Install YOURLS: Your Own URL Shortener

What is YOURLS?

YOURLS stands for Your Own URL Shortener. It is a small set of PHP scripts that will allow you to run your own URL shortening service (TinyURL or bitly).

How to install YOURLS.

• First of all download YOURLS zip package :

YOURLS 1.7.1

• Extract this .zip file:

$ unzip YOURLS 1.7.1.zip

• Now directory to yourls:

$ mv YOURLS 1.7.1 yourls

• Copy this Directory to Document Root of your server:

$ cp -r yourls/ var/www/html/

• If you are not root user copy this to public_html directory.

• Now open /var/www/html/yourls/user/

• Copy config-sample.php to config.php

$ sudo cp config-sample.php config.php

• Now open the config.php

$ sudo vim config.php

• In this file you will find something like this:

/** MySQL database username */
define( 'YOURLS_DB_USER', 'root' );

/** MySQL database password */
define( 'YOURLS_DB_PASS', '*****' );

/** The name of the database for YOURLS */
define( 'YOURLS_DB_NAME', 'yourls' );

/** MySQL hostname.
 ** If using a non standard port, specify it like 'hostname:port', eg. 'localhost:9999' or '127.0.0.1:666' */
define( 'YOURLS_DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

/** MySQL tables prefix */
define( 'YOURLS_DB_PREFIX', 'yourls_' );

/*
 ** Site options
 */

/** YOURLS installation URL -- all lowercase and with no trailing slash.
 ** If you define it to "http://sho.rt", don't use "http://www.sho.rt" in your browser (and vice-versa) */
/** Browser will not load its CSS files if you dont write /yourls with localhost below.
** But you can also set virtual host or your document root to localhost/yourls from localhost. */
define( 'YOURLS_SITE', 'http://localhost/yourls' );
/** In case of experimental server this is */
define( 'YOURLS_SITE', 'http://202.164.53.202/~iamjagjeetubhi/yourls' );

•  Enter your Database details in it. If you dont have then create it first.

• Now things we have to do need root access.

• Enabling mod_rewrite

 $ sudo a2enmod rewrite

• Now Restart the apache:

$ sudo service apache2 restart

•  Open /etc/apache2/

• Edit the file apache2.conf

$ sudo vim apache2.conf

• You will see something like this in that file:

        
	Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
	AllowOverride None
	Require all granted
         

•  Change the: AllowOverride None to AllowOverride All

• Again Restart the Apache:

$ sudo service apache2 restart

• Now open directory /var/www/html/yourls/

• Create a file .htaccess

• Change it’s permission:

$ sudo chmod 777 .htaccess

• If .htaccess file creation/updating failed because of file permission, you’ll have to manually make one. No worry, it’s simple.

# BEGIN YOURLS

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^.*$ /yourls-loader.php [L]

# END YOURLS

•  It is last time you need to Restart apache:

$ sudo service apache2 restart

• Open browser and goes to http://localhost/yourls/admin/  (YOURL_SITE address that you put in /yourls/user/config.php)

• Now click on Install Yourls.

• Enter your username and password that you have set in /yourls/user/config.php. By default username is username and password is password

• Once your installation is completed Start creating short URL

• Open that short URL by adding with YOURL_SITE name. i.e http://localhost/yourls/short_url_here/

Thanks 🙂