Install Recommendations

Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -
Number of replies: 21

Hello, I have tried to install Moodle several times over the past few years without success.

I tried using MariaDB, no go, I tried to follow online instructions, no go, I tried using a YouTube video, and at the end it said Moodle failed to install. Each time I had something in mind I wanted to do like run an online class, and then something came about to quell my interest. Now I want to offer an online class again so I am ready to try again.

I am using an Odroid with Lubuntu 14.04 - this is what I will use so please don't reply with help that includes any changes to those two. I'll use the desktop version and at some point I might shut off the Xwindow part once everything is running. I don't need advice on these parts.

I want to use PostgreSQL this time. I have removed all the previous attempts, ready to install LAMP - which version should I use for Apache, PHP, Postgres? Is there a step by step instruction for this? I looked at https://docs.moodle.org/30/en/Step-by-step_Installation_Guide_for_Ubuntu but it is not really what I want to do.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi James,

I can give you access to step-by-step directions for setting up an Odroid, but it will have to be sometime tomorrow. I will need to move the directions from my private notes to a public Moodle. Which Odroid do you have? XU4? HC1? MC1? Need to know so I can follow along. I'll send access directions via a Moodle message.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you do know that LAMP is Linux, Apache, MySQL (or MariDB), and PHP? If you are going with the Light Ubuntu are you interested in NGINX instead of Apache?

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -
Thank you so much, AL, I really appreciate your help.

I have the U3 http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=g138745696275

It has the 64Gb eMMC and a 64Gb SD card, the battery for the RTC, fan, and the UPS which is the main reason I want to use this - so I can walk in, put it down on the desk, and start teaching.

I'm not sure I want to learn NGINX too, but thanks.

-pj
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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

"so please don't reply with help that includes any changes to those two"

...ok, I won't mention that you are using a massively out of date version of Ubuntu. Moodle tends to require reasonably up to date versions of server software. If you use an old version like this you will have a whole load of hassle getting suitable versions of PHP, MySQL etc. IIRC, 14.04 came with PHP 5.5 which won't run recent (i.e. supported) versions of Moodle. It's not insurmountable, but simply running the latest Ubuntu/Lubuntu is by far the easiest solution. 

But I'm not telling you this.... wink

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In reply to Howard Miller

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

two years is now massively out of date?

Is an iPhone 7 "massively" out of date too?

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

Ubuntu 14.04 was released on 17th April 2014 (thank you Google).

In this world that is when the dinosaurs were running about. To be fair, you didn't say what version of Moodle you hope to run. However, assuming you would want to run a *supported* version of Moodle (and you should) you will find that the only current, stable version of Moodle that will now run on Ubuntu/Lubuntu 14.04 is the last few months of 3.1LTS (just about to be security only) - using its standard packages anyway. 

So, with that said, I entirely stand by what I said above. 

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In reply to Howard Miller

Re: Install Recommendations

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

The directions I have furnished to James, gives him Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Apache 2.4, PostgreSQL 9.3.22, PHP 5.6.35, all running Moodle 3.3+.

Granted, he will not be able to go past Moodle 3.3 unless he puts a newer version OS image on his eMMC, but this does give him a working Moodle to try out.

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

Thanks so much Saint Rachels. I'll be putting these instructions up on my website.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi James

Glad that you received the instructions you wanted. Once the problem is solved, mark the discussion as solved by writing a reply with [Solved] in the subject line. It would be nice if you report on your progress in private communications, so that the helpers won't still be answering your question. Also rate the forum post(s) which helped you as "Useful".

Ref. https://moodle.org/mod/page/view.php?id=7080
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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Luis de Vasconcelos -

> Is an iPhone 7 "massively" out of date too?

Definately, according to my teenage niece!  wink

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In reply to Luis de Vasconcelos

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

Yes, and they run everything from the palm of their hands now days. I don't plan on making any more online courses for computers, only smartphones. It's the only way to get through to them!

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi James

Also something which you do not want to hear. As such this is probably of no use to you. But don't forget. People come straight to these forums by searching the web.

In fact I entered "odroid+moodle" in to that infamous search engine and found your old discussion: "Running Moodle without the Internet" https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=269421, September 2014, at the second plance! So all that advice was of no use? (Some posts have been touted as excellent by others. ;) )

I went through your other past discussions. I am sorry to say that you are over complicating things: a) You have a discontinued Odroid, a U3 http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=g138745696275. b) The tutorial you found was for an even older Odroid, the U2 https://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2270. Ubuntu 13.04!! c) the net outcome of tries were just "no go" (the original post).

