[Geoserver-users] INSTALLATION QUERIES ON LINUX

GeoServer GeoServer User
1

Dear All

I have just started an installation of GeoServer on Linux (Fedora Core
4) and I have followed the instructions 'Install' at:

http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/Install

I have got everything to work but there were some points that I didn't
understand/get to work as I would have liked. I think/hope they are
pretty simple for those in the know, so if anybody is able to help, I
would be very grateful.

1. I created the following environmental variables:
$ export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_07
$ export GEOSERVER_HOME=/usr/local/geoserver
$ export GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR=/usr/local/geoserver/data_dir

However I am finding that I need to recreate the variables each time
that I want to use geoserver. I have looked on the internet and it
suggests that 'export' only creates a temporary variable. Is this true,
and if so, how do I create a permanent variable?

2. I used the download: geoserver-*-bin.tar.gz. This has automatically
installed jetty for me. However I already have apache on my machine.
Could I have installed the geoserver to reference the apache I already
had on my machine, and if so, would I have had to install a servlet
container?

3. When I start geoserver through the terminal with the following
commands:
$ su – root
$ /usr/local/geoserver/bin/startup.sh
I find that the terminal window locks up. The only way I can shut the
window is by using the cross in the top right hand corner and this then
stops geoserver running. Do I just need to leave the terminal window
like this? And if so, do I need to run the shutdown.sh from another
terminal window?

Many Thanks

John
Manchester, UK

___________________________________________________________
All new Yahoo! Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and ease of use." - PC Magazine
http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

2

Hi John, see inline replies...
On 8/7/06, John Roberts <johnemyr@...636...> wrote:

Dear All

I have just started an installation of GeoServer on Linux (Fedora Core
4) and I have followed the instructions 'Install' at:

http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/Install

I have got everything to work but there were some points that I didn't
understand/get to work as I would have liked. I think/hope they are
pretty simple for those in the know, so if anybody is able to help, I
would be very grateful.

1. I created the following environmental variables:
$ export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_07
$ export GEOSERVER_HOME=/usr/local/geoserver
$ export GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR=/usr/local/geoserver/data_dir

However I am finding that I need to recreate the variables each time
that I want to use geoserver. I have looked on the internet and it
suggests that 'export' only creates a temporary variable. Is this true,
and if so, how do I create a permanent variable?

1. You can create a file named java.sh for example, and place it in
the "/etc/profile.d" directory. It should have the following contents:

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_07

2. You can place your GEOSERVER variable entries there too, but it
might be a bit cleaner if you create a separate geoserver.sh file in
"/etc/profile.d":
export GEOSERVER_HOME=/usr/local/geoserver
export GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR=/usr/local/geoserver/data_dir

3. Or you can also add and export all those variables straight to you
startup.sh file in the $GEOSERVER/bin directory

2. I used the download: geoserver-*-bin.tar.gz. This has automatically
installed jetty for me. However I already have apache on my machine.
Could I have installed the geoserver to reference the apache I already
had on my machine

No.

and if so, would I have had to install a servlet
container?

Yes.

3. When I start geoserver through the terminal with the following
commands:
$ su – root
$ /usr/local/geoserver/bin/startup.sh
I find that the terminal window locks up. The only way I can shut the
window is by using the cross in the top right hand corner and this then
stops geoserver running. Do I just need to leave the terminal window
like this? And if so, do I need to run the shutdown.sh from another
terminal window?

you can force the startup of geoserver in the background, after which
you can exit the terminal session:
$ su – root
$ /usr/local/geoserver/bin/startup.sh&
$exit

Alex

3

On Monday 07 August 2006 19:16, John Roberts wrote:

Dear All

I have just started an installation of GeoServer on Linux (Fedora Core
4) and I have followed the instructions 'Install' at:

http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/Install

I have got everything to work but there were some points that I didn't
understand/get to work as I would have liked. I think/hope they are
pretty simple for those in the know, so if anybody is able to help, I
would be very grateful.

1. I created the following environmental variables:
$ export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_07
$ export GEOSERVER_HOME=/usr/local/geoserver
$ export GEOSERVER_DATA_DIR=/usr/local/geoserver/data_dir

you can also export those variables system wide in /etc/profile, though it
would be better to just do it in the geosever's user ~/.profile

However I am finding that I need to recreate the variables each time
that I want to use geoserver. I have looked on the internet and it
suggests that 'export' only creates a temporary variable. Is this true,
and if so, how do I create a permanent variable?

2. I used the download: geoserver-*-bin.tar.gz. This has automatically
installed jetty for me. However I already have apache on my machine.
Could I have installed the geoserver to reference the apache I already
had on my machine, and if so, would I have had to install a servlet
container?

Apache doesn't comes with a servlet engine by itself. Instead you can
configure it to work with tomcat. There are plenty of documentation out there
on how to do that.

3. When I start geoserver through the terminal with the following
commands:
$ su – root
$ /usr/local/geoserver/bin/startup.sh
I find that the terminal window locks up. The only way I can shut the
window is by using the cross in the top right hand corner and this then
stops geoserver running. Do I just need to leave the terminal window
like this? And if so, do I need to run the shutdown.sh from another
terminal window?

you should never ever run geoserver and almost any other user application as
root. If you're just testing run it with your user. If it's going to be a
stable deployment consider creating a geoserver account and give it
appropiate file system permissions over the geoserver and data dir.
If you're going to run it on tomcat, you could just use the same policy than
for tomcat.
Just google a bit to find how to set up tomcat as a daemon, but for your own
security do not get used to run programs as root.

regards,

Gabriel

Many Thanks

John
Manchester, UK

___________________________________________________________
All new Yahoo! Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and
ease of use." - PC Magazine http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?
Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job
easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache
Geronimo
http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642
_______________________________________________
Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

--
Gabriel Roldán (groldan@anonymised.com)
Axios Engineering (http://www.axios.es)
Tel. +34 944 41 63 84
Fax. +34 944 41 64 90