Installing Alfresco

This chapter provides information for installing Alfresco and its components. Depending on your system, you can install Alfresco using a number of different methods. For example, you can install Alfresco by:

  • Using an installation wizard, which contains the required software and components you need
  • Using a bundle that includes a preconfigured Tomcat server, the Alfresco Web Archive (WAR), batch files, database setup scripts, and a sample extensions folder
  • Using a standard WAR file to deploy on your existing application server

A typical manual installation scenario includes the following procedure:

  1. Install a Java SE Development Kit (JDK).
  2. Install a supported database.
  3. Install Alfresco.
  4. Configure an Alfresco database.
  5. Install Alfresco components.
  6. Run