Introduction
Moodle is an open-source learning management system (LMS) used to create and manage online learning platforms.
This guide explains how to install Moodle on a plain Ubuntu server using Apache, PHP-FPM, and MySQL. It covers the required packages, Apache and PHP-FPM configuration, Moodle installation from Git, MySQL database setup, and completion of the Moodle web installation.
Note: This guide uses older versions of Ubuntu, PHP 5, MySQL, and Moodle 3.1-era configuration. The commands and package names may need to be updated for modern Ubuntu and Moodle versions.
Prerequisites
Before starting the installation, make sure you have:
- An Ubuntu server with root or
sudoaccess. - Apache web server.
- MySQL database server.
- PHP-FPM.
- Git.
- A server IP address accessible through a web browser.
- Basic knowledge of Linux commands.
Implementation
Step 1: Install Required Packages
Install Apache, MySQL, PHP, PHP-FPM, and the required Apache module:
apt-get install apache2 mysql-server php5 libapache2-mod-fastcgi php5-fpm
Install the additional dependencies required by Moodle:
apt-get install graphviz aspell php5-pspell php5-curl php5-gd php5-intl php5-mysql php5-xmlrpc php5-ldap git-core
Step 2: Configure PHP-FPM with Apache
Enable the required Apache proxy modules:
cp -p /etc/apache2/mods-available/proxy.* /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/
cp -p /etc/apache2/mods-available/proxy_fcgi.load /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/
Add the following configuration under the Apache VirtualHost:
ProxyPassMatch ^/(.*\.php(/.*)?)$ fcgi://127.0.0.1:9000/var/www/html/$1
Step 3: Configure PHP-FPM Listening Port
By default, PHP-FPM may listen through a Unix socket. Change it to listen on TCP port 9000.
Edit:
vi /etc/php5/fpm/pool.d/www.conf
Comment out:
listen = /var/run/php5-fpm.sock
Add:
listen = 127.0.0.1:9000
Step 4: Reload Apache
Reload Apache to apply the configuration:
/etc/init.d/apache2 reload
Moodle Installation
Step 5: Clone Moodle from Git
Move to the /opt directory:
cd /opt
Clone Moodle:
sudo git clone git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git
Change to the Moodle directory:
cd moodle
List the available Git branches:
sudo git branch -a
Track the required stable branch:
sudo git branch --track remotes/origin/MOODLE_31_STABLE origin/MOODLE_31_STABLE
Checkout the stable branch:
sudo git checkout MOODLE_31_STABLE
Step 6: Copy Moodle Files to Apache
Copy the Moodle files to the Apache document root:
sudo cp -R /opt/moodle/* /var/www/html/
Create the Moodle data directory:
sudo mkdir /var/moodledata
Set the ownership:
sudo chown -R www-data /var/moodledata
Set the required permissions:
sudo chmod -R 777 /var/moodledata
Set the Moodle directory permissions:
sudo chmod -R 0755 /var/www/html/moodle
Reload Apache:
service apache2 reload
MySQL Setup
Step 7: Configure InnoDB
Edit the MySQL configuration file:
vi /etc/mysql/my.cnf
Under the [mysqld] section and Basic Settings, add:
default-storage-engine = innodb
Step 8: Restart MySQL
Restart the MySQL service:
service mysql restart
Step 9: Create the Moodle Database
Log in to the MySQL prompt:
mysql
Create the Moodle database:
CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS moodle DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci;
Step 10: Create the Moodle Database User
Create a database user and grant the required permissions:
GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,CREATE,CREATE TEMPORARY TABLES,DROP,INDEX,ALTER ON moodle.* TO moodle_user@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'passwordformoodle_user';
Complete the Moodle Setup
Step 11: Set Directory Permissions
Set the permissions for the web directory:
chmod -R 777 /var/www/
Step 12: Open Moodle in the Browser
Open the following URL in your browser:
http://<IP address of your server>
The Moodle installation page should now be displayed.
Step 13: Configure the Moodle Database
During the Moodle installation process, select:
Database Type: mysqli
Enter the following database details:
Host server: localhost Database: moodle User: moodle_user Password: passwordformoodle_user
For the table prefix, use:
mdl_
Continue with the installation and enter the required administrator login details.
Step 14: Restore the Installation Directory Permissions
After completing the installation, change the permissions of the web directory:
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html
Conclusion
Moodle can be installed on an Ubuntu server by configuring Apache, PHP-FPM, and MySQL and then deploying the Moodle application.
The installation process includes configuring PHP-FPM to communicate with Apache, installing Moodle from Git, creating the Moodle data directory, configuring the MySQL database, and completing the setup through the web interface.
For production environments, use currently supported Ubuntu, PHP, Moodle, and database versions and apply appropriate security permissions rather than using broad 777 permissions.
FAQs
1. What is Moodle?
Moodle is an open-source learning management system used to create and manage online courses, learning content, users, and assessments.
2. Which web server is used in this Moodle setup?
This setup uses Apache as the web server and PHP-FPM to process PHP applications.
3. Which database is used for Moodle?
The original setup uses MySQL with the InnoDB storage engine.
4. Where is Moodle data stored?
The Moodle application files are placed under:
/var/www/html/
The Moodle data directory is:
/var/moodledata
5. How can I access the Moodle installation?
After configuring Apache and completing the setup, access the server IP address through a browser:
http://<IP address of your server>
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