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Installation guide

1. Prerequisites

  • a CentOS 6, CentOS 7 or CentOS 8 x86_64 linux distribution installed (it should also work with correponding RHEL or ScientificLinux distribution)
  • (or) a Fedora 29 or Fedora 30 x86_64 linux distribution
  • (or) a mageia 6 or mageia 7 x86_64 linux distribution
  • (or) an opensuse/leap:15.0, opensuse/leap:15.1, opensuse/leap:42.3 x86_64 linux distribution (it should also work with corresponding SLES distribution)

Portable RPMs

As we build "reasonably portable" RPM packages, it should work with any RPM based linux distribution more recent than CentOS 6 linux distribution (2011).

We ❤️ CentOS

As we develop MetWork Framework mainly on CentOS linux distributions, this is our recommendation if you can choose your OS.

Info

We are working right now on supporting other Linux distributions (debian, ubuntu). Please contact us if you are interested in.

  • disabled SELinux
How to do that?

To disable SELinux on a CentOS Linux distribution, which is enabled by default, you have to change the file /etc/selinux/config to set SELINUX=disabled, then reboot the system.

I don't want to disable SELinux!

It should work with enabled SELinux but we never tested so tests, comments and help are welcome.

  • internet access to metwork-framework.org (on standard TCP/80 port)
Offline install?

Of course, you can deploy on a computer without internet access but you will have to build your own mirror or you will have to install correspondings RPM files manually (not difficult but a little boring).

2. Configure the metwork RPM repository

2.1 Check

First check the output of uname -a |grep x86_64. If you have nothing, you don't have a x86_64 distribution installed and you can't install MetWork on it.

2.2 Choose a version

Depending on your needs (stability versus new features), you can choose between several versions :

  • released stable versions with a standard semantic versionning X.Y.Z version number (the more stable choice), we call it released stable
  • continuous integration versions of the release branch (to get future patch versions before their release), we call it continuous stable
  • continuous integration of the master branch (to get future major and minor versions before their release), we call it continuous master
  • continuous integration of the integration branch (the more bleeding edge choice), we call it continuous integration

For each version, you will find the BaseURL in the following table:

Version BaseURL
released stable (example for release 2.1) http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_2.1/portable/
continuous stable (example for release 2.1) http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/continuous_integration/rpms/release_2.1/portable/
continuous master http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/continuous_integration/rpms/master/portable/
continuous integration http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/continuous_integration/rpms/integration/portable/
Want to install a released version different from 2.1 ?

You have to change the BaseURL and replace /release_2.1/ by /release_X.Y/. For example, use http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_1.2/portable/ as BaseURL for installing a 1.2.Z released old version.

2.3 Configure

For CentOS and Fedora distributions, to configure the metwork RPM repository, you just have to create a new /etc/yum.repos.d/metwork.repo with the following content (example for a released stable version):

[metwork_2_1]
name=MetWork Repository Stable
baseurl=http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_2.1/portable/
gpgcheck=0
enabled=1
metadata_expire=0

If you prefer to copy/paste something, you can do that with following root commands (still for a released stable):

cat >/etc/yum.repos.d/metwork.repo <<EOF
[metwork]
name=MetWork Repository
baseurl=http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_2.1/portable/
gpgcheck=0
enabled=1
metadata_expire=0
EOF
For Mageia distributions?

To configure the metwork RPM repository for Mageia distributions, use the following root command: 

urpmi.addmedia metwork http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_2.1/portable/

For SUSE distributions?

To configure the metwork RPM repository for SUSE distributions, use the following root command: 

zypper ar -G http://metwork-framework.org/pub/metwork/releases/rpms/release_2.1/portable/ metwork

Warning

Previous examples are about stable release. Be sure to change the baseurl value if you want a "non stable" MetWork version.

2.4 Test

With a CentOS or Fedora distributions, to test the repository, you can use the command yum list "metwork*" (as root). You must get several metwork-... modules available.

For Mageia distributions?

To test the repository, you can use the command urpmq --list |grep metwork |uniq (as root). You must get several metwork-... modules available.

For SUSE distributions?

To test the repository, you can use the command zypper pa |grep metwork (as root). You must get several metwork-... modules available.

3. How to install mfext metwork module

3.1 Minimal installation

You just have to execute the following command (as root user):

yum install metwork-mfext

urpmi metwork-mfext

zypper install metwork-mfext

3.2 Full installation (all mfext layers, except add-ons)

If you prefer a full installation (as root user):

yum install metwork-mfext-full

urpmi metwork-mfext-full

zypper install metwork-mfext-full

3.3 Optional mfext layers

You can also add extra (optional) mfext layers.

