How to Install Foodsoft on Linux Mint

Foodsoft is a web-based management tool designed for food cooperatives. It can help you manage orders, inventory, and finances. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install Foodsoft on Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

Before you start, you will need the following:

A Linux Mint computer
Root access or sudo privileges
Basic knowledge of the Linux command line

Step 1: Install Required Packages

The first step in installing Foodsoft is to install the required packages. Open the terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt-get install mysql-server ruby ruby-dev build-essential libmysqlclient-dev libpq-dev imagemagick

You will be asked to enter your password. Type it in and press Enter. The packages will now be installed on your computer.

Step 2: Install Nginx

Foodsoft requires a web server to host the application. The web server we will be using is Nginx. To install Nginx, run the following command:

sudo apt-get install nginx

This will install Nginx on your computer.

Step 3: Install Ruby on Rails

Foodsoft is built using the Ruby on Rails framework. To install Ruby on Rails, open the terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt-get install curl
\curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable
source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm
rvm install 2.6.5
gem update --system
gem install rails
rails --version

Step 4: Download Foodsoft

Now that we have all of the required packages installed, we can download Foodsoft from the official website. Run the following command to download Foodsoft:

cd /var/www/
sudo git clone https://github.com/foodcoops/foodsoft.git
cd foodsoft/
sudo bundle install

This will download the Foodsoft files to the /var/www/foodsoft/ directory.

Step 5: Configure the Database

Foodsoft requires a database to store information. We will be using MySQL as the database for Foodsoft. To configure the database, follow these steps:

Log in to MySQL by running the following command:
```
mysql -u root -p
```
You will be prompted to enter your MySQL root password.
Create a new database for Foodsoft by running the following command:
```
CREATE DATABASE foodsoft;
```
Create a new user for the Foodsoft database by running the following command:
```
CREATE USER 'foodsoft_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
```
Replace 'password' with a strong password of your choice.
Grant all privileges on the Foodsoft database to the new user by running the following command:
```
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON foodsoft.* TO 'foodsoft_user'@'localhost';
```
Exit MySQL by running the following command:
```
exit
```

Step 6: Configure Foodsoft

Now that we have a database set up, we need to configure Foodsoft to use it. Follow these steps to configure Foodsoft:

Copy the database configuration file:

cp config/database.yml.example config/database.yml

Open the database configuration file:
```
nano config/database.yml
```

In the file, modify the development, test, and production sections like this:

development:
  adapter: mysql2
  encoding: utf8
  database: foodsoft
  pool: 5
  username: foodsoft_user
  password: password
  host: localhost

test:
  adapter: mysql2
  encoding: utf8
  database: foodsoft
  pool: 5
  username: foodsoft_user
  password: password
  host: localhost

production:
  adapter: mysql2
  encoding: utf8
  database: foodsoft
  pool: 5
  username: foodsoft_user
  password: password
  host: localhost

Replace 'password' with the strong password you set earlier.

Save and close the file.

Step 7: Start Foodsoft

Now that we have everything set up, we can start Foodsoft. To start Foodsoft, follow these steps:

Go to the /var/www/foodsoft/ directory:
```
cd /var/www/foodsoft/
```
Run the following command to start the Foodsoft server:
```
bin/rails server
```
Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:3000. You should now see the Foodsoft login page.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Foodsoft on Linux Mint. You can now use it to manage your food cooperative.