Forum Problems Installing LAMS: LAMS install on Windows with XAMP

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Hi Deon,

I had a look at how XAMP actually works. It seems that it bundles MySQL as installed binaries, therefore no information about MySQL gets put in the Windows registry.

When installing LAMS using the Windows installer, it will check whether you have MySQL installed, by checking the registry. If it isn't, they it won't allow you to continue (as you have seen).

However, you can potentially "trick" the installer by entering the MySQL registry information manually (see attached pic).

I think that will work. Make sure to specify the Location registration key to be the *your* MySQL HOME location.

If this doesn't work, you can install LAMS manually.

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: Deon Metelski

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Thank you Ernie,

The registry entry fooled the setup. Now here is where I am a little lost. After combing through every peice of documentation I could find, I still can't get this running.

Here is my setup. Windows 2003 with XAMP installed on the D: drive under d:\xamp\xampp\ then all the folders for Apache, MySQL, Postgres. I have virtual hosts setup in Apache.

I setup LAMS in it's own folder on the D drive under D:\lams. Now was I supposed to install it under the xamp or htdocs folder? Since it is trying to open up on localhost through port 8080 I didn't think that should interfere with the localhost running under XAMP which is port 80? I start go to the link from the page when I start LAMS and it comes up with a 500 context error. The service is definitely started. One step at a time. I am at a lost.

Thanks for any help/direction again.

Deon

Posted by Deon Metelski

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Hi Deon,

The 500 context error could be because LAMS didn't quite manage to find the database.

In the registry key for the MySQL location, did you put the location where you XAMP MySQL home is?

Can you check whether a lams database shows in MySQL?

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: Deon Metelski

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Hey Ernie,

Yes, I specified the MySQL in the registry. It did create a LAMS database when I installed it. If the context error is due to LAMS not accessing data it needs in the tables then I will look at the settings for MySQL again. This is the difference between php and java, I can logicaly look at Php, MySQL, Apache and figure out troubles. This is new to me, but trying to learn .

Any other suggestions from you Erie or the community?
I will keep on trying.

Thanks,
Deon

Posted by Deon Metelski

By: Deon Metelski

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So I have continued looking at the issue. I started the LAMS service and then checked my application log after I cleared it and I receive an error, #50070: Unable to connect to the database STS_Config on tmweb1\SharePoint. Check the database connection information and make sure that the database server is running.

It seems that it is trying to connect to Sharepoint when I start the LAMS service. Still looking at it if you have any ideas.

Deon

Posted by Deon Metelski

By: Deon Metelski

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Well, I finally got to the login screen. I am not sure why, but here is what I did. I uninstalled Sharepoint (don't use it. That still gave me the same error. I googled the error message and after reading a ton of posts I figured it just had to do with the config and compilation. I saw the file lams-config.bat under the lams folder. I clicked on that and it ran a script. It gave me a log and then I restarted Jboss and Apache. It then worked. I am going to look at my config and see what it changed to get it to work. I will follow-up with my findings once I get to sit down and look at it. Now for the Moodle integration.

Thanks,
Deon

Posted by Deon Metelski

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Hi Deon,

Good to hear that now there's a way to get LAMS to work with XAMP Thanks for that.

There has been a lot of postings on LAMS/Moodle integration lately. You can have a look here. Otherwise just ask around here.

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Cool you got it to work. lams-config.bat basically runs the ant scripts to install LAMS' files and it's database, then installs LAMS as a service, and configures the shortcuts... so it's similar to re-running the installer.

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: Deon Metelski

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Well just to follow-up. After running the lams-config.bat file after the the documented way to setup on a windows machine, it created a folder in the same root as the lams folder named, jboss-3.0.8_tomcat-4.1.24. Inside of that folder structure was the lams.war file. The .war from what I read is the compiled file that is normally needed to run a javascript app. I would like to try and recreate this install and go through these steps with xamp again. If anyone has done so successfully please let me know.

It works great. I will let you know that I tried to use it with Moodle 1.6dev and I experienced a known bug when trying to install Moodle fresh. After it installs the databases, once it hits the lams tables for Moodle the database install stops right there. The Moodle bug # is 4249. I am going to try and add the integration to my 1.5 stable. I will keep this post running in case anyone else is experiencing difficulties that this might help them.

Thanks,
Deon

Posted by Deon Metelski

By: Andy Pellow

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Hi,

I have used all the above to achieve a LAMS/Moodle integration and it all seems to work but when I try to add a LAMS Activity to a course I get the following error message:

An unexpected error returned from LAMS server:soapenv:Server.userException: java.rmi.RemoteException: Fail to fetch user data from external server:lamsserver01 - Unexpected return HTTP Status; nested exception is: java.lang.Exception: Fail to fetch user data from external server:lamsserver01 - Unexpected return HTTP Status! Please contact your administrator.

Can anybody help?

Thanks

Andy

Posted by Andy Pellow

By: Jun-Dir Liew

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Hi Andy,

The bit that says 'failed to fetch user data' means LAMS is expecting to receive the Moodle user's details so that it can create on-the-fly a LAMS account for it, but it didn't receive the soap packet.

It might be a problem with your integration config (check the 'userinfo_url' entry in the LAMS database).  It should be in this format:

http://<moodle_server>/mod/lams/userinfo.php?un=%username%&ts=%timestamp%&hs=%hash%

This URL will show up in your Moodle access_log (e.g. C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\logs\access.log), from which you can copy and paste into your browser.  If the userinfo_url is working properly, you should see text such as 'jliew,jun-dir,liew,,,,,,,,email@address' in the browser.

Let me know if you need more info.

Posted by Jun-Dir Liew

By: karan kalha

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Dear MR. Liew,
You jhave no idea how much that link helped...
I have actually followed the dolly animation which says create link as: http://localhost/moodle/mod/lamstwo/userinfo.php?un=%username%&ts=%timestamp%&hs=%hash%
Where as it should be (as u pointed out)
http://localhost/mod/lams/userinfo.php?un=%username%&ts=%timestamp%&hs=%hash%

Although /mod is indide moodle folder.. so i dont know how your link worked
Thanx a ton for the help

Posted by karan kalha

By: karan kalha

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i mean it should actually be
http://localhost/mod/lamstwo/userinfo.php?un=%username%&ts=%timestamp%&hs=%hash%

Posted by karan kalha

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Karan,

It's not that localhost/moodle/mod/lamstwo is wrong or localhost/mod/lamstwo is correct as it depends on whether your moodle folder is at the root of the apache webfolder or under a moodle directory like in the first case.

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: Andy Pellow

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Thanks - that was the problem - I had made a small mistake in the url.

Andy

Posted by Andy Pellow

By: Josip Šarčević

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Plis all
I have unattended install plus integrided Moodle 1.9 and LAMS v2.0.3 at an two compjutera PC home and PC server. I cann have LAMS at an PC server D:// driver whereby we had xampp 1.6.9 and Moodle 1.9. Each time have a message: Cannot Finder server or DNS error.
Thanks

Posted by Josip Šarčević

By: Fiona Malikoff

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What are you doing when you get the error?

Can you attach a screendump?

Fiona

Posted by Fiona Malikoff

By: Josip Šarčević

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Dear all,
I have 2 computers, one home PC, the other PC server with Moodle installed. I've connected Moodle and LAMS between those two computers, but I can not (don't know kow) to connect them on the PC server. My Moodle version is v1.9, LAMS v2.0.3, Xampp v1.6.9.
Thanks for your assistance.

Posted by Josip Šarčević

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Josip,

You can see the response to your questions in the thread you started.

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione