Quick Start

This document covers only one thing: the steps required to turn X1 from a downloaded package into an accessible website. Each step is kept as short as possible; installation details are not covered here—follow the links when you need them.

Overall flow

1. Download the release package and verify it.
2. Upload it to the server, configure the site root and directory permissions.
3. Open the site in a browser and create the first administrator.
4. Fill in the site information.
5. Publish your first page.

X1 is a free and source-available site program, current version X1.0.0-beta.4. It has no step-by-step installation wizard; the database is created automatically on first visit, so the process is shorter than with a traditional CMS.

Step 1: Download and verify

After obtaining the release package from official channels, confirm the files are intact before uploading. The directory in the release package is the program itself, and the site root is public/.

• Check the checksum provided with the release package to confirm the download is not corrupted.
• After extracting, check the directory structure: public/, app/, and data/ should all be present.
• If the release package already includes vendor/, you can skip installing dependencies.

For environment requirements, PHP extensions, nginx configuration, and cron, see Environment Requirements and Installation Deployment.

Step 2: Upload and directory permissions

Place on the server, and point the site root only to public/. app/ and data/ must be placed outside the site root and must not be directly accessible from the browser.

• data/ must be writable by the user running the website; the database, app.key, cache, and uploaded files are all stored here.
• On first visit, the program automatically creates data/app.key and sets it to 0600. Do not delete or replace this file.
• The PHP upload limit and nginx's client_max_body_size must match or the latter must be larger; otherwise, large images will be rejected before reaching the program.

For specific commands and nginx examples, see Environment Requirements and Installation Deployment.

Step 3: First visit and create an administrator

Simply open the site address in a browser. If the database does not exist, the program automatically creates the database, creates tables, writes default settings, and generates app.key; there is no need to import SQL manually.

If no administrator has been created yet, visiting any page redirects to /admin/setup. On this one-time setup page, fill in:

After successful creation, the current browser is automatically logged in and enters the admin home page /admin; /admin/setup permanently returns 404 and can no longer be used to create a second administrator.

The site name is not filled in on this page. After creating the administrator, go to "Settings → Site Basic → Basic Information" to modify it. For complete instructions, see First Visit and Administrator Account.

Step 4: Fill in the website information

Log in to the admin panel, click "Settings" in the left menu, go to "Site Basic → Basic Information", and change the site name, contact information, and other details to your company's information. The default site name is "KingCMS"; you should change it in this step.

• The "?" icon next to setting fields is a help entry; hover over it to see the field description.
• The admin interface is in Chinese; the setting columns and menu names are all in Chinese.
• HTTPS should be configured before going live; WeChat and Alipay callbacks and Secure cookies all depend on HTTPS.

For the purpose of each setting, see Parameter Settings.

Step 5: Publish your first page

Content is organized by creating categories in "System settings → Categories" and then writing articles in "Content → Articles". Create a category first, then write articles under it, and the pages will be accessible on the front end.

1. Click "System settings → Categories" in the left menu and create a new category, for example "About Us".
2. Click "Content → Articles" in the left menu and create a new article under that category, filling in the title and body.
3. After saving, open it on the front end to confirm it displays correctly.

For field descriptions of categories and articles, see Categories and Articles.

Quick checks before going live

• You can use "Change Password" in the upper right corner of the admin panel; the new password must be at least 8 characters.
• If you forget the administrator password, reset it with php bin/kingcms admin:reset-password; this will not clear categories, articles, products, or settings.
• Configure cron so that the per-minute hooks of enabled modules and scheduled admin tasks run properly; see Environment Requirements and Installation Deployment.
• For backups, see Backup; for upgrades, see Upgrade.

At this point, the website is accessible, you can log in to the admin panel, and you can publish content. Afterward, enable modules, adjust themes, and configure settings as needed for your business.