Let's lean back and have a look at what you really want to achieve. This is what I understood: You want to run a tiny Moodle server in the (Wirelss)LAN of a very remote school (in the third world) which has no Internet. But then there is a turn-key solution for that, called MoodleBox https://moodlebox.net. In short, you write a 16 GB micro-SD card with the image provided, stick it in to a Raspberry Pi 3, connect it to a (micro-USB) mobile charger. The users connect their client computers to MoodleBox's wireless hotspot, and they have a (highly optimized) latest Moodle even without Internet. The bonus: if there is a router around connect the MoodleBox to the router through an Ethernet cable, then the whole class goes on-line! For details read for example "Moodlebox update and internet problem" https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=367346.

The only investment, a new Raspberry Pi 3 which costs USD 25.- (and the micro-SD card).
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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

What I really want to achieve is to learn by doing, not by simply getting it done (for me).

The Odroid U3 is still considered the "standard Odroid" and is being manufactured and sold now.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi

I understand. In that case you need somebody who is familiar with Odriod and Moodle. Hope this time it won't take 3 1/2 years. By that time your U3 may be still around but useless. Just consider the feature gallop of Moodle. Where will it be in year 2020!

About your question whether iPhone 7 is outdated: It isn't as of December 2017, but was on the death row. See http://kdvr.com/2017/12/20/apple-admits-it-does-slow-down-older-iphones-to-prevent-issues/.
sad
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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

I seem to have found a helper named Saint Al.

I still have a 2G Samsung with a one inch display that can show webpages.

By the way I ordered a Raspberry to run Moodlebox too. In the job I am hoping to get now I would like to be able to give them to my teachers.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi James,

It would appear that you may not have yet seen the private messages I sent yesterday, telling you where to go to see the step-by-step directions for seting up your Odroid XU3 the way you want it. They are accessible now.

To those following along, while the Odroid XU3 has been discontinued...it is only that form factor that is discontinued. Each of the follow on Odroids, the XU4, the HC1, and the MC1 are all pretty much built to the same standard when it comes to CPU and memory. They all are capable of running the same software. The biggest difference is the HC1 and MC1 no longer have built in HDMI video. You set them up and run them strictly from a terminal window.

If, and I understand his reluctance to do so, James were to take out his eMMC, mount it in the MSDC adapter that came with the eMMC, and flash an updated image of the latest Ubuntu, his XU3 would run it just fine.

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

I got your instructions and thanks a billion!

The last time I looked there was no Ubuntu 16 for the Odroid U3.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi James,

Yes there is an Ubuntu 16 that should work on your XU3. Go to: https://odroid.in/ubuntu_16.04lts/

Look for ubuntu-16.04-mate-odroid-xu3-20161011.img, which is the version I started with on all my Odroids. They do have another release from this year, ubuntu-16.04-mate-odroid-xu3-20170731.img

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Noxon -

Ah-ha, there is Ubuntu 16 for my U3 after all. This is not to be confused with the XU3 which is a different animal:

U3 = http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G138745696275

XU3 = http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G140448267127

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Sorry, juggling too many things at a time and forgot it was U3 and not XU3.

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In reply to James Noxon

Re: Install Recommendations

by James Steerpike -
I think your fist step is an OS upgrade. Ubuntu 14.04 supports PHP-5 and the latest versions of Moodle require PHP-7. It sounds easier to upgrade the OS instead of trying to upgrade PHP. Here is a link to an Odroid Jessie upgrade.  Now this is  Debian but Ubuntu is based on Debian so should be familiar. If you want to use this box only for Moodle, don't install the desktop and go command line only. A little scary at first but soon you will feel like a pro.

From there you should be able to install a standard Debian Moodle using these instructions. https://docs.moodle.org/34/en/Installing_Moodle_on_Debian_based_distributions

If this seems a little daunting, Hiformance have a $10 a year deal on a Open VZ VPS server which will run Moodle easily. You can install different distributions and learn from errors at minimal cost before screwing up your Odroid.

Sorry to go against your instructions but the only alternative is to install an old and unsupported version of Moodle - assuming you can find a download of 2.6. https://docs.moodle.org/26/en/Step-by-step_Installation_Guide_for_Ubuntu

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