How to Install Openmeetings on NetBSD

OpenMeetings is a free and open-source web-based video conferencing application. It allows you to communicate with other users via audio, video, and text chat, share files, and collaborate on documents. If you are using NetBSD, you can install OpenMeetings easily by following these steps:

Prerequisites

  • A server running NetBSD
  • Root privileges or sudo access
  • Apache Maven, Git, and PostgreSQL installed on the server

Step 1: Install PostgreSQL

OpenMeetings requires a database to store its data. PostgreSQL is perfect for the job. Use the following command to install PostgreSQL on your NetBSD server:

pkg_add postgresql13-server

Once PostgreSQL is installed, initialize the database and start the PostgreSQL server:

su - postgres
initdb /var/postgresql/data
pg_ctl -D /var/postgresql/data -l logfile start
exit

Step 2: Install Apache Maven

OpenMeetings is built with Apache Maven. Install Maven on your server by running the following command:

pkg_add apache-maven

Step 3: Clone OpenMeetings From Github

Clone the OpenMeetings repository from GitHub using the following command:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/apache/openmeetings.git

Step 4: Build OpenMeetings With Maven

Change to the openmeetings directory and run the following command to build OpenMeetings:

cd openmeetings
mvn clean package -DskipTests

This process may take a while, depending on the speed of your server and the Internet connection.

Step 5: Configure OpenMeetings

Create a new configuration file for OpenMeetings by copying the sample file:

cd ../
cp openmeetings/apache-openmeetings-<version>/red5-web/webapps/openmeetings/WEB-INF/classes/META-INF/spring/applicationContext.xml.sample openmeetings/apache-openmeetings-<version>/red5-web/webapps/openmeetings/WEB-INF/classes/META-INF/spring/applicationContext.xml

Edit the configuration file using your favorite text editor, such as vim or nano. Change the following settings:

  • Set the PostgreSQL database name, username, and password
  • Set the SMTP mail server hostname, username, and password
  • Set the HTTP and HTTPS ports to 5080 and 5443, respectively, or any other available ports you prefer
  • Set the public URL to your OpenMeetings server, such as https://openmeetings.example.com:5443

Save the changes and close the file.

Step 6: Start OpenMeetings

Change to the red5-server directory and start the OpenMeetings server:

cd openmeetings/apache-openmeetings-<version>/red5-server
./red5.sh &> /dev/null &

The server should start without any errors.

Step 7: Access OpenMeetings

OpenMeetings is now accessible from the public URL you specified in the configuration file. Log in to OpenMeetings using the default administrator account:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: admin

After logging in, you can create new users, rooms, and conferences.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed OpenMeetings on your NetBSD server. You can now use OpenMeetings to communicate with other users, share files, and collaborate on documents in real-time. Enjoy!