Test Project Browser on Hostinger

Add "Make sure to actually install a few modules" step, add link.

Steps to Install

Drupal Install Notes

When setting up a hosting account on Hostinger, a series of prompts guides you through selecting a CMS. They promote Wordpress and their own website builder, but other options are available, one of which is Drupal.

1. Use the Auto Installer tool from the Websites tab to start the Drupal installation.
2. Click Select on the Other card.
3. Search for Drupal and then click Select.
4. Type a Website Title, Admin email, username and password. Under the Advanced section, optionally specify an installation path and database options.
5. Choose a Drupal version, language, PHP version and Application Update settings. Click Install.
6. After the installation completes, access your Drupal site on the Websites tab of your hosting Dashboard.

Detailed Instructions with Images

https://kimdomenick.github.io/projectbrowser/InstallDrupal/

Project Browser Install Notes

There are multiple ways to manage a Drupal site and module installation on Drupal. These instructions assume no previous Drupal experience or experience with Composer, repo management or local development.

Install with URL

On Hostinger, the easiest way to install Project Browser is through the module tarball URL. Visit the Project Browser page on Drupal.org, scroll to the Releases section and click on the latest release.

1. Right-click on either of the download options and Copy Link Address.
2. In your Drupal site, navigate to /admin/modules/install
3. Paste the URL and click Continue
4. After the module is added, the following screen will appear. Click the link to Enable newly added modules.
5. On the /admin/modules screen, Search for Project Browser, Check the box next to it, click Install.
6. After successful installation, a new Browse tab will appear on the /admin/modules screen.
7. Click Browse to begin browsing and installing additional modules.

Install with Upload or File Manager

NOTE: Use this option only if you are familiar with Drupal’s architecture.

Hostinger allows you to manage the file system of your website directly through the File Manager tool. The File Manager tool may be helpful for other tasks, as well.

Access File Manager by first selecting the Manage button on the Home tab of your Hostinger dashboard, located to the right of your selected hosting plan.
Expand the Files section on the left sidebar and click File Manager.
This opens a new window with direct access to the file system of your website. Your installation location and directories may vary.
Upload and unzip the module tarball to the modules directory.
In your Drupal site, navigate to /admin/modules. Locate and Enable the Project Browser module.

Install/Manage with Git

NOTE: Use this option only if you have a Github account, and are familiar with Git version management and Drupal’s architecture.

Hostinger provides instructions for connecting to an existing Github repository.

This process works for existing repositories that already contain a Drupal site. It allows you to deploy that existing site to your Hostinger account. However, the opposite does not seem to apply (you cannot take a Drupal site installed through Hostinger and push that to a repo).

(Needs further review)

Install with Composer

Hostinger provides instructions for using Composer with their Web Premium, Web Business, and Cloud plans.

This requires SSH access, which may not be available on lower-tier plans.

Detailed Instructions with Images

https://kimdomenick.github.io/projectbrowser/InstallProjectBrowser/

Unfortunately, after enabling the Project Browser module, it is not able to Add and Install modules. Suspect file system permissions issues.

Expected result (Add and Install button)

Actual result (View Commands buton)

Opened thread in Drupal Slack
https://drupal.slack.com/archives/C01UHB4QG12/p1718991635577659

@kdomenick Thanks for creating this issue and testing Project Browser on Hostinger.

You have great setup notes, so it would be great to get those on a child page under here:

https://www.drupal.org/docs/extending-drupal/contributed-modules/contrib... →

This is the Slack thread:

pfrilling
Are necessary file permissions to allow PB to install modules from the UI documented somewhere? (edited) 

phenaproxima
Package Manager will check permissions for you and give an error if they’re not okay

phenaproxima
But long story short, the web server needs to have write access to the Drupal code base

pfrilling
Thanks. That's what I assumed.

Moving this to "needs work" for further testing or followup with the hosting provider.

Thanks @kdomenick, I created a page in the documentation for Hostinger, so it's ready when the details have been sorted out.

https://www.drupal.org/docs/extending-drupal/contributed-modules/contrib... →

Thanks @ressa! I will circle back to this soon and get some info added to the child page, hopefully with resolution on setting permissions.

Great! Thanks for verifying and documenting if Project Browser works on Hostinger, it's an important task.

Update Issue Summary "Remaining tasks", linking to parent issue.

Adding an update so that everyone knows work is ongoing. I believe the issue I'm seeing (Project Browser can't install modules) is because:

Project Browser needs the Automatic Updates module.

I believe this is the case, based on this message on /admin/config/development/project_browser

The ability to install modules via the Project Browser UI requires Package Manager version 2.5 or newer. Package Manager is provided as part of the Automatic Updates module.

The Automatic Updates module MUST be installed with Composer

This is noted on the project page for the Automatic Updates module, and I got the following error:

External dependencies for Package Manager are not available. Composer must be used to download the module with dependencies.

I'm a dev, and I know how to use Composer (and I know that's what we all should be using to maintain modules), but this creates an interesting challenge. Budget hosts don't always make it simple to use Composer to manage projects, and Hostinger doesn't offer SSH access on some lower-tier plans. The person who doesn't know how to use Composer will inevitably install through the UI, because it's easy.

Next steps

I think my plan has SSH access, so I'll go through the steps to reinstall everything with Composer and re-test. And it looks like I'll be rewriting this documentation. :)

I continue to have other challenges with Hostinger and Image Styles, which I think are permissions related, despite giving wide-open perms on sites/default. I'm keeping a running list of all the oddities I encounter.

Additional Issues with Hostinger

In addition to needing to install with Composer (requirements of the Automatic Updates module), Hostinger's Cloud hosting plans are not able to set the correct permissions on the site, regardless of how Drupal is installed.

In order to have the server access for a proper Drupal installation, you must purchase a VPS Plan from the start. If you purchased a Cloud Hosting plan, they can't automatically migrate it to a VPS plan. You have to purchase a separate VPS Plan and move your sites yourself.

For all the good it will do, I complained to Hostinger's Chat Bot that they shouldn't allow Drupal installations on a hosting plan that can't support the correct permissions.