How to Install webtrees on OpenBSD

webtrees is an open-source web-based genealogy software that helps you create family trees and share them with others. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing webtrees on OpenBSD.

Prerequisites

• A running instance of OpenBSD
• Root or superuser access

Installing Dependencies

Before we can install webtrees, we need to make sure that all the required dependencies are installed. OpenBSD uses the package manager pkg_add to install packages.

1. Update the package list:

# pkg_add -u

2. Install the required dependencies:

# pkg_add php postgresql-server ap-php

Setting up PostgreSQL

webtrees requires a PostgreSQL database to store its data. Let's set up PostgreSQL and create a database for webtrees.

1. Initialize the PostgreSQL database:

# rcctl start postgresql
# su - _postgresql
$ initdb -D/var/postgresql/data/

2. Start PostgreSQL:

$ exit
# rcctl enable postgresql
# rcctl start postgresql

3. Create a new database and user for webtrees:

# su - postgres
$ createdb webtrees
$ createuser --pwprompt webtrees

Installing webtrees

Now that we have all the dependencies installed, let's proceed with the installation of webtrees.

1. Download and extract the latest version of webtrees:

# cd /var/www/htdocs
# ftp https://github.com/fisharebest/webtrees/releases/latest/download/webtrees-2.0.16.zip
# unzip webtrees-2.0.16.zip
# cd webtrees

2. Copy the sample configuration file and edit it to reflect your PostgreSQL database settings:

# cp data/config.ini.sample data/config.ini
# nano data/config.ini

Update the following lines with your PostgreSQL settings:

database_type = postgresql
database_host = localhost
database_port = 5432
database_name = webtrees
database_user = webtrees
database_password = your_database_password_here

3. Run the webtrees installer:

# chmod -R u+w data
# chmod u+x index.php
# ./index.php

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

4. Once the installation is complete, remove the install directory for security purposes:

# rm -r install

5. Finally, set the correct permissions for webtrees directories:

# chown -R www:www /var/www/htdocs/webtrees
# chmod 755 /var/www/htdocs/webtrees

Accessing webtrees

With the installation complete, you can now access webtrees by opening a web browser and navigating to the following URL:

http://<server-ip>/webtrees

You will be prompted to log in with the credentials you specified during the installation.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed webtrees on OpenBSD!

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