Forum Problems Installing LAMS: Can LAMS be installed on a shared server?

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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It's true the LAMS setup requires more command line work, as there is no easy to use web interface for initial setup and configuration like there is in Moodle. You do need command line access, so as to do the import of the database, entering your configuration and usernames in the setup file, and copying the files. You wouldn't need root access to the machine to do this, just Java 1.4 JDK support (I'm assuming root access is what you mean by 'complete access'). You *would* need MySQL's root password to setup your MySQL user - although the shared server's owner may setup a MySQL user for you, I'm not so sure how that works.

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: Rod Spears

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Yes, I mean root access. I just installed a copy on my local machine so that I can learn how to use LAMS. It is now running OK and I have integrated it with moodle which I run on the external server. However, I will need to install LAMS on an external server before I can use it with my school.

I have SSH access to my portion of the server. Can it be installed this way? I have set up different MySQL databases with no problems for moodle.

Once I prove how these programs work, my school will then install them on our servers.

Posted by Rod Spears

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Yes, if you have SSH access then you can follow the steps in the linux installation guide. I can't see any blocking issues - you can make a thread here if you have any problems.

Cheers,

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: Clive Gould

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Rod

At Bromley College we're running Moodle, LAMS and DSpace all on the same server. I undertake all the admin as root via ssh as the server is locked away in a physically secure location.

http://vle.bromley.ac.uk/vle/

For information on installation of Moodle, LAMS and DSpace all on the same server (running CentOS4 Linux) please visit this blog:

http://www.linuxtraining.org.uk/blogger1.html#two

Good Luck

Clive

Posted by Clive Gould

By: Rod Spears

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OK, I have tried to install LAMS on my managed server using SSH. I followed the steps for installation and received this message after executing run.sh

Error occurred during initialization of VM
Could not reserve enough space for object heap

What should I do about this? I believe it has something to do with Virtual Memory but I don't know how to get past this.

Posted by Rod Spears

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Is your memory usage restricted on the shared server?

In run.sh, you can modify the memory setting that Java requests when it starts up. At the top of the file is a line:

JVM_MEM="-Xms256m -Xmx256m"

Our default setting is 256MB minimum and maximum, perhaps try changing the minimum to something progressively smaller? Like:

JVM_MEM="-Xms128m -Xmx256m"

JVM_MEM="-Xms64m -Xmx256m"

This may get LAMS to start, but if, on your shared server, you don't have enough memory to use then eventually after some usage LAMS should again come up with this error, depending on how it's used.

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: Rod Spears

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Yes, it is restricted, but I don't know how much. I will see if I can find out.

Are you talking about /lams-package/bin/run.sh

The first line of that file is:

JVM_MEM="-Xms@MIN_HEAP@m -Xmx@MAX_HEAP@m"

Are you saying I should replace MIN_HEAP with 256
and MAX_HEAP with 256 and if that doesn't work keep changing the minimum and maximum to progressively lower numbers to see if it works?

Posted by Rod Spears

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Sorry, I mean the run.sh in your installed JBoss. So, $JBOSS_HOME/bin/run.sh. The one in the lams-package directory is the one ant uses to put in configured settings when you run ant.

So if you copied jboss to /usr/local/lams, then /usr/local/lams/jboss/bin/run.sh

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: Rod Spears

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That line is not in my /lams/jboss/bin/run.sh file.

The lams/jboss/bin/startlams.sh file contains a line which is similar

# Setup JBoss sepecific properties
JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Xms512m -Xmx512m -Dprogram.name=$PROGNAME"

I have changed the 512 downward all the way to 0 and I still got the same messege.

Posted by Rod Spears

By: Rod Spears

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I attached the startlams.sh file to my previous post.

I am attaching the run.sh file to this one.

Posted by Rod Spears

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Hi Rod, sorry for the late reply.

The run.sh you posted doesn't seem to be the right one - by default JBoss' run.sh doesn't have the JVM_MEM setting at the top. When you run 'ant install', Ant will copy customised files into your jboss folder, including a run.sh containing these memory settings. So I think you may be running the wrong run.sh (it should be the one in /usr/local/lams/jboss/bin/), or you haven't run 'ant install'.

The startlams.sh is unusual as well - the file distributed in the lams-1.0.2 packages doesn't have an Xms, Xmx setting in the JAVA_OPTS line. Could this be someone else's change?

Initially I thought this might have something to do with memory allocation on your shared server, but I think it might be worthwhile running through the steps from the beginning just in case something was missed.

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew