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    1: <h1>Installing LON-CAPA on a minimal SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 15</h1>
    2: <p>
    3: This document guides you through the process of setting up a new LON-CAPA
    4: server running SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 (SLES 15) 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 straightforward.
   16: You will be required to log in to the machine and execute
   17: some routine Unix commands.  Familiarity with the Apache web server, mod_perl,
   18: perl, and MySQL are not required to install and run LON-CAPA.
   19: </p>
   20: 
   21: <h2>Installation Overview</h2>
   22: <p>
   23: The installation process takes the following steps:
   24: </p>
   25: <ol>
   26:   <li><a href="#obt">Obtain SLES 15 installation media</a></li>
   27:   <li><a href="#net">Determine Network Settings</a></li>
   28:   <li><a href="#lin">Install SLES 15</a></li>
   29:   <li><a href="#upd">Update your system</a></li>
   30:   <li><a href="#ilc">Install LON-CAPA</a></li>
   31:   <li><a href="#cdc">Create a Domain Coordinator</a></li>
   32:   <li><a href="#sts">Start/Restart services</a></li>
   33:   <li><a href="#log">Log in to LON-CAPA</a></li>
   34: </ol>
   35: 
   36: <hr>
   37: <h2>1. <a name="obt">Obtain SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 15</a></h2>
   38: <p>
   39: SLES15 ISO files can be obtained from the SuSE site: <a href="https://www.suse.com/download/sles/">https://www.suse.com/download/sles/</a>. Download either the SLE-15-SP2-Full-x86_64-GM-Media1.iso or the SLE-15-SP2-Online-x86_64-GM-Media1.iso.
   40: </p>
   41: 
   42: <h2>2. <a name="net">Determine Network Settings</a></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>3. <a name="lin">Minimal SLES 15 Install</a></h2>
   57: <p>
   58: Installing SuSE Linux Enterprise Server is straightforward.
   59: Some documentation is available from
   60: <a href="https://documentation.suse.com/sles/15-SP2/pdf/art-sle-installquick_color_en.pdf">
   61: https://documentation.suse.com/sles/15-SP2/pdf/art-sle-installquick_color_en.pdf</a>.<br /><br />
   62: Most of the installation screens are self explanatory.
   63: There are a few steps that require comment and are dealt with below.
   64: </p>
   65: <dl style="list-style:square outside none">
   66:    <dt>Installation Language</dt>
   67:    <dd>Use English as your installation language.</dd>
   68:    <dt>Partitioning your Drive</dt>
   69:    <dd>For a LON-CAPA library server (i.e., the main server used
   70:        for permanent storage of course and user data),
   71:        a separate partition is recommended for /home, as this
   72:        simplifies future upgrades of the operating system.
   73:        If you are adding an additional access server to an
   74:        existing LON-CAPA domain, this does not apply as no
   75:        permanent data are stored on an access server.
   76:        As LON-CAPA resource files are stored in the /home directory,
   77:        the majority of the disk space should be allocated here.
   78:        If you have 20 GB of space for SLES15, /home should
   79:        receive at least 10 to 12 GB. Since MySQL uses the /var
   80:        filesystem to store its databases you should have as least
   81:        4 gigs of space available on /var.  Be sure to
   82:        include adequate swap space.  A minimum is 512 MB, but you should
   83:        typically have 1 or 2x as much swap space as you do physical RAM.
   84:        </dd>
   85:    <dt>Network Configuration</dt>
   86:    <dd>LON-CAPA will <b>not</b> work with a machine set up to use a dynamic
   87:        IP address.  When configuring your network card, you should include you static IP address, netmask, host name information (e.g., host name = tmp1, domain = lite.msu.edu), as well as name servers and gateway.
   88:    </dd>
   89:    <dt>Available Extensions and Modules</dt>
   90:    <dd>Check the boxes for the following:<ul>
   91:        <li>SUSE Package Hub</i> 
   92:        <li>Basesystem Module</li>
   93:        <li>Desktop Applications</li>
   94:        <li>Development Tools</li>
   95:        <li>Server Applications</li>
   96:        </ul>
   97:    </dd>
   98:    <dt>System Role</dt>
   99:    <dd>Select: Minimal</dd>
  100:    <dt>Software Selection</dt>
  101:    <dd>Check the boxes for the following:<ul>
  102:        <li>Help and Support Documentation</li>
  103:        <li>Minimal Base System</li>
  104:        <li>YaST System Administration</li>
  105:        </ul>
  106:    </dd>
  107:    <dt>Security</dt>
  108:    <dd>If you will need command line access other than via the console, click the link to toggle the setting for the SSH port so it will be open</dd>
  109: </dl>
  110: <p>
  111: Finish installing your server, reboot and log in as root.
