Amahi Wiki - User contributions [en]

Talk:Web App Packaging Notes

2012-03-01T00:38:08Z

Rogerrally: Created page with "Can i suggest an amendment to the Custom Webapp options section Specifically for the custom mod_rewrite to make it more obvious that the file to edit is /etc/httpd/conf.d/XXXX-a..."

Can i suggest an amendment to the Custom Webapp options section

Specifically for the custom mod_rewrite to make it more obvious that the file to edit is /etc/httpd/conf.d/XXXX-appname.conf file (where XXXX is a 4 digit number)

Transmission

2011-09-26T16:24:30Z

Rogerrally: Correct type (wrie->write)

[[Category:Apps]]

[http://transmissionbt.com Transmission] is a torrent client that is available on Amahi among other platforms. It has a web based interface, as well as a daemon.

[[Image:Transmission_screen.png]]

= Automatically Download to a Share =

(Note: this will be automatic in the future)

When you install Transmission from your Amahi dashboard, the /var/hda/files/torrents directory will be created.

If you want remote access to your downloaded torrents, or if you want to drop .torrent files in this folder, to have Transmission automatically download them, you'll need to create a '''torrents''' share. To do this:

* Go to the '''Shares''' tab in setup, or go directly there: http://hda/setup?tab=shares
* Click the '''New Share''' button
* Create a share named '''torrents'''

Note: Torrent files added to this share directory are also automatically added to Transmission to download. This is done every 5 minutes.

= How to update Transmission to version 2.04 =

If you're using x86_64 version of Fedora 12, execute this as one big line in terminal:

{{Code|rpm -Uvh http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3022105/Amahi/transmission/transmission-2.04-1.fc12.x86_64.rpm http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3022105/Amahi/transmission/transmission-cli-2.04-1.fc12.x86_64.rpm http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3022105/Amahi/transmission/transmission-common-2.04-1.fc12.x86_64.rpm http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3022105/Amahi/transmission/transmission-daemon-2.04-1.fc12.x86_64.rpm http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3022105/Amahi/transmission/transmission-gtk-2.04-1.fc12.x86_64.rpm}}

Now you should have newest Transmission client.

= How to add a password to Transmission Web Client =

NOTE: Do all tasks as ROOT

1. Stop the Transmission service:

{{Code|service amahi-transmission stop}}

2. Edit the settings.json.

{{Code|nano /var/lib/transmission/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json}}

3. Edit these fields, remembering the username and password

{{Text|Text="rpc-authentication-required": true,
"rpc-bind-address": "0.0.0.0",
"rpc-enabled": true,
"rpc-password": "[Insert wanted password]",
"rpc-port": 9091,
"rpc-username": "[Username wanted]",}}

CTRL-X to save.

4. Restart Transmission Service

service amahi-Transmission start

Next, we need to make sure that the cronjob that automatically loads torrents from the torrents share uses the same user authentification.

5. Edit /etc/cron.d/amahi-transmission-watch

6. Edit the following
{{Text|*/5 * * * * transmission transmission-remote localhost:9091 -a /var/hda/files/torrents/*.torrent && rm -f /var/hda/files/torrents/*.torrent}}

add "--auch [username]:[password]" so the line becomes:

{{Text|*/5 * * * * transmission transmission-remote localhost:9091 --auth [username]:[password] -a /var/hda/files/torrents/*.torrent && rm -f /var/hda/files/torrents/*.torrent}}

where the username and password are the ones you entered as rpc-username and rpc-password.
Now navigate to web address and input information and you're all set!

= Changing the file permissions of downloaded files =

By default, transmission sets the file permissions of downloaded files so that only the transmission user can write to the downloaded files and folders. To change this, modify the settings as follows:

1. Stop the transmission server from the Amahi Control Panel. Be sure to disable the watchdog timer as well.

2. {{Code|vim /var/lib/transmission/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json}}

3. Find the line: "umask": 18, and change it to "umask": 2. This will enable all users in the transmission group to also write to the file.

4. Restart transmission from the Amahi Control Panel (Settings/Servers/Transmission Server/Restart) for the changes to take effect. Remember to check the watchdog timer as well.

