How to Install Webtrees on POP! OS

Webtrees is an open-source genealogy application that enables you to create a family tree online. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Webtrees on POP! OS latest.

Prerequisites

  • You should have a running POP! OS latest instance with sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update Package Index

First, update the package index to ensure that you install the latest packages available.

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

Webtrees is a web-based application that requires a web server. We are going to use Apache web server.

sudo apt install apache2

Step 3: Install MariaDB

MariaDB is a community-developed fork of the MySQL database. We are going to use it as the database server for Webtrees.

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client

Step 4: Configure MariaDB

We need to configure MariaDB by running the secure installation script.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts and set a strong password for the root user when asked.

Step 5: Create a Database for Webtrees

Log in to the MariaDB console using the root user and the password you just set.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Once you are inside the MariaDB console, create a new database called webtrees.

CREATE DATABASE webtrees;

Then, create a new user called webtreesuser with a strong password.

CREATE USER 'webtreesuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

Grant full privileges to the webtrees database to this user.

GRANT ALL ON webtrees.* TO 'webtreesuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

Flush the privileges to apply the changes.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Then, exit the MariaDB console.

EXIT;

Step 6: Install PHP and Required Extensions

Webtrees is a PHP application, so we need to install PHP and some extensions required by Webtrees.

sudo apt install php7.4 php7.4-mysql php7.4-xml php7.4-curl php7.4-gd php7.4-mbstring php7.4-zip

Step 7: Download and Install Webtrees

Download the latest stable version of Webtrees from the official website.

wget https://github.com/fisharebest/webtrees/releases/download/2.0.3/webtrees-2.0.3.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded archive file.

tar xzf webtrees-2.0.3.tar.gz

Move the extracted Webtrees files to the document root of Apache. In this example, we will use the default document root /var/www/html.

sudo mv webtrees-2.0.3 /var/www/html/webtrees

Set the ownership of Webtrees files to www-data user and group.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/webtrees

Step 8: Configure Apache for Webtrees

Create a new configuration file for Webtrees in Apache's available sites directory.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/webtrees.conf

Add the following configuration to the file.

<VirtualHost *:80>
	ServerAdmin [email protected]
	DocumentRoot /var/www/html/webtrees
	ServerName example.com

	<Directory /var/www/html/webtrees>
		Options FollowSymLinks
		AllowOverride All
		Require all granted
	</Directory>

	ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
	CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save and close the file.

Enable the new configuration by creating a symbolic link in Apache's enabled sites directory.

sudo a2ensite webtrees.conf

Restart the Apache web server to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 9: Complete the Webtrees Installation via Web Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to http://example.com/webtrees.

The installation wizard should start automatically. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

When prompted for the database connection details, use the following:

  • Database Server: localhost
  • User Name: webtreesuser
  • Password: password
  • Database Name: webtrees

After completing the installation, delete the setup directory from Webtrees's document root.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/webtrees/setup

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Webtrees on POP! OS. You can now start building your family tree and sharing it with your relatives.