletes existing public_html (make sure it's empty before running this).

4.2 Create a Symbolic Link to Yii2's web/ Folder

ln -s ~/projects/dynamicduniya/web ~/domains/dynamicduniya/public_html

Now, public_html points to Yii2's web/ directory securely.

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5. Configure Yii2 for Production

5.1 Set Up Database Connection

Edit config/db.php with Hostinger’s MySQL details:

return [
    'class' => 'yii\db\Connection',
    'dsn' => 'mysql:host=localhost;dbname=your_database',
    'username' => 'your_user',
    'password' => 'your_password',
    'charset' => 'utf8',
];

5.2 Set Proper File Permissions

Ensure the runtime/ and web/assets/ folders are writable:

chmod -R 777 ~/projects/dynamicduniya/runtime ~/projects/dynamicduniya/web/assets

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6. Automating Future Updates with Git

Each time you make updates, pull the latest changes from Git:

cd ~/projects/dynamicduniya
git pull origin main

This automatically updates your live app without re-uploading files manually.

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7. Optimizing Yii2 for Performance on Hostinger

7.1 Enable Yii2 Caching

Edit config/web.php to use file-based caching:

'components' => [
    'cache' => [
        'class' => 'yii\caching\FileCache',
    ],
],

This reduces database load and speeds up page rendering.

7.2 Enable Gzip Compression

Edit .htaccess in public_html to enable Gzip compression:

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/css application/javascript
</IfModule>

7.3 Enable OPcache in PHP

1. Go to Hostinger Panel → PHP Configuration
2. Enable OPcache to speed up PHP execution

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8. Secure Your Yii2 Application

8.1 Secure the runtime/ and vendor/ Folders

Add these rules to .htaccess in public_html:

<FilesMatch "(runtime|vendor)">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
</FilesMatch>

This blocks direct access to sensitive directories.

8.2 Force HTTPS (SSL)

Hostinger provides Free SSL. Add this to .htaccess:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

This redirects all traffic to HTTPS automatically.

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9. Set Up Cron Jobs for Yii2 Tasks

If your Yii2 app requires scheduled tasks, configure cron jobs in Hostinger.

9.1 Add a Yii2 Console Command in CRON

1. Go to Hostinger Panel → Cron Jobs
2. Add a new cron job:

php ~/projects/dynamicduniya/yii queue/run --verbose=1 --isolate=1

This runs Yii2 queue tasks automatically.

9.2 Example: Running a Yii2 Task Every Hour

0 * * * * php ~/projects/dynamicduniya/yii my-command

Modify my-command as per your Yii2 CLI command.

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Final Steps & Testing

• Flush Yii2 cache before testing:

php ~/projects/dynamicduniya/yii cache/flush-all

• Run database migrations (if needed):

php ~/projects/dynamicduniya/yii migrate

• Verify your app is running at https://yourdomain.com

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Conclusion

Deploying a Yii2 application on Hostinger using Git & SSH is the best approach for security, maintainability, and scalability. This method ensures:

• No direct file uploads to public_html
• Easier updates with git pull
• Improved security and performance

Use promo code DYNAMICDUNIYA for 20% off on Hostinger plans.