  112: </p>
  113: <h3>Firewall Configuration</h3>
  114: <p>
  115: Execute:
  116: </p>
  117: <pre>
  118: yast
  119: </pre>
  120: Use "Security and Users" -> Firewall -> Zones -> public to enable access to standard web server ports for http and https.
  121: </p>
  122: <h2>4. <a name="upd">Add software sources</a></h2>
  123: <p>
  124: Use zypper to add package repositories for LON-CAPA and the statistics package: R.<br />
  125: Execute:
  126: </p>
  127: <pre>
  128: zypper addrepo http://install.loncapa.org/suse/sles15/ 'LON-CAPA'
  129: zypper addrepo 'https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/R:/released/SLE_15/' 'R-released SLE_15'
  130: zypper addrepo 'https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/R:/released/SLE_15_SP1/' 'R-released SLE_15_SP1'
  131: zypper refresh 
  132: </pre>
  133: <p>
  134: Verify the required repositories are enabled:
  135: </p>
  136: <pre>
  137: zypper lr -E
  138: </pre>
  139: <p>
  140: The list of enabled repos should be as follows:
  141: </p>
  142: <table style="border: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">
  143: <tr><th>Alias</th><th>Name</th></tr>
  144: <tr><td>Basesystem_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Basesystem15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Module-Basesystem15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  145: <tr><td>Basesystem_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Basesystem15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Module-Basesystem15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  146: <tr><td>Desktop_Applications_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Desktop-Applications15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Module-Desktop-Applications15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  147: <tr><td>Desktop_Applications_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Desktop-Applications15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Module-Desktop-Applications15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  148: <tr><td>Development_Tools_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-DevTools15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Module-DevTools15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  149: <tr><td>Development_Tools_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-DevTools15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Module-DevTools15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  150: <tr><td>LON-CAPA</td><td>LON-CAPA</td></tr>
  151: <tr><td>R-released SLE_15</td><td>R-released SLE_15</td></tr>
  152: <tr><td>R-released SLE_15_SP1</td><td>R-released SLE_15_SP1</td></tr>
  153: <tr><td>SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Server_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Product-SLES15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Product-SLES15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  154: <tr><td>SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Server_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Product-SLES15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Product-SLES15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  155: <tr><td>SUSE_Package_Hub_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Packagehub-Subpackages15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Module-Packagehub-Subpackages15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  156: <tr><td>SUSE_Package_Hub_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Packagehub-Subpackages15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Module-Packagehub-Subpackages15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  157: <tr><td>SUSE_Package_Hub_15_SP2_x86_64:SUSE-PackageHub-15-SP2-Backports-Pool</td><td>SUSE-PackageHub-15-SP2-Backports-Pool</td></tr>
  158: <tr><td>SUSE_Package_Hub_15_SP2_x86_64:SUSE-PackageHub-15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SUSE-PackageHub-15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  159: <tr><td>Server_Applications_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Server-Applications15-SP2-Pool</td><td>SLE-Module-Server-Applications15-SP2-Pool</td></tr>
  160: <tr><td>Server_Applications_Module_15_SP2_x86_64:SLE-Module-Server-Applications15-SP2-Updates</td><td>SLE-Module-Server-Applications15-SP2-Updates</td></tr>
  161: <tr><td>devel_languages_R_released</td><td>R core components, supplements (like rkward), and CRAN packages (SLE_15_SP1)</td></tr>
  162: </table>
  163: <h2>5. <a name="ilc">Installing LON-CAPA</a></h2>
  164: <h3>Install prerequisites</h3>
  165: <p> Execute: </p>
  166: <pre>
  167: zypper in LONCAPA-prerequisites
  168: </pre>
  169: <p>
  170: This may take some minutes due to LON-CAPA's large number of dependencies.
  171: </p>
  172: <h3>Retrieve and execute LON-CAPA setup program</h3>
  173: <p>
  174: Retrieve the LON-CAPA setup with one of the following commands:
  175: </p>
  176: <pre>
  177: wget http://install.loncapa.org/linux/install.tar
  178: </pre>
  179: <p>
  180: Extract the archive with the following command:
  181: </p>
  182: <pre>
  183: tar xf install.tar
  184: </pre>
  185: <p>
  186: This creates a directory named <tt>installation</tt>.  Change to it and
  187: execute the setup script with the following commands:
  188: </p>
  189: <pre>
  190: cd installation
  191: ./install.pl
  192: </pre>
  193: <p>
  194: The script is used to prepare a Linux system to run LON-CAPA, and can also be
  195: used to check the configuration of a system on which LON-CAPA has already been installed.  Typically, though, you will run this script only once, when you first install LON-CAPA.
  196: </p>
  197: <p>
  198: The script will analyze your system to determine which actions are recommended.  The script will then prompt you to choose the actions you would like taken.
  199: Once a choice has been entered for all nine possible actions, required changes will be made.
