Omeka is a powerful open-source content management system designed specifically for creating and managing online digital collections. With its user-friendly interface and robust functionality, Omeka allows users to publish and exhibit cultural heritage objects while also providing the flexibility to extend its features through themes and plugins. In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to install Omeka on your AlmaLinux 8 server using the LEMP stack. By following these instructions, you will be able to set up your own digital collection platform and showcase your valuable content to the world.

Pre-requisites

Before we dive into the installation process, make sure you have the following pre-requisites in place:

1. A system with AlmaLinux 8 installed and running.
2. Root access to the system.
3. LEMP Stack (Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP) installed and configured.
4. Let’s Encrypt installed for secure HTTPS connections.

If you haven’t already set up the LEMP stack and Let’s Encrypt, you can refer to our comprehensive guides on installing the LEMP stack and securing it with Let’s Encrypt on AlmaLinux 8.

Step 1: Create a Database

To begin with, we need to create a database and a user that will interact with the database. Open your terminal and log in to your AlmaLinux 8 server with root access. Then, execute the following commands:

mysql -u root
CREATE DATABASE shapehost;
CREATE USER 'shapehost'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'YOUR-PASSWORD-HERE';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON shapehost.* TO 'shapehost'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
quit

Replace ‘YOUR-PASSWORD-HERE’ with a strong and secure password of your choice.

Step 2: Configuring Nginx Reverse Proxy

Next, we need to configure the Nginx reverse proxy. Open the Nginx configuration file using your preferred text editor:

nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Replace the contents of the file with the following configuration:

# For more information on configuration, see:
# * Official English Documentation: http://nginx.org/en/docs/
# * Official Russian Documentation: http://nginx.org/ru/docs/

user nginx;
worker_processes auto;
error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log;
pid /run/nginx.pid;

# Load dynamic modules. See /usr/share/doc/nginx/README.dynamic.
include /usr/share/nginx/modules/*.conf;

events {
 worker_connections 1024;
}

http {
 log_format main '$remote_addr - $remote_user [$time_local] "$request" '
 '$status $body_bytes_sent "$http_referer" '
 '"$http_user_agent" "$http_x_forwarded_for"';

 access_log /var/log/nginx/access.log main;

 sendfile on;
 tcp_nopush on;
 tcp_nodelay on;
 keepalive_timeout 65;
 types_hash_max_size 2048;

 include /etc/nginx/mime.types;
 default_type application/octet-stream;

 # Load modular configuration files from the /etc/nginx/conf.d directory.
 # See http://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_core_module.html#include
 # for more information.
 include /etc/nginx/conf.d/*.conf;
}

Save and exit the file by pressing Ctrl+O, followed by Ctrl+X.

Now, let’s create a new Nginx configuration file for your domain:

vi /etc/nginx/conf.d/shapehost.conf

Add the following configuration to the file:

server {
listen 80;
server_name your-domain.com;
root /var/www/html/omeka;

location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}

location = /favicon.ico {
log_not_found off;
access_log off;
}

location ~* \.(js|css|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico)$ {
expires max;
log_not_found off;
}

location = /robots.txt {
allow all;
log_not_found off;
access_log off;
}

location ~ \.php$ {
include /etc/nginx/fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php-fpm/www.sock;
fastcgi_index index.php;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}
}

Replace your-domain.com with your actual domain name and adjust the root path /var/www/html/omeka to match the location where your website’s data are stored.

Save and exit the file by pressing Esc, followed by :wq! and then pressing Enter.

If you have SELinux enabled on your system, run the following command to allow Nginx to connect to the network:

setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1

Finally, restart Nginx to apply the changes:

systemctl restart nginx
systemctl status nginx

Step 3: Enable HTTP and HTTPS (Ports 80/443)

To allow HTTP and HTTPS connections through the firewall, use the following commands:

firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=http
firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=https
firewall-cmd --reload

Step 4: Install Omeka

Now it’s time to download and install Omeka on your server. Start by navigating to the desired location for your Omeka installation:

cd /var/www/html

Create a new directory for your Omeka installation:

mkdir omeka && cd omeka

Download the latest version of Omeka from the official website:

wget https://github.com/omeka/omeka-s/releases/download/v3.1.1/omeka-s-3.1.1.zip

Unzip the downloaded file:

unzip omeka-s-3.1.1.zip

Remove the zip file to keep your directory clean:

rm omeka-s-3.1.1.zip

Enter the Omeka-S directory:

cd omeka-s

Step 5: Setting up Database Details

Now, let’s configure the database details for your Omeka installation. Open the configuration file using your preferred text editor:

nano config/database.ini

Replace the contents of the file with the following configurations:

user = "shapehost"
password = "YOUR-PASSWORD-HERE"
dbname = "shapehost"
host = "localhost"
port = "3306"

Save and exit the file by pressing Ctrl+O, followed by Ctrl+X.

Step 6: Setting up File Permissions

To ensure proper file permissions, execute the following commands:

chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/omeka/omeka-s
chmod -R 777 /var/www/html/omeka/omeka-s/files
chown -R nginx:nginx /var/www/html/omeka/omeka-s
chcon -R -t httpd_sys_content_rw_t /var/www/html/omeka/omeka-s

Step 7: Configuring Omeka

Now, open your web browser and enter the IP address or domain name associated with your server. You should be redirected to the Omeka installation page.

Follow the on-screen instructions to configure the final parts of the Omeka installation. Make sure to provide the necessary information, such as the site title, administrator username, and password.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Omeka with the LEMP stack on your AlmaLinux 8 server. You can now start building your digital collection and showcasing your valuable content to the world.

If you encounter any issues during the installation process or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to our dedicated support team at Shape.host. We offer reliable and scalable cloud hosting solutions, including Cloud VPS services, to empower businesses with efficient and secure hosting environments.

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered the step-by-step process of installing Omeka with the LEMP stack on AlmaLinux 8. By following these instructions, you can create and manage your own online digital collections with ease. Remember to always keep your system up to date and regularly back up your data to ensure the security and integrity of your digital assets. Happy collecting!

Christian Wells