How to Install LimeSurvey on Linux Mint

LimeSurvey is a popular open-source survey software used for conducting online surveys, polls, and questionnaires. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing LimeSurvey on Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure your system meets the following requirements:

  • Linux Mint installed on your system
  • Apache, PHP, and MySQL or MariaDB installed and configured

Step 1: Download LimeSurvey

First, we need to download the latest version of LimeSurvey from the official website. To do so, follow the instructions below:

  1. Open your web browser and go to the LimeSurvey download page at https://www.limesurvey.org/stable-release.
  2. Click on the "Download" button to download the latest version of LimeSurvey.

Step 2: Extract LimeSurvey

Once the LimeSurvey package is downloaded, we need to extract the files to the web directory folder. The Apache web directory folder is located at /var/www/html/. You can extract the package using the following command:

sudo tar -zxvf limesurvey3XXX.tar.gz -C /var/www/html/

Step 3: Create a Database

Before we can start the LimeSurvey installation process, we need to create a database for it. To create a new database, run the following command:

sudo mysql -u root -p

This will open the MySQL shell. Enter your password when prompted.

CREATE DATABASE limesurveydb;

This command will create a new database named "limesurveydb". Next, we need to create a new user and assign privileges to access the new database.

CREATE USER ‘limesurveyuser’@'localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON limesurveydb.* TO 'limesurveyuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit;

Replace "password" with a secure password of your choice. This will create a new user named "limesurveyuser" with full access to the "limesurveydb" database.

Step 4: Install LimeSurvey

After creating a database, you can now start the LimeSurvey installation process. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/limesurvey/. Click on the "Start installation" button to begin.

Follow the instructions and provide the necessary information to finish the installation process. When prompted, enter the database name, database username, database user password, and database hostname. Leave the default values for "table prefix" and "survey administrator email".

Step 5: Configure LimeSurvey

After the installation is complete, you can log in to the LimeSurvey admin panel. The admin area is located at http://localhost/limesurvey/admin. Use the username and password you provided during the installation process.

In the admin panel, you can configure LimeSurvey to match your needs. You can create new surveys, modify existing surveys, and manage the users and permissions.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured LimeSurvey on your Linux Mint system.