eXo Platform 3.5

## Chapter 1. Installation and Startup

eXo Platform is packaged as a deployable enterprise archive defined by the Java EE specification, and as a configuration directory. In this chapter, you will see the following topics:

- System requirements

  Specifications which are required for running eXo Platform 3.5.

- Install the Tomcat bundle

  Instructions on how to start up/shut down the server, or to customize variables in Tomcat.

- Install JBoss EARs

  Steps to install eXo Platform on JBoss.

- Profiles of eXo Platform

  The runtime profiles which are used to enable/disable modules of eXo Platform.

## 1.1. System requirements

To run eXo Platform 3.5, your system is required to meet the following specifications or higher:

- CPU: Multi-core recommended, 2GHz Minimum

- Memory: 4GB physical RAM, at least 1GB free for JVM's max heap memory (see the JVM settings detailed in the Install the Tomcat bundle section)

- Disk: 1GB

- Java 6 (Set the JAVA_HOME environment variable)

- Browser Compatibility:

  - Mozilla Firefox 3.6+

  - Internet Explorer 7.0+

  - Safari 5.0+

  - Google Chrome 5.0+

### Note

The eXo server will run on the 8080 portal, so make sure this port is not currently in use.

`See also`

- Install the Tomcat bundle

- Install JBoss EARs

- Profiles of eXo Platform

## 1.2. Install the Tomcat bundle

The easiest way to install eXo Platform is to use the Tomcat bundle. This is a ready-made package on top of the Tomcat 6 application server. First, you need to download and extract the package named eXo-Platform-tomcat-3.5.x.zip on your server.

Start up the server

eXo Platform leverages the application server on which it is deployed. This means that you only need to start and stop your application with the default commands.

- On Linux and OS X:

    $PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME/start_eXo.sh

- On Windows:

    %PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME%\start_eXo.bat

The server is started successfully when you see the following message in your log/console:

    INFO: Server startup in 353590 ms

Shut down the server

- On Linux and OS X:

    $PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME/stop_eXo.sh

- On Windows:

    %PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME%\stop_eXo.bat

If you receive the message when you try to stop Tomcat as below, you must stop Tomcat by pressing CtrlC or by killing with the -9 command. To perform the kill action automatically, you can run stop_eXo.sh -force that is only available on Linux and OS X systems.

    Tomcat did not stop in time. The PID file was not removed.

The server has been stopped successfully when you see the following message in your log/console:

    INFO: Stopping Coyote HTTP/1.1 on http-8080

Start up eXo Platform by running built-in startup scripts

You can start up eXo Platform by running one of the following built-in startup scripts:

- Linux & OS X: start_eXo.sh

- Windows: start_eXo.bat

- Linux and OS X in the developer mode: start_eXo.sh with the -debug option.

- Windows in the developer mode: start_eXo.bat with the -debug option.

In the normal mode, the start_eXo scripts launch eXo Platform with the following JVM options:

    -Xms256m
    -Xmx1024m
    -XX:MaxPermSize=256m
    -Djava.security.auth.login.config=../conf/jaas.conf
    -Dexo.conf.dir.name=gatein/conf
    -Dexo.profiles=default

Details:

`-Xms` | Minimal Heap Size (defaults to 256 MB).
`-Xmx` | Maximal Heap Size (defaults to 1 GB).
`-Djava.security.auth.login.config` | Path to the JAAS security file where the security domains and JAAS authentication modules are declared.
`-Dexo.conf.dir.name` | The name of the configuration directory relatively from "catalina.home", for example, gatein/conf.
`-Dexo.profiles` | List of comma-separated profiles of eXo Platform to activate.

In the developer mode, the start_eXo scripts launch eXo Platform in the developer mode with a few JVM options.

    -Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n
    -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote
    -Dorg.exoplatform.container.configuration.debug
    -Dexo.product.developing=true

Details:

`-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote` | Activate the remote JMX monitoring.
`-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket, address=8000,server=y,suspend=n` | Enable the remote debugging.
`-Dorg.exoplatform.container. configuration.debug` | The container will log in to the console which the .xml file loads.
`-Dexo.product.developing=true` | Deactivate JavaScript and CSS merging for debugging more easily. Next, activate a special language called Magic Locale "ma" showing the property keys instead of the translations.

