Omeka is a versatile, open-source content management system designed specifically for creating digital collections and exhibits. In this blog post, we'll walk through the step-by-step process of setting up Omeka on an Debian/Ubuntu server. By the end of this guide, you'll have a fully functional Omeka installation ready to showcase your digital content.
Step 1: Update and Upgrade System Packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
Step 2: Install Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and other Dependencies
sudo apt install -y apache2 mariadb-server php imagemagick libapache2-mod-php php-mysqli php-exif php-dom php-solr wget
Step 3: Securing MariaDB
Run this command to improve the security of the MariaDB installation:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
(The script will prompt you to set up the root user password, remove the anonymous user, restrict root user access to the local machine and remove the test database. In the end, the script will reload the privilege tables ensuring that all changes take effect immediately. All steps are explained in detail and it is recommended to answer “Y” (yes) to all questions.)
Step 4: Enable Apache Modules
sudo a2enmod rewrite
Step 5: Configure Apache for Omeka
sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/omeka.conf
sudo vim /etc/apache2/sites-available/omeka.conf
Modify the `DocumentRoot` and `ServerName` to point to your Omeka installation:
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/omeka
ServerName your-domain.com
Add the following block of code just before the `</VirtualHost>` closing tag:
<Directory /var/www/html>
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
Step 6: Download and Install Omeka
cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://github.com/omeka/Omeka/releases/download/v3.1.2/omeka-3.1.2.zip
sudo unzip omeka-3.1.2.zip
sudo rm omeka-3.1.2.zip
sudo mv ./omeka-3.1.2/ ./omeka
Step 7: Set Up MariaDB Database
sudo mysql -uroot -p
Enter your MySQL root password, then execute the following commands:
CREATE DATABASE omeka DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 DEFAULT COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON omeka.* TO 'omeka'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'omeka123';
exit;
Step 8: Configure Omeka Database Settings
sudo vim /var/www/html/omeka/db.ini
Add the following configuration:
[database]
host = "localhost"
username = "omeka"
password = "omeka123"
dbname = "omeka"
prefix = "omeka_"
charset = "utf8"
Step 9: Set Permissions for Omeka
sudo chown -R www-data /var/www/html/omeka/files
sudo chmod -R 751 /var/www/html/omeka/files
Step 10: Enable Apache Site and Restart Apache
sudo a2ensite omeka.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2
Complete the Installation:
Visit the admin page for your Omeka installation in your web browser:
http://your-domain.com
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
