How to Install Phabricator on NetBSD

Phabricator is an open-source, web-based suite of applications that helps teams collaborate on software development projects. Installing Phabricator on NetBSD is a straightforward process and can be achieved by following the steps outlined in this tutorial.

Prerequisites

Before you proceed with the installation of Phabricator on NetBSD, you need to ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

• NetBSD installed on your system
• Root access to the system
• An internet connection

Step 1: Install Required Dependencies

Phabricator relies on a number of external dependencies to function properly. To install these dependencies on NetBSD, run the following command:

# pkgin install php php-curl php-gd mariadb-server mariadb-client git  

This command installs the following packages:

• php: A scripting language that Phabricator is built with.
• php-curl: A PHP extension for making HTTP requests.
• php-gd: A PHP extension for working with images, which is required by Phabricator's image manipulation.
• mariadb-server and mariadb-client: A database management system used by Phabricator.
• git: A version control system used by Phabricator.

Step 2: Download and Install Phabricator

Once you have installed the required dependencies, you can proceed with the installation of Phabricator. Follow the instructions below to install Phabricator on NetBSD:

1. Navigate to the Phabricator repository on GitHub: https://github.com/phacility/phabricator.

2. Click on the "Clone or Download" button and select "Download ZIP".

3. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to the root of your NetBSD system, for example:

   # unzip phabricator-master.zip -d /usr/local
   

4. Rename the extracted folder to a more convenient name, such as "phabricator":

   # mv /usr/local/phabricator-master /usr/local/phabricator
   

5. Change the ownership of the Phabricator directory to the www user:

   # chown -R www /usr/local/phabricator
   

Step 3: Configure MariaDB Server

Phabricator requires a database to store its data. You need to configure your MariaDB server to create a new database for Phabricator. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Start the MariaDB server by running the following command:

   # /usr/local/libexec/mysqld --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
   

2. Create a new database for Phabricator:

   # mysql -u root
   mysql> CREATE DATABASE phabricator;
   mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON phabricator.* TO 'phabricator'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-password';
   mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   mysql> EXIT;
   

   Replace your-password with a password of your choice.

3. Restart the MariaDB server to apply the changes:

   # /etc/rc.d/mysqld restart
   

Step 4: Configure Phabricator

To configure Phabricator, you need to create a configuration file called config in the Phabricator directory. Follow the steps below to create the config file:

1. Navigate to the Phabricator directory:

   # cd /usr/local/phabricator
   

2. Copy the config template file to config:

   # cp conf/local/local.json.sample conf/local/local.json
   

3. Edit the config file to include your MariaDB database details:

   # vi conf/local/local.json
   

   Replace your-password with the password you chose in Step 3:

   "mysql.host": "localhost",
   "mysql.user": "phabricator",
   "mysql.pass": "your-password",
   "mysql.port": 3306,
   "mysql.protocol": "TCP",
   "mysql.charset": "utf8mb4",
   "mysql.database": "phabricator",
   

4. Save and close the file.

Step 5: Start the Phabricator Daemon

Phabricator has a daemon process that needs to be started. Follow the steps below to start the daemon:

1. Navigate to the Phabricator directory:

   # cd /usr/local/phabricator
   

2. Start the Phabricator daemon with the following command:

   # ./bin/phd start
   

3. Once the daemon is running, you should be able to access the Phabricator web interface by navigating to the following URL in your web browser:

   http://your-netbsd-server/phabricator
   

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Phabricator on NetBSD. You can now use Phabricator to manage your software development projects.

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