Run it on hosting. Extend it from source.
VonCMS is a publishing CMS for news websites, blogs, and independent publishers. Use the Deploy ZIP for normal hosting installs, or use the source repository when you want custom themes, extensions, APIs, fixes, and release packages.
Requirements
VonCMS keeps the production server ordinary. Source development needs Node tooling, but runtime hosting does not.
PHP
PHP 8.2 or newer for the runtime and API layer.
Database
MySQL 5.7 or newer, or MariaDB 10.3 or newer.
Web Server
Apache or LiteSpeed with `.htaccess`. Nginx deployments need focused rewrite configuration.
Source Work
Node.js 22.22 or newer and npm are only needed when building or modifying the source.
Deploy ZIP Install
Use this path for normal site owners and shared-hosting installs.
- Download: Get the latest VonCMS Deploy ZIP from GitHub Releases.
- Upload: Extract the ZIP into the hosting web root.
- Database: Create a MySQL database and database user.
- Installer: Open `https://yourdomain.com/install` and complete the wizard.
- Admin: Sign in at `/admin`, choose a theme, then publish or import content.
Production hosting does not need Node.js, Vite, npm, or a separate frontend server.
Architecture
VonCMS is a compiled React application plus a PHP API/runtime. The public entry point handles routing, crawler metadata, install checks, maintenance mode, canonical URLs, redirects, and hydration data.
Included Systems
VonCMS ships the core publishing surface as baseline product behavior.
Content
Posts, pages, drafts, scheduled publishing, rich TipTap editing, media manager, categories, excerpts, metadata, keywords, responsive images, and quick edit.
Admin
Dashboard, settings, users, role boundaries, comments moderation, contact forms, newsletter tools, analytics, database utilities, audit logs, and repair tools.
Public Site
Bundled themes, navigation menus, profiles, category views, search, comments, feeds, sitemap, robots output, llms.txt, JSON-LD, canonical URLs, Open Graph, and Twitter cards.
Themes
VonCMS ships with Default, TechPress, Digest, Portfolio, Prism, and Corporate Pro themes. Theme registration lives in the core theme registry, while implementations live under the source theme folders.
Theme Registry
The registry connects bundled and custom themes to the admin and public runtime.
Local Fonts
Fresh installs use Inter locally. VonCMS does not need Google Fonts at runtime for bundled themes.
Plugins And Extensions
Plugins and extensions are for optional behavior such as SEO helpers, analytics, widgets, related posts, article blocks, campaign bars, integrations, and admin tools.
- Keep plugin settings explicit.
- Sanitize public HTML before output.
- Verify activation state in both admin UI and public theme runtime.
- Use existing APIs and shared renderers instead of duplicating runtime behavior.
- Start from the focused extension development guide when adding custom behavior.
Installer, Routing, And Updates
The installer uses `public/install.sql` and PHP installer endpoints under `public/api/`. Public routing is handled by `public/index.php` and `.htaccess` rules for install checks, maintenance mode, crawler metadata, canonical URLs, redirects, and SPA hydration.
For affected older builds, install the current Deploy ZIP manually once before relying on later OTA discovery. If updating from the v1.25 routing baseline, run System Tools > Repair `.htaccess` after the update.
Security Notes
Security guidance belongs in focused docs and code review, not marketing claims. Review release notes for version-specific security and maintenance changes before upgrading production sites.
- Do not publish exploit details in public issues.
- Back up files and database before upgrades.
- Review security-sensitive PHP API changes with focused tests.
Documentation Map
The full VonCMS developer and operator docs live in the source repository. Use the focused file for the area you are changing instead of treating the README as the only source.
Install & Upgrade
Installation, Features, Upgrade, and VPS deployment cover hosting, product scope, updates, and server notes.
Runtime Internals
API, Routing, and Security explain the PHP runtime, route handling, and review boundaries.
Customization
Extension development and Custom fonts cover source-level themes, plugins, optional behavior, and typography changes.
Project Truth
Changelog is shipped release truth. Contributing covers issues, pull requests, and security reporting.
Release Checks
Maintainer-level release work should run the full gate before packaging.