How to Install Mahara on Void Linux

Mahara is an open-source ePortfolio platform that allows users to create and share their digital portfolios. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Mahara on Void Linux.

Prerequisites

Before we begin the installation process for Mahara on Void Linux, make sure that your system meets the following requirements:

• A running instance of Void Linux
• A user account with sudo privileges

Step 1: Update System Packages

First, we need to update our system packages to ensure that we have the latest available versions. Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo xbps-install -Su

This command will update all the packages on your system to their latest versions.

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

Mahara runs on top of the Apache web server. To install Apache, run the following command:

sudo xbps-install -S apache

This command will install Apache along with all its required dependencies.

Step 3: Install PHP

Mahara is built using PHP, so we need to install PHP on our system. Run the following command to install PHP:

sudo xbps-install -S php

This command will install PHP along with all its necessary dependencies.

Step 4: Install MariaDB

Mahara requires a database to store its data. We will use MariaDB in our setup. To install MariaDB, run the following command:

sudo xbps-install -S mariadb

This command will install MariaDB along with all its necessary dependencies.

Step 5: Configure MariaDB

Once MariaDB is installed, we need to create a new database for Mahara. Login to MariaDB as the root user:

sudo mysql -u root

Now, create a new database for Mahara:

CREATE DATABASE mahara;

Next, create a new user and grant it access to the newly created database:

CREATE USER 'maharauser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mahara.* TO 'maharauser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Replace "password" with a strong password of your choice for the "maharauser" user.

Step 6: Download and Extract Mahara

We can download the latest version of Mahara from their official website. Use the following command to download Mahara:

wget https://launchpad.net/mahara/21.04/21.04.1/+download/mahara-21.04.1.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded file:

tar -xvzf mahara-21.04.1.tar.gz

Move the extracted contents to the Apache document root directory:

sudo mv mahara-21.04.1 /srv/http/htdocs/mahara

Step 7: Configure Apache

Now that we have installed and extracted Mahara, we need to configure Apache to serve Mahara content. Open the Apache configuration file in your preferred text editor:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

Add the following lines to the configuration file:

Alias /mahara /srv/http/htdocs/mahara
<Directory /srv/http/htdocs/mahara>
   Options FollowSymLinks MultiViews
   DirectoryIndex index.php
   AllowOverride All
   Order allow,deny
   Allow from all
</Directory>

Save and close the file.

Step 8: Restart Apache

To apply the changes made to the Apache configuration, we need to restart Apache. Run the following command:

sudo service httpd restart

Step 9: Complete the Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to your server's IP address followed by "/mahara". You will be taken to the Mahara installation page. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Mahara on Void Linux.