How to Install Zoneminder on Void Linux

Zoneminder is an open-source security system software that turns your personal computer into a video surveillance system. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Zoneminder on Void Linux.

Prerequisites

Before we proceed with the installation, ensure that you have the following:

• A running instance of Void Linux
• sudo privileges

Step 1: Update the System

The first step is to update the system:

sudo xbps-install -Suy

Step 2: Install Required Packages

We'll need a few packages to install and run Zoneminder. Run the following command to install the necessary packages:

sudo xbps-install -y zoneminder apache php php-mysql libjpeg-turbo-devel gcc make git mariadb-server

Step 3: Set Up MariaDB Server

Zoneminder needs a database to store its data, so we need to set up MariaDB on our Void Linux system. Run the following commands to start and enable the MariaDB server:

sudo ln -s /etc/sv/mariadb /var/service/
sudo sv start mariadb
sudo sv enable mariadb

Next, run the following command to set up a root password for MariaDB:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

You will be prompted to enter a root password, remove anonymous users, prevent root login remotely, and delete test databases. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Step 4: Configure Apache for Zoneminder

Zoneminder requires Apache to be configured properly for it to function correctly. Run the following commands to make the required changes to the Apache configuration file:

sudo sed -i 's/^#LoadModule rewrite_module/LoadModule rewrite_module/' /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
sudo sed -i 's/AllowOverride None/AllowOverride All/' /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
sudo sed -i 's/^#ServerName www.example.com:80/ServerName localhost:80/' /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

After making the changes to the configuration file, restart Apache:

sudo sv restart apache

Step 5: Clone and Build Zoneminder

Clone the Zoneminder Github repository and build Zoneminder on the local system. Run the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/ZoneMinder/zoneminder.git zoneminder
cd zoneminder
git checkout master
./bootstrap.sh
./configure --with-webuser=apache --with-webgroup=apache
make
sudo make install

Step 6: Create Zoneminder Database

We need to create a Zoneminder database account and database. Run the following commands:

mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE zm;
CREATE USER 'zmuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'zmpass';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zm.* TO 'zmuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Step 7: Configure Zoneminder

Edit the Zoneminder configuration file /usr/local/etc/zm.conf. Update the following lines in the file:

ZM_DB_HOST=localhost
ZM_DB_NAME=zm
ZM_DB_USER=zmuser
ZM_DB_PASS=zmpass

After saving the changes, run the following command to create required Zoneminder directories:

sudo mkdir /var/cache/zoneminder /var/log/zm
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/cache/zoneminder /var/log/zm

Step 8: Restart the Server

Finally, restart the server to apply all the changes:

sudo reboot

Conclusion

In this guide, we have learned how to install and configure Zoneminder on the Void Linux operating system. Zoneminder is now installed and ready to use as a security surveillance system.