3.2. Quick Start (Ubuntu Linux 22.04) — Bugzilla Harmony documentation

# 3.2. Quick Start (Ubuntu Linux 22.04)

This quick start guide makes installing Bugzilla as simple as possible for those who are able to choose their environment. It creates a system using Ubuntu Linux 22.04 LTS, Apache and MariaDB. It requires a little familiarity with Linux and the command line.

Note

Harmony’s dependencies have major changes from previous versions of Bugzilla. The libraries are now installed as local Perl modules via `carton` instead as system-wide Debian packages.

## 3.2.1. Running On Your Own Hardware

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server requires a 64-bit processor. Bugzilla itself has no prerequisites beyond that, although you should pick reliable hardware.

### 3.2.1.1. Install the OS

Get Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS and follow the installation instructions. Here are some tips:

- You do not need an encrypted lvm group, root or home directory.

- Choose all the defaults for the “partitioning” part (excepting of course where the default is “No” and you need to press “Yes” to continue).

- Choose any server name you like.

- When creating the initial Linux user, call it `bugzilla`, give it a strong password, and write that password down.

- From the install options, choose “OpenSSH Server”.

Reboot when the installer finishes.

### 3.2.1.2. Become root

ssh to the machine as the ‘bugzilla’ user, or start a console. Then:

sudo su

## 3.2.2. Running on a VPS (Virtual Private Server)

### 3.2.2.1. Creating a VPS

Create a new VPS instance using Ubuntu 22.04 (LTS) for AMD64 architectures.

Choose an instance of at least 1GB memory and sufficient disc for the MariaDB instance, an SSD is preferred.

### 3.2.2.2. Root Access

Depending on your provider, you may be creating a user in the `sudoers` group, or providing a public key to a SSH certificate you create on your computer which will you allow you to connect to the VPS as root, which you will need in the following steps.

Warning

Do not set a password for root on your VPS server. Either use an SSH key to connect as root, or log in as an unprivileged user in the `sudoers` group.

### 3.2.2.3. Become root

Switch to the root user, either by logging in as an unprivileged user, and running the command:

sudo su

or logging in as root using a SSH key.

## 3.2.3. Install Prerequisites

As root, run the following:

apt install git nano build-essential mariadb-server libmariadb-dev perlmagick graphviz python3-sphinx rst2pdf carton

## 3.2.4. Configure MySQL

The following instructions use the simple `nano` editor you installed in the previous step, but use any text editor you are comfortable with.

nano /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf

Set the following values, which increase the maximum attachment size and make it possible to search for short words and terms:

- Uncomment and alter on Line 34 to have a value of at least: `max_allowed_packet=100M`

- Add as new line 42, in the `[mysqld]` section: `ft_min_word_len=2`

Save and exit.

Create a database `bugs` for Bugzilla:

mysql -u root -e "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS bugs CHARACTER SET = 'utf8'"

Then, add a user to MySQL for Bugzilla to use:

mysql -u root -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON bugs.* TO bugs@localhost IDENTIFIED BY '$db_pass'"

Replace `$db_pass` with a strong password you have generated. Write it down. You should make `$db_pass` different to your password.

Restart MySQL:

service mysql restart

## 3.2.5. Download Bugzilla

Get it from our Git repository:

mkdir -p /var/www/webapps

cd /var/www/webapps

git clone https://github.com/bugzilla/harmony.git bugzilla

## 3.2.6. Install Bugzilla

In the same directory you cloned Bugzilla to, run:

perl Makefile.PL

make cpanfile GEN_CPANFILE_ARGS="-D better_xff -D jsonrpc -D xmlrpc -D mysql"

carton install

The `carton` command will take some time to run.

## 3.2.7. Check Setup

Bugzilla comes with a `checksetup.pl` script which helps with the installation process. It will need to be run twice. The first time, it generates a config file (called `localconfig`) for the database access information.

./checksetup.pl

## 3.2.8. Edit `localconfig`

Now you can edit the `localconfig` created in the previous step.

nano localconfig

You will need to set the following values:

- $db_pass: the password for the bugs user you created in MariaDB a few steps ago

- $urlbase: http://localhost:3001/ or http://<ip address>:3001/

- $canonical_urlbase: the value you set in $urlbase

## 3.2.9. Check Setup (again)

Run the `checksetup.pl` script again to set up the database.

./checksetup.pl

## 3.2.10. Start Server

The server is started using the `bugzilla.pl` script.

./bugzilla.pl daemon

Will start start Bugzilla as a web app on port 3001.

## 3.2.11. Test Server

./testserver.pl http://localhost:3001/bugzilla

All the tests should pass. You will get a warning about failing to run `gdlib-config`; just ignore it.

## 3.2.12. Access Via Web Browser

Access the front page:

lynx http://localhost:3001/

It’s not really possible to use Bugzilla for real through Lynx, but you can view the front page to validate visually that it’s up and running.

You might well need to configure your DNS such that the server has, and is reachable by, a name rather than IP address. Doing so is out of scope of this document. In the mean time, it is available on your local network at `http://<ip address>/`, where `<ip address>` is (unless you have a complex network setup) the address starting with 192 or 10 displayed when you run hostname -I.

## 3.2.13. Accessing Bugzilla from the Internet

To be able to access Bugzilla from anywhere in the world, you don’t have to make it internet facing at all, there are free VPN services that let you set up your own network that is accessible anywhere. One of those is Tailscale, which has a fairly accessible Quick Start guide.

If you are setting up an internet facing Bugzilla, it’s essential to set up SSL, so that the communication between the server and users is encrypted. For local and intranet installation this matters less, and for those cases, you could set up a self signed local certificate instead.

There are a few ways to set up free SSL thanks to Let’s Encrypt. The two major ones would be Apache’s mod_md and EFF’s certbot, but we don’t cover the exact specifics of this here, as that’s out of scope of this guide.

## 3.2.14. Configure Bugzilla

Once you have worked out how to access your Bugzilla in a graphical web browser, bring up the front page, click Log In in the header, and log in as the admin user you defined in step 10.

Click the Parameters link on the page it gives you, and set the following parameters in the Required Settings section:

- urlbase: http://<servername>/ or http://<ip address>/

- ssl_redirect: on if you set up an SSL certificate

Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

In order to send bugmail and enable signups for users, you must have:

- A domain that your Bugzilla instance will send mail from.

- An SMTP host

The first is usually the domain or subdomain of your Bugzilla hostname. You will need to set up MX records for the host or service at the domain name service provider for that domain, please check with your email provider’s documentation.

The second is a SMTP server you or your organization uses, or a mail delivery service such as SendGrid or MailGun.

To configure your Bugzilla installation to send mail, open the Email section of the Parameters using the link in the left column, and set the following values:

- mail_delivery_method: SMTP

- mailfrom: user@domain

- smtpserver: smtp.hostname:465

- smtp_username: username

- smtp_password: password

- smtp_ssl: On

Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

To report bugs in and suggest updates for this documentation, please file them on our bug tracker.