Run Multiple Geeklog Sites from a Single Installation

I currently run several independent Geeklog websites — each with its own database, theme, and data — using one shared installation of Geeklog. This setup is simple, efficient, and ideal for multilingual or multi-domain projects.

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🧩 The Concept

Geeklog is normally designed to run one site per installation. In this setup, all sites share the same core codebase, but db-config.php and siteconfig.php detect the domain name ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) to load the correct configuration for each website.

Each domain gets:

• Its own database (for isolated content)
• Its own folders for data, logs, and images
• Its own theme and URL settings

All logic resides inside the standard Geeklog configuration files — no plugins, no external includes.

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⚙️ Example of db-config.php

📁 File location:

/home/exampleuser/db-config.php

if (strpos(strtolower($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']), 'db-config.php') !== false) {
    die('This file can not be used on its own!');
}

global $_DB_host, $_DB_name, $_DB_user, $_DB_pass, $_DB_table_prefix, $_DB_dbms;

$_DB_table_prefix = 'gl_';
$_DB_dbms = 'mysql';

// Site One
if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'www.site-one.com' || $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'site-one.com') {
    $_DB_host = 'localhost';
    $_DB_name = 'db_site_one';
    $_DB_user = 'user_site_one';
    $_DB_pass = 'password_one';
}

// Site Two
if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'site-two.com') {
    $_DB_host = 'localhost';
    $_DB_name = 'db_site_two';
    $_DB_user = 'user_site_two';
    $_DB_pass = 'password_two';
}

This allows Geeklog to connect to a different database depending on which domain is being visited.

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⚙️ Example of siteconfig.php

📁 File location:

/home/exampleuser/public_html/siteconfig.php

if (strpos(strtolower($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']), 'siteconfig.php') !== false) {
    die('This file can not be used on its own!');
}

global $_CONF, $_CONF_FCK;

// Common paths
$_CONF['path'] = '/home/exampleuser/';
$_CONF['path_system'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'system/';
$_CONF['path_html'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'public_html/';
$_CONF['path_language'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'language/';
$_CONF['path_editors'] = $_CONF['path_html'] . 'editors/';
$_CONF['path_pear'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'system/pear/';

$_CONF['default_charset'] = 'utf-8';

// Site One
if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'www.site-one.com' || $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'site-one.com') {
    $_CONF['path_data'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'data/site-one/';
    $_CONF['path_log'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'logs/site-one/';
    $_CONF['path_images'] = $_CONF['path_html'] . 'images/site-one/';
    $_CONF['cookiedomain'] = 'site-one.com';
}

// Site Two
if ($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] == 'site-two.com') {
    $_CONF['path_data'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'data/site-two/';
    $_CONF['path_log'] = $_CONF['path'] . 'logs/site-two/';
    $_CONF['path_images'] = $_CONF['path_html'] . 'images/site-two/';
    $_CONF['site_url'] = 'https://site-two.com';
    $_CONF['site_admin_url'] = 'https://site-two.com/admin';
    $_CONF['theme'] = 'custom_theme_two';
    $_CONF['cookiedomain'] = 'site-two.com';
}

Each domain now loads its own paths and design while still relying on the same core Geeklog system files.

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🚀 Why It Works So Well

• One shared codebase: only one Geeklog installation to maintain and update.
• Isolated data: each domain uses its own database and storage folders.
• Native integration: no plugin, no additional layer — 100% Geeklog compliant.
• Easy expansion: adding a new site means adding a few simple lines to both config files.

This approach is particularly useful for multilingual setups or networks of related projects.

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⚠️ Limitation During Updates

The only drawback: during a Geeklog update, the installer might overwrite db-config.php and siteconfig.php. Since your multi-site logic lives in these two files, you’ll need to reapply your domain rules after each update.

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🧰 Recommended Maintenance Steps

Before updating Geeklog:

cp /home/exampleuser/db-config.php /home/exampleuser/backups/db-config.php.backup
cp /home/exampleuser/public_html/siteconfig.php /home/exampleuser/backups/siteconfig.php.backup

After the update:

1. Open the new configuration files installed by Geeklog.
2. Copy back your domain detection blocks.
3. Save and test your websites — everything should work immediately.

This process takes only a minute and keeps the setup compatible with all Geeklog releases.

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🧠 Why Keep This Method

Even if two files must be updated manually after each upgrade, this solution remains the simplest, most stable, and easiest to understand.

• No external dependencies
• No plugin management
• No risk of incompatibility
• Full control over each site’s configuration

In short, it’s the perfect balance between flexibility and simplicity: a single Geeklog installation serving multiple, completely independent sites.