How to install Yii 2 advanced on a shared hosting environment

I've read many comments that it's not possible to install Yii 2 advanced on a shared hosting environment, as it has two webroots. This is partially true.

In this tutorial I'm going to demonstrate how to install Yii 2 advanced on GODADDY shared hosting. Why GODADDY? In GODADDY it's possible to set the document root of the subdomains and addon domains out of the public_html folder. (In other hostings this trick might not work).

My main website is in Yii 1, which is hosted on Godaddy shared hosting. I've also installed a Yii 2 advanced website on subdmain. Look:

Take note that, in this example, I installed Yii 2 advanced on a subdomain (in order not to buy a new domain). But you can install Yii 2 advanced on a domain as well.

How to achieve this? Well, we just need to create a folder on the /home/myself directory called, for example, sites (or whatever). Then we upload the Yii 2 advanced files on /home/myself/sites/yii2advanced (you can give the directory any name you want). Then, using the Godaddy cPanel, we create 2 subdomains:

  • yii2advanced.website.com ---> /home/myself/sites/yii2advanced/frontend/web
  • admin.yii2advanced.website.com ---> /home/myself/sites/yii2advanced/backend/web
home
├── myself
      ├── public_html
      ├── sites
            ├── yii2advanced
                  ├── frontend
                        ├── web
                  ├── backend
                        ├── web

Finally, you may need to add an A record of your main domain.

And that's all!!

(You can create the sites folder if you plan to put several domains/subdomains there. If not, you can just put the yii2advanced folder directly in /home/myself)

If you want to install Yii 2 on a domain instead of a subdomain you need to purchase a deluxe plan https://www.godaddy.com/hosting/web-hosting, which allows you to have multiple sites (and therefore create addon domains).

It's important to note that we don't use the public_html folder to install the Yii 2 advanced. If you want you can install any website there that doesn't need to set the document root (Joomla, Wordpress, Yii 1, etc.)