= Adding Transmission to users group =

This prevents the "Error: permission denied /file_location/file_name" error when starting a torrent.

GUI method:

1. Go to System -> Administration -> Users and Groups

2. Enter your root password

3. Click on Edit -> Preferences

4. Make Sure "Hide System users and groups" is unchecked and close the dialog box

5. In the list of Users find "transmission" and double click

6. In the Groups tab find "users" and make sure it is checked.

7. Close all windows.

Terminal method:

1. Open Terminal

2. Type {{Code|su}}

3. Enter your root password

4. Type {{Code|usermod -G users transmission}}

5. Close Terminal

OpenVPN clients

2010-06-12T21:41:05Z

Rogerrally: Add VPNAndroid link

To connect to your network from the outside, you will need a VPN client installed on the computer from which you want to connect to your network.

We have clients For Windows, Mac and Linux:

* [[VPNWindows|Windows Client]]: customized for Amahi to be ultra-easy to use
* Mac clients: [[VPNMacTunnelBlick|TunnelBlick]] (open source) or [[VPNMacViscosity|Viscosity]] (pay client, very nice)
* [[VPNLinux|Linux]] (in general) and [[VPN Ubuntu|Ubuntu via GUI]]
* [[VPNAndroid|Android]] VPN access on the Android phones

'''NOTE: ''' you cannot really connect to your network and test your VPN from *inside* your network

Also, the network from which you connect to your network '''cannot''' be identical because the VPN cannot route packets in that situation. E.g. if your network at home is 192.168.1.* and the network from which you are connecting is also configured at 192.168.1.*, it will not work.

VPNAndroid

2010-06-07T22:33:35Z

Rogerrally: Correct page title

= VPN Client - Android ==

This guide is written for a HTC Android G1/Dream phone rooted with Cyanongenmod 5.

* Download the files here and save them in your /home/username/openvpn folder (where ''username'' is your main users name)(to download, right click > save as):
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/AmahiHDAClient.crt AmahiHDAClient.crt]
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/AmahiHDAClient.key AmahiHDAClient.key]
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/ca-cert.crt ca-cert.crt]

Then, from the terminal run

<pre><nowiki>
cd /home/username/openvpn
openssl pkcs12 -export -in AmahiHDAClient.crt -inkey AmahiHDAClient.key -certfile ca-cert.crt -name Amahi -out certs.p12
</nowiki></pre>

You will be asked for a export password for the certs.p12 file - enter amahi twice.

You should now have a certs.p12 file in your /home/username/openvpn folder, copy this certs.p12 file to the root of your sdcard on the Android phone.

Now on the Android phone

<pre><nowiki>
Menu -> Settings -> Location & Security -> Install from SD card
</nowiki></pre>

This will show you certs.p12, select this and enter the password amahi, after it has extracted the certificates, you will be asked to name the certificate, enter Amahi.

Now on the Android phone

<pre><nowiki>
Menu -> Settings -> Wireless & networks -> VPN settings -> Add VPN -> Add OpenVPN VPN
</nowiki></pre>

VPN name = Amahi

Set VPN server = yourHDAnickname.yourhda.com

User authentication = Yes

Set CA certificate - Amahi

Set user certificate - Amahi

Menu -> Advanced -> LZO compression = Yes

Back

Menu -> Save

You should now see an Amahi entry, click on this to connect, you should see that you are connected, enjoy your VPN connection to your HDA server.

[[Category: VPN]]

VPNAndroid

2010-06-07T22:33:01Z

Rogerrally: Initial page creation

= VPN Client - Linux ==

This guide is written for a HTC Android G1/Dream phone rooted with Cyanongenmod 5.

* Download the files here and save them in your /home/username/openvpn folder (where ''username'' is your main users name)(to download, right click > save as):
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/AmahiHDAClient.crt AmahiHDAClient.crt]
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/AmahiHDAClient.key AmahiHDAClient.key]
** [http://dl.amahi.org/vpn/ca-cert.crt ca-cert.crt]

Then, from the terminal run

<pre><nowiki>
cd /home/username/openvpn
openssl pkcs12 -export -in AmahiHDAClient.crt -inkey AmahiHDAClient.key -certfile ca-cert.crt -name Amahi -out certs.p12
</nowiki></pre>

You will be asked for a export password for the certs.p12 file - enter amahi twice.

