Tutorial: How to Install Open Event Server on Debian Latest

Open Event Server is an open-source platform for managing events. This tutorial will guide you through the installation of Open Event Server on Debian Latest using the command line.

Step 1: Install Dependencies

First, we need to install the necessary dependencies. Open the terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get update

This command will update the package lists on your system. Next, we will install the dependencies required by Open Event Server. Run the following command:

sudo apt-get install -y git python3 python3-dev python3-pip nginx redis-server postgresql libpq-dev

Step 2: Clone the Repository

Next, we will clone the Open Event Server repository from GitHub. Type the following command in the terminal:

git clone https://github.com/fossasia/open-event-server.git

This command will create a new directory named “open-event-server” in your current directory and download the source code from the GitHub repository.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Environment

To keep the dependencies of Open Event Server separate from the rest of the system, we will create a new virtual environment. Go to the directory where you cloned the repository and type the following command:

python3 -m venv env

This command will create a new virtual environment named “env” in your current directory.

Next, activate your virtual environment by running the following command:

source env/bin/activate

Now, you should see “(env)” at the beginning of your terminal prompt, indicating that you are in the virtual environment.

Step 4: Install Dependencies

Before we can run Open Event Server, we need to install its dependencies. To do this, run the following command:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

This command will install all the dependencies listed in the requirements.txt file in the Open Event Server directory.

Step 5: Configure PostgreSQL

Open Event Server requires PostgreSQL as the backend database. We need to create a new PostgreSQL database and user for Open Event Server.

First, log in to the PostgreSQL console by typing the following command:

sudo -u postgres psql

Next, create a new database and user by running the following commands:

CREATE DATABASE open_event;
CREATE USER open_event_user WITH PASSWORD 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE open_event TO open_event_user;

Replace “password” with a strong password for the open_event_user user. These commands will create a new database named “open_event” and a new user named “open_event_user”. We also grant all privileges to the new user on the new database.

Once you have done this, exit the PostgreSQL console by typing:

\q

Step 6: Configure the Environment Variables

Open Event Server requires several environment variables to be set. To do this, create a new file named .env in the Open Event Server directory and add the following lines:

FLASK_ENV=development
FLASK_APP=manager.py
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://open_event_user:password@localhost/open_event
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0

Replace “your-secret-key-here” with a long, random string to use as the app secret key. Replace “password” with the password you set for the open_event_user user in Step 5.

Step 7: Initialize the Database

Open Event Server requires a database to be initialized to work. To do this, run the following command:

flask db upgrade

This command will create the necessary tables in your PostgreSQL database.

Step 8: Start the Server

We are now ready to start the Open Event Server. To do this, run the following command:

python3 manager.py runserver

This command will start the server on port 5000.

Step 9: Configure Nginx

To access the Open Event Server from a web browser, we need to configure Nginx. First, create a new configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/open-event

Paste the following configuration into the file:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com; # replace with your domain name

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5000; # Open Event Server runs on port 5000
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }

    location /static {
        alias /path/to/open-event-server/static/; # replace with your absolute path to Open Event Server static folder
    }
}

Replace “example.com” with your own domain name, and replace “/path/to/open-event-server/static/” with the absolute path to the static folder in the Open Event Server directory.

Save and close the file.

Next, test the Nginx configuration by running the following command:

sudo nginx -t

If everything is working, reload the Nginx configuration by running the following command:

sudo service nginx reload

Step 10: Access Open Event Server

Open a web browser and navigate to http://example.com/, replacing “example.com” with your domain name. You should now see the Open Event Server login page.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Open Event Server on Debian Latest.