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Example: DRC EMR Installation Guide: Online Approach

Example: DRC EMR Installation Guide: Online Approach

Introduction

This documentation serves as a step-by-step guide for the online installation of the DRC EMR Distribution. This approach recommends the creation of local copies of the docker-compose.yml, docker-compose-restore.yml and the .env.example file to .env or create a new file with the same name and values on your local environment with internet access.

Pre-Requisites

Minimum Hardware Requirements

We recommend selecting your hardware and system requirements based on real-world needs, such as the number of users or expected patient records.

These specifications assume a bare metal installation of the OS. Running OpenMRS as a VM on a Windows computer for any production use is NOT recommended.

  • Minimum (1-10 users): Quad-core or higher desktop-class processor, 8 GB RAM, 100+GB HDD

  • Recommended (10+ users): 8 Core+ processor, 16 GB RAM, 100+ GB HDD in RAID configuration, with backup facilities

  • Cloud Requirements (AWS):

    • Minimum: EC2 t3.medium (1-10 users)

    • Recommended: t3.large (8GB RAM, more processors) or higher, depending on the number of users

Internet Connectivity

Stable internet connectivity

Getting Started with Online Installation

 

  1. create a folder on your environment where the project the instance will be started.

1.png
Create folder

  1. Navigating to https://github.com/path-drc and clicking on a path-drc-emr repository under the project.

1a.png

  1. Click on the .env.example file

online 2.png
click on env example file

  1. Download the file to rename in your project folder.

online 3.png
Download file

  1. Click on docker-compose-restore.yml file

click on restore.png
Click on docker-compose-restore.yml file

  1. Download the file

download docker restore.png
Download docker-compose-restore.yml file

  1. Rename the env.example.env file in your folder to .env file

env file.png
Rename file
Screenshot from 2025-08-06 22-52-45.png

 

  1. Set the location for the instance under the .env

Screenshot from 2025-08-06 22-55-04.png

  1. Open the project via terminal and list the directory by using command: ls. Then, start up the project by spinning up the docker images using the command: docker compose up

Screenshot from 2025-08-06 23-10-51.png
List directory and start projetc

  1. The new OpenMRS UI is accessible at http://localhost/openmrs/spa the OpenMRS Legacy UI is accessible at http://localhost/openmrs

The installation wizard will run and can be accessed via the /openmrs path of the backend

 

gitpod17wizard.png

The front end will render /openmrs/spa/login . In this illustration, the DRC distribution login page is displayed

Frontend (2).png

Trouble Shooting Docker build

In some instance, the docker compose up results to the error below upon accessing the instance

erro.png
Build error

  1. Run the command docker compose down backend to put down the backend service.

  2. Run the command docker compose up backend to put up the backend service.

  3. Access the instance.