Linux & Other OS

This guide will take you through the steps needed to install Firefox, Java, Tomcat, and Jetty, preparing your system for running OpenMRS.

Step 1: Install Firefox

Begin by installing Firefox, which will be necessary to access and manage OpenMRS.

• Instructions:
  Follow the detailed installation instructions for Linux at the following link: Install Firefox on Linux.

Step 2: Install Java

Java is essential for running OpenMRS, and the installation process varies depending on your operating system.

For Ubuntu:

• Option 1: Install OpenJDK Directly

  sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk

• Option 2: Install OpenJDK as a Dependency of Tomcat

  sudo apt-get install tomcat7

For Other Operating Systems:

• Download Java:

  • Obtain the Java 8 release version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from the official site.

• Install Java:

  • Run the installer or unzip the contents, depending on the provided package.

  • Accept the license agreement to complete the installation.

Step 3: Install Tomcat

Tomcat is the application server that will run OpenMRS. You can either install it as a package or manually from a zip archive.

Option 1: Manual Installation on Other Operating Systems

1. Download Tomcat:

   • Get the zip archive of Tomcat 7.0.99 from the official website.

2. Unpack Tomcat:

   sudo useradd tomcat7 cd /opt sudo tar zxvf apache-tomcat-7.0.99.tar.gz sudo ln -s apache-tomcat-7.0.99 tomcat7 sudo chown tomcat7.tomcat7 apache-tomcat-7.0.99

3. Configure Tomcat Users:

   • Open the Tomcat users file (e.g., /opt/tomcat/conf/tomcat-users.xml) as root:

   • Add a user with admin and manager roles:

Option 2: Installation as a Debian Package (Not Recommended)

1. Install Tomcat:

2. Configure Tomcat Users:

   • Open the Tomcat users file (e.g., /etc/tomcat/tomcat-users.xml) as root:

   • Add a user with admin and manager roles:

3. Adjust Security Settings:

   • Turn off the Tomcat security flag:

   • Find TOMCAT7_SECURITY=yes and change it to TOMCAT7_SECURITY=no.

4. Create OpenMRS Application Data Directory:

Step 4: Install Jetty (Alternative to Tomcat)

Jetty is another application server option for running OpenMRS, particularly in a Linux environment.

Jetty Installation Steps

1. Download Jetty:

   • Obtain Jetty 7.4.5 from the official site (avoid version 7.5.4, which may have compatibility issues with your JDK).

2. Unpack Jetty:

3. Set Up Jetty as a Service:

   • Copy the Jetty startup script:

   • Edit /etc/init.d/jetty to define the paths for Java and Jetty:

4. Start Jetty:

   • Place the openmrs.war file in /usr/share/jetty/webapps/.

   • Start Jetty using the command:

Step 5: Install MySQL

Finally, you need to set up a MySQL database to store the OpenMRS application data.

For Ubuntu:

• Install MySQL:

• Set a Root Password:

  • During installation, you will be prompted to enter a root password. Remember this for configuring OpenMRS.