How to Install ILIAS on Arch Linux

ILIAS is an open-source e-learning platform that allows you to create and manage learning materials, communicate with learners, and deploy online courses. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install ILIAS on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before installing ILIAS, you need to have the following prerequisites:

Step 1: Install PHP and Required Extensions

ILIAS is written in PHP and requires several extensions to run. Run the following command to install PHP and required extensions:

sudo pacman -S php php-fpm php-gd php-mbstring php-curl php-mysql php-ldap php-zip

You also need to modify the php.ini configuration file to meet the requirements of ILIAS. Open the /etc/php/php.ini file in your text editor and add the following settings:

file_uploads = On
allow_url_fopen = On
short_open_tag = On
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 100M
max_execution_time = 360

Save and close the file.

Step 2: Install and Configure Web server

You can either install Apache or Nginx web server, depending on your preference. Here, we will install the Apache web server.

Install the Apache server with the following command:

sudo pacman -S apache

After installing Apache, start and enable the Apache service with the following commands:

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Now, open your web browser and enter http://localhost on the address bar to verify if the Apache server is running correctly.

Step 3: Install and Configure MySQL

Install MySQL with the following command:

sudo pacman -S mysql

Start and enable the MySQL service using the following commands:

sudo systemctl start mysqld
sudo systemctl enable mysqld

Configure the MySQL server by securing it with the following command:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen instructions to set the root password, disable remote root login, remove test database, and reload privilege tables.

Create a new MySQL database and user for ILIAS with the following commands:

sudo mysql -u root -p

mysql> CREATE DATABASE ilias_db;
mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ilias_db.* TO 'ilias_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
mysql> exit;

Replace your_password with a secure password of your choice.

Step 4: Download and Install ILIAS

Download the latest version of the ILIAS package using the following command:

wget https://download.ilias.de/plugins/Plugin_Base_Root/5.4.24/ilias-5.4.24.zip

Extract the package in the /srv/http/ directory with the following command:

sudo unzip ilias-5.4.24.zip -d /srv/http/

Change the ownership of the ILIAS directory and its contents to the web server user with the following command:

sudo chown -R http:http /srv/http/ilias

Step 5: Configure ILIAS

Create a new virtual host for ILIAS in the /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf file by adding the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /srv/http/ilias/
    ServerName  localhost
    ErrorLog  ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/ilias_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/ilias_access.log combined
    <Directory /srv/http/ilias>
        AllowOverride All
        Options FollowSymlinks
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Save and close the file.

Restart the Apache service with the following command:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Finally, access ILIAS through your web browser by navigating to http://localhost/install/setup.php. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed ILIAS on your Arch Linux system. You can now use the e-learning platform to create and manage learning materials online.

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