  200: </p>
  201: <p>The possible actions are:
  202: <ul>
  203: <li>Create the www user/group</li>
  204: <li>Install the package LON-CAPA uses to authenticate users.</li>
  205: <li>Set-up the MySQL database</li>
  206: <li>Set-up MySQL permissions</li>
  207: <li>Configure Apache web server</li>
  208: <li>Configure start-up of services</li>
  209: <li>Check firewall settings</li>
  210: <li>Stop services not used by LON-CAPA<br />
  211:     e.g., services for a print server: cups daemon</li>
  212: <li>Download LON-CAPA source code in readiness for installation</li>
  213: </ul>
  214: </p>
  215: 
  216: <h3>Determine LON-CAPA Settings</h3>
  217: <p>
  218: LON-CAPA requires a number of identifying parameters to be set in order
  219: for it to function at all.  Below is a list with descriptions.
  220: </p>
  221: <dl>
  222:   <dt>Host Type (library or access)</dt>
  223:   <dd>The server must be designated a 'library' or an 'access' server.  In
  224:       general you should have a library server for your instructors to create
  225:       their course content on and run their courses.  Students should connect
  226:       to access servers.  If you are doing the first install of LON-CAPA at
  227:       your site, or if you are playing with it for your own edification you
  228:       should make your machine a 'library' server.</dd>
  229:   <dt>LON-CAPA domain</dt>
  230:   <dd>Each site or school which installs LON-CAPA needs its own domain.
  231:       Here at MSU we use 'msu'.  You should choose something short but
  232:       meaningful.  <i>Restriction: one word. Permitted characters 
  233:       (lower case preferred) are letters and numbers and . and - </i> 
  234:   </dd>
  235:   <dt>LON-CAPA host id</dt>
  236:   <dd>Each LON-CAPA server requires a unique internal name.  We use names
  237:       such as "msul1" for the first library server. <i>Restriction: One word.
  238:       Permitted characters (lower case preferred) are letters and numbers and . and -
  239:       </i>
  240:   </dd>
  241:   <dt>Host administrator email</dt>
  242:   <dd>The amount of email sent to this address is relatively minimal.  Messages
  243:       are sent every time the system starts up, or if the system is in
  244:       serious trouble. On a laptop, make this <tt>root@localhost</tt>.
  245:   </dd>
  246: </dl>
  247: 
  248: <h3>Configuring LON-CAPA</h3>
  249: <p>
  250: To configure and install LON-CAPA, execute the following commands:
  251: </p>
  252: <pre>
  253: cd /root/loncapa-X.Y.Z     (X.Y.Z should correspond to a version number like '2.11.3')
  254: ./UPDATE
  255: </pre>
  256: <p>
  257: You will need to enter the LON-CAPA configuration information you determined
  258: in the previous section.
  259: </p>
  260: 
  261: <h2>6. <a name="cdc">Creating a Domain Coordinator</a></h2>
  262: <p>
  263: You will need at least one user at your site who has the role of
  264: 'domain coordinator'.  This user creates accounts for other users and
  265: grants them additional privileges.  The make_domain_coordinator.pl script
  266: invoked below requires that you enter the user's password.
  267: Feel free to use the "passwd username" command to change it later.
  268: Replace USERNAME and DOMAIN with an appropriate user name and your domain.
  269: </p>
  270: <pre>
  271: cd /root/loncapa-X.Y.Z/loncom/build
  272: perl make_domain_coordinator.pl USERNAME DOMAIN
  273: </pre>
  274: 
  275: <h2>7. <a name="sts">Start/Restart Services</a></h2>
  276: <p>
  277: The LON-CAPA network services take a moment to start.  Most misconfigurations
  278: will be apparent at this step.
  279: </p>
  280: <pre>
  281: /home/httpd/perl/loncontrol start
  282: systemctl start apache2
  283: </pre>
  284: <p>
  285: If you receive warnings when starting apache2 about missing perl modules,
  286: please make sure you followed the instructions in
  287: <b>Installing LON-CAPA Dependencies</b>.  If you still have errors, please
  288: contact the LON-CAPA group.
  289: </p>
  290: 
  291: <h2>8. <a name="log">Log in to your LON-CAPA Machine</a></h2>
  292: <p>
  293: Point a web browser at your new machine and log in as the domain
  294: coordinator.  Congratulations!
  295: </p>
  296: 
  297: <hr>
  298: <h2>If things aren't working right</h2>
  299: <p>
  300: If you've followed the steps above and the server doesn't start or you think
  301: there's something wrong, please get in touch with the LON-CAPA group.
  302: You can submit a help request using our web form:<br />
  303: <a href="http://help.loncapa.org/help/">http://help.loncapa.org/help/</a><br />
  304: If there were errors in installation of the dependency RPMs or during the
  305: automatic setup, please send us as much information as possible.
  306: If some part of this document is unclear please let us know.
  307: </p>