How to Install Lstu on Void Linux

Lstu is a minimalist URL shortener written in Perl. In this tutorial, we will go through the steps to install Lstu on Void Linux.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to have the following:

• A Void Linux system with root privileges.
• Perl and CPAN modules installed.
• A web server such as Apache or Nginx installed.

Installation Steps

1. First, update the package list on your system by running the following command:

   # xbps-install -Svy
   

2. Install the necessary dependencies by running the following command:

   # xbps-install -y perl perl-devel perl-Module-Build libwww-perl mariadb mariadb-devel mariadb-client mariadb-libs mariadb-connector-c-devel
   

3. Next, clone the Lstu repository from Github:

   # git clone https://github.com/ldidry/lstu.git
   

4. Change into the Lstu directory:

   # cd lstu
   

5. Run the following command to install the required Perl modules:

   # sudo cpanm --installdeps .
   

6. Copy the default configuration file to the configuration directory:

   # cp lstu.conf.default /etc/lstu.conf
   

7. Edit the configuration file to match your preferences. For example, you can change the database credentials or enable/disable features.

8. Create a new MySQL/MariaDB database for Lstu:

   # mysql -u root -p
   mysql> CREATE USER 'lstu'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
   mysql> CREATE DATABASE `lstu` CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
   mysql> GRANT ALL ON `lstu`.* TO 'lstu'@'localhost';
   

   Remember to replace password with a strong password of your own.

9. Create the database schema by running the following command:

   # perl tools/create_tables.pl
   

10. Finally, start the Lstu daemon:

    # perl lstu.pl daemon --listen 'http://*:8080' --workers 10 --pidfile /var/run/lstu.pid --daemonize
    

    Replace 8080 with the port you want the web server to listen on.

Configuring your Web Server

Lstu must be run with a reverse proxy server that can forward requests to the Lstu daemon. Here's an example configuration for Nginx:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
        proxy_set_header  Host  $host;
        proxy_set_header  X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header  X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header  X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

This configuration listens on port 80 of the server and forwards requests to the Lstu daemon running on http://localhost:8080.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Lstu on Void Linux and set up a reverse proxy to serve short URLs. You can now use Lstu by visiting the domain name or IP address of your server.

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!