How to install RackTables on Alpine Linux

RackTables is a web-based data center management tool that allows admins to document server racks, allocate IPs to devices, and track device inventory. In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to install RackTables on Alpine Linux.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, you will need:

• A computer running Alpine Linux
• Root access to the machine
• Basic knowledge of the command line

Step 1: Update the System

First, update the system and packages to make sure everything is up to date:

apk update && apk upgrade

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Next, install the required packages to run RackTables:

apk add php7 apache2 php7-apache2 mysqli libpng gd freetype libjpeg-turbo php7-mysqli php7-json php7-gd

Step 3: Download RackTables

Now, it's time to download RackTables:

wget https://github.com/RackTables/racktables/archive/v0.21.5.tar.gz

Step 4: Extract the Archive

Extract the archive using tar:

tar -xzf v0.21.5.tar.gz

Step 5: Move RackTables Files and Folders

Move the extracted RackTables files and folders to the web directory:

mv racktables-0.21.5/web /var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables

Step 6: Set Permissions

Set the necessary permissions on the RackTables directory:

chown -R apache:apache /var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables

Step 7: Configure Apache

Configure Apache to serve RackTables:

nano /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

Alias /racktables "/var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables"
<Directory "/var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables">
        Options FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
</Directory>

Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl+X, Y, and Enter.

Step 8: Start Apache

Start the Apache web server:

rc-service apache2 start

Step 9: Configure RackTables

Create a new configuration file for RackTables:

cp /var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables/inc/secret-dist.php /var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables/inc/secret.php

Edit the configuration file:

nano /var/www/localhost/htdocs/racktables/inc/secret.php

Replace the default settings with the following:

<?php
$dbUser = 'root';
$dbPass = '';
$dbName = 'racktables';
$dbHost = 'localhost';
$dbPort = '';
$dbSock = '';
$tabAuth['module'] = 'default';
$tabAuth['default_login'] = 'admin';
$tabAuth['local']['users'] = array (
        'admin'             => 'password',
);
$tabAuth['local']['groups'] = array (
        'admin'             => array ('admin'),
);
?>

Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl+X, Y, and Enter.

Step 10: Access RackTables

You can now access RackTables by navigating to http://YOUR_SERVER_IP/racktables in your web browser.

Conclusion

That’s it! You’ve successfully installed RackTables on Alpine Linux. You should now be able to start managing your data center with RackTables.