How to Install Request Tracker on NetBSD

Request Tracker (RT) is an open-source ticket tracking system used for managing tasks and issues. This tutorial will guide you through the steps to install Request Tracker on NetBSD.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

  • NetBSD operating system
  • Minimum 2 GB RAM
  • Superuser or root permissions

Step 1: Install Required Dependencies

To install Request Tracker, we need to first install the following dependencies:

  • Perl 5.24 or newer
  • Apache or a web server that can run FastCGI scripts
  • FastCGI libraries

Run the following command to install these dependencies using the package manager:

pkgin update
pkgin install perl apache fcgi

Step 2: Download Request Tracker

Go to the Request Tracker download page: https://bestpractical.com/download-page and download the latest stable version.

Extract the downloaded file:

tar -zxvf rt-5.0.0.tar.gz

Step 3: Install Request Tracker

Now that we have downloaded Request Tracker, it’s time to proceed with the installation process.

Run the following commands to install Request Tracker:

cd rt-5.0.0
./configure --with-web-user=www --with-web-group=www --enable-graphviz
make testdeps
make upgrade-db
  • The --with-web-user and --with-web-group flags set the web server user and group for Request Tracker.
  • The --enable-graphviz flag enables support for graphviz graphs in Request Tracker.
  • The make testdeps command ensures that all dependencies are installed.
  • The make upgrade-db command initializes the Request Tracker database.

Step 4: Configure Apache

Configure Apache to serve Request Tracker by adding the following virtual host configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName rt.example.com
        DocumentRoot /usr/local/rt/share/html
	<Directory /usr/local/rt/share/html>
            AllowOverride All
            Options +ExecCGI
            AddHandler fcgid-script .fcgi
            Order allow,deny
            Allow from all
        </Directory>
	FastCgiServer /usr/local/rt/sbin/rt-server.fcgi -processes 5 -idle-timeout 3600
</VirtualHost>
  • Replace rt.example.com with your own domain or hostname.
  • The DocumentRoot path should point to the html folder in the Request Tracker installation directory.
  • The FastCgiServer command points to the rt-server.fcgi script in the Request Tracker installation directory.

Step 5: Start Request Tracker

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

service apache restart

You can now access Request Tracker by navigating to the domain or hostname you specified in the Apache configuration.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have successfully installed and configured Request Tracker on NetBSD. Request Tracker is a powerful ticket tracking system that can help organizations better manage their tasks and issues.