Install Foswiki with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

The Nginx web server required for Foswiki installs quickly via the package manager. This guide covers installing 💿 the HTTP server and preparing it to host your site.

Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the 💿 Nginx web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Use the commands below to start, stop, and enable the service so it launches automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Test the Nginx web server by opening a web browser and navigating to the server localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

The "Welcome to nginx!" message confirms successful installation. This confirmation appears when accessing the server through a web browser after completing setup steps.

Additional help installing Nginx on Ubuntu appears in the guide linked below.

How to install Nginx on Ubuntu

Install Perl and Related Modules

Foswiki requires Perl to function properly. This section provides commands to install Perl and key modules, such as libalgorithm-diff-perl and libarchive-tar-perl, which the platform demands.

sudo apt-get install rcs libalgorithm-diff-perl libarchive-tar-perl libauthen-sasl-perl libcgi-pm-perl libcgi-session-perl libcrypt-passwdmd5-perl libdigest-sha-perl libemail-address-xs-perl libemail-mime-perl libencode-perl liberror-perl libfile-copy-recursive-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tree-perl libio-socket-ip-perl libio-socket-ssl-perl libjson-perl liblocale-codes-perl liblocale-maketext-perl liblocale-maketext-lexicon-perl liblocale-msgfmt-perl libwww-perl liblwp-protocol-https-perl liburi-perl libversion-perl libfcgi-perl libfcgi-procmanager-perl fcgiwrap spawn-fcgi libfcgi-perl

Download Foswiki files

Grabbing the latest Foswiki package gets your wiki off the ground. Head over to the official Foswiki download page, grab the link for the newest release, and pull the archive onto your system.

Check the Foswiki download page to ensure you fetch the most recent version. Download the archived package to the computer and extract the contents.

Navigate to the working directory and pull the Foswiki files. Extract the content directly into the Foswiki folder inside the Nginx root directory.

Adjusting file permissions allows the Nginx web server to interact securely with the Foswiki files, safeguarding the installation.

Run the commands below to set correct permissions for the Nginx root folder so the application functions correctly.

cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/foswiki/distro/releases/download/FoswikiRelease02x01x09/Foswiki-2.1.9.zip
unzip Foswiki-*.zip
sudo cp -rf Foswiki-2.1.9 /var/www/foswiki
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/foswiki/

The shell script tools/fix_file_permissions.sh repairs the installation if file permissions change unexpectedly.

Run the script below to fix the Foswiki bin scripts and ensure the platform is set up correctly. This script guarantees command files, like `configure`, operate properly within the Foswiki installation.

cd /var/www/foswiki/tools
sudo -u www-data perl rewriteshebang.pl

Select 'y' to apply changes when prompted.

Copy Foswiki tool files from the tools folder into the `/etc/` directory. Run the following commands to complete this action and place all required configuration files in the correct location.

sudo cp /var/www/foswiki/tools/foswiki.defaults /etc/default/foswiki
sudo cp /var/www/foswiki/tools/foswiki.init-script /etc/init.d/foswiki

Change permissions and reload the services next.

sudo chmod 755 /etc/init.d/foswiki
sudo service foswiki start

Configure the Nginx web server to serve the Foswiki content after completing the steps above.

Run the commands below to create an Nginx virtual host file for Foswiki.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/foswiki.conf

Copy and paste the content block below into the Nginx server block.

server {
    listen       80;
    server_name  foswiki.example.com;

    set $foswiki_root "/var/www/foswiki";
    root $foswiki_root;

    location / {
        root $foswiki_root;
        rewrite ^/?$ http://foswiki.example.com/bin/view.pl/Main permanent;
    }

   location /bin/configure {
        allow 127.0.0.1;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/fcgiwrap.socket;
        fastcgi_split_path_info ^/foswiki(/bin/configure)(?:.pl)?(.*);
        fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME  $foswiki_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        fastcgi_param  PATH_INFO $fastcgi_path_info;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

   location /bin/ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/fcgiwrap.socket;
        fastcgi_split_path_info  ^(/bin/w+)(.*);
        fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME $foswiki_root/$fastcgi_script_name;
        fastcgi_param  PATH_INFO $fastcgi_path_info;
        fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_NAME $fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
       }
}

Save the file.

Enable the Foswiki virtual host by running the `sudo a2ensite foswiki.conf` command, and restart the Nginx server with `sudo systemctl restart nginx` to apply the changes.

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/foswiki.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx.service

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for Foswiki

Securing the Foswiki site with a free Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS certificate matters when running Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04. This section guides you through setting up SSL for Nginx, which protects data for all users.

Read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates for Nginx.

How to set up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Open a browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Nginx server block after restarting the web server.

http://foswiki.example.com/bin/view

The Foswiki setup wizard should appear on screen.

Click the configure link to set up the application.

Configure the necessary settings for the site. Click the Save button in the upper right corner of the configuration page.

The login section at the top of the left-hand menu should show that the session remains active under a temporary Admin user. Click the "Log Out" link to exit that account.

The Foswiki installation on Ubuntu 24.04 is now ready for use. Teams can begin creating pages, adding content, and collaborating.

Foswiki is fully operational.

Conclusion:

Installing Foswiki with Nginx support on Ubuntu 24.04 provides a robust collaboration environment. Review the key takeaways below:

• Foswiki Overview: A powerful open-source platform for collaborative content management.
• Nginx Benefits: Efficient handling of high traffic with minimal resource usage.
• Installation Process: Involves installing Nginx, Perl modules, and Foswiki files.
• Configuration Steps: Setting up Nginx virtual hosts to serve Foswiki effectively.
• Security Measures: Implementing SSL/TLS with Let’s Encrypt for secure access.
• User-Friendly Setup: The setup wizard guides you through the final configuration steps.

Teams can use Foswiki for collaboration immediately after completing these setup steps. The platform supports dynamic content creation and sharing for up to 50 concurrent users on a single instance.