How to Install OpenWISP on Elementary OS Latest?

Introduction

OpenWISP is a network management system for configuring, monitoring, and managing different types of network devices. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install OpenWISP on Elementary OS Latest.

Prerequisites

Before you proceed with the installation, ensure that you have the following:

• Elementary OS Latest installed on your system
• A user account with sudo privileges

Step 1 - Install Dependencies

OpenWISP requires some dependencies that need to be installed before proceeding. You can install them by running the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y python3 python3-dev python3-pip python3-venv python3-wheel libmysqlclient-dev libjpeg-dev
sudo apt install -y git

Step 2 - Install OpenWISP

1. Create a directory where you want to install OpenWISP. You can create a directory named "openwisp" by running the following command:

   mkdir openwisp
   

2. Change to the "openwisp" directory:

   cd openwisp
   

3. Clone the OpenWISP repository to the "openwisp" directory:

   git clone https://github.com/openwisp/openwisp-network-topology
   

4. Create a new virtual environment for OpenWISP:

   python3 -m venv openwisp-env
   

5. Activate the virtual environment:

   source openwisp-env/bin/activate
   

6. Upgrade pip:

   pip install --upgrade pip
   

7. Install the required Python packages:

   cd openwisp-network-topology
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

8. Create a database for OpenWISP:

   sudo mysql -u root -p
   CREATE DATABASE openwisp;
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON openwisp.* TO 'openwisp'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   exit
   

9. Create a config file:

   cp openwisp_topology/local_settings-example.py openwisp_topology/local_settings.py
   

10. Configure the database in the config file:

    nano openwisp_topology/local_settings.py
    

    Find the following lines in the file:

    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
            'NAME': 'openwisp',
            'USER': 'openwisp',
            'PASSWORD': 'password',
            'HOST': 'localhost',
            'PORT': '',
        }
    }
    

    Change the username and password to match the credentials you set up in step 8.

Step 3 - Run OpenWISP

1. Activate the virtual environment:

   source openwisp-env/bin/activate
   

2. Navigate to the "openwisp-network-topology" directory:

   cd ~/openwisp/openwisp-network-topology
   

3. Apply the database migrations:

   ./manage.py migrate
   

4. Create a superuser account:

   ./manage.py createsuperuser
   

5. Run the server:

   ./manage.py runserver
   

6. Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8000/

Conclusion

You have successfully installed OpenWISP on Elementary OS Latest. You can now manage and monitor your network devices using OpenWISP.

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!