How to Install Lila on FreeBSD

Lila is a free, open-source chess server and web application. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Lila on FreeBSD.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure that you have the following requirements fulfilled:

• A FreeBSD latest (12.2) server
• A root or sudo user access to the server
• Access to the internet

Step 1: Update the FreeBSD Ports Tree

Before installing Lila, update the FreeBSD Ports Tree to ensure you have the latest packages available.

sudo portsnap fetch update

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Lila requires some dependencies to be installed on the server. Use the following command to install all the required dependencies using the packages and ports.

sudo pkg install bash git node npm bodhi
sudo portmaster www/nginx www/nginx-modsecurity www/nginx-module-vts security/openssl databases/redis

Step 3: Clone Lila's Repository

Clone Lila's repository using the below command:

git clone https://github.com/ornicar/lila.git
cd lila

Ensure that you have cloned the latest branch by using the following command:

git checkout stable

Step 4: Install Redis

Lila uses Redis as a message broker. Therefore, it is needed to configure Redis. Use this command to install Redis 6.

sudo pkg install redis6

Start Redis and enable it on the boot using these commands:

sudo sysrc redis_enable="YES"
sudo service redis start

Step 5: Install Node.js and Node modules

Lila is a Node.js application, so you need Node.js to run it. Install Node.js and Node modules using the below commands:

sudo pkg install node
sudo npm install -g yarn
yarn install

Step 6: Configuration

Copy the sample configuration file using the below command:

cp conf/initial.example.conf conf/initial.conf

Edit the configuration file to change the database configuration settings using the text editor such as vi:

vi conf/initial.conf

Add the following lines to the configuration file:

db.default.driver=org.postgresql.Driver
db.default.url="jdbc:postgresql://localhost/lila"
db.default.user=lila
db.default.password=lilapass

Save and exit it.

Step 7: Starting Lila

Finally, start Lila using the below command:

./bin/lila start

Once Lila is up and running, you can access it by visiting http://localhost:9000 or http://server_ip_address:9000, depending on your configuration.

Conclusion

That’s it – the installation is now complete, and you should have a working Lila instance on your FreeBSD latest server. You can now edit, customize and configure your Lila as per your requirements.