Annotation of doc/build/suse9.2_install.frag, revision 1.4
1.2 raeburn 1: <h1>Installing LON-CAPA on a minimal SuSE 9.2 Linux Professional System</h1>
1.1 raeburn 2: <p>
3: This document guides you through the process of setting up a new LON-CAPA
4: server running SuSE Linux Professional 9.2 (SLP 9.2) with a minimum of packages installed.
5: The computer will be configured solely as a LON-CAPA server and will be
6: expected to have no other services running. Your server is expected to have
7: a reasonably fast connection to the internet.
8: </p><p>
9: More information is available at
10: <a href="http://install.lon-capa.org/">http://install.lon-capa.org/</a>.
11: </p>
12:
13: <h2>Before you begin</h2>
14: <p>
15: Installing Linux is getting easier and easier. However, it is still a
16: non-trivial undertaking and experience with SuSE Linux will make this
17: process easier. You will be required to log in to the machine and execute
18: some routine Unix commands. Familiarity with the Apache web server, mod_perl,
19: perl, and MySQL are not required to install and run LON-CAPA.
20: </p>
21:
22: <h2>Installation Overview</h2>
23: <p>
24: The installation process takes the following steps:
25: </p>
26: <ol>
1.2 raeburn 27: <li> Obtain SLP 9.2 installation media (DVD, CDs or mini-installation CD)</li>
1.1 raeburn 28: <li> Determine Network Settings</li>
29: <li> Install SLP 9.2</li>
30: <li> Update your system </li>
31: <li> Install LON-CAPA </li>
32: <li> Create a Domain Coordinator </li>
33: <li> Start/Restart services </li>
34: <li> Log in to LON-CAPA </li>
35: </ol>
36:
37: <h2>Obtain SuSE Linux Professional 9.2</h2>
38: <p>
39: SuSE ISO files can be obtained from the Novell SuSE site: <a href="ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/">ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/</a> or one of its <a href="http://www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/ftp/int_mirrors.html">mirrors</a>.
40: </p>
41:
42: <h2>Determine Network Settings</h2>
43: <p>
44: You will need to know the following network settings for your installation.
45: <b>Note:</b>You must have a static IP address to use LON-CAPA.
46: DHCP is <em>not</em> supported.
47: </p>
48: <ul>
49: <li>ip address </li>
50: <li>netmask </li>
51: <li>hostname </li>
52: <li>gateway </li>
53: <li>domain name server(s) </li>
54: </ul>
55:
56: <h2>Minimal SLP 9.2 Install</h2>
57: <p>
58: Installing SuSE Linux Professional is quite easy if you've installed Linux products
59: before. Some documentation is available from
60: <a href="ttp://www.novell.com/documentation/suse92/">
61: http://www.novell.com/documentation/suse92/</a>.<br /><br />
1.2 raeburn 62: If booting from a mini installation CD, use F3 to select FTP or HTTP, and provide the IP address of a SuSE 9.2 mirror and a path to the 9.2 directory (e.g., 204.152.191.7 and suse/i386/9.2/), and enter the network information in the boot configuration (e.g., hostip=IPADDRESS netmask=NETMASK gateway=GATEWAY), replacing IPADDRESS, NETMASK and GATEWAY with appropriate values for your server.<br /><br />
63: Most of the subsequent installation screens are self explanatory.
1.1 raeburn 64: There are a few steps that require comment and are dealt with below.
65: </p>
66: <dl style="list-style:square outside none">
67: <dt>Partitioning your Drive</dt>
68: <dd>For a LON-CAPA library server (i.e., the main server used
69: for permanent storage of course and user data),
70: a separate partition is recommended for /home, as this
71: simplifies future upgrades of the operating system.
72: If you are adding an additional access server to an
73: existing LON-CAPA domain, this does not apply as no
74: permenent data are stored on an access server.
75: As LON-CAPA resource files are stored in the /home directory,
76: the majority of the disk space should be allocated here.
77: If you have 20 GB of space for SLP9.2, /home should
78: receive at least 10 to 12 gigs. Since MySQL uses the /var
79: filesystem to store its databases you should have as least
80: 4 gigs of space available on /var. Be sure to
81: include adequate swap space. A minimum is 512 Megs, but you should
82: typically have 1 or 2x as much swap space as you do physical RAM.
