# Installing Varbase locally with DDEV
This guide walks you through installing Varbase 11.0.x on your local machine using [DDEV](https://ddev.readthedocs.io/), a Docker-based local development tool designed for PHP projects.
## Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following installed on your machine:
1. **Docker**: DDEV requires Docker (or a compatible container runtime such as Colima or OrbStack).
* Install Docker Desktop from
2. **DDEV**: Install DDEV by following the official installation guide:
*
## Step 1: Create the Project Directory
Create a new directory for your Varbase project and navigate into it:
```bash
mkdir my_varbase_site
cd my_varbase_site
```
Replace `my_varbase_site` with your desired project directory name.
## Step 2: Configure DDEV
Run the DDEV configuration command with the following options:
```bash
ddev config --project-type=drupal11 --docroot=web --php-version=8.4
```
This configures the project as a Drupal 11 site with:
* **Docroot**: `web` (the Varbase web root).
* **PHP version**: `8.4`.
* **Project name**: Defaults to the directory name.
## Step 3: Start DDEV
Start the DDEV environment:
```bash
ddev start
```
This command pulls the required Docker images, creates the containers, and starts the development environment. The first run may take a few minutes.
## Step 4: Create the Varbase Project
Use Composer inside DDEV to create the Varbase project:
```bash
ddev composer create-project "drupal/varbase_project:~11.0.0"
```
This downloads Varbase and all of its dependencies (Drupal core, contributed modules, recipes, themes, and libraries) into the project directory.
The **Varbase Installer** will handle the Drupal installation and apply all Varbase recipes automatically, configuring the full feature set including:
* Drupal CMS 2.0 recipes (admin UI, media, SEO, anti-spam, privacy, and more)
* Varbase recipes (content, admin, media, editor, security, SEO, workflow, blog, and more)
* Easy Email recipes for HTML email support
* Vartheme BS5 front-end theme and Gin admin theme
## Step 5: Launch Your Site
After the installation is complete, open your site in a browser:
```bash
ddev launch
```
## Complete Installation Commands
Here are all the commands together for quick reference:
```bash
mkdir my_varbase_site
cd my_varbase_site
ddev config --project-type=drupal11 --docroot=web --php-version=8.4
ddev start
ddev composer create-project "drupal/varbase_project:~11.0.0"
ddev launch
```
## Useful DDEV Commands
| Command | Description |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `ddev start` | Start the project containers |
| `ddev stop` | Stop the project containers |
| `ddev restart` | Restart the project containers |
| `ddev launch` | Open the site in your default browser |
| `ddev drush [command]` | Run a Drush command inside the container |
| `ddev composer [command]` | Run a Composer command inside the container |
| `ddev ssh` | SSH into the web container |
| `ddev describe` | Show project information and URLs |
### Custom DDEV Commands for Varbase
#### `ddev install-varbase`
Installs Varbase from scratch using `drush site:install varbase` with the Varbase profile and Drupal recipes.
```
# Minimal install: core Varbase only (no extra recipes)
ddev install-varbase minimal
# Full install: core + dev, i18n, api, auth recipes + social auth modules
ddev install-varbase full
```
#### `ddev init-full-automated-testing`
Full initialization for automated testing. Handles everything from a fresh `ddev start`:
1. Installs Varbase if the database is empty
2. Applies optional Varbase recipes (`varbase_dev_base`, `varbase_i18n_base`, `varbase_api_base`, `varbase_auth_base`, `varbase_ai_base`)
3. Enables social auth modules (`social_auth_facebook`, `social_auth_linkedin`)
4. Adds testing users for each Varbase role
5. Disables the antibot module (required for automated browser testing)
6. Disables CSS/JS aggregation
7. Sets verbose error logging
#### `ddev init-minimal-automated-testing`
Minimal initialization for automated testing on an already installed site. Does not install Varbase or apply recipes:
1. Verifies Drupal is installed (exits with error if not)
2. Adds testing users for each Varbase role
3. Disables the antibot module
4. Disables CSS/JS aggregation
5. Sets verbose error logging
#### `ddev add-testing-users` / `ddev delete-testing-users`
Manage testing user accounts individually.
## Troubleshooting
* If `ddev start` fails, ensure Docker is running and that no other services are using the same ports.
* Run `ddev poweroff` followed by `ddev start` to reset the DDEV environment if you encounter persistent issues.
* Check DDEV logs with `ddev logs` for detailed error information.
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