Bugzilla Installation

Process of Bugzilla Installation

In case you just want to use Bugzilla, no need to install it. Just, get the Bugzilla administrator URL and access it from your web browser. Usually, the Bugzilla Installation is done on Linux or Solaris. But if you wish to install Bugzilla on another OS, check OS-Specific Installation Notes before you start your installation for any special instructions.

Image result for bugzilla installation
Bugzilla Installation

So, this guide assumes that you already have administrative access to the Bugzilla installed machine. Since it’s not possible to install and run Bugzilla itself unless every single prerequisite is already installed. The Bugzilla installation process may make machine insecure for a short period of time. So, make sure there is a firewall. Also, make a backup of your system before Bugzilla Installation (and at regular intervals)

In brief, the Bugzilla installation proceeds as follows:

  • Firstly, installing Perl (5.8.1 or above).
  • Installing a Database Engine.
  • Then, installing a Webserver.
  • After that, install Bugzilla.
  • Installing Perl modules
  • Then, install a Mail Transfer Agent.
  • Lastly, configuring all of the above.

Perl

Installed Version Test:

Perl –v

Without Pearl, your machine won’t install Bugzilla. Also, if your OS doesn’t provide official packages, visit http://www.perl.org. Moreover, Bugzilla runs with Perl 5.8.1. Therefore, it’s a good idea to use the latest version.

Database Engine

Bugzilla supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle as database servers. So, make sure you have one of these systems.

MySQL

Installed Version Test:

MySQL -V

  • In case you don’t have it and your OS doesn’t provide official packages, visit http://www.mysql.com. You need MySQL version 5.0.15 or higher. Moreover, the binary versions of MySQL store their data files in /var. (On some Unix systems, this is part of a smaller root partition, and may not have room for your bug database.)
  • Subsequently, change the data directory, you have to build MySQL from source yourself and set it as an option to configure.
  • Meanwhile,  if you install from something other than a packaging/installation system, such as .rpm (RPM Package Manager), .deb (Debian Package), .exe (Windows Executable), or .msi (Windows Installer), make sure the MySQL server is started when the machine boots.

PostgreSQL

Installed Version Test:

pSQL –V

  • First of all, if you don’t have it and your OS doesn’t provide official packages, visit http://www.postgresql.org/. Make sure it is PostgreSQL version 8.03.0000 or higher.
  • Meanwhile, if you install from something other than a packaging/installation system, such as .rpm (RPM Package Manager), .deb (Debian Package), .exe (Windows Executable), or .msi (Windows Installer), make sure the PostgreSQL server is started when the machine boots.

Oracle

Installed Version Test:

Select * from v$version (you first have to log in into your DB)

  • In case, if you don’t have it and your OS doesn’t provide official packages, visit http://www.oracle.com/. You need Oracle version 10.02.0 or higher.
  • However, If you install from something other than a packaging/installation system, such as .rpm (RPM Package Manager), .deb (Debian Package), .exe (Windows Executable), or .msi (Windows Installer), make sure the Oracle server is started when the machine boots.

Web Server

Installed Version Test: view the default welcome page at HTTP://<your-machine>/

  • Firstly, any web server that is capable of running CGI scripts will work. [we recommend using the Apache webserver (either 1.3.x or 2.x)].
  • However, If you have got Bugzilla working using another web server, please share your experiences with us by filing a bug in Bugzilla Documentation.
  • lastly, If you don’t have Apache and your OS doesn’t provide official packages, visit http://httpd.apache.org/.

Bugzilla

  • First thing first, download a Bugzilla tarball (or check it out from Bzr). Also, place it in a suitable directory(Good Location), accessible by the default web server user (probably “apache” or “www”).
  • Secondly, the default Bugzilla distribution is NOT designed to be placed in a cgi-bin directory. This includes any directory which is configured using the Script Alias directive of Apache.
  • Once all the files are in a web-accessible directory, make that directory writable by your web server’s user(temporary step).

Perl Modules

  • First of all, Bugzilla’s installation process is based on a script called checksetup.pl. so, this checks the appropriate versions of all the required Perl modules.
  • So, you need to root now until the end of the install.
  • Subsequently, check the required modules and run bash# ./checksetup.pl –check-modules.
  • Further, Checksetup.pl will print out a list of the required and optional Perl modules.  
  • After this, to install missing Perl modules is to use the package manager provided by your operating system (e.g “rpm” or “yum” on Linux distros, or “ppm” on Windows if using ActivePerl).

Here is a complete list of modules and their minimum versions. Some modules have special installation notes, which follow.

Required Perl modules:

  • CGI (3.51)
  • Date:: Format (2.23)
  • DateTime (0.28)
  • DateTime::TimeZone (0.71)
  • DBI (1.54)
  • DBD::MySQL (4.001) if using MySQL
  • DBD::Pg (2.7.0) if using PostgreSQL
  • DBD:: Oracle (1.19) if using Oracle
  • Digest:: SHA (any)
  • Email:: Send (2.04)
  • Email:: MIME (1.904)
  • Template (2.22)
  • URI (1.37)

Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)

Bugzilla also depends on the availability of an e-mail system. It is possible to completely disable email sending. However, this is mainly intended for testing, disabling or diverting email on a production machine.

On Linux, any Sendmail-compatible MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) will suffice. Moreover, Sendmail, Postfix, Gmail, and Exim are examples of common MTAs. Only, Sendmail is the original Unix MTA. However, others are easier to configure. Therefore, many people replace Sendmail with Postfix or Exim. These are drop-in replacements. So, Bugzilla will not distinguish between them.

Each of these programs will have its own configuration files where you must configure certain parameters to ensure that the mail is delivered properly. Also, ensure that  MTA is in the auto-start list of services for the machine. In the same vein, a mail with the command-line ‘mail’ program succeeds, then Bugzilla should also be fine.

Installing Bugzilla on mod_perl

  • Now you can easily run the Bugzilla software under mod_perl on Apache.
  • Moreover, mod_perl has some additional requirements to that of running Bugzilla under mod_cgi (the standard and previous way).
  • Bugzilla requires mod_perl to be installed, which can be obtained from http://perl.apache.org

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