How to Install OpenGTS on Arch Linux

OpenGTS is an open-source GPS tracking system that allows you to keep track of your vehicles or assets. This tutorial will guide you through the installation of OpenGTS on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before we start the installation process, ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

• Arch Linux installed on your machine
• Java 8 or higher installed on Arch Linux
• MySQL or MariaDB installed and configured

Step 1 – Downloading OpenGTS

Firstly, download the OpenGTS source code from the official website by using the following command in the terminal.

$ cd ~
$ wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/opengts/server-base/OpenGTS_2.6.4.zip

After downloading, extract the OpenGTS zip file using the following command.

$ unzip OpenGTS_2.6.4.zip

Step 2 – Configuring OpenGTS

Once the OpenGTS files are extracted, you will need to edit the configuration files to suit your requirements.

$ cd OpenGTS_2.6.4
$ nano runtime.conf

Adjust the settings in the runtime.conf file, including database connection details, admin password, and other settings.

# --- Database Configuration ---
gts.db.type=mysql
gts.db.host=localhost
gts.db.name=opengts
gts.db.user=opengts
gts.db.pass=opengts

# --- Admin Account ---
account.userid=admin
account.password=admin

After editing the runtime.conf, you will need to create the prod.custom.conf file to define your specific needs.

$ cp war/track/extra/localhost.custom.conf.template war/track/extra/prod.custom.conf
$ nano war/track/extra/prod.custom.conf

Then, edit the prod.custom.conf file to define your custom requirements.

# --- Custom Configuration ---
# -> Define your custom configurations here.

Save and close the prod.custom.conf file.

Step 3 – Building OpenGTS

In the next step, you need to build the OpenGTS WAR file by using the following command.

$ ant all

This command will compile the OpenGTS sources, create the WAR file, and deploy it to the Tomcat server.

Step 4 – Deploying OpenGTS

Finally, to deploy the OpenGTS web application on Tomcat, copy the created OpenGTS WAR file to the webapps directory of your Tomcat installation.

$ cp build/track.war /var/lib/tomcat9/webapps/

After copying the WAR file, restart your Tomcat service using the following command.

$ systemctl restart tomcat9

Step 5 – Accessing OpenGTS

Once the deployment process is complete, you can access OpenGTS from your web browser by navigating to the following URL:

http://localhost:8080/track/

You should see the login page, and you can log in using the admin account details.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you've learned how to install OpenGTS on Arch Linux. By following these steps, you can now track your vehicles or assets using OpenGTS.