Now, you can start and run the eXo Platform demo, but you will need to adjust these values for a production setup.

Customize environment variables in Tomcat

Previously, users got used to changing the gatein.sh file, but this file is no longer used since Platform 3.5.0-CR1. Now, to customize the environment variables and JVM memory parameters, you have to modify the setenv.sh file (setenv.bat file in Windows).

This file is located in:

- Linux & OS X:

    $PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME/bin/setenv.sh

- Windows:

    $PLATFORM_TOMCAT_HOME\bin\setenv.bat

The following is the content of this file:

    # Sets some variables
    LOG_OPTS="-Dorg.apache.commons.logging.Log=org.apache.commons.logging.impl.SimpleLog"
    SECURITY_OPTS="-Djava.security.auth.login.config=../conf/jaas.conf"
    EXO_OPTS="-Dexo.conf.dir.name=gatein/conf"
    IDE_OPTS="-Djavasrc=$JAVA_HOME/src.zip -Djre.lib=$JAVA_HOME/jre/lib"
    if [ "$EXO_PROFILES" = "" -o "$EXO_PROFILES" = "-Dexo.profiles=default" ] ; then
    EXO_PROFILES="-Dexo.profiles=default"
    fi

    ##### For XML Parser ####
    # Define the preferred XML Parser
    # If you run eXo Platform on IBM Java, you must use the first one
    #EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrWriterFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrParserFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.events.ZephyrEventFactory"
    EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLOutputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLInputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.events.XMLEventsFactoryImpl"
    #########################

    CATALINA_OPTS="-Xms256m -Xmx1024m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m $CATALINA_OPTS $LOG_OPTS $SECURITY_OPTS $EXO_OPTS $IDE_OPTS $EXO_PROFILES $EXO_XML"
    export CATALINA_OPTS

In the normal mode, the setenv scripts launch eXo Platform with the following JVM options:

    -Xms256m
    -Xmx1024m
    -XX:MaxPermSize=256m
    -Djava.security.auth.login.config=../conf/jaas.conf
    -Dexo.conf.dir.name=gatein/conf
    -Dexo.profiles=default
    -Dorg.apache.commons.logging.Log=org.apache.commons.logging.impl.SimpleLog
    -Djavasrc=$JAVA_HOME/src.zip
    -Djre.lib=$JAVA_HOME/jre/lib

Details:

`-Xms` | Initial Heap Size (the default is 256 MB).
`-Xmx` | Maximal Heap Size (the default is 1 GB).
`-Djava.security.auth.login.config` | The path to the JAAS security file where the security domains and JAAS authentication modules are declared.
`-Dexo.conf.dir.name` | The path where eXo Platform will start looking at configuration.properties and configuration.xml.
`-Dexo.profiles` | List of comma-separated profiles of eXo Platform to activate.
`-Dorg.apache.commons.logging.Log` | A simple logging interface abstracting logging APIs.
`-Djavasrc` | The path to the JAVA source code.
`-Djre.lib` | The path to the JRE library.

About EXO_XML: it defines the preferred XML Parser.

- If you run eXo Platform on IBM Java, you must use the following:

    EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrWriterFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrParserFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.events.ZephyrEventFactory"

- Otherwise, you can use the following:

    EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLOutputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLInputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.events.XMLEventsFactoryImpl"

### Note

In Linux environments, the `ulimit` limits the system-wide resource used. When running eXo Platform, you may get the error message about "Too many open files" because the `ulimit` has limited the opened files. By default, the number of opened files is limited to "1024". You should execute the command: "ulimit -n 8196" as root before starting the server to avoid this issue.

`See also`

- System requirements

- Install JBoss EARs

- Profiles of eXo Platform

## 1.3. Install JBoss EARs

eXo distribution for JBoss (eXo-Platform-jboss-3.5.x.zip) allows you to deploy eXo Platform on your existing JBoss EAP server located in a folder named JBOSS_HOME.

