How to Install OTOBO on Arch Linux

OTOB is a sleek and modern open-source helpdesk software based on the software, ((OTRS)). It provides numerous features that make it easy to use for the management of customer support and related tasks. This tutorial will take you through the processes involved in installing OTOBO on Arch Linux.

Step 1: Update Arch Linux

Before beginning the installation of any software on Arch Linux, ensure that the system is up to date. Run the following command to update your system and databases:

sudo pacman -Syu

Step 2: Install dependencies

OTOB requires some dependencies for its installation. These dependencies include:

• Apache or Nginx
• Perl
• MySQL Server or MariaDB
• Perl Modules

Run the command below to install all requirements:

sudo pacman -S apache perl mysql mariadb php php-apache

Step 3: Create the database

Using MariaDB or MySQL, create a new database and a new user for the OTOBO installation.

mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE otobo;
CREATE USER 'otobouser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'PASSWORD';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON otobo.* TO 'otobouser'@'localhost';

Note: Replace PASSWORD with your desired password.

Step 4: Install OTOBO

Proceed to download the latest version of OTOBO from https://otobo.de/en/download-otobo/.

Extract the downloaded OTOBO files and move them to the /opt directory using the command below:

sudo mv otobo-xx.xx.xx /opt/otobo

From the OTOBO root directory, install the Perl dependencies using the command below:

sudo /opt/otobo/scripts/otobo_config_management.pl -a install

Step 5: Configure Apache

Proceed to configure Apache or Nginx to include the following settings:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    DocumentRoot /opt/otobo/var/httpd/htdocs
    AddDefaultCharset UTF-8

    # OTOBO settings
    ScriptAlias /otobo/ "/opt/otobo/var/httpd/cgi-bin/"
    Alias /otobohs/ "/opt/otobo/var/httpd/htdocs/skins/Agent/default/"
    Alias /otobojs/ "/opt/otobo/var/httpd/htdocs/js/"
    <Directory /opt/otobo/var/httpd/cgi-bin>
        Options -Indexes ExecCGI FollowSymLinks
        SetHandler cgi-script
        PerlResponseHandler ModPerl::Registry
        PerlOptions +ParseHeaders
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    <Directory /opt/otobo/var/httpd/htdocs/skins/Agent/default/>
        Options -Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AddType text/css .css
        AddType application/x-javascript .js
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    <Directory /opt/otobo/var/httpd/htdocs/js/>
        Options -Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AddType application/x-javascript .js
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    # Error log
    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/otobo-error.log
</VirtualHost>

After modifying the Apachae configuration file, restart Apache using the following command:

sudo systemctl restart apache

Step 6: Access OTOBO

Open your browser and navigate to the server IP or domain name to access OTOBO. You will be redirected to the OTOBO Configuration Manager to finalize the installation.

Click on the “Start configuration wizard” and follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Final thoughts

With this step-by-step guide, you can now install and set up OTOBO on your Arch Linux system. OTOBO allows you to simplify customer support processes, providing you with several features that make it effortless and seamless.