Introduction

ResourceSpace is an open-source Digital Asset Management (DAM) system used to organize, manage, search, and distribute digital assets such as images, videos, documents, and audio files. It is widely used by organizations, educational institutions, and media companies to maintain a centralized repository of digital content.

This guide explains how to install ResourceSpace on an Ubuntu server using Apache, PHP, and MySQL.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation, ensure the following requirements are met.

Server Requirements

  • Ubuntu Server
  • Root or sudo privileges
  • SSH access to the server
  • Internet connectivity

Recommended Hardware

  • 2 CPU Cores or higher
  • 4 GB RAM or higher
  • 20 GB or more available disk space

Software Requirements

  • Apache Web Server
  • PHP 5.x
  • MySQL Server
  • Subversion (SVN)
  • ImageMagick
  • Ghostscript
  • Antiword
  • Xpdf
  • FFmpeg/Libav Tools
  • ExifTool
  • Cron

Installation Steps

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Update the package repository and install the required software packages.

apt-get update

apt-get install apache2 php5 php5-dev php5-gd php5-mysql \
subversion nano imagemagick ghostscript antiword \
xpdf libav-tools postfix libimage-exiftool-perl cron wget

Step 2: Download ResourceSpace

Navigate to the Apache document root.

cd /var/www/html

Download the latest ResourceSpace source using SVN.

svn checkout http://svn.resourcespace.org/svn/rs/trunk resourcespace

Move into the installation directory.

cd resourcespace

Step 3: Create the File Storage Directory

ResourceSpace stores uploaded files outside the database in a dedicated file store.

Create the storage directory.

mkdir filestore

Assign write permissions.

chmod 777 filestore

Note: For production environments, avoid using 777 permissions. Instead, assign ownership to the Apache user (for example, www-data) and grant only the required permissions.

Step 4: Configure PHP

Edit the PHP configuration file.

vi /etc/php.ini

Modify the following parameters.

memory_limit = 200M
post_max_size = 100M
upload_max_filesize = 100M

These settings increase the PHP memory allocation and upload size limits required for handling larger digital assets.

Step 5: Restart Apache

Restart the Apache service to apply the PHP configuration changes.

service apache2 restart

Database Configuration

Step 6: Create the Database

Log in to the MySQL server.

mysql -u root -p

Create the ResourceSpace database.

CREATE DATABASE yourdatabase;

Create a database user and grant privileges.

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES
ON yourdatabase.*
TO 'mysqldbuser'@'localhost'
IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';

Apply the changes.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Application Installation

Step 7: Launch the Installation Wizard

Open a web browser and access the installation page.

http://<SERVER-IP>/resourcespace

or

http://<DOMAIN-NAME>/resourcespace

Step 8: Complete the Installation

During the installation wizard, provide the following information:

ParameterValue
Database Hostlocalhost
Database Nameyourdatabase
Database Usernamemysqldbuser
Database Passwordyourpassword

Continue with the installation wizard and configure:

  • Site Name
  • Administrator Username
  • Administrator Password
  • Administrator Email Address

Complete the installation process.

Post-Installation Tasks

After installation:

  • Verify that the ResourceSpace login page is accessible.
  • Log in using the administrator account.
  • Upload a sample image or document.
  • Confirm that files are successfully stored in the filestore directory.
  • Verify thumbnail generation using ImageMagick.
  • Ensure Apache and MySQL services are running correctly.

Verification

You can verify a successful installation by checking:

  • ResourceSpace dashboard loads without errors.
  • Administrator login is successful.
  • File uploads work correctly.
  • Image previews and thumbnails are generated.
  • Search functionality returns uploaded assets.
  • Database connectivity is functioning properly.

Conclusion

ResourceSpace has now been successfully installed on the Ubuntu server using Apache, PHP, and MySQL. The platform is ready to manage and organize digital assets efficiently. For production deployments, it is recommended to secure the server with HTTPS, use appropriate file permissions instead of 777, schedule regular database and file backups, enable monitoring, and keep ResourceSpace and its dependencies updated with the latest security patches.

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