83: </dd>
84: <dt>Package Group Selection</dt>
85: <dd>Click on the "Software" link or use the "Change" select box in
86: the installation Setting screen, and choose Minimal Install.</dd>
87: </dl>
88: <p>Once you system has rebooted, you will use yast to complete the configuration. Change the following settings:
89: <dl style="list-style:square outside none">
90: <dt>Firewall</dt>
91: <dd>Enable the firewall, and allow the the following services: web services (http and https) and login services (secure shell). Use the "Expert" option to open the following ports for TCP services: 8080 5663.</dd>
92: </p>
93: <p>
94: <dt>Network Configuration</dt>
95: <dd>LON-CAPA will <b>not</b> work with a machine set up to use a dynamic
96: IP address. When configuring your network card, you should include host name information (e.g., host name = tmp1, domain = lite.msu.edu), as well as name server. Other settings (ip address, gateway, netmask will have been set when you included them in the boot configuration).
97: </dd>
98: <dt>Online update</dt>
1.2 raeburn 99: <dd>Indicate "Yes" when prompted to "run online update now?"</dd>
1.1 raeburn 100: </dt>
101: </dl>
102: <p>
103: Finish installing your server, read the "readme", reboot and log in as root.
104: </p>
105:
106: <h2>Change software sources for your system</h2>
107: <p>
108: You will use yast to import packages required for LON-CAPA.<br />
109: Execute:
110: </p>
111: <pre>
112: yast
113: </pre>
114: <p>
115: Select "Change Source of Installation" and change to point at a SuSE mirror close to your location. You can find a list of mirrors at the<a href="http://www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/ftp/int_mirrors.html">SuSE mirror page</a>.
116: </p>
117: <h3>Add an additional installation source</h3>
118: <p>Add the LON-CAPA SuSE 9.2 repository as an additional installation source, so software installation in yast will have access to two repositories - a SuSE mirror (for packages included for the standard distribution) and the LON-CAPA repository (for extra packages needed to run LON-CAPA). For the LON-CAPA source you will use:
1.2 raeburn 119: <dl style="list-style:square outside none">
1.1 raeburn 120: <dd>Protocol</dd>
121: <dt>HTTP</dt>
122: <dd>Server Name</dd>
123: <dt>install.loncapa.org</dt>
1.4 ! raeburn 124: <dd>Directory on server</dd>
! 125: <dt>suse/9.2/</dt>
1.1 raeburn 126: <dd>Authentication</dd>
127: <dt>Anonymous</dt>
1.2 raeburn 128: </dl>
1.1 raeburn 129: After saving this configuration information for the LON-CAPA repository, choose "Edit", then "Refresh" the quit yast.
130: </p>
131: <h2>Update pwdutils package</h2>
132: <p>
133: Start yast, and choose the "Install and Remove software" option, and use "Search" to find pwdutils. Indicate that you wish to update to version 3.0.2.</p>
134: <h2>Installing LON-CAPA</h2>
135: <h3>Install prerequisites</h3>
136: <p> Execute: </p>
137: <pre>
138: yast -i LONCAPA-prerequisites
139: </pre><p>
140: This may take a moment due to LON-CAPA's large number of dependencies. When prompted to choose an apache package, select apache, NOT apache2, then click Solve.
141: </p>
142: <h3>Retrieve and execute LON-CAPA setup program</h3>
143: <p>
1.3 raeburn 144: Retrieve the LON-CAPA setup with one of the following commands:
1.1 raeburn 145: </p>
1.3 raeburn 146: <i>32 bit architecture</i>
1.1 raeburn 147: <pre>
1.3 raeburn 148: wget http://install.loncapa.org/versions/suse/9.2/i386/suse_install.tar
149: </pre>
150: <br />
151: <i>64 bit architecture</i>
152: <pre>
153: wget http://install.loncapa.org/versions/suse/9.2/x86_64/suse_install.tar
1.1 raeburn 154: </pre>
155: <p>
156: Extract the archive with the following command:
157: </p>
158: <pre>
159: tar xf suse_install.tar
160: </pre>
161: <p>
162: This creates a directory named <tt>installation</tt>. Change to it and
163: execute the setup script with the following commands:
164: </p>
165: <pre>
166: cd installation
167: ./install.pl
168: </pre>
169: <p>
170: This script will prompt you for the MySQL root password and will download the latest LON-CAPA release.
