How To Install The Openbravo ERP On Debian Etch

Version 1.0
Author: Oliver Meyer <o [dot] meyer [at] projektfarm [dot] de>
Last edited 03/07/2008

This document describes how to set up Openbravo ERP (enterprise management system) on Debian Etch. Taken from the Openbravo page: "Openbravo is an open source ERP solution designed specifically for the SME (small to midsize firm). Developed in a web based environment, it includes many robust functionalities which are considered part of the extended ERP: procurement and warehouse management, project and service management, production management, and financial management."

I can't list all the features here - please have a look at http://www.openbravo.com/product/product-features/.

This howto is a practical guide without any warranty - it doesn't cover the theoretical backgrounds. There are many ways to set up such a system - this is the way I chose.

1 Preparation

1.1 Debian Backports

This repository provides Sun's JDK that we need for this setup.

vi /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following lines.

# Debian Backports
deb http://www.backports.org/debian etch-backports main contrib non-free

Afterwards refresh apt ...

apt-get update

... and import the gpg-key.

apt-get install debian-backports-keyring

1.2 Needed Packages

Now let's install and configure the needed packages.

1.2.1 PostgreSQL

Install it via:

apt-get install postgresql-8.2

Afterwards we have to set the PostgreSQL admin password.

sed -i 's/ident sameuser$/trust/' /etc/postgresql/8.2/main/pg_hba.conf
/etc/init.d/postgresql-8.2 restart

Open a PostgreSQL shell.

psql -U postgres
alter role postgres with password '%new_PostgreSQL_admin_passowrd%';
\q

sed -i 's/trust$/md5/' /etc/postgresql/8.2/main/pg_hba.conf
/etc/init.d/postgresql-8.2 reload

1.2.2 Java JDK

Install it via:

apt-get install sun-java6-jdk

Afterwards make it systemwide available.

update-java-alternatives -s java-6-sun
echo 'JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun"' | tee -a /etc/environment

After that log out and in again to take the changes effect.

1.2.3 Apache Tomcat

Install it via:

apt-get install tomcat5.5 tomcat5.5-admin tomcat5.5-webapps

Afterwards we have to configure it.

rm /var/log/tomcat5.5/catalina.out
vi /etc/init.d/tomcat5.5

Change:

TOMCAT5_SECURITY=yes

To:

TOMCAT5_SECURITY=no

Restart Tomcat.

/etc/init.d/tomcat5.5 restart

Now let's look if all went well.

netstat -tap | grep java

Tomcat should be listening on port 8180.

tcp6 0 0 *:8180 *:* LISTEN 3571/java

As a last resort make it systemwide available.

echo 'CATALINA_HOME="/usr/share/tomcat5.5"' | tee -a /etc/environment
echo 'CATALINA_BASE="/var/lib/tomcat5.5"' | tee -a /etc/environment
echo 'CATALINA_OPTS="-server -Xms384M -Xmx512M"' | tee -a /etc/environment

After that log out and in again to take the changes effect.

1.2.4 Apache Ant

Apache ant has already been installed as dependency at the step before - so only the configuration is left.

echo 'ANT_HOME="/usr/share/ant"' | tee -a /etc/environment

After that log out and in again to take the changes effect.

2 Openbravo

2.1 Get It

Please have a look at http://sourceforge.net/projects/openbravo/ to find out which is the latest version. When I was writing this howto it was version 2.35mp1.

cd /tmp/
wget http://mesh.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/openbravo/OpenbravoERP-2.35-MP1-linux-installer.bin
chmod +x OpenbravoERP-2.35-MP1-linux-installer.bin

2.2 Installation

A text based installer will guide you through the installation.

./OpenbravoERP-2.35-MP1-linux-installer.bin

First press a few times "Enter" to read the single parts of the license agreement. Type in "yes" at the end if you agree with it.

Before the installation begins you'll be asked a few questions - answer them as follows.

• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (/opt/OpenbravoERP) when you're asked for the installation directory.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (/opt/OpenbravoERP/AppsOpenbravo/attach) when you're asked for the attachments directory.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (Full (standard) installation) when you're asked for the installation type.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (Full) when you're asked again for the installation type.
• Choose PostgreSQL as database to use.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun) when you're asked for the java home directory.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (/usr/share/ant) when you're asked for the Apache ant home directory.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (/var/lib/tomcat5.5) when you're asked for the Tomcat installation directory.
• Type in your web server's domain (e.g.: server1.example.com) when you're asked for it.
• Enter "8180" when you're asked for the http port.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (openbravo) when you're asked for the context name.
• Enter "/usr/bin" when you're asked for the directory that contains the PostgreSQL binaries.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (localhost) when you're asked for the database server parameters.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (4532) when you're asked for PostgreSQL's listening port.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (openbravo) when you're asked for the database name.
• Next enter the PostgreSQL admin password (twice) that you created earlier at step 1.2.1.
• Hit "Enter" to choose the default (tad) when you're asked for the openbravo database user.
• Next type in a password (twice) for the new user.
• Now type in "y" to start the installation - this will take a while...

2.3 Webinterface

Now you can access Openbravo via http://%servername%:8180/openbravo . Log in with the username "Openbravo" and the password "openbravo".

3 Links

• Debian: http://www.debian.org/
• Openbravo: http://www.openbravo.com/
• Openbravo user manual: http://wiki.openbravo.com/wiki/User_Manual_2.3