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How to Install Gibbon LMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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The tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on installing and configuring Gibbon Learning Management System (LMS) on Ubuntu servers. Gibbon LMS is a free, open-source platform developed by teachers for teaching, planning, and assessing students. The guide includes installation of Apache2 HTTP Server, MariaDB Database Server, PHP 7.2, and setting up a Gibbon LMS database. It…

This brief tutorial shows students and new users how to install and configure Gibbon Learning Management System (LMS) on Ubuntu 18.04 | 16.04 LTS servers.

Gibbon LMS is a free, open-source platform created by teachers to solve problems teachers face daily in the classroom, allowing seamless planning, teaching, and assessment.

Teachers can use this Gibbon to create powerful tools to help students learn via a user-friendly and responsive interface where students can follow each course via any device.

This LMS platform is robust, mobile-friendly, and responsive out-of-the-box, so your students can enjoy reading and interacting with your courses from multiple devices anywhere.

For more about Gibbon LMS, please check their Homepage

To get started with installing Gibbon LMS, follow the steps below:

Install Apache2 HTTP Server

You will need a web server to run Gibbon LMS, and the Apache2 HTTP server is the most popular open-source web server available today. So go and get it for Gibbon LMS.

To install the Apache2 server, run the commands below:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

After installing the Apache2 web server, 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

Now that Apache2 is installed browse your browser to the URL below to test whether the web server works.

http://localhost
Apache2 Test Page

If you see the page above, then Apache2 is successfully installed.

Install MariaDB Database Server

Gibbon LMS also needs a database server to store its content. And MariaDB database server is a great place to start when looking at open-source database servers to use with Gibbon LMS.

To install MariaDB run the commands below.

sudo apt-get 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

After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server by creating a root password and disallowing remote root access.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

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

  • Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just 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 on to 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

Gibbon LMS is a PHP-based CMS, and PHP is required. However, PHP 7.2 may not be available in Ubuntu’s default repositories. To run PHP 7.2 on Ubuntu 16.04 and previous, you may need to run the commands below:

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-sqlite3 php7.2-mysql php7.2-gmp php7.2-curl php7.2-intl php7.2-mbstring php7.2-xmlrpc php7.2-gd php7.2-bcmath php7.2-xml php7.2-cli php7.2-zip

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

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

The lines below are a good setting for most PHP-based CMS. Update the configuration file with these and save.

file_uploads = On
allow_url_fopen = On
short_open_tag = On
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 100M
max_execution_time = 360
date.timezone = America/Chicago

Every time you change the PHP configuration file, you should restart the Apache2 web server. To do so, run the commands below:

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Once PHP is installed, create a test file called phpinfo.php in the Apache2 default root directory to test whether it’s functioning. ( /var/www/html/)

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

Then type the content below and save the file.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Next, open your browser and browse to the server’s hostname or IP address, followed by phpinfo.php

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

You should see the PHP default test page.

PHP Test Page

Create Gibbon LMS Database

Now that you’ve installed all the required packages, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, create a Gibbon LMS database.

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

Then create a database called Gibbon

CREATE DATABASE gibbon;

Create a database user called gibbonuser with a new password

CREATE USER 'gibbonuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';

Then grant the user full access to the gibbon database.

GRANT ALL ON gibbon.* TO 'gibbonuser'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download Gibbon LMS Latest Release

After installing the server and packages above, please get the latest copy of Gibbon LMS from its download site.

After downloading, use the commands below to extract the archived content into the Apache2 root directory.

cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/GibbonEdu/core/archive/v18.0.01.zip
unzip v18.0.01.zip
sudo mv core-18.0.01 /var/www/gibbon

Then run the commands below to set the correct permissions for the Gibbon LMS root directory and give Apache2 control.

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

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for Gibbon LMS. This file will control how users access Gibbon LMS content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called Gibbon.conf

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

Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location.

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

     <Directory /var/www/gibbon/>
          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 Gibbon LMS and Rewrite Module

After configuring the VirtualHost above, please enable it by running the commands below.

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

Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name. You should see the Gibbon LMS setup wizard complete.

http://example.com/

Before continuing with the installation wizard, validate that all requirements are met.

Next, type in the database name, username, and password and optionally add the demo data and continue.

After that, create an admin account, set your school profile, and complete the setup.

That’s it!

Enjoy~

Congratulation! You have successfully installed Gibbon LMS on Ubuntu 16.04 | 18.04

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Richard Avatar
Richard
Richard, the owner and lead writer at Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast passionate about simplifying complex IT topics. His years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations have honed his ability to provide practical insights and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He’s deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions. He enjoys watching football, cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with his family when he’s not writing or managing Geek Rewind.
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