[Koha] What kind of IT skills required...?

[Ian Walls]

Sonia,


To host your own server, you'll need some level of comfort with Linux
command line operations.  I recommend a Debian Squeeze server.  You can
either purchase a new physical machine, or create a virtual server on an
existing machine or in the cloud.  You can quickly fire up a server in the
cloud using services like Amazon Web Computing, Rackspace or Linode.  This
saves you from having to install an operating system on a piece of physical
or virtual hardware.

Once you've got the server up and running, you'll need to install Koha.  You
can do so from the packages, from the git repository or from the
downloadable tarballs.  Personally, I recommend the git installation, but my
understanding is that the packages are a little more user-friendly at the
installation phase.  Are you going to be developing on Koha at all?  If so,
then a git installation is definitely the way to go, so you can track your
local changes, and format them in a way to submit back to Koha!

In addition to installing Koha itself, you'll need to install it's
dependencies.  That includes MySQL (with which you said you were familiar),
Zebra and Apache (Perl is almost always installed by default).  The
installation instructions for Koha will walk you through those steps.
Further, if you want your Koha install to be able to send email notices,
you'll want to install and configure an MTA (Message Transfer Agent).  I
recommend Postfix, but exim4 also works.  The default SendMail also works,
but I've found it a bit less flexible and thus a little more frustrating.

You'll also need to be comfortable with the crontab, so you can set up
nightly jobs like fines, overdue notices, and backups.  This is one part
syntax (knowing how to put an entry on crontab) and one part text editor
familiarity (vi or nano, typically).

If all this seems a bit overwhelming, you're not alone.  If you need
assistance, I'm sure there are Koha support companies in your geographic
region who would be happy to assist you with installation, and may even
provide hosting options.  Check
http://koha-community.org/support/paid-support/ for a listing of known
support companies from all over the world.

I hope this is some help to you.

Cheers,


-Ian

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 3:00 AM, Hugo Agud <hagud at orex.es> wrote:

> Hi
>
> Perhaps the best option is to use on of the wonderful liblive cd that auto-
> install koha very well, if you know perl better, but you can go on anyway
>
> Regarding the bac-up it will depend pn you, but with mysql is quite ease
> and fast
>
> Kindest regatds
>
> Enviado desde mi iPad, disculpen los errores tipográficos y ortográficos
>
> El 26/09/2011, a las 08:26, Smurk <sossolapro at hotmail.com> escribió:
>
> > Hello
> >
> > Sorry, it will definitely be a bunch of silly questions, but I really
> don't
> > know...
> > What kind of IT skills are required for someone to run Koha on a private
> > server (for a small network of about 6 libraries, each with a very
> limited
> > collection) and do the maintenance etc?  I have been asked to help a
> little
> > library who would like to have her own server and centralize for the few
> > other libraries of its network.  I know Koha very well, I am quite good
> with
> > computers and training people and all library things.  I create websites,
> I
> > know PhP and MySql (but not really the other languages).  But I have
> never
> > installed or used a server, I have no idea what that involves.  Is it
> like
> > setting a new computer and let's go?  Will the server be delivered with
> > Windows or Linux or I don't know what other OS?  I will have to organise
> > daily back-ups, is that something easy?  I will have to link the server
> with
> > a website or something like that (I told you I don't know anything), is
> that
> > really tricky?  Do I have to know Perl or can I just install whatever
> > package ares required and that would do it?  Are there other important
> > things that I need to know before I may plan to do it...?
> >
> > Ultimately, can I ask someone else to set up the server and I only step
> in
> > when it's all ready to go?  I mean, is that really something that we can
> ask
> > an IT company to do for us?
> >
> > Many thanks for your help!
> >
> > Sonia.
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> http://koha.1045719.n5.nabble.com/What-kind-of-IT-skills-required-tp4840358p4840358.html
> > Sent from the Koha - Discuss mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Koha mailing list  http://koha-community.org
> > Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
> > http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
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-- 
Ian Walls
Lead Development Specialist
ByWater Solutions
Phone # (888) 900-8944
http://bywatersolutions.com
ian.walls at bywatersolutions.com
Twitter: @sekjal
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