Koha is an open-source Integrated Library System (ILS) that provides libraries with tools to efficiently manage their collections and automate library processes. In this tutorial, we will install Koha on the Debian latest operating system.
Before installing any new software, it's important to ensure that the system is up to date. You can easily update your Debian system by running the following command in your terminal:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Koha requires several packages to function correctly. You can install all necessary packages with the following command:
sudo apt-get install -y mariadb-server apache2 libapache2-mod-perl2 opac-nginx ssl-cert koha-common
As we have installed MySQL in step 2, Now, we need to configure it for Koha by running the following command:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
This command will guide you through the process of securing your MySQL installation. Make sure you set up a password for the root MySQL user.
After this, we will need to create a new user and a database for Koha. Run the following commands to achieve this:
sudo mysql -u root -p
This will log you into the MySQL prompt as root. Then, run the following commands:
CREATE DATABASE koha_library;
CREATE USER 'koha_admin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON koha_library.* TO 'koha_admin'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit
Note that you should replace password with a strong password of your choice.
Now that we have prepared our database, it's time to configure Koha. We will configure Koha by running the following command:
sudo koha-site --create koha.library.net
In this command, "koha.library.net" is the domain name of your Koha instance. Replace it with your domain name. This command will take several minutes to complete.
Next, we need to enable Koha's system preferences by running the following command:
sudo koha-enable-sysprefs koha.library.net
This command will also take a few minutes to complete.
At this point, the system is ready for Koha installation. You can install Koha by running the following command:
sudo koha-install --create-db koha.library.net
This command will download and install all necessary dependencies for Koha. It will then run the Koha installation process, prompting you for various pieces of information along the way. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process.
After the installation is complete, you can access your Koha instance by navigating to your server's IP address or domain name in your web browser. You should see a Koha login page.
Log in to Koha using the administrator credentials you created during installation. Once logged in, you will be presented with the Koha dashboard.
You have successfully installed Koha on your Debian latest operating system. Koha is a powerful library management tool, and you can further customize it to meet your library's specific needs. Feel free to explore Koha's various features and settings to get the most out of your Koha installation.
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