Building Self-Sustaining Drupal Websites with Hostinger's Low-Tier Package: A Clever Workaround

Hostinger's low-tier package offers an affordable hosting solution for individuals and small businesses looking to establish an online presence. While it may not provide an out-of-the-box solution for Drupal websites or offer easy maintenance options like GIT deployment, there exists a clever workaround that allows you to create a self-sustaining Drupal website on Hostinger. In this article, we will explore this workaround and discuss how you can leverage it to build and maintain your Drupal website.

Step 1: Installing Drupal Using Hostinger's Auto Installer

Hostinger's low-tier package includes an auto installer that simplifies the process of setting up a Drupal website. By accessing the hosting control panel, you can select Drupal as your preferred Content Management System (CMS) and proceed with the installation. This convenient feature saves you from the hassle of manual installation and ensures a quick setup.

Step 2: Transferring Your Theme, Modules, and CSS Files

Once you have installed Drupal using Hostinger's auto-installer, the next step is to transfer your theme, modules, and CSS files from your local installation to the hosted environment. This is where the clever workaround comes into play. By leveraging FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), you can securely transfer your files from your local machine to the Hostinger server.

Start by connecting to your Hostinger account through an FTP/SFTP client. Navigate to the appropriate directory where Drupal is installed (usually the "public_html" folder). Replace the default theme files with your custom theme files and copy your required modules and CSS files into their respective folders. Once the file transfer is complete, you will have your custom theme and additional functionalities available on your Hostinger-hosted Drupal website.

Maintenance Considerations

While Hostinger's low-tier package may not offer seamless GIT deployment for Drupal websites, it still allows you to maintain your self-sustaining website effectively. However, it is important to keep a few key considerations in mind:

1. Regular Backups: Since the low-tier package does not provide built-in backup solutions, it is crucial to regularly back up your Drupal website manually. This ensures that you can restore your website in case of any unforeseen issues.
2. Manual Updates: Drupal periodically releases updates, including security patches and new features. With the low-tier package, you will need to perform manual updates by downloading the latest Drupal version, transferring it to your Hostinger server, and updating your installation.
3. Version Control: Although GIT deployment is not available, you can still maintain version control for your custom theme, modules, and CSS files by using a local GIT repository. This allows you to track changes, collaborate with others, and roll back to previous versions if needed.

Conclusion

While Hostinger's low-tier package may not offer the same level of convenience and easy maintenance options as higher-tier packages or dedicated Drupal hosting providers, the clever workaround of installing Drupal using the auto-installer and transferring your custom files provides a viable solution for creating self-sustaining Drupal websites. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can leverage Hostinger's affordability and your local development environment to build and maintain a functional and customized Drupal website. Remember to stay vigilant with manual backups, updates, and version control to ensure the smooth operation of your website on Hostinger's low-tier package.