CentOS6Install

RT 4.4.2 installation on CentOS 6.10

NOTE: Cloned from original document for CentOS 7 install.

This document provides a quick methodology for installing RT 4.4.2 on CentOS/RHEL 6.10 for an internet-connected server.

CAUTION: While this document has been upgraded for CentOS 6.10, you cannot use this method to install RT 4.4.3 directly - there is an issue with the web install on RT 4.4.3. I've asked Best Practical to look at the issue. It would appear that the PGP key for RT-4.4.3 is not certified, and the web install fails during attempts to follow the method below. I can confirm an upgrade to RT 4.4.3 is possible after following this install, but with the PGP key issue, I do not recommend the upgrade until Best Practical resolves the PGP certified key issue.

Note:

1. Assumptions

* Access to the internet and CentOS OS, update and EPEL repositories is available.
* Installation testing was completed using CentOS 6.10 minimal boot ISO.
* httpd (Apache) 2.2 and mod_fcgid Apache modules were used as the host environment.
* mod_fcgid requires enabling the EPEL repository
* Testing was conducted in both KVM and vSphere environments.

1. OS Installation and Initial Configuration

* (!) It is possible to automate the majority of this section using kickstart files.

1. 1. Install OS.

* Install the OS from ISO or PXE boot using your normal methodology.

1. 1. Install prerequisites for RT from OS repository.

yum install epel-release
yum install expat gd graphviz openssl expat-devel gd-devel graphviz-devel  openssl-devel perl perl-CPAN wget screen mod_fcgid postgresql-server postgresql-devel
yum groupinstall "Development Tools" "Web Server"

* NOTES:  We use PostgreSQL as the DB which allows us to enable full text search.  We need to enable the EPEL repository to install mod_fcgid on CentOS 6.

1. 1. Patch OS

yum update

1. 1. Disable selinux, by editing /etc/sysconfig/selinux:

SELINUX=disabled

1. 1. Reboot the OS

* reboot the OS

1. 1. Initialize the database:

service postgresql initdb

1. 1. Adjust local services:

chkconfig postgresql on
chkconfig httpd on
service postgresql start
service httpd stop

* NOTE:  httpd service needs to be stopped to allow RT web based configuration later.

1. Configure Supporting Software
   1. Configure postgres user password for postgresql:

sudo -u postgres psql
  ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'xxx';
  \q

* NOTE:  This step configures the internal DB postgres password for the local instance of postgresql

1. 1. Reconfigure postgres local user access

* Configure PostgreSQL to use md5 passwords (needed for RT).  Edit /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf and modify the following line from peer to md5:

# "local" is for Unix domain socket connections only
#local   all         all                               ident
local   all         all                               md5

* Restart postgresql for the changed configuration

service postgresql restart

1. 1. Install CPAN minus.

curl -L http://cpanmin.us | perl - --sudo App::cpanminus

1. RT Dependencies and Installation
   1. Get RT

mkdir rt
cd rt
wget https://download.bestpractical.com/pub/rt/release/rt-4.4.2.tar.gz
wget https://download.bestpractical.com/pub/rt/release/rt-4.4.2.tar.gz.asc

1. 1. Verify downloads

* NOTE:  Release notes are found at https://bestpractical.com/release-notes/rt/4.4.2
* extract the sha256sums from the release notes online and add them to a new sha256sum.txt file.

b2e366e18c8cb1dfd5bc6c46c116fd28cfa690a368b13fbf3131b21a0b9bbe68  rt-4.4.2.tar.gz
2185c2be31b352ad0a7605f9a4e4720b2c3607df75aae1c0cbace9eb9e6fcef8  rt-4.4.2.tar.gz.asc

* confirm the files:

sha256sum -c sha256sum.txt

1. 1. Get RT and extract to /tmp.

tar xvzf rt-4.4.2.tar.gz -C /tmp
cd /tmp/rt-4.4.2

1. 1. Configure RT:

./configure --enable-graphviz --enable-gd --with-web-user=apache --with-web-group=apache --with-db-type=Pg

1. 1. Configure RT to use cpanm for fixdeps:

export RT_FIX_DEPS_CMD=/usr/local/bin/cpanm

1. 1. Test the dependencies:

make testdeps

1. 1. Install the dependencies:

make fixdeps

* NOTE:  You may need to run the command more than once.  On RHEL/CentOS 6.10, you may need to manually force the installation of the MooX::late module, a dependency of Gpg::Interface and then rerun fixdeps.

cpanm MooX::late --force

1. 1. Confirm dependencies:

make testdeps

1. 1. Install RT (default install is to the /opt/rt4 directory):

 make install

1. RT Configuration using Web Interface

* (!) It is possible to complete this step by editing the RT files directly, and creating the database.  Refer to the RT documentation for manual steps.

1. 1. Start the first run installation instance:

/opt/rt4/sbin/rt-server

1. 1. Configure using the web interface.

* Access the server using a web browser to access the http port.
* Configure the RT instance using the web interface.  Refer to the RT documentation.
* With the local database instance, you will need to leave the Database Host and Database Port field empty on the Check Database Credentials page.
* NOTE:  You will likely need to disable your firewall or open port 80 to access the web page remotely.  service iptables stop will disable the firewall temporarily.

1. 1. Shutdown the rt-server instance.

* When completed Ctrl-C the rt-server instance started above.

1. Configure RT:

* Modify RT to allow web access using a trailing /rt
* (!) This is a personal preference.  The web server example in the next section assumes /rt is used.

1. 1. Modify /opt/rt4/etc/RT_SiteConfig.pm. Add the following line:

Set( $WebPath, '/rt' );

1. Configure web server
   1. Modify /etc/httpd/conf.d/fcgid.conf. Add:

FcgidMaxRequestLen 1073741824

1. 1. Create /etc/httpd/conf.d/rt.conf:

# RT4 configuration for Apache
### Optional apache logs for RT
# Ensure that your log rotation scripts know about these files
# ErrorLog /opt/rt4/var/log/apache2.error
# TransferLog /opt/rt4/var/log/apache2.access
# LogLevel debug

AddDefaultCharset UTF-8

Alias /rt/NoAuth/images /opt/rt4/share/html/NoAuth/images/

ScriptAlias /rt /opt/rt4/sbin/rt-server.fcgi/

DocumentRoot "/opt/rt4/share/html"

<Location /rt>
  # For Centos7/Apache 2.4 this line:
  # Require all granted
  # For Centos6/Apache 2.2 these two lines:
  Order allow,deny
  Allow from all
  Options +ExecCGI
  AddHandler fcgid-script fcgi
</Location>

1. 1. Start apache:

service httpd start

1. 1. Modify iptables

* Complete your iptables configuration to suite your local requirements.
* To open the firewall for port 80, edit the /etc/sysconfig/iptables file and insert the following line after the SSH (dport 22) line:

-A INPUT -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT

* Then restart iptables

service iptables restart

1. 1. Reboot

* conduct a reboot to confirm the web server restarts and enable provides access to RT.

1. Installation Complete
   1. Access RT

* Connect to RT using your web browser, login using the root user and start your site customization.