# Installing Senaite on Ubuntu 18.04

## Create a new User

We will start by creating a new user named `senaite` in our system. We do this to have a clean environment to install and run all our dependencies while minimizing the effects of other settings within the system.

While logged in as the `root` user, create the new user, `senaite`, storing its data to `/home/senaite`. Assign our new user `sudo permissions` then finally switch to the new user.

```bash
root@ubuntu:~# whoami
root
root@ubuntu:~# sudo adduser --home /home/senaite --shell /bin/bash senaite
root@ubuntu:~# sudo adduser senaite sudo
root@ubuntu:~# sudo su - senaite
senaite@ubuntu:~$ whoami
senaite
```

## Virtual Environment

We need to install a Virtual Python Environment for us to have full control of all Python libraries and their required versions.

We can work with any one of these tools:

1. Virtualenv - [pypi.org/../virtualenv](https://pypi.org/project/virtualenv)
    
2. Miniconda - [conda.io/miniconda](https://conda.io/miniconda.html)
    

However, will be using **Miniconda** for the purposes of this tutorial.

### Install Miniconda

Although highly unlikely, make sure to download and install Python 2.7 if you do not have one installed already.

Use the snippet below to download `Minoconda2`, `install` it and `activate` the default environment. You can accept the default settings of the miniconda installer.

```bash
senaite@ubuntu:~$ wget https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda2-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
senaite@ubuntu:~$ bash /home/senaite/Miniconda2-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
senaite@ubuntu:~$ source /home/senaite/.bashrc
(base) senaite@ubuntu:~$
```

#### Setup Conda Environment

Use the snippet below to create a new environment named `senaite` with a specified python `version 2.7` and finally `activate` the new environment.

```bash
(base) senaite@ubuntu:~$ conda create --name senaite python=2.7
(base) senaite@ubuntu:~$ conda activate senaite
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$
```

#### Check the Current Session's Active Python Interpreter

Use the command `which python` to check if the right Python interpreter is active in the current session:

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ which python
/home/senaite/miniconda2/envs/senaite/bin/python
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ python
Python 2.7.17 |Anaconda, Inc.| (default, Oct 21 2019, 19:04:46)
[GCC 7.3.0] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>
>>>exit() # to leave the python console
```

## Install System Dependencies

Now that we are done preparing the environment for our system, let's go ahead and install the required dependencies for Senaite.

First, run the `sudo apt-get update` command to download package information from all configured sources.

This step and any other `sudo` action might fail with the message:

> 'senaite' is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.

If that happens, it means you probably skipped a key step while [creating a new user](#heading-create-a-new-user). You can fix this by switching back to the `root` user and running `sudo adduser senaite sudo`. Read more about this error on the [Senaite Community](https://community.senaite.org/t/installation-error-senaite-is-not-in-the-sudoers-file/515). Switch back and continue.

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt install build-essential
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt install python2.7 python2.7-dev
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt install libxml2 libxml2-dev libxslt1.1 libxslt1-dev
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt install libffi-dev libcairo2 libpango-1.0-0 libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 libpangocairo-1.0-0 libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt install zlib1g zlib1g-dev libjpeg-dev
```

## Install Plone

We achieve this step by installing the **Plone Unified Installer** which in turn installs Plone and its dependencies from source on most Unix-like platforms.

You can check out the various versions available over at [launchpad.net/plone/+download](https://launchpad.net/plone/+download). Grab the link to the desired version and use it in the code snippet below; we use installer `version 5.2.9` in this tutorial.