171: </p>
172: <h3>Determine LON-CAPA Settings</h3>
173: <p>
174: LON-CAPA requires a number of identifying parameters to be set in order
175: for it to function at all. Below is a list with descriptions.
176: </p>
177: <dl>
178: <dt>Host Type (library or access)</dt>
179: <dd>The server must be designated a 'library' or an 'access' server. In
180: general you should have a library server for your instructors to create
181: their course content on and run their courses. Students should connect
182: to access servers. If you are doing the first install of LON-CAPA at
183: your site, or if you are playing with it for your own edification you
184: should make your machine a 'library' server.</dd>
185: <dt>LON-CAPA domain</dt>
186: <dd>Each site or school which installs LON-CAPA needs its own domain.
187: Here at MSU we use 'msu'. You should choose something short but
188: meaningful. <i>Restriction: One word, no hyphens, underscores, or
189: special characters.</i>
190: </dd>
191: <dt>LON-CAPA host id</dt>
192: <dd>Each LON-CAPA server requires a unique internal name. We use names
193: such as "msul1" for the first library server. <i>Restriction: One word,
194: no hyphens, underscores, or special characters.</i>
195: </dd>
196: <dt>Host administrator email</dt>
197: <dd>The amount of email sent to this address is relatively minimal. Messages
198: are sent every time the system starts up, or if the system is in
199: serious trouble. On a laptop, make this <tt>root@localhost</tt>.
200: </dd>
201: </dl>
202:
203: <h3>Configuring LON-CAPA</h3>
204: <p>
205: To configure and install LON-CAPA, execute the following commands:
206: </p>
207: <pre>
208: cd /root/loncapa-N.N (N.N should correspond to a version number like '1.3')
209: ./UPDATE
210: </pre>
211: <p>
212: You will need to enter the LON-CAPA configuration information you determined
213: in the previous section.
214: </p>
215: <h2>Creating a Domain Coordinator</h2>
216: <p>
217: You will need at least one user at your site who has the role of
218: 'domain coordinator'. This user creates accounts for other users and
219: grants them additional privileges. The make_domain_coordinator.pl script
220: invoked below requires that you enter the users password. The password will
221: show in plaintext as you type it. Feel free to use the "passwd username"
222: command to change it later. Replace USERNAME and DOMAIN with an
223: appropriate user name and your domain.
224: </p>
225: <pre>
226: cd /root/loncapa-N.N/loncom/build
227: perl make_domain_coordinator.pl USERNAME DOMAIN
228: (WILL PROMPT FOR PASSWORD HERE)
1.3 raeburn 229: mkdir ~USERNAME
1.1 raeburn 230: mkdir ~USERNAME/public_html
231: chown USERNAME:www ~USERNAME/public_html
232: chmod 0775 ~USERNAME/public_html
233: chmod a+x ~USERNAME
234: </pre>
235: <h2>Start/Restart Services</h2>
236: <p>
237: The LON-CAPA network services take a moment to start. Most misconfigurations
238: will be appearant at this step.
239: </p>
240: <pre>
241: /etc/init.d/loncontrol start
242: /etc/init.d/apache start
243: </pre>
244: <p>
245: If you receive warnings when starting the httpd about missing perl modules,
246: please make sure you followed the instructions in
247: <b>Installing LON-CAPA Dependencies</b>. If you still have errors, please
1.2 raeburn 248: contact the LON-CAPA support team.
1.1 raeburn 249: </p>
250: <h2>Log in to your LON-CAPA Machine</h2>
251: <p>
252: Point a web browser at your new machine and log in as the domain
253: coordinator. Congratulations!
254: </p>
255: <h2>If things aren't working right</h2>
256: <p>
257: If you've followed the steps above and the server doesn't start or you think
258: there's something wrong, please get in touch with the LON-CAPA support team.
259: You can submit a help request using our web form:<br />
260: <a href="http://support.loncapa.org/help/">http://support.loncapa.org/help/</a><br />
261: If there were errors in installation of the dependency RPMs or during the
262: automatic setup, please send us as much information as possible.
263: If some part of this document is unclear please let us know.
264: </p>
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