How to install HedgeDoc on Arch Linux

HedgeDoc is a free and open-source collaborative text editor that allows you to work with others in real-time. Installing HedgeDoc on Arch Linux is relatively easy and can be done in just a few steps.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure that you have the following:

• Access to a terminal on your Arch Linux machine
• Root or sudo user access
• Text editor of your choice

Step 1: Update your system

Update your system first using the following command:

sudo pacman -Syu

This command will update your entire system, including the package manager.

Step 2: Install Node.js

HedgeDoc requires Node.js to be installed on your system. To install Node.js on Arch Linux, enter the following command in the terminal:

sudo pacman -S nodejs npm

The above command will download and install Node.js on your Arch Linux machine.

Step 3: Install a Database

HedgeDoc requires a database to function correctly. You can use either PostgreSQL or SQLite. In this tutorial, we will be using PostgreSQL.

Install PostgreSQL:

sudo pacman -S postgresql

After installing PostgreSQL, enable the service using:

sudo systemctl enable postgresql.service
sudo systemctl start postgresql.service

Step 4: Create a HedgeDoc user

Create a new user for HedgeDoc using the following command:

sudo -u postgres createuser hedgedoc

Set a password for the new user:

sudo -u postgres psql
\password hedgedoc

Step 5: Create a HedgeDoc database

Create a new database using the following command:

sudo -u postgres createdb -O hedgedoc hedgedoc

Step 6: Download the HedgeDoc Package

Create a new directory for HedgeDoc and download the package using the following commands:

sudo mkdir /opt/hedgedoc
sudo chown -R your_username:your_group /opt/hedgedoc
cd /opt/hedgedoc
sudo wget https://github.com/hedgedoc/hedgedoc/releases/download/v1.7.2/hedgedoc-1.7.2.tar.gz
sudo tar xvf hedgedoc-1.7.2.tar.gz

Replace your_username and your_group with your own username and group.

After you run this command, a new directory named hedgedoc-1.7.2/ will be created in the /opt/hedgedoc/ directory. Rename the directory so that it is easier to manage:

sudo mv hedgedoc-1.7.2/ hedgedoc/

Step 7: Install HedgeDoc Dependencies

After downloading the HedgeDoc package, it is time to install its dependencies:

cd hedgedoc/
npm install --production

Step 8: Configure HedgeDoc

Copy the default configuration file to the config.json file using the following command:

cp config.example.json config.json

Edit config.json:

sudo nano config.json

Make the following edits:

{
  "server": {
    "baseUrl": "https://your-domain.com",
    "port": 3000
  },
  "db": {
    "dialect": "postgres",
    "database": "hedgedoc",
    "username": "hedgedoc",
    "password": "your-password-here",
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 5432
  }
}

Replace your-domain.com with your own domain name or IP address.

Step 9: Start the HedgeDoc Server

Start the HedgeDoc server using the following command:

npm start

You should now be able to access HedgeDoc by going to http://localhost:3000 in a web browser. If you want to access HedgeDoc remotely, you will need to modify your firewall rules and port forwarding settings.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed HedgeDoc on Arch Linux. Enjoy collaborative editing!