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ wget --no-check-certificate 
https://launchpad.net/plone/5.2/5.2.9/+download/Plone-5.2.9-UnifiedInstaller-1.0.tgz
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ tar -xf Plone-5.2.9-UnifiedInstaller-1.0.tgz
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ cd Plone-5.2.9-UnifiedInstaller-1.0
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ ./install.sh standalone --target=/home/senaite --instance=senaitelims --password=admin
```

In the snippet above, the first line downloads the installer, the second line unzips the installer, the third line navigates to the inside of the installer and the last line runs the installer. We install SENAITE in the directory `/home/senaite/senaitelims` and we have set the admin password to `admin`

The flag `--target` points to the location of our new installation, `--instance` defines the name of our installation instance and `--password` sets the default password.

This step might fail with the message:

> Unable to find python3.8 on system exec path.
> 
> Please do one of the following:
> 
> 1. Install python3.8 or python3.6+ as a system dev package;
>     
> 2. Use --with-python=... option to point the installer to a useable python.
>     

The error means that the installer did not find the python version it expected. We run `which python` to find the path to the correct version and use that path with the `--with-python` flag.

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ which python
/home/senaite/miniconda2/bin/python
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ ./install.sh standalone --target=/home/senaite --instance=senaitelims --password=admin --with-python=/home/senaite/miniconda2/bin/python
```

If you do not use the arguments inline, you will be prompted by a GUI to enter these same values.

## Install Senaite

> *We're almost done. I am proud of you!*

### Modify Buildout

Now that we have installed all the system dependencies that Plone requires and successfully installed Plone itself, it's now time to install **Senaite**.

We had mentioned earlier that Senaite is an add-on for Plone, therefore to install it, we just need to add it to the `buildout.cfg` config file generated by Plone during its installation.

You can modify the config file using either `vim`, `nano` or any other terminal-based editor. Here we'll use nano.

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ cd /home/senaite/senaitelims
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ nano buildout.cfg
```

Append senaite.lims and simplejson to the `eggs` section of the file:

```xml
[buildout]
...
eggs =
    ...
    senaite.lims
    simplejson
zcml =
...
```

Modify the `versions` section of the file as follows:

```xml
[versions]
zc.buildout =
setuptools =
Pillow = 5.1.0
cssselect2 = 0.2.2
soupsieve = 1.9.5

buildout.sanitycheck = 1.0.2
collective.recipe.backup = 4.0
plone.recipe.unifiedinstaller = 5.2b1
```

> Remember to leave `zc.buildout` and `setuptools` undefined/unpinned.

### Upgrade Pip, Setuptools and zc.buildout

We need to ensure that pip, setuptools, and zc.buildout are available in a compatible version. We do that by creating a `requirements.txt` file and adding the text below:

```bash
setuptools==39.2.0
zc.buildout==2.13.2
pip==19.3.1
```

We then finish this step by installing the requirements with the pip command of the local Python environment and re-running the `buildout` script.

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ nano requirements.txt
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ pip install -r requirements.txt
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ PYTHONHTTPSVERIFY=0 buildout
```

DONE!!!

## Running Senaite

If the buildout runs successfully without any errors, we can now go ahead and run Senaite from the terminal.

### Debug Mode

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ bin/instance fg
2022-11-27 19:42:17,939 INFO    [Zope:45][MainThread] Ready to handle requests
Starting server in PID 19438.
Serving on http://0.0.0.0:8080
```

Press CTRL+C on your keyboard to stop the server.

### Production

```bash
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ bin/instance start
daemon process started, pid=19584
(senaite) senaite@ubuntu:~$ bin/instance stop
daemon process stopped
```

You can now go to your browser and navigate to `http://localhost:8080` or `http://your.public.ip:8080` to access Senaite.

![Screenshot from 2022-11-27 23-56-24.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1669582960264/O40EaCeU4.png align="left")

Use `admin` as `username` and `admin` as the `password` to proceed to the next page.

![Screenshot from 2022-11-28 00-00-21.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1669583081838/8rHjzmiFP.png align="left")

You can continue with the default settings and press the Install SENAITE LIMS button. After a few moments, SENAITE should be installed and the dashboard view appears.

![Screenshot from 2022-11-28 00-01-38.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1669583093692/9tphjsV0o.png align="left")

Congratulations, You Have Made It Happen!!!