How to Install GNU social on Alpine Linux Latest

GNU social is a free and open-source microblogging platform that allows you to share your thoughts and interact with others in a social network. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install GNU social on Alpine Linux Latest.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, please ensure that you have the following:

• A machine running Alpine Linux Latest
• Root access or sufficient privileges to install packages.

Step 1: Update the System

We need to first update the system before we start installing packages.

apk update && apk upgrade

Step 2: Install Required Packages

To install GNU social on Alpine Linux Latest, you must first install the following packages:

• apache2
• php7
• php7-apache2
• php7-pdo
• php7-imagick
• php7-gd
• php7-mbstring
• php7-mysqli
• php7-xmlrpc
• php7-curl
• php7-dom
• git

apk add apache2 php7 php7-apache2 php7-pdo php7-imagick php7-gd php7-mbstring php7-mysqli php7-xmlrpc php7-curl php7-dom git

Step 3: Clone GNU social Repository

We will clone the GNU social repository from Github to install it on our system.

git clone https://git.gnu.io/gnu/gnu-social.git /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social

Step 4: Configure Apache

We need to configure Apache for GNU social. Open the Apache configuration file and add the following code:

vi /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Add the below code at the end of the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    ServerName gnu-social.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/
    ErrorLog /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/error.log
    CustomLog /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/access.log combined
    <Directory "/var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/">
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Restart Apache service to apply the configuration:

service apache2 restart

Step 5: Set Permissions

We need to ensure that GNU social has write permissions on some directories.

chown -R apache:apache /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/file/avatars
chown -R apache:apache /var/www/htdocs/gnu-social/file/attachments

Step 6: Complete Installation

You can proceed to access GNU social through a web browser on http:///gnu-social. The installation process should start automatically.

You'll need to enter the database details, administrative user email, and user password information to continue with the installation.

Once the installation completes successfully, you can start using GNU social.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed GNU social on Alpine Linux Latest by following this tutorial. You're now ready to start blogging and connecting with others. Happy blogging!

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