Leantime is an innovative, open-source project management system designed to support startups, entrepreneurs, and small teams in efficiently planning and managing their projects. With a focus on simplicity and functionality, Leantime offers a suite of tools for project planning, time tracking, and idea management, all wrapped in a user-friendly interface. Installing Leantime on Ubuntu 23.04 is a straightforward process, but it involves several specific steps to ensure it’s set up correctly. This article will guide you through these steps, providing real examples of command lines and configurations necessary for a successful Leantime installation.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, make sure your Ubuntu 23.04 system is up to date. You will need sudo privileges to execute the installation commands.

Step 1: Install Apache2, MySQL, and PHP

Leantime runs on a web server and uses a MySQL database and PHP. Therefore, the first step is to install Apache2, MySQL, and PHP on your Ubuntu system.

1. Install Apache2:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

After installation, enable Apache2 to start on boot and then start the service:

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

2. Install MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server

Secure your MySQL installation and set a root password:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

3. Install PHP:

Leantime requires PHP to function. Install PHP along with the necessary extensions:

sudo apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-json php-opcache php-mbstring php-xml php-gd php-curl

Step 2: Create a MySQL Database for Leantime

After installing the necessary software, the next step is to create a MySQL database and user for Leantime.

1. Log in to the MySQL shell:

sudo mysql -u root -p

2. Create a database for Leantime:

CREATE DATABASE leantime_db;

3. Create a MySQL user and grant privileges to the database:

CREATE USER 'leantime_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON leantime_db.* TO 'leantime_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace 'password' with a strong password of your choice.

Step 3: Install Leantime

1. Download the Latest Release:

Navigate to the /var/www/html directory and download the latest version of Leantime from the official GitHub repository:

cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://github.com/Leantime/leantime/releases/download/vX.X.X/Leantime-vX.X.X.zip

Replace vX.X.X with the latest release version.

2. Extract the Archive:

sudo unzip Leantime-vX.X.X.zip
sudo mv Leantime-vX.X.X leantime
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data leantime

3. Configure Apache2:

Create a new Apache configuration file for Leantime:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/leantime.conf

Add the following configuration, adjusting ServerAdmin and ServerName as necessary:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/leantime
    ServerName example.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/leantime>
        AllowOverride All
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the new site and rewrite module, then restart Apache2:

sudo a2ensite leantime.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 4: Finalize Leantime Installation

Navigate to your server’s domain or IP address in a web browser to complete the installation through the Leantime setup wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions, providing the database details you created earlier.

Shape.host Services and Cloud VPS

After successfully installing Leantime on your Ubuntu 23.04 server, consider exploring Shape.host for reliable and scalable hosting solutions. Shape.host offers a variety of Cloud VPS services, perfectly suited to host your Leantime installation. With Shape.host, you can benefit from high-performance servers, robust security measures, and excellent customer support, ensuring your project management system runs smoothly and efficiently.