Admin Manual - Preparing the Server

From PikaDocs

Table of contents

1 Planning a Pika CMS Deployment 2 Required Third Party Server Software 2.1 MySQL 2.2 Apache web server 2.3 PHP 3 Optional Third Party Server Software 3.1 HTMLDOC 3.2 Ghostscript 3.3 binutils 4 Final Server Preparations

Planning a Pika CMS Deployment

The Pika system must reside on a web server in order for it to be accessible to users. A program can choose to either run the web server using their own equipment (self hosting) or hire a commercial hosting company to run the web server for them (remote hosting, or ASP service model). This can be a complex decision, and a full discussion of the possible options is beyond the scope of this document. Programs are encouraged to consult with the Pika Software staff to get their advice during the planning process.

Required Third Party Server Software

Once hosting arrangements have been secured, Pika requires the following software to be installed on the web server. The Pika Software remote hosting service provides these software applications automatically. If you are self hosting or hosting through a third party service, you will need to install the following applications on the server if they are not already there.

Please read the LampConfiguration article for details on configuring third-party software to work well with your Pika site.

MySQL

Pika uses the MySQL database server for data storage. Version 3.23 or higher is required, version 4.0 is highly recommended.

Apache web server

The Apache web server software comes bundled with most Linux distributions. Versions 1.3 or higher are supported for use with Pika. The mod_ssl Apache module can be installed to encrypt communications between the web server and a user's web browser. If mod_ssl is used, see Creating a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for instructions on creating a self-signed certificate for Apache.

PHP

PHP is a web scripting language that comes bundled with most Linux distributions. Version 4.1 or higher is required for Pika to run correctly. Ensure that the mysql PHP module is installed.

Optional Third Party Server Software

The following software is not strictly required to run Pika, but will enable extra features if installed. Note: these applications are UNIX-based, and are not supported for use with Pika when installed on a Windows server.

HTMLDOC

Pika uses HTMLDOC to generate PDF reports.

Ghostscript

Ghostscript is used to index the contents of text PDF files, so they can be searched from the Pika document search. Ghostscript is installed by most Linux distributions.

binutils

binutils includes a utility called strings which is used to index the contents of WordPerfect documents.

Final Server Preparations

If your program is self hosting, or hosted through a third party, there are a handful of final steps you should take to prepare your server for the Pika installation. Run these commands from a terminal window while logged in as root.

1. Configure MySQL, Apache and sshd to automatically start when the system boots up.
   • chkconfig -level 345 mysql on
   • chkconfig -level 345 httpd on
   • chkconfig -level 345 sshd on
2. Reboot the server to verify that they start correctly.
   • reboot
3. Create an user account named pika.
   • adduser pika
4. Run chmod so the Apache software will be able to read files in the Pika home directory.
   • chmod a+rx /home/pika
5. Create a blank text file named /home/pika/pika.conf, then run chown pika /home/pika/pika.conf and ln -s /home/pika/pika.conf /etc/httpd/conf.d/. This will create a new Apache configuration file that can be used to make Apache aware of new Pika sites.
   • touch /home/pika/pika.conf
   • chown pika /home/pika/pika.conf
   • ln -s /home/pika/pika.conf /etc/httpd/conf.d/

Introduction | Preparing Your PC

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