Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The links redirecting to third party solutions are not associated with OpenMRS. Even though the solutions worked for me without consulting other external sources, use them at your own discretion. 

  • I have installed several versions of Java on my system. How do i locate them and set the required version as my default Java environment?
    • In the terminal, type: update-java-alternatives --list. This command will give you a list of your current java versions installed and the paths they are located at. Once you have identified the correct java version, copy the path. In our case, we used Java 1.8.0 for the OpenMRS Stand-alone version. The path for our java installation looked like: /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64. Use sudo update-java-alternatives --set (PATH_TO_JAVA) command to set your specified java version as the default java environment on the machine. In our case, this command was used: sudo update-java-alternatives --set /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64.
  • I completed all the steps mentioned above to set the desired Java environment. I get the error: "Directory not found" when running update-java-alternatives --list. What does this mean?
    • This means that your JAVA_HOME and PATH are not configured properly. To fix this, use this solution.
  • I want to completely get rid of all my Java versions and start the process of installing again. I do not have a snapshot saved without Java installed. How do I uninstall Java completely from my machine?
    • The selected answer here will help you completely uninstall Java from your machine. I tested it and it works as of October 2020.
  • I need to get rid of MySQL from my machine completely and install a fresh version. How do I do it with no traces of MySQL left?
    • I used this solution and it works as of October 2020. Keep in mind that installing a fresh version of mySQL can sometimes be tricky and if you already have installed and set up your mySQL, make sure you are only removing it if you absolutely have to. Most FOSS projects are compatible with the latest mySQL versions which you might be trying to get rid of.
  • I have changed my mind and do not want to uninstall my current MySQL set up. I instead would like to install multiple versions of MySQL on the same machine. How do I do it?
    • I used this solution to install multiple versions of MySQL concurrently using Docker. I would not advise this however because to start different MySQL services on the same machine, you will have to change your ports that are being listened to by every MySQL version. Sometimes, this can be a very time-consuming operation since not all MySQL ports are listed in the Process manager of Ubuntu and you have to manually find the ports and change them every time you start the server. Instead, uninstall the current MySQL version and get a fresh install of the desired version.
  • I have installed MySQL but I did not remember setting up a password or have forgotten the password of mySQL server. How do i reset it?
    • First, check all the passwords you might have set or you think might be it. Use mysql -u root -p command to start mySQL server. This will require you to put the password in for root. If your password does not work, it means the password needs to be reset. In the terminal, type sudo mysql. Enter your sudo password. Use ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'insert_password'; command to set your root password. Replace insert_password with your desired password. This command changes the password for the user root and sets the authentication method to mysql_native_password. This is a traditional method for authentication, and it is not as secure as auth_plugin. Run the MySQL -u root -p command again and test your password. You should now be able to start the MySQL server.
  • My OpenMRS User install requires Maven. How do I install it?
    • Use this link to install maven on your machine. You can use mvn --version command to check if you already have Maven installed.
  • My OpenMRS User Install requires Tomcat. How do I install it?
    • Use this link to check if you already have Tomcat installed. If not, consult this website to install Tomcat 9 on your machine.
  • My OpenMRS User Install requires Tomcat. How do I install it?
    • Use this link to check if you already have Tomcat installed. If not, consult this website to install Tomcat 9 on your machine.