Arch Linux

amo

Member

Registered: 2016-01-05

Posts: 13

Installation of BookStack only working if installed to /srv/http

Dear archlinux community,

I am trying figure out an odd issue with getting BookStack to work on my arch server installation. Installation instructions for BookStack are given here.
The problem is the following (same on my desktop archlinux):

Before following the installation instruction, I make sure, I do have the dependencies installed and a database created. Then, I do a

sudo chown http:http

to the parent folder of where I want to install BookStack to, let this be the empty /usr/share/webapps directory. Then, finally, I follow the installation instructions steps which works just fine.
Unfortunately, at the end, the application does not work and the page that should show the login form is blank.

Now for the odd part of this:
I found two ways to make this work and I would like to understand what is going on.
1. Using php 7.3 instead of 7.4 works, but the developers state very clearly that BookStack works just fine on php 7.4
2. Installing BookStack to /srv/http magically works, even with php 7.4. (I did the exact same things for installation, including setting ownership of the empty /srv/http folder to http user and group.

As I think that /usr/share/webapps is the appropriate installation location for this web application, I would like to make it work that way - and eventually package it for AUR submission.

Any hint or help on this is very appreciated.

For reference: Here the original inquiry into this issue with a bookstack dev.

Last edited by amo (2020-04-09 21:59:28)

qinohe

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2012-06-20

Posts: 1,494

Re: Installation of BookStack only working if installed to /srv/http

Well basically you should not set 'chown http' on the webapp store, root would be fine actually.
So if you use the github source you would use '/srv/http' on Arch if you don't you'd better use a PKGBUILD to install it to you're webapp dir. also set some config file in 'etc/webapps'

edit: checking first would be nice;), there even is a bookstack in AUR ; https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/ … =bookstack

Last edited by qinohe (2020-04-09 18:02:46)

amo

Member

Registered: 2016-01-05

Posts: 13

Re: Installation of BookStack only working if installed to /srv/http

Wow, it actually has (almost) just been submitted. When I checked, there was no bookstack in the AUR, and that's why I wanted to submit my pkgbuild.

Anway, I don't really understand your answer, but I would like to...

I already made a PKGBUILD which installs bookstack to my webapps dir, but as I stated above, it does not work and I don't understand why. I especially don't understand why just switching from php 7.4 to 7.3 (exact same configs!) would make it work.
I know that in the end the webapps folder is not meant to be owned by http, but I chowned it for testing purposes and I can't see why the application would not work.

qinohe

Member

From: Netherlands

Registered: 2012-06-20

Posts: 1,494

Re: Installation of BookStack only working if installed to /srv/http

Wow, it actually has (almost) just been submitted. When I checked, there was no bookstack in the AUR, and that's why I wanted to submit my pkgbuild.

Yes that happens;)

Anway, I don't really understand your answer, but I would like to...

I already made a PKGBUILD which installs bookstack to my webapps dir, but as I stated above, it does not work and I don't understand why. I especially don't understand why just switching from php 7.4 to 7.3 (exact same configs!) would make it work.
I know that in the end the webapps folder is not meant to be owned by http, but I chowned it for testing purposes and I can't see why the application would not work.

Well I saw you already posted an issue https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/issues/1974 add that to your first post, so devs or people that solved the issue can quickly find all refereces, so in the end you have an answer faster(if anyone has one)
In this case I won't be able to help you, I don't run any webapps myself all my apps are running on AMP..;)
You could open a bugreport but make sure you tested everything and add links to this page and the github issue, thanks.

amo

Member

Registered: 2016-01-05

Posts: 13

Re: Installation of BookStack only working if installed to /srv/http

Thank you qinohe,

before submitting a bug report, as I still do not feel like I understand enough to to do so, I will wait and see if anyone else with more understanding of web application, php and so on has got an idea on this matter.