OTRS - Manual
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# Chapter 1. Install the biest.

The described way of installing the otrs is tested on a newly installed system. In case you have trouble to install it on your working system please try it with a new Linux installation. Most of the installation problems are caused by messy apache configurations and forgotten mysql database passwords. So please use a fresh installation to encircle an installation problem in case it occures.

We try to keep the installation as easy as possible. But the OTRS is a very powerfull and complex application which can not just be untared in some directory and that's it.

# Installing the rpm on a SuSE Linux (the quick and easy way)

This section is a guide for installing OTRS on a SuSE Linux. We tested the SuSE Linux versions 7.3, 8.0 and 8.1. Before starting the installation have a look at http://otrs.org/ and check if a newer and better version of the rpm file is available. If so please download it and use the newer documentation and the newer rpm.

Install the otrs.rpm with YaST (YaST2) or on the command line with rpm (what ever you prefer). Please be aware of the fact that OpenTRS needs some Perl-Modules which are not installed by default in a typical SuSE installation. So it might be a good idea to use YaST to install the rpm because it will handle and solve all the dependencies.

In case you prefer the command line rpm way (you have to have installed the needed modules first otherwise rpm will ask you to do so):

    ernie:~ # rpm -ivh /tmp/otrs.rpm
    otrs                        ##################################################
    Check OpenTRS user (/etc/passwd)... otrs added.
    SetPermissions.sh <$Revision: 1.4 $> - set OpenTRS file permissions
    Copyright (c) 2002 Martin Edenhofer <martin@otrs.org>
    Setting file permissions...
    chown -R root.root /opt/OpenTRS
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/.fetchmailrc
    chmod 0710 /opt/OpenTRS/.fetchmailrc
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/.procmailrc
    chmod 0644 /opt/OpenTRS/.procmailrc
    chown -R otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/
    chown -R wwwrun.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/sessions/
    otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/log/TicketCounter.log
    chmod -R 755 /opt/OpenTRS/bin/
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/DeleteSessionIDs.pl
    chmod: getting attributes of `otrs.root': No such file or directory
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/UnlockTickets.pl
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/otrs.getConfig
    Updating etc/sysconfig/otrs...
    insserv: script postfix: service sendmail already provided!

    Next steps:

    [SuSEconfig]
     Execute 'SuSEconfig' to configure the webserver.

    [start Apache and MySQL]
     Execute 'rcapache start' and 'rcmysql start' in case they don't run.

    [install the OpenTRS database]
     Use a webbrowser and open this link:
     http://localhost/otrs/installer.pl

    [OpenTRS services]
     Start OpenTRS 'rcotrs start-force' (rcotrs {start|stop|status|restart|start-force|stop-force}).

    Have fun!

     Your OpenTRS Team
     http://otrs.org/

    ernie:~ #

Know it's time to start SuSEconfig:

    ernie:~ # SuSEconfig
    Starting SuSEconfig, the SuSE Configuration Tool...
    Running in full featured mode.
    Reading /etc/rc.config and updating the system...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.aaa_at_first...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.alljava...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.apache...
    Installing new /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
    Installing new /etc/httpd/suse_include.conf
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.doublecheck...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.fonts...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.groff...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.hostname...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.inittab...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.man_info...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.news...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.perl...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.permissions...
    Checking permissions and ownerships - using /etc/permissions.d/postfix...
    setting /usr/sbin/sendmail to root.root 0555.
    Checking permissions and ownerships - using /etc/permissions.d/sendmail...
    setting /usr/sbin/sendmail to root.mail 2555.
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.postfix...
    Installing new /etc/postfix/main.cf
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.profiles...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.sendmail...
    Executing /sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.sortpasswd...
    Finished.

Once you installed the otrs.rpm on your system you have to reload the apache by rcapache reload to force apache to reload the config file. In case you haven't started the apache or mysql yet, it is a good time to do so (rcapache start and rcmysql start).

    ernie:~ # rcapache reload
     PERL PHP4 Python Reload httpd                              done

Now you have to setup the databases. Please open http://localhost/otrs/installer.pl to do so.

Warning
It is not a good idea to use the default passwords. You install a very important piece of software and you do not want anybody to be able to hack your database just because you didn't change the default password!

And because we want to keep the system as secure as possible we change some permissions by using the following script:

    ernie:~ # /opt/OpenTRS/bin/SetPermissions.sh /opt/OpenTRS otrs wwwrun
    SetPermissions.sh <$Revision: 1.4 $> - set OpenTRS file permissions
    Copyright (c) 2002 Martin Edenhofer <martin@otrs.org>
    Setting file permissions...
    chown -R root.root /opt/OpenTRS
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/.fetchmailrc
    chmod 0710 /opt/OpenTRS/.fetchmailrc
    chown otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/.procmailrc
    chmod 0644 /opt/OpenTRS/.procmailrc
    chown -R otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/
    chown -R wwwrun.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/sessions/
    otrs.nogroup /opt/OpenTRS/var/log/TicketCounter.log
    chmod -R 755 /opt/OpenTRS/bin/
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/DeleteSessionIDs.pl
    chmod: getting attributes of `otrs.root': No such file or directory
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/UnlockTickets.pl
    (chown && chmod 700) otrs.root /opt/OpenTRS/bin/otrs.getConfig
    ernie:~ #

OK, know it it time to fire up the otrs. Do so on the command line:

    ernie:~ # rcotrs restart-force
    Shutting down OpenTRS
     Disable /opt/OpenTRS/bin/PostMaster.pl ... done.
    no crontab for otrs
     Shutting down cronjobs ... failed!
    Shutting down OpenTRS (completely)
     Shutting down Apache ... done.
     Shutting down MySQL ... done.
                                                                         done
    Starting OpenTRS (completely)
     Starting Apache ... done.
     Starting MySQL ... done.
    Starting OpenTRS
     Checking Apache ... done.
     Checking MySQL ... done.
     Checking database connect... (It looks Ok!).
     Enable /opt/OpenTRS/bin/PostMaster.pl ... done.
     Checking otrs spool dir...  done.
     Creating cronjobs (source /opt/OpenTRS/var/cron/*) ... done.

      -->> http://ernie.example.com/otrs/index.pl <<--
                                                                         done
                                                                         done
    ernie:~ #

Finish! Wasn't that a piece of cake? ;-)

Your can use the OTRS by opening the http://ernie.example.com/otrs/index.pl link.

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