version 1.3, 2002/04/22 00:07:19
|
version 1.4, 2002/07/18 21:30:21
|
Line 1
|
Line 1
|
$Id$ |
$Id$ |
|
|
INSTALLING LON-CAPA ON A REDHAT 7.2 SYSTEM |
INSTALLING LON-CAPA ON A REDHAT 7.2/7.3 SYSTEM |
|
|
Scott Harrison |
Scott Harrison |
|
|
Line 14 Scott Harrison
|
Line 14 Scott Harrison
|
Quick Instructions |
Quick Instructions |
------------------ |
------------------ |
|
|
PLEASE contact sharrison@mail.lon-capa.org if these instructions |
PLEASE contact sharrison@users.sourceforge.net if these instructions |
do not work. |
do not work. |
PLEASE subscribe yourself to the ANNOUNCE MAILING LIST! |
PLEASE subscribe yourself to the ANNOUNCE MAILING LIST! |
Go to http://mail.lon-capa.org/mailman/listinfo/lon-capa-announce |
Go to http://mail.lon-capa.org/mailman/listinfo/lon-capa-announce |
|
|
1. Download http://install.lon-capa.org/versions/current/loncapa.tar.gz |
1. Download the current version of LON-CAPA from |
(from a linux terminal, type |
http://install.lon-capa.org/downloads/ |
wget http://install.lon-capa.org/versions/current/loncapa.tar.gz) |
2. tar xzvf loncapa-N.N.tar.gz (where N.N is the current version number) |
2. tar xzvf loncapa.tar.gz |
|
3. cd loncapa |
3. cd loncapa |
4. Read the README file (this file). |
4. Read the README file (this file). |
5. EXECUTE: ./UPDATE |
5. EXECUTE: ./UPDATE |
Line 47 Your interest, questions and suggestions
|
Line 46 Your interest, questions and suggestions
|
invited for the specific development of the GPL code. |
invited for the specific development of the GPL code. |
|
|
We do our best to help get you started with a 100% operational |
We do our best to help get you started with a 100% operational |
system. Please e-mail harris41@msu.edu or helen@lon-capa.org |
system. Please e-mail sharrison@users.sourceforge.net or |
for help with software installation. |
helen@lon-capa.org for help with software installation. |
|
|
Hardware Recommendation |
Hardware Recommendation |
----------------------- |
----------------------- |
Line 69 before a homework submission deadline.
|
Line 68 before a homework submission deadline.
|
peaks of activity, it is strongly advised that LON-CAPA machines |
peaks of activity, it is strongly advised that LON-CAPA machines |
fit the above recommendation. |
fit the above recommendation. |
|
|
If thousands of students start accessing the box as a web server... |
If thousands of students start accessing the box as a web server, |
well you may want to consider more options. The design of the LON-CAPA |
then you may want to consider more options. The design of the LON-CAPA |
system is to naturally and transparently load-balance on multiple |
system is to naturally and transparently load-balance on multiple |
computer clusters. So, a simple solution for running an entire |
computer clusters. So, a simple solution for running an entire |
college campus is to just have an adequate plurality of LON-CAPA |
college campus is to just have an adequate plurality of LON-CAPA |
servers rather than a single, particularly monstrous server. |
servers rather than a single, particularly monstrous server. |
|
|
We like to think of high web server usage as "a good problem" though.. :) |
We like to think of high web server usage as "a good problem" though.... :) |
|
|
More Information on Hardware and System Administration |
More Information on Hardware and System Administration |
------------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------------ |
Line 103 installs. Given the current level of ne
|
Line 102 installs. Given the current level of ne
|
and frequency of new software versions, we suggest that you stick |
and frequency of new software versions, we suggest that you stick |
with RedHat to reduce high-frequency system administration overhead. |
with RedHat to reduce high-frequency system administration overhead. |
|
|
Strategy |
Critical system software: a "strategic" outlook |
-------- |
--------------------------------------------- |
|
|
|
In this section, issues related to LON-CAPA server software |
|
are discussed. (The section after this section describes how to test |
|
and fix problems associated with the issues described below.) |
|
|
|
In general, you should expect that LON-CAPA "completely overtakes" |
|
a Linux server system. Using the same LON-CAPA server computer to disseminate |
|
other unrelated services to your institution is not recommended. |
|
|
*** PERL *** |
*** PERL *** |
It is important to check and see if your system has all |
A LON-CAPA system needs to have all the |
needed perl modules in /usr/lib/perl5/. |
necessary perl modules inside /usr/lib/perl5/. |
|
|
*** RPMS *** |
*** RPMs *** |
It is important to: |
RPMs are the software packages on a RedHat linux system (the standard, |
* keep your RPMs up to date |
supported operating system for LON-CAPA). For security reasons, you need |
* try to have a reasonably minimal set |
to keep your RPMs up to date. For security and performance reasons, a |
|
knowledgeable system administrator at your institution should try to have |
|
a reasonably minimal set; e.g. a LON-CAPA server probably does not need the |
|
"pine" RPM (an e-mail client). |
|
|
*** MYSQL *** |
*** MYSQL *** |
It should be kept operational at all times. |
The MySQL database facilitates fast transactions by passing information on |
In case of failure, there is a resynchronizing |
the LON-CAPA server to the world-wide web. Important point: in order to |
strategy so that the data on the filesystem |
prevent problems associated with 1) corrupted database files, |
continually refreshes the data within the |
2) database crashes, 3) changing versions of MySQL, and 4) information export |
MYSQL database. |
and import, the information in the MySQL database IS NOT AUTHORITATIVE. |
|
In other words, if the MySQL database gets wiped out, YOU HAVE NOT LOST |
|
CRITICAL DATA. The authoritative data exists on the filesystem and |
|
the MySQL database is dynamically repopulated and refreshed by |
|
/home/httpd/perl/searchcat.pl. |
|
|
*** APACHE *** |
*** APACHE *** |
LON-CAPA expects that conf/loncapa.conf will be the |
LON-CAPA expects that conf/loncapa_apache.conf will be the last Apache |
last Apache configuration file to be processed before |
configuration file to be processed before launching the httpd server. This |
launching the httpd server. This may interfere |
may interfere with other ways in which you utilize your web server. For |
with other ways in which you utilize your web server. |
instance, LON-CAPA requires that httpd run as user=www and group=www. |
For instance, LON-CAPA requires that httpd |
|
run as user=www and group=www. |
|
|
|
Testing |
Testing |
------- |
------- |
|
|
|
The ./TEST command automates five different kinds of tests. |
|
|
1. Perl |
1. Perl |
|
|
2. MySQL |
2. MySQL |