Nerdofepic: Created page with "If you've got a bare Debian or Ubuntu server (even a small one) and want RefractSurvey running on it with HTTPS, `refractsurvey_server/prereqs.sh` does the whole job for you interactively — no need to hand-install Apache, PHP, or a database first. '''This is a technical, server-administration page.''' If you already have a server set up with PHP/MySQL and just want to drop RefractSurvey onto it, see Getting Started inst..."

2026-09-13T13:47:53Z

Created page with "If you've got a bare Debian or Ubuntu server (even a small one) and want RefractSurvey running on it with HTTPS, <code>refractsurvey_server/prereqs.sh</code> does the whole job for you interactively — no need to hand-install Apache, PHP, or a database first. '''This is a technical, server-administration page.''' If you already have a server set up with PHP/MySQL and just want to drop RefractSurvey onto it, see Getting Started inst..."

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If you've got a bare Debian or Ubuntu server (even a small one) and want RefractSurvey running on it with HTTPS, <code>refractsurvey_server/prereqs.sh</code> does the whole job for you interactively — no need to hand-install Apache, PHP, or a database first.

'''This is a technical, server-administration page.''' If you already have a server set up with PHP/MySQL and just want to drop RefractSurvey onto it, see [[RefractSurvey_Getting_Started|Getting Started]] instead.

== What it does ==

Run it as root (or with <code>sudo</code>) from the unzipped release:

<pre>
sudo refractsurvey_server/prereqs.sh
</pre>

It interactively walks through:

* Installing Apache, PHP 8.1+ (with the extensions RefractSurvey needs), and Certbot
* Choosing between a '''local''' database (the script installs and hardens MariaDB right there on the box) or a '''remote''' one (an existing MySQL/MariaDB server elsewhere — the script skips local database installation entirely and just helps confirm you can reach it)
* Setting up a new Apache virtual host for your domain
* Requesting a free HTTPS certificate from Let's Encrypt for that domain
* Copying the RefractSurvey application files into place

== What it deliberately doesn't do ==

<code>prereqs.sh</code> stops short of creating the RefractSurvey database itself, the database user, or loading the schema — on either a local or remote database. That part happens in-browser, through <code>install.php</code>'s own setup wizard, once this script finishes. The script prints a summary at the end with the database host and admin credentials to feed into that wizard.

In other words: this script gets a server '''ready''' to install RefractSurvey onto; the actual install wizard (see [[RefractSurvey_Getting_Started|Getting Started]]) is still a separate, final step.

== Local vs. remote database ==

If you tell the script you're using a '''remote''' database (one you already run elsewhere), it won't touch MariaDB on the local box at all — it'll only help you verify connectivity. Keep in mind a remote database server needs to be configured to accept connections from this machine specifically, both in its network settings and its user grants.

== See also ==

* [[RefractSurvey_Getting_Started|Getting Started]]
* [[RefractSurvey_Upgrading|Upgrading]]
* [[RefractSurvey_Security_Notes|Security Notes]]

[[Category:RefractSurvey]]

RefractSurvey Automated Server Setup - Revision history