GoatCounter is a simple web analytics service that you can host on your own server. In this tutorial, we’ll be looking at how to install GoatCounter on Arch Linux.
Before we start, you’ll need to ensure that you have the following:
GoatCounter requires a number of dependencies to be installed on your server. We’ll start by updating the Arch Linux package cache and installing the relevant packages:
$ sudo pacman -Syu
$ sudo pacman -S git go
Next, we’ll clone the GoatCounter repository from GitHub:
$ git clone https://github.com/zgoat/goatcounter.git
$ cd goatcounter
With the repository cloned, we can now build and install GoatCounter:
$ go build
$ sudo cp goatcounter /usr/local/bin/goatcounter
GoatCounter needs to be configured before it can be used. We’ll create a directory to store the configuration files, and then create a configuration file by copying the example configuration provided:
$ sudo mkdir -p /etc/goatcounter
$ sudo cp cmd/goatcounter/example-goatcounter.toml /etc/goatcounter/goatcounter.toml
Next, we’ll edit the configuration file to specify the domain name that GoatCounter will be tracking:
$ sudo nano /etc/goatcounter/goatcounter.toml
[server]
domain="example.com"
Note that you’ll need to replace example.com with your own domain name.
With GoatCounter now configured, we can start it by running:
$ sudo goatcounter serve
Finally, we can verify that GoatCounter is up and running by accessing it in a web browser. To do this, enter the following URL into your browser:
http://example.com/count
Again, make sure to replace example.com with your own domain name.
In this tutorial, we’ve seen how to install GoatCounter on an Arch Linux server. Once installed, GoatCounter provides a simple way to track website visits and other analytics data.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