You should now have a certs.p12 file in your /home/username/openvpn folder, copy this certs.p12 file to the root of your sdcard on the Android phone.

Now on the Android phone

<pre><nowiki>
Menu -> Settings -> Location & Security -> Install from SD card
</nowiki></pre>

This will show you certs.p12, select this and enter the password amahi, after it has extracted the certificates, you will be asked to name the certificate, enter Amahi.

Now on the Android phone

<pre><nowiki>
Menu -> Settings -> Wireless & networks -> VPN settings -> Add VPN -> Add OpenVPN VPN
</nowiki></pre>

VPN name = Amahi

Set VPN server = yourHDAnickname.yourhda.com

User authentication = Yes

Set CA certificate - Amahi

Set user certificate - Amahi

Menu -> Advanced -> LZO compression = Yes

Back

Menu -> Save

You should now see an Amahi entry, click on this to connect, you should see that you are connected, enjoy your VPN connection to your HDA server.

[[Category: VPN]]

Application Contributor

2010-01-01T20:26:37Z

Rogerrally: Spelling correction

A burgeoning community is developing around Amahi. With the release of version 2.6 of he Amahi Home Server, a new class of community member has been created Application Contributor or '''Contributor''' for short.

A '''contributor''' is a '''trusted member''' of the community who does (or leads) the following for a specific application to be deployed on Amahi:
# select an application you'd like to be the named contributor for
# contact support at amahi.org, or find us in the irc channel, and request '''contributor''' status for the specified application
# "Package" the application for deployment
# test the package yourself
# test the app with a select user base
# release the application to the Amahi user community
# upgrade/maintain the application

Here are some details on each step ..

== Application Selection ==
Chances are you know what application you'd like to see running on Amahi! Contact us and we'll help you become the named contributor for that application.

If there is a particular application you'd like to see running on Amahi and you ''don't have the skills/time'' to be a contributor, let us know. We'll keep it on file.

Eventually http://www.amahi.org will have areas where community members can nominate applications for deployment on Amahi. This will make it easier for contributors to select applications.

Of course, the application you submit MUST be able to be legally distributed through the "one-click" mechanism. In most cases the application will be made available under an open source license that allows this.

== Contact Amahi ==
Send an email to ''support at amahi.org'', or find us in the IRC channel, indicating the application that you would like to become a contributor for, and some details on your level of experience. It may also be a good ideas to discuss in the [http://forums.amahi.org/viewforum.php?f=6 developer forum] or the amahi-devel mailing list.

The core Amahi team needs to get to know you a bit and review what you do. Applications are trust-based and we must ensure that applications do not do anything malicious (intentionally or not!). Chances are we'll give you access to the contributor area of amahi.org and you can proceed from there.

== Package the Application ==
Packaging the application for deployment on Amahi involves
* Naming the application and describing it (short/long descriptions)
* Creating icons/screenshots for display
* pointing to source tarball, RPM, etc. as required
* setting up necessary installation/removal scripts
* Logo's should be 160x120 and screenshots 320x240

For a more detailed explanation refer to [[Application Packaging]]

== Test Yourself/With Selected Users ==
Once you have packaged the application and you can "one-click" install it yourself you;re ready to release it to a "test community." This is a group of Amahi users who have volunteered to test new application installations.

== Release the Application ==
The core Amahi team will review the application and then make it visible to the broad base of the Amahi user community. At this stage any member of the community can select the application for installation on their Amahi installation.

== Maintain and Upgrade ==
Once the application is released you will be able to
* see the number of users who have tested the application
* review the number of "live" installations of your application
* monitor feedback from the Amahi community through a dedicated forum.

As the '''contributor''' for the application we hope that you will monitor the forum and understand any issues (bugs/features) that arise. If your application is successful we expect that many community members will help with this activity!

= Tools =

* [[Packaging tools for windows|Application packaging tools for windows]]

= FAQ =

* An app may have associated the following:
** Database
** Server
** Web App
** Share
* Does the DB get created before the install script
** Yes!