# To install some devtools
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install some (base) scientific libraries
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-scientific_core

# To install java/nodejs binaries
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-nodejs
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-java

# To install some devtools
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install some (base) scientific libraries
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-scientific_core

# To install java/nodejs binaries
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-nodejs
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-java

# To install some devtools
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install some (base) scientific libraries
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-scientific_core

# To install java/nodejs binaries
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-nodejs
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-java

3.4 Optional mfext layers (from mfext add-ons)

You can also install some optional layers (provided by some mfext add-ons) in the same way and with the same repository (for official add-ons).

For example (please refer to corresponding add-on documentation)

# To install python3 devtools
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install opinionated VIM with Python3 support
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_vim

# To install all scientific libraries (for Python3)
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_scientific

# To install "machine learning" Python3 libraries
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_ia

# To install "mapserver" stuff for Python3
yum install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_mapserverapi

# [...]

# To install python3 devtools
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install opinionated VIM with Python3 support
# for CentOS or Fedora (see above note for other distributions)
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_vim

# To install all scientific libraries (for Python3)
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_scientific

# To install "machine learning" Python3 libraries
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_ia

# To install "mapserver" stuff for Python3
urpmi metwork-mfext-layer-python3_mapserverapi

# [...]

# To install python3 devtools
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_devtools

# To install opinionated VIM with Python3 support
# for CentOS or Fedora (see above note for other distributions)
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_vim

# To install all scientific libraries (for Python3)
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_scientific

# To install "machine learning" Python3 libraries
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_ia

# To install "mapserver" stuff for Python3
zypper install metwork-mfext-layer-python3_mapserverapi

# [...]

4. How to start all metwork modules (after installation)

# As root user
service metwork start

Note

If your distribution does not provide service command, you can use systemctl start metwork.service instead or /etc/rc.d/init.d/metwork start (if you don't have a systemd enabled machine or container).

5. FAQ

5.1 I don't want to install in /opt!

Sorry, but it's our packaging choice in it is coherent with Linux FHS. We have no plan to change that.

If you are really not happy with that, you can install MetWork where you want by recompiling it.

5.2 I don't have enough free space on /opt!

Let's say for example you have plenty of free space on /data but not in /opt, the recommended way to install mfext is to:

  • (stop first all metwork services and apps using metwork (if any))
  • install a minimal mfext version (see corresponding chapter)
  • move the /opt/metwork-mfext-X.Y directory to /data (mv /opt/metwork-mfext-X.Y /data/) to get a /data/metwork-mfext-X.Y
  • add a symbolic link in /opt to get /opt/metwork-mfext-X.Y => /data/metwork-mfext-X.Y (ln -s /data/metwork-mfext-X.Y /opt/metwork-mfext-X.Y)
  • install extra layers you want

With this procedure, you just need temporarily enough space in /opt to install a minimal version. Then after the move and the symbolic link, this space is migrated to /data and all next installations will go in /data.

5.3 How to install multiple versions of mfext module on the same machine?

You can install several "major/minor" versions (for example: 2.1.Z and 1.2.T) of the mfext module on the same machine by configuring two package repositories (one for release_2.1 and one of release_1.2) and by using this special procedure:

yum install metwork-mfext-1.2
yum install metwork-mfext-2.1

urpmi metwork-mfext-1.2
urpmi metwork-mfext-2.1

zypper install metwork-mfext-1.2
zypper install metwork-mfext-2.1

Note

You can add this -X.Y suffix to every "mfext" packages names (including optional layers and addons)

Warning

You can't install several "patch" versions (for example: 2.1.1 and 2.1.2) of the mfext module on the same machine. But but this is not usually a need because backward compatibility is guaranteed.

With this special procedure, you must not get a /opt/metwork-mfext symbolic link but (only) two /opt/metwork-mfext-1.2 and /opt/metwork-mfext-2.1 directories.

Of course, to load the mfext profile, you have to point directly to the choosen suffixed directory. So an app can load and use mfext 1.2 and another one mfext 2.1.

5.4 What about other modules?

This nearly works in same way but you have to:

  • change the configuration of one version (at least) to changes listening ports to avoid port collision during module startup
  • start services by yourself

Warning

This setup is not well tested but we are interested in. Please contact us if you want to share some experiences about that.