= Guide = How to Install Turtl Self-Hosted on Debian

[Fred C]

I struggled a bit to install turtl self-hosted version and found the documentation available not so accessible from the point of view of a less technical user. I also struggled to find a detailed guide with the exact steps on how to install the turtl api on a server (a VPS in my case).

With the precious help of TieMichael here in the forum, and a recent tutorial detailing the installation in Ubuntu 14 found here, I put together a detailed guide for installing Turtl on a Debian 8.

                ==== Tested on Debian 8 minimal ====

    # Start by installing required software:

apt-get install git wget curl libtool subversion gcc make automake

    # 1. Install libuv:

cd /usr/local/src

wget http://dist.libuv.org/dist/v1.9.1/libuv-v1.9.1.tar.gz

tar -xf libuv-v1.9.1.tar.gz

cd libuv-v1.9.1

sh autogen.sh

./configure

make

make install

    # 2. Install RethinkDB

    # Add the repo to your sources list and install via apt-get:

cd ~

echo "deb http://download.rethinkdb.com/apt `lsb_release -cs` main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rethinkdb.list

wget -qO- https://download.rethinkdb.com/apt/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -

apt-get update

apt-get install rethinkdb

    # Now configure the default instance:

cp /etc/rethinkdb/default.conf.sample /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/default.conf

    # and restart rethinkdb:

systemctl restart rethinkdb

    # 3. Install Common Lisp - I've used Closure CL but SBCL is also an option:

    # Move into the directory to host lisp:

cd /usr/local/src

    # and download the package (http://ccl.clozure.com/download.html):

svn co http://svn.clozure.com/publicsvn/openmcl/release/1.11/linuxx86/ccl

    # Copy the files to the system folder:

cp /usr/local/src/ccl/scripts/ccl /usr/local/bin

    # or for x64 

cp /usr/local/src/ccl/scripts/ccl64 /usr/local/bin

    # Start lisp with the command:

ccl

    # or

ccl64

    # to exit

(quit)

    # 4. Install quickLisp

    # Create new unprivileged user Turtl:

adduser turtl

su turtl

cd ~

    # Download and install quicklisp and asdf

wget https://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/asdf.lisp

curl -O https://beta.quicklisp.org/quicklisp.lisp

ccl --load quicklisp.lisp

 

    # or for x64 systems

ccl64 --load quicklisp.lisp

    # Install quicklisp from within the lisp shell:

(quicklisp-quickstart:install)

(ql:add-to-init-file)

(load (compile-file "asdf.lisp"))

    # exit

(quit)

    # Cleanup the install packages:

rm asdf.lisp quicklisp.lisp

    # 5. Download and Install Turtl

git clone https://github.com/turtl/api.git

cd /home/turtl/api

    # Create a file to host lisp commands:

vi launch.lisp

    # and copy the bellow:

(pushnew "./" asdf:*central-registry* :test #'equal)
(load "start")

    # Leave the unprivileged user and go back to root/sudo user:

exit

    # Install a few missing dependencies in quicklisp (there may be unnecessary packages on the list bellow) :

cd /home/turtl/quicklisp/local-projects

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/cl-hash-util

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/vom

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/cl-async

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/cffi

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/wookie

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/cl-rethinkdb

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/cl-libuv

git clone git://github.com/orthecreedence/drakma-async

git clone https://github.com/Inaimathi/cl-cwd.git

    # edit the ccl init conf file:

vi /home/turtl/.ccl-init.lisp

    # and add the bellow at the end:

(cwd "/home/turtl/api")
(load "/home/turtl/api/launch")

    # create the default turtl config file:

cp /home/turtl/api/config/config.default.lisp /home/turtl/api/config/config.lisp

    # edit as needed:

vi /home/turtl/api/config/config.lisp

    # (the only edit I've done was to the *site-url*, *admin-email* and *email-from*)

    # Now it is time to start ccl as turtl user, which should load and build the api automatically:

su turtl

cd ~

ccl

  # or for x64 systems

ccl64

    # turtl will build and creat db schema and launch - you should be able to access the server through a client by pointing it to http://turtl.yourdomain.com:8181 (do not try it in a browser as there currently is no webgui and you will receive a "Authentication failed." error).