FOG

2009-12-26T20:35:18Z

Rogerrally: Add some basic info

FOG - A Computer cloning solution

[[http://www.fogproject.org/ FOG Project Website]]

What is FOG?

Fog is a Linux-based, free and open source computer imaging solution for Windows XP and Vista that ties together a few open-source tools with a php-based web interface. Fog doesn't use any boot disks, or CDs; everything is done via TFTP and PXE. Also with fog many drivers are built into the kernel, so you don't really need to worry about drivers (unless there isn't a linux kernel module for it). Fog also supports putting an image that came from a computer with a 80GB partition onto a machine with a 40GB hard drive as long as the data is less than 40GB.

Fog also includes a graphical Windows service that is used to change the hostname of the PC, restart the computer if a task is created for it, and auto import hosts into the FOG database. The service also installs printers, and does simple snap-ins.

Application Packaging

2009-12-25T22:43:32Z

Rogerrally: correct spelling

The goal of packaging an application is to reduce to zero the technical knowledge required to install and use the application (no database setup, no web server setup, no application configuration, etc.) The actual package install is through a single click from the Amahi user.

Packaging applications is through a simple web form in the contributor's area of amahi.org.

Here is a 10-page Powerpoint presentation [http://www.scribd.com/doc/14742829/Amahi-Packaging-Applications-for-OneClick-Installation HOWTO package an application]

The fields in the application's form are listed below with their descriptions:

= Name for the Application =
Official name for the application. This is the name the user sees for the application. It must be unique (no repeats). Make sure the capitalization is the official capitalization of the original application. Examples: WordPress, Zina, Gallery, MediaWiki...

= Version/Release =
Version number for this app. Please specify like this: 7.5, 2.3.4, 0.1, etc. and align the version numbering with the source application being packaged.

= Logo URL =
Best resolution for the logo is 160x120px or multiples thereof.
It should have transparent background (for best integration in all themes).
Valid formats are jpg, png and gif.

= Screenshot URL =
Best resolution for the screenshot is 320x240px or multiples thereof.
It should have transparent background (for best integration in all themes).
Valid formats are jpg, png and gif.

= Source URL =
URL for a tar.gz/tgz or zip file containing the source of the app.
The source tar.gz/tgz or zip file must expand into a single directory to be supported.

You can leave this and the SHA1 fields blank if the app is RPM based.

= Source SHA1 checksum =
Integrity checking is done through the [http://linux.die.net/man/1/sha1sum sha1sum program]. This field is the SHA1SUM for the source file (tar.gz/tgz or zip file), obtained by running sha1sum on the source code of the app.

= Suggested URL name =
Suggested DNS short-name in the URL for this app. E.g. if you type blog,
the application will install with http://blog for the URL for the application.
Users will also be able to type blog in the address bar of browsers to reach the app. If this name is not available, a subsequent name will be picked, e.g. blog1.

= RPM(s) =
This field is a list, the name of the RPM for the application, *preceded* by any other required RPMs (space-separated or comma-separated). These will be installed via yum in one install command. Note, however, that for reliability reasons, only the main (last) RPM will be removed upon un-install.

= Custom Webapp Options =
This field, if filled, allows you to add custom options to this application,
'''if this app has an associated webapp.'''

= App Database =

This field should contain the name of the database for this app, if any. MySQL is used by default. A corresponding user by the same name is created.
The password for the user is also the database name. IMPORTANT: BOTH user and database are created at app install time and ARE DROPPED when the app is uninstalled

= Kind of application =
Kind of application (underlying technology): PHP, Python, RoR, Perl, Plain HTML, ...

= App home page URL =
Type the URL for the home page or the main site for this application, e.g. http://wordpress.org

= App Tags =
Any tags you want for this app. Useful for search and categories for this application. Better to have more tags at this stage.

= Short Description =
This field should contain a description of the application in a single paragraph with a sentence or more in it. Ideally, the first sentence should contain an good description within the first 70 characters of this field. You can include some very limited HTML. Links should include a target="_" in it.

= Long Description =
This field should contain a full description of the app in several paragraphs. It will be positioned after the short description and should be a follow-through of it. You can include some limite HTML. Links should include a target="_" in it.

= Install Scripts =

See the section on [[Application Install Scripts]]

= Troubleshooting =

NOTE: The application installer logs install process information in your HDA at:

/var/log/amahi-app-installer.log

So please check that log file for exceptions or other errors if your application fails to install!

= Releasing =

As soon as you are happy with how the app is installed please contact the core team support amahi.org or in the IRC channel to review. At this stage the basic packaging is complete. Return to the details on how to be an [[Application Contributor]]

User:Rogerrally

2009-10-02T20:30:19Z

Rogerrally:

Rogerrally is based in the county of Wiltshire in the UK.

I am into computers (hence why i am here), and cars, mainly motorsport.

I am an active member of my local motor club, and i rally a Vaxhall Nova (or Corsa A for those in europe).

I am a big fan of open source software and Linux.

Configuring OpenDNS

2009-10-02T20:19:06Z

Rogerrally:

== [[Configuring OpenDNS]] ==

Amahi uses OpenDNS to provide Domain Name System to translate names into IP address.

Doing so, it has the power to filter or block domain names. (web sites).

OpenDNS can also provide statistics about requests on your network.

One needs to create an account with OpenDNS (free) to access all those features.

Go to -> http://www.opendns.com/

Select create account.

Once complete go to the network tab. From there add your current IP. It is showing on the upper right corner.

[IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/salocinbake/dnsnetwork.png[/IMG]

Under the setting tab, you can use a preset rules for filtering websites, (Adult website, P2P, drugs)
or create your own set of rules, and exceptions.

You can also create shortcut ie; typing "mail" in the url bar, would open your web based email.

PBA

2009-09-21T21:38:32Z

Rogerrally:

[[Category:Apps]]

Amahi now includes the [http://pba-vm.sourceforge.net/ Personal Backup Appliance], or PBA, with the collaboration of the PBA leader, Roland Hui. Here is what the web interface looks like:

[[Image:Backups.png|550px]]

This application is essentially a hard disk clone, backup and restore application.

== Basic principle ==

* You boot the system to back up off the network.
* The system boots the PBA-included linux mini-distro
* You back up one driver or restore one drive, via the network

'''DO NOT RESTORE to the original media. Please TEST first and make sure the backup and restore works with your hardware!'''

= What to do, in 2 simple steps =
# Simply boot your machine from the network. Pressing F12 during BIOS may work after you enable network boot, else [[Network Boot|see other tips on network booting]]
# The option to Backup/Restore will appear on the screen: [[Image:pba-client-main.png]]
#* When Backup is selected, it will ask what disk you want to back up (if you have more than one).
#* When Restore is selected, it will ask what image of the list you want to restore, and to what drive.

= More =
* The PBA app provides a simple user-friendly interface to backup and restore entire hard disk drives over the network. This functionality is similar to that of commercial products such as Norton Ghost Server, but there is no added cost for additional software or hardware. This feature simplifies consumer hard disk backup down to very simple steps.
* The intended audience is any user that wants a no-hassles backup solution. All you need to do is power on the machine you want to backup/restore, boot from the network and select what you want to backup.
* Restoring a backup does not even require you to format a new drive!
* The PBA app backs up the entire hard disk. The MBR, partition table and all partitions are copied. The Personal Backup Appliance aims to be an easy and fast backup solution. Most partitions types such as NTFS, FAT16/32, and ext3 are supported by tools that understand the filesystem, so only the data is copied, and empty space is ignored. This makes copying very fast. For other partition types, raw copies are made. The technology working behind the scenes in PBA is not new. In fact, many of the open source programs and tools used in PBA have been around for a long time. The innovation in PBA is in the presentation and the integration of these programs and tools.
* Thanks to Roland Hui for helping port the personal backup appliance to the HDA!

== CHANGE PBA FULL BACKUP PATH ==
The PBA backups default path is set to '''''/var/hda/apps/pba/backups''''' directory on the operating system drive. To change this after [[Adding a second hard drive to your HDA]], a symbolic link is required.

