How to Install i-doit on Ubuntu with Apache

Install Apache2 HTTP

Install Apache2 on your Ubuntu system to act as the web server for i-doit. This involves updating your package list first, then running a straightforward command to get Apache2 installed and ready to go.

To install Apache2 HTTP on the Ubuntu server, run the commands below.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

After installing Apache2, the commands below can be used to stop, start, and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop apache2.service
sudo systemctl start apache2.service
sudo systemctl enable apache2.service

To determine if the Apache2 HTTP server is installed, simply open your web browser and type in the server’s IP or hostname.

When you see a page similar to the one below, Apache2 is installed and working.

http://localhost

Install MariaDB Database Server

i-doit needs a database to keep all its information, and MariaDB is a good open-source option. You can install both the MariaDB server and its client tools on your Ubuntu machine using a simple command.

To install MariaDB run the commands below.

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client

After installing MariaDB, the commands below can stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to start up when the server boots.

Run these on Ubuntu

sudo systemctl stop mariadb.service
sudo systemctl start mariadb.service
sudo systemctl enable mariadb.service

sudo mysql_secure_installation

When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

• Enter current password for root (enter for none): Press the Enter
• Set root password? [Y/n]: Y
• New password: Enter password
• Re-enter new password: Repeat password
• Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y
• Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y
• Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y
• Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Restart MariaDB server

To test if MariaDB is installed, type the commands below to log into the MariaDB server.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then type the password you created above to sign on. If successful, you should see MariaDB welcome message.

Install PHP 7.2 and Related Modules

PHP 7.2 is necessary for i-doit to work correctly. Since it’s not always in Ubuntu’s default software list, you’ll first add a special software source, then update your system to install PHP 7.2.

Run the commands below to add the below third party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.2

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2

sudo apt update

Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2 and related modules.

sudo apt install php7.2 libapache2-mod-php7.2 php7.2-common php7.2-gmp php7.2-curl php7.2-intl php7.2-mbstring php7.2-xmlrpc php7.2-mysql php7.2-gd php7.2-bcmath php7.2-xml php7.2-cli php7.2-zip php7.2-sqlite3

After installing PHP 7.2, run the commands below to open the PHP default config file for Apache2.

sudo nano /etc/php/7.2/apache2/php.ini

Then save the changes on the following lines below in the file. The value below is an ideal setting to apply in your environment.

file_uploads = On
allow_url_fopen = On
short_open_tag = On
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 100M
max_execution_time = 360
post_max_size = 128M
max_input_vars = 10000
default_charset = "UTF-8"
date.timezone = America/Chicago

After making the change above, please save the file and close it.

To test PHP 7.2 settings with Apache2, create a phpinfo.php file in the Apache2 root directory by running the commands below

sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

Then type the content below and save the file.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Save the file. Then browse to your server hostname followed by /phpinfo.php

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

You should see the PHP default test page.

Setup Root to Use Nave Password

Adjust MariaDB’s security settings so the root user can use a regular password, which is important for setting up i-doit. You’ll log into MariaDB and run specific SQL commands to switch from the default authentication method to a native password.

MariaDB is configured to use the UNIX auth_socket plugin by default on Ubuntu. You’ll want to run the SQL commands below for the root user to use mysql_native_password.

You’ll need a MariaDB root account to set up i-do it later.

Run the commands below to log on to MariaDB. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Switch to the MySQL database.

use mysql;

Then update the root account to use mysql_native_password.

UPDATE mysql.user SET plugin = 'mysql_native_password' WHERE User = 'root';

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download i-doit Latest Release.

Download the latest i-doit version onto your Ubuntu server. You’ll use the `wget` command to get the file from its official source and then set up a directory to store it.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/i-doit/?source=directory

Use the commands below to download and install

sudo apt install wget
cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/i-doit/i-doit/1.14/idoit-open-1.14.zip
sudo mkdir /var/www/idoit
sudo unzip idoit-open-1.14.zip -d /var/www/idoit

Since you just ran the web server as root, you should ensure the www-data user and group own any newly created files.

To do that, run the commands below:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/idoit/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/idoit/

Configure Apache

Configure Apache to serve the i-doit website by creating a new configuration file. This file tells Apache where i-doit is located on your server and how to handle requests for it.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/idoit.conf

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerAdmin admin@example.com
     DocumentRoot /var/www/idoit
     ServerName example.com
     ServerAlias www.example.com

     <Directory /var/www/idoit/>
        Options +FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
     </Directory>

     ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
     CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save the file and exit.

Enable the i-doit and Rewrite Module.

Enable the i-doit configuration and the rewrite module in Apache for i-doit to work correctly. Once Apache is restarted, you can access i-doit using your web browser by going to its address.

sudo a2ensite idoit.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name or hostname. This is often localhost but can be a hostname or IP address. Your server admin or hosting company will have this information available.

http://example.com/

Continue with the installation wizard, validate that all requirements are met, and continue.

Next, accept the default directory paths and continue.

Type in the database configuration page the root password created above. Then create a new i-doit database username and password. When you’re done, click Next to continue.

Create an admin account and password.

After a brief moment, i-doit should be installed and ready to use.

Enjoy!

Conclusion:

You have learned to install i-doit on Ubuntu with an Apache2 HTTP server. If you find any errors above, please leave a comment below.

Thanks,