How to Install eLabFTW on FreeBSD Latest

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install eLabFTW on FreeBSD Latest.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure to have the following:

• A FreeBSD Latest machine up and running
• A user account with sudo privileges
• Command-line terminal

Step 1: Update the System

The first thing you should do is update your FreeBSD system to ensure that all the latest security updates and bug fixes are installed. Open your terminal and type the following command:

sudo pkg update && sudo pkg upgrade

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Next, we need to install the dependencies required for eLabFTW. We will use the pkg package manager to install these dependencies:

sudo pkg install php74 php74-opcache php74-pdo php74-pdo_mysql php74-mysqli php74-json php74-filter php74-gd php74-mbstring

Step 3: Download and Extract eLabFTW

Download the latest version of eLabFTW from their official website:

sudo fetch https://github.com/elabftw/elabftw/archive/master.zip

Extract the downloaded file using the unzip command:

sudo unzip master.zip

Rename the folder to "elabftw":

sudo mv elabftw-master elabftw

Move the "elabftw" folder to the web root directory (/usr/local/www/data/)

sudo mv elabftw /usr/local/www/data/

Step 4: Configure the eLabFTW

Create a database for eLabFTW:

sudo mysql -u root -p

mysql> CREATE DATABASE elabftw;

Set a password for the elabftw user:

mysql> ALTER USER 'elabftw'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'elabftw_password';

Exit the MySQL prompt:

mysql> exit;

Next, we need to configure the eLabFTW by editing the config file. Navigate to the "includes/config.php" file and edit it:

sudo nano /usr/local/www/data/elabftw/includes/config.php

Find "DB_HOST", "DB_NAME", "DB_USER", and "DB_PASS" in the file, and replace them with your MySQL database details:

define("DB_HOST", "localhost");
define("DB_NAME", "elabftw");
define("DB_USER", "elabftw");
define("DB_PASS", "elabftw_password");

Save and exit the file.

Step 5: Configure the Apache Web Server

Open the Apache web server configuration file and add the following lines at the end of the file:

sudo nano /usr/local/etc/apache24/httpd.conf

<Directory "/usr/local/www/data/elabftw">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
</Directory>

Save and exit the file.

Restart the Apache web server to apply the changes:

sudo service apache24 restart

Step 6: Access eLabFTW

Open your web browser and navigate to the following URL:

http://your_ip_address/elabftw

You should see the eLabFTW login page. Use the default login credentials:

Username: admin
Password: password

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you have successfully installed eLabFTW on FreeBSD Latest. You can now start using eLabFTW to manage your laboratory experiments and records.