This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to install Tracks, a web-based application for organizing and managing tasks and projects, on Linux Mint.
Before starting the installation process, make sure that your system has the following prerequisites:
Apache is a widely-used web server software, which is needed to host web applications like Tracks. To install Apache, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install apache2
MySQL is a database management system, which is required for Tracks to store data. To install MySQL, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install mysql-server
Once MySQL is installed, run the following command to secure the installation:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
PHP is a server-side scripting language that is required for Tracks to function properly. To install PHP, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql
Git is a version control system, which is needed to download the Tracks source code from GitHub. To install Git, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install git
To download the Tracks source code from GitHub, run the following command:
git clone https://github.com/TracksApp/tracks.git
This will create a "tracks" directory containing the Tracks source code.
To host Tracks on your Apache web server, you need to create a virtual host configuration file. Run the following command to create a new virtual host file:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/tracks.conf
Add the following configuration to the file:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName tracks.local
DocumentRoot /var/www/tracks/public
<Directory /var/www/tracks/public>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/tracks_error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/tracks_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file and exit the editor. Then, enable the new virtual host by running the following command:
sudo a2ensite tracks.conf
Also, enable the Apache rewrite module by running the following command:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Finally, restart the Apache web server for the changes to take effect:
sudo systemctl restart apache2
Create a new MySQL database and user for Tracks with the following commands:
mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE tracks;
CREATE USER 'tracks_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON tracks.* TO 'tracks_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Replace "your_password" with the password you want to use for the Tracks user.
Rename the "config/database.yml.example" file to "config/database.yml" and edit it to include your MySQL database settings:
production:
adapter: mysql2
encoding: utf8
reconnect: false
database: tracks
pool: 5
username: tracks_user
password: your_password
socket: /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
Save the file and exit the editor.
Rename the "config/site.yml.example" file to "config/site.yml" and edit it to include your site settings:
production:
name: Your Site Name
theme: default
email_from: your_email@example.com
url: https://tracks.local
Save the file and exit the editor.
Install the Tracks dependencies by running the following commands:
cd tracks
gem install bundler
bundle install --without development test sqlite
This will install the necessary Ruby gems for Tracks.
Run the following command to initialize the Tracks database:
bundle exec rake db:migrate RAILS_ENV=production
Access Tracks by navigating your web browser to "http://tracks.local". You should see the Tracks login page. Use the default login credentials (username: admin, password: admin) to log in and start using Tracks to manage your tasks and projects.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed Tracks on Linux Mint and are now ready to start using it!
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!