* Make a sub directory '''''backup''''' to the '''''files''''' directory on the secondary hard drive.
* Change to the '''''/var/hda/apps/pba''''' directory on the operating system drive. Ensure the backups directory does not exist. If it does, remove it.
* As user ''root'', enter '''ln –sf /var/hda/files/backups backups''' (must match the path set when adding a secondary hard drive.
* Verify ownership of '''''/var/hda/apps/pba/backups''''' (symbolic link) is set to ''apache:apache'' (Verify this with the list directory command 'll' - if you need to change ownership then issue the commands '''chown apache /var/hda/apps/pba/backups''' and '''chgrp apache /var/hda/apps/pba/backups''')

<center>[[Image:SimLink.PNG]]</center>

* Ensure settings in '''''/etc/fstab''''' for the secondary drive include uid=48,gid=48 (see note).
* Reboot and attempt a LAN backup. The full backup files should now be saved to the secondary hard drive.

'''''NOTE:''''' This sets ownership of the drive/directories to user apache and group apache. To verify the correct uid and gid, enter id apache. It will display the applicable uid and gid. Permissions must be set as such for the PBA backups to be directed to the secondary hard drive. This is how my secondary drive is configured in '''''/etc/fstab'''''.

Added by diskmounter utility
/dev/sdb1 /var/hda/files vfat rw,user,uid=48,gid=48,fmask=0111,dmask=0000 0 0

= Troubleshooting =

PBA has some error codes, which can be cryptic.

Here is the list of PBA errors for reference:

* 1,general error
* 2,error while saving MBR
* 3,error while saving partition table
* 4,error while pushing files to server
* 5,partition file not found
* 6,mbr file not found
* 7,error while writing MBR
* 8,error while partitioning drive
* 9,no hard disk drive found
* 10,general syntax error
* 11,partition is not valid
* 12,PBA archive not found
* 13,please run as root on pba client
* 14,could not fetch images.toc
* 15,error while pushing .skip file
* 21,dd error while processing partition
* 22,ntfsclone error while processing partition
* 23,partimage error while processing partition
* 33,unzsplit failed while processing partition

Some errors are more common. Here is what we see more often:

* Code 22: this usually indicates a permission problem. Make sure that the file /var/hda/apps/pba/backups/data exists and is not owned by root.
* Code 23: indicates that there may be a partition in the drive or a partition scheme that partimage (the program doing the job of duping the partition) does not understand, such as hidden partitions (for restore), or some other unusual partitions, such as LoJack, etc.

Intro

2009-09-21T21:12:56Z

Rogerrally:

The Amahi home server is a GNU/Linux-based, open-source network server, based on Fedora.

* It is meant to be headless, and running 24x7.
* Some people also use it as a desktop, while still serving the rest of the home network.
* It has the following features:
** Centralized storage server
** Bare metal backup server
** Calendar server
** Wiki server
** Remote access server (for secure remote access to your files) (i.e. VPN).
** Printer server
** ... and other types of installable services:
*** Bittorrent server
*** Slideshow generator
*** Recipes database
*** ... and many more in the online [http://www.amahi.org/apps Application Gallery]!

We think there are two "types" of users for our HDAs:

* The technical user (the one who installs and runs it)
* The real user of the home network: spouses, kids, etc.

We have a few features that are directed towards making life easier for one or the other, or both. However, ultimately, the real users are the non-technical users.

The features directed towards the technical user are meant to make his/her life easier when running a home network for the benefit of all the users.

User:Rogerrally

2009-09-21T21:04:16Z

Rogerrally: New page: Rogerrally is based in the county of Wiltshire in the UK. I am into computers (hence why i am here), and cars, mainly motorsport. I am an active member of my local notor club, and i rall...

Rogerrally is based in the county of Wiltshire in the UK.

I am into computers (hence why i am here), and cars, mainly motorsport.

I am an active member of my local notor club, and i rally a Vaxhall Nova (or Corsa A for those in europe).

I am a big fan of open source software and Linux.

OpenVPN troubleshooting

2009-09-21T20:40:27Z

Rogerrally:

Typical problems with the VPN:

* You cannot VPN into your network from your very own network (kinda duh)
* You cannot login two users simultaneously
* You cannot login to your network from another network with the exact same settings. You can probably reach your own HDA, but not other systems in the network, due to routing (the HDA has direct connection via the VPN tunnel).