Ghost Install for Local Hosting Error

Using Ghost
1

Hi! I’m sorry if this is a dumb question–I’m new to all this and I’m trying to locally host a website. I’m able to install the Ghost-CLI, but once I try running ghost install local, I get a system error that looks like this:

image

$ ghost install local

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- Inspecting operating system
- Checking for deprecations

[12:27:02] Checking for Ghost-CLI updates [started]
[12:27:02] Checking for Ghost-CLI updates [completed]

A SystemError occurred.

Message: Current directory is not empty, Ghost cannot be installed here.

Debug Information:
    OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home, v10.0.19045
    Node Version: v18.16.0
    Ghost-CLI Version: 1.24.0
    Environment: production
    Command: 'ghost install local'

Try running ghost doctor to check your system for known issues.

You can always refer to https://ghost.org/docs/ghost-cli/ for troubleshooting.

I’ve tried typing cd to clear directory as mentioned in the installer guide, I’ve tried running it in a new folder, restarting my computer, and so on, and I can’t really figure it out. Any help would be appreciated!

2

‘cd’ doesn’t clear directory. It changes you to the specified directory. Can you verify that when you run the ghost install local command, you’re actually in an empty directory? Depending on your operating system, either dir or ls should show what’s already in the directory.

3

@Cathy_Sarisky is exactly right here. The directory isn’t empty, which is preventing you from installing Ghost locally.

We have a guide/video on installing Ghost locally here: How to install Ghost locally

Also, I’m not sure what the end goal is, but installing Ghost locally isn’t a method for hosting a website. Instead, it’s a way to develop themes, test out Ghost, or for our development purposes.