How to Install Hubzilla on OpenBSD

Hubzilla is a powerful platform that allows you to create your own social network. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the installation of Hubzilla on OpenBSD.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure your OpenBSD system meets the following requirements:

• OpenBSD 6.5 or later
• Root access to your server
• A web server, such as Apache or Nginx
• PHP version 7.2 or later
• PostgreSQL or MariaDB/MySQL
• Git

Installing Hubzilla

Follow these steps to install Hubzilla on OpenBSD:

1. Update your system

   To update your system, use the following command:

    $ doas pkg_add -Uu
   

2. Install necessary packages

   Use the following command to install the packages you'll need:

    $ doas pkg_add ca-certificates git postgresql-server nginx php72 php72-fpm php72-pgsql
   

3. Configure PostgreSQL

   Create a new user and database by running the following commands:

    $ doas su - _postgresql 
    $ createdb -E UTF8 -O hubzilla hubzilla
    $ exit
   

4. Download Hubzilla

   Clone the Hubzilla repository using Git:

    $ cd /var/www
    $ git clone https://framagit.org/hubzilla/core.git hubzilla
   

5. Configure PHP

   Create a new PHP pool configuration file:

    $ cd /etc/php-fpm.d/
    $ cp www.conf hubzilla.conf
   

   Edit the hubzilla.conf file to have the following values:

    [hubzilla]
    user = www
    group = www
    listen = /run/php-fpm-hubzilla.sock
    listen.owner = www
    listen.group = www
    listen.mode = 0666
    pm = dynamic
    pm.max_children = 5
    pm.start_servers = 2
    pm.min_spare_servers = 1
    pm.max_spare_servers = 3
   

   Save and close the file.

6. Configure Nginx

   Create a new Nginx configuration file:

    $ cd /etc/nginx/
    $ cp nginx.conf nginx.conf.backup
    $ rm -f nginx.conf
    $ vi nginx.conf
   

   Add the following content to the file:

    worker_processes auto;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log warn;
    pid /run/nginx.pid;
   
    events {
        worker_connections 1024;
    }
   
    http {
        include mime.types;
        default_type application/octet-stream;
        sendfile on;
        keepalive_timeout 65;
   
        server {
            listen 80;
            server_name your-domain.com;
            root /var/www/hubzilla;
            index index.php;
   
            location / {
                try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
            }
   
            location ~ \.php$ {
                include fastcgi_params;
                fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php-fpm-hubzilla.sock;
                fastcgi_index index.php;
                fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
                fastcgi_param SCRIPT_NAME $fastcgi_script_name;
            }
        }
    }
   

   Replace your-domain.com with your domain name. Save and close the file.

7. Configure Hubzilla

   Create a configuration file for Hubzilla:

    $ cd /var/www/hubzilla
    $ cp .htconfig.php.sample .htconfig.php
    $ vi .htconfig.php
   

   Edit the file and define the following settings:

    $db_host = '127.0.0.1';
    $db_name = 'hubzilla';
    $db_user = 'hubzilla';
    $db_pass = 'your-password';
    $baseurl = 'http://your-domain.com';
    $datadirectory = '/var/www/hubzilla/view';
    $admin_email = 'your-email@example.com';
    $max_request_size = '4294967296';
    $system_block_public = true;
    $no_regfullname = true;
   

   Save and close the file.

8. Start the Services

   Start the PostgreSQL server:

    $ doas rcctl enable postgresql
    $ doas rcctl set postgresql status
   

   Start PHP-FPM and Nginx:

    $ doas rcctl enable php72_fpm
    $ doas rcctl set php72_fpm status
    $ doas rcctl enable nginx
    $ doas rcctl set nginx status
   

9. Install Hubzilla

   Open a web browser and go to http://your-domain.com/. If you have followed the steps correctly, you should see the Hubzilla installation page.

   Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Hubzilla on OpenBSD.

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!