How to Install Schnack on NetBSD

Schnack is a lightweight, open-source commenting system that you can self-host on your website. It is designed to be easy to set up and use, making it a great alternative to third-party commenting systems.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Schnack on NetBSD. NetBSD is a free, secure, and highly portable operating system that runs on a wide range of hardware platforms.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to have the following:

  • NetBSD installed on your server
  • Root access to your server
  • Basic knowledge of how to use the command line

Step 1. Install Node.js and npm

Schnack requires Node.js and npm to run. You can install them using the following command:

pkgin install nodejs

Step 2. Download and extract Schnack

Clone the Schnack repository from Github using the following command:

git clone https://github.com/schn4ck/schnack.git

Once the download is complete, extract the archive using the following command:

tar -xvf schnack-master.tar.gz

Step 3. Install Schnack dependencies

Change the directory to Schnack using the following command:

cd schnack

Install the Schnack dependencies using the following command:

npm install

Step 4. Configure Schnack

Copy the config.example.json file as config.json using the following command:

cp config.example.json config.json

Open the config.json file using your favorite text editor:

vi config.json

Edit the following settings according to your needs:

  • hostname: The hostname or IP address of your server
  • port: The port number you want to run Schnack on (default is 3000)
  • admin: The username and password you want to use to log in to the admin panel
  • email: The email address you want to use to send notifications
  • db: The path to the SQLite database file

Save and close the file.

Step 5. Start Schnack

Now that you have configured Schnack, you can start it using the following command:

npm start

You should see the following output:

[email protected] start /path/to/schnack
node index.js
[Schnack] running at http://localhost:3000

Schnack is now running on your server! You can access it by opening a web browser and navigating to http://yourhostname:port.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to install and configure Schnack on NetBSD. With Schnack, you now have an easy-to-use commenting system that you can self-host on your website. Enjoy!