Archives / Tag: Linux

I’ve been wanting to perform a bit of an update on my local dev server for a while, I’m currently running Debian with the usual LAMP suspects (Apache, PHP and MySQL) but had never been able to get little extras like the GD image libraries up and running for my lack of Linux knowledge and total lack of desire to spend hours working out exactly what I needed to do.

Ubuntu has been on my radar for a good few months and I know that Oxton has been using it for some time without need for any public ranting so I thought I might give it a shot.

I requested a set of free discs (yes they are free!) from the Ubuntu website and they arrived a few days back (fantastic packaging). While the wife was out with the kids and there was no immediate danger of her wanting to check her email I swiped her peripherals (ooer) and plugged them into my target machine, an old Dell OptiPlex GX1.

The only hurdle I had to face was (Surprisignly for Linux distros) not software related, the blasted CD-ROM drive door wouldn’t open. With a bit of cajouling the disc was in, I restarted the PC and the Ubuntu setup programme kicked into action, I opted to install Ubuntu in it’s ‘server’ form without a GUI as this machine is after all destined to sit in the corner of the office whiring away with just a ethernet cable and power lead for company. The install was ‘sooooo’ simple compared to Debian, I think I only had to specify a language and time zone, provide a name for the machine (Risotto) and then I was done.

With Ubuntu up and running I did a quick install of SSH, unplugged the peripherals (and returned them before wifey noticed) then SSH’d in from my PC to uncompress and install XAMPP. For designers/developers like me I think XAMPP is great, one single install and you have pretty much everything you’ll need for day to day LAMP development, including the GD image libraries.

Success!

I decided it was about time I had a play with Instiki here at Bite CP since we used to have an install back at Mirashade.

On an unrelated note, Mirashade has been liquidated! I might post more on that another time.

Anyhow, back to the Instiki install. Before we can even go anywhere with Instiki we’ll need to install ‘Ruby’.

So log-in to your Debian box as root and type:

apt-get install ruby

With this done we also need to install some additional modules that Debian requires:

apt-get install ruby apt-get install libwebrick-ruby apt-get install libstrscan-ruby apt-get install rdoc apt-get install libzlib-ruby apt-get install libsoap-ruby1.8

Right, with that done let’s download the latest build of Instiki. Once this is done unzip the files and drop them into your ‘var/www’ folder. I created a parent folder called ‘Instiki’ to put them in.

Now from your linux command line navigate to the directory in which you have placed your instiki files and run:

ruby instiki.rb

Launch a suitable browser and enter the address of your linux box followed by a colon and ‘2500’.

For example: http://rooty:2500

You’ll now see a simple setup screen which asks you to provide a name and address for your web, and an administrative password.

With this screen completed click ‘Setup’ and your settings are saved. Now you’ll be dumped on your Wiki home page in ‘edit’ mode. You can start building your Wiki now… but before you do… one last task to complete.

If like me you want Instiki to run as a daemon (Essentially means it runs in background) then you’ll need to do the following (Thanks for the pointer Jonathan)

Log back in as root and type:

nano /etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh

Scroll right down to the bottom of the file and add the follwoing line above the ‘exit’ command:

ruby /var/www/Instiki/instiki.rb -d

Now, reboot you Debian box and you’re good to go.