Install eXo Platform on JBoss

1. Extract the content of the distribution to a local folder named eXo-Platform-jboss-3.5.x.

2. Copy the following folders and files from eXo-Platform-jboss-3.5.x/ears/server/default to $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/server/default/deploy:

Folders

- gatein.ear

- jbossweb.sar

Files

- exo-acme-website-$version.ear

- exo-collaboration-extension-$version.ear

- exo-default-portal-$version.ear

- exo-gadget-pack-$version.ear

- exo-knowledge-extension-$version.ear

- exo-platform-extension-$version.ear

- exo-social-extension-$version.ear

- exo-social-intranet-$version.ear

- exo-wcm-extension-$version.ear

- exo-webos-extension-$version.ear

- exo-workflow-extension-$version.ear

- gatein-ds.xml

- gatein-wsrp-extension-$version.ear

- starter-gatein-$version.ear

3. Copy the following files and folders from eXo-Platform-jboss-3.5.x/ears/server/default/conf/gatein to the folder $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/server/default/conf/gatein. You may need to create gatein folder if it does not exist.

- cache

- idm

- jcr

- jgroups

- portal

- configuration.properties

- configuration.xml

- controller.xml

- portlet.xml

4. Copy the oauthkey.pem file from eXo-Platform-jboss-3.5.x/ears/server/default/data/gadgets to $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/server/default/data/gadgets. You may need to create folders if they do not exist.

5. Configure the JVM parameters.

- On Linux, add these lines to the end of $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/bin/run.conf:

    # Platform environment variables
    EXO_PROFILES="-Dexo.profiles=default"
    EXO_OPTS="-Dexo.product.developing=false -Dexo.conf.dir.name=gatein -Dgatein.data.dir=../gatein"
    IDE_OPTS="-Djavasrc=$JAVA_HOME/src.zip -Djre.lib=$JAVA_HOME/jre/lib"
    # Declare this variable in JAVA_OPTS to run in debug mode
    REMOTE_DEBUG="-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote
    -Dorg.exoplatform.container.configuration.debug"
    # Here you can define your preferred xml parser - choose one or the other, or none
    # If you run eXo Platform under IBM java, you must use the first one
    #EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrWriterFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrParserFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.events.ZephyrEventFactory"
    EXO_XML="-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLOutputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLInputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.events.XMLEventsFactoryImpl"
    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS $EXO_OPTS $IDE_OPTS $EXO_PROFILES $EXO_XML"

- On Windows, add these lines to the end of $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/bin/run.conf.bat:

    rem # Platform environment variables
    set "EXO_PROFILES=-Dexo.profiles=default"
    set "EXO_OPTS=-Dexo.product.developing=false -Dexo.conf.dir.name=gatein -Dgatein.data.dir=../gatein"
    set "IDE_OPTS=-Djavasrc=$JAVA_HOME/src.zip -Djre.lib=$JAVA_HOME/jre/lib"
    set "REMOTE_DEBUG=-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote
    -Dorg.exoplatform.container.configuration.debug"
    rem # Here you can define your preferred xml parser - choose one or the other, or none
    rem # If you run eXo Platform under IBM java, you must use the first one
    rem # set EXO_XML=-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrWriterFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.ZephyrParserFactory -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.stream.events.ZephyrEventFactory
    set EXO_XML=-Djavax.xml.stream.XMLOutputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLOutputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.XMLInputFactoryImpl -Djavax.xml.stream.XMLEventFactory=com.sun.xml.internal.stream.events.XMLEventsFactoryImpl
    set "JAVA_OPTS=%JAVA_OPTS% %EXO_OPTS% %IDE_OPTS% %EXO_PROFILES% %EXO_XML%"

### Note

- If you prefer using another implementation of SAX, change the class names in EXO_XML variable.

- You can activate the debug mode of eXo Platfrom by adding $REMOTE_DEBUG to the JAVA_OPTS variable.

