Tutorial: Installing Open Food Network on macOS

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will be learning how to install Open Food Network (OFN) on macOS. Open Food Network is a free, open-source online platform that connects food producers with consumers, retailers and distributors. OFN allows you to set up your own online store and manage your products, orders, and payments.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure that you have the following:

Step 1: Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that allows you to install and manage software easily. You can install Homebrew by pasting the following command into your terminal and hitting enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Install Ruby

Open your terminal and type in the following command to install Ruby:

brew install ruby

Step 3: Install PostgreSQL

OFN requires PostgreSQL, an open-source relational database management system. To install PostgreSQL, enter the following command in your terminal:

brew install postgresql

Step 4: Install RVM and Ruby version 2.3.3

To manage multiple versions of Ruby, we will use Ruby Version Manager (RVM). To install RVM, enter the following command in your terminal:

curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable --ruby

Once RVM is successfully installed, install Ruby version 2.3.3 by entering the following command:

rvm install 2.3.3

Step 5: Install OFN

To install OFN, first, clone the OFN repository by entering the following command in your terminal:

git clone https://github.com/openfoodfoundation/openfoodnetwork.git

Next, enter the OFN directory by typing in the following command:

cd openfoodnetwork

Install the required gems by typing the following command:

bundle install

After you have installed OFN, you need to create a database. Enter the following commands in your terminal:

bundle exec rake db:create
bundle exec rake db:migrate

Finally, run the OFN server by entering:

bundle exec rails s

Congratulations!

You have successfully installed Open Food Network on your macOS computer. You can now explore OFN and start creating your online store.

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