    # ctrl + C to leave and (quit) to end lisp; 

    # Go back to root/sudo user by exiting turtl

exit

    # Configure Turtl to start at boot:

vi /etc/rc.local

    # and add at the bottom but before the "exit 0" line:

sudo -u turtl /usr/local/bin/ccl

  # or for x64 systems

sudo -u turtl /usr/local/bin/ccl64

    # Reboot and check that you can connect to turtl through any client on your server's address:

http://turtl.yourdomain.com:8181 

    # For heightened security configure Turtl service through apache or nginx proxy and implement https.

And that's it, you should have a working instance of turtl self-hosted api by now. Hope it helps to those which have been struggling to get it right like me.

Best,

[rul...@gmail.com]

These instructions work great.

Only problem I am having is trying to use an apache2 proxy to serve the 8181 ports.

Below is my apache2 configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName turtl.domain.com

ProxyPreserveHost On
ProxyRequests off
ProxyPass / http://127.0.0.1:8181/ Keepalive=On timeout=1600
ProxyPassReverse / http://127.0.0.1:8181/

LogLevel info

CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/turtl.log combined

</VirtualHost>

I have problems logging in, creating users, etc while using the proxy. If I use the ports 8181 directly I have no issues.

For example if I go to the proxied address at turtl.domain.com, I will get two different messages that switches when I hit refresh:

"There was an error processing your request: Authentication failed." or "Authentication failed."

If I connect on the 8181 port I only get "Authentication failed." message, no matter how much I refresh.

Is there some proxy issue with my setup?

[Fred C]

Have you configured the config.lisp file to bind to localhost?

vi /home/turtl/api/config/config.lisp

    # make sure it is as bellow:

(defvar *server-bind* "127.0.0.1"

  "The address to bind Turtl to (nil is the same as 0.0.0.0).")

hope it works.

[Jason Reule]

Yes, Thank you that worked and now I have no more issues!

[akada...@gmail.com]

This is great, and got me fairly far along in setting it up in Gentoo (different set of steps but I won't document if there's no demand). Since Gentoo uses start-stop-daemon in its init scripts and that's derived from Debian (not sure if Ubuntu uses it at all these days), I thought I'd point out I skipped a number of the latter steps with an additional launch.lisp file and running ccl with no arguments by doing this (excuse me for not looking up the markup syntax):

tobiko# cat /etc/init.d/turtl
#!/sbin/openrc-run

depend() {
need rethinkdb.turtl
}

start() {
start-stop-daemon -b -n turtl -u turtl -d /var/lib/turtl/api -p /var/lib/turtl/turtl.pid -S --exec /bin/bash -- -c "/usr/bin/ccl --load start.lisp"
}

stop() {
start-stop-daemon -p /var/lib/turtl/turtl.pid -s SIGKILL turtl
}

[sqwee...@gmail.com]

This worked perfectly for me, the only other thing I had to do was install sudo (not installed by default w/ the iso I used)

[eredw...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 8:33:16 AM UTC-5, Fred C wrote:
> I struggled a bit to install turtl self-hosted version and found the documentation available not so accessible from the point of view of a less technical user. I also struggled to find a detailed guide with the exact steps on how to install the turtl api on a server (a VPS in my case).
>
>
> With the precious help of TieMichael here in the forum, and a recent tutorial detailing the installation in Ubuntu 14 found here, I put together a detailed guide for installing Turtl on a Debian 8.