6. Add the eXo Platform logging categories to $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/server/default/conf/jboss-log4j.xml.

    <!-- Limit the JSR170 categories -->

    <category name="exo.jcr">

      <priority value="INFO"/>

    </category>

    <!-- Limit the JSR-168 and JSR-286 categories -->

    <category name="org.exoplatform.services">

      <priority value="INFO"/>

    </category>

7. Configure the emptySessionPath attribute.

From JBoss AS 4 or lower, to make Wiki work properly, you have to configure the emptySessionPath attribute in the server.xml file. If you are running Jboss with the "default" profile, this file will be located in $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/default/deploy/jbossweb.sar/server.xml/ path.

Depending on the Connector you are using, you have to set the emptySessionPath attribute to "true" for that Connector respectively.

For example, if you are using the AJP Connector, the configuration should be as follows:

    <!-- Define an AJP 1.3 Connector on port 8009 -->
    <Connector port="8009" address="${jboss.bind.address}" protocol="AJP/1.3"
        emptySessionPath="true" enableLookups="false" redirectPort="8443" />

However, from JBoss AS 5 or higher, emptySessionPath="true" no longer sets the cookie path / by default. Instead, the cookie path is set via the following element in the Context element in the server/default/deploy/jbossweb.sar/context.xml file.

    <SessionCookie path="/" />

Session cookies are now scoped to the context by default.

8. Start up the server.

- On Linux and OS X:

    $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/bin/run.sh

- On Windows:

    %PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME%\bin\run.bat

The server is started successfully when you see the following message in your log/console:

    INFO [org.jboss.bootstrap.microcontainer.ServerImpl] (main) JBoss (Microcontainer) [5.1.1 (build: ...)] Started in 5m:29s:259ms

9. Shut down the server.

- On Linux and OS X:

    $PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME/bin/shutdown.sh

- On Windows:

    %PLATFORM_JBOSS_HOME%\bin\shutdown.bat

The server has been stopped successfully when you see the following message in your log/console:

    INFO  [org.jboss.bootstrap.microcontainer.ServerImpl] (JBoss Shutdown Hook) Shutdown complete

`See also`

- System requirements

- Install the Tomcat bundle

- Profiles of eXo Platform

## 1.4. Profiles of eXo Platform

eXo Platform comes with different runtime profiles, enabling you to customize which modules you want to enable/disable in each eXo Platform instance.

### Warning

Before modifying and developing eXo Platform, you should choose carefully the profiles that are suitable to your requirements. In particular, after you have done any modifications/developments on the server that you started up with your selected profiles, and then switched to another new profiles, you will not see such modifications/developments on eXo Platform.

- When using Tomcat, you can use a comma-separated list of profiles.

- When using JBoss, you just need to edit EXO_PROFILES in the run.conf(.bat) file.

The following profiles are supported:

Profile | Description
--- | ---
`collaboration` | Enable the Collaboration module.
`knowledge` | Enable the Knowledge module.
`social` | Enable the Social module.
`workflow` | Enable the Workflow add-ons within the Content module.
`webos` | Enable the eXo WebOS module.

Additionally, you can use these composite profiles:

Profile | Description
--- | ---
`minimal` | Contain GateIn Content.
`default` | Contain all modules except workflow and webos (GateIn, eXo IDE, Collaboration, Social, Knowledge).
`all` | All available modules.

For example:

- Start default modules workflow:

    ./start_eXo.sh default,workflow

- Start eXo Platform with GateIn, Content, Collaboration and Knowledge enabled.

    ./start_eXo.sh collaboration,knowledge

- Start with Social, GateIn and Content.

    ./start_eXo.sh minimal,social

For the developer mode

- Start eXo Platform with your selected profiles in Linux and OS X:

    ./start_eXo.sh -debug [profiles]

- Start eXo Platform with your selected profiles in Windows:

    .\start_eXo.bat -debug [profiles]

`See also`

- System requirements

- Install the Tomcat bundle

- Install JBoss EARs

Copyright © 2009-2012. All rights reserved. eXo Platform SAS