Fred first I want to thank you for your work in putting this together. I tried this on a Ubuntu Sever 16.04 and I failed. I did my best to follow your instructions to the tee. I made sure I could ping the server, before and was able to reach it, but for some reason turlt could not see the server. I work in the IT field but I am not a programmer and from what I see, and I may be wrong, and I am ok with that, but can you explain this to me as if I was a 4 year old. I am not a programmer and when I read this I am lost somewhere in it and it's not working. and I know I set this up just the way your trying to explain it. I am not mad at you my friend just want to set this thing up and drop evernote. can you help me. Thanks in advances.

[TieMichael]

I installed Turtl on Ubuntu 16.04 - server recently. ...and remember some similar issues, caused by 

 - my installation of Turtl.js or more specifically of npm ( I am using npm 3.10.8 )  

 - and to Turtl.api  and config.lisp: 

Here are some of my config.lisp entries : (defvar *db-host* "127.0.0.1"

 (defvar *enabled-cors-resources* "http://local ip of the server:8182"

 (defvar *site-url* "https://turtl.mysite.com"

 (defvar *local-upload* "/home/turtl/data"

 (defvar *local-upload-url* "https://turtl.mysite.com"

 Just try, and feedback as specific as possible the issues you face ...

 Maybe one more hint: Firefox Developer console gives quite a lot of info 

 on the communication between server and host, and might help to pinpoint 
 the issue

 Good luck!

[Earnest Redwood]

I ran this studied it installed it in Slow motions had my wife to go over it with me just to make sure that i followed ever step. it not working  I running this on Ubuntu 15.10. After I install every thing. I can't find the server. Listen I going to stay true to this thing. I thank you for all that you do.

Another problem I am having is Turtl keep up with my pic's see attachment

On Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 8:33:16 AM UTC-5, Fred C wrote:

[Earnest Redwood]

Again I want to thank you for all your help: I am not give up on this, I think this is a great product and I can't wait to get this part down. I know you have a lot on your plate, but I am also having issue with saving picture. I think it because is will not show if it not on the computer if you can see my attachment from the last email i sent you. this is what I am seeing when i ring turtl up form another computer.

Earnest L. Redwood

eredw...@gmail.com
678 849-8297 / 678 685-8422

A Dime and Silver Dollar has the same value if there in the middle of a lake and you can't get to it.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "Turtl" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/turtl/q3kAYnAcH0s/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to turtl+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[TieMichael]

Ernest,
there seems to be an issue with the picture-size. Try to resize to maybe 1024 * 1024 pixel - most likely it will be working ...

Rgds

To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to turtl+un...@googlegroups.com.

[Earnest Redwood]

Hey Fred this still working for you. I going to give it shot over the weekend. and get back with you and let you know how it when. I tried this before and did not have success with it. I have a new install of you ubuntu 16.04 LTS server. I see how it works and let you know. What we really is a step by step configuration so that I can take control of my data.
So what you saying is if I follow this setup it should work for me.?

On Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 8:33:16 AM UTC-5, Fred C wrote:

[jgk...@gmail.com]

Thanks a ton for this guide. It helped me troubleshoot my issues. I just spent about 10 hours trying all kinds of stuff, and it turns out that the problem was my config file. I had defvar *api-path* set to the actual path of my api folder. This was causing authentication issues with Turtl clients on Windows and Linux when trying to create a new user. I blanked that defvar out (the config file says it can be blank), and VIOLA! It works. I am posting this here, in case someone else has the same problem.

[bori...@gmail.com]

Greetings, and thank you for this thorough tutorial.
Everything works smoothly except for the syncing between android app and linux desktop app.
I raised an issue against the API which is located at

https://github.com/turtl/api/issues/37

Here are my setups. And the log from the terminal.

I would greatly appreciate any help, I spent infinite time trying to setup this software.

[u.n.o...@gmail.com]

It also works on Debian 9 Stretch in my Server.

But I have to install libssl1.0.0 mannully, by downloading it from [Jessie's packages](https://packages.debian.org/jessie/amd64/libssl1.0.0/download). Otherwise ccl64 fails in the end due to lack of
`libssl.so.1.0.0 libssl.so.0.9.8 libssl.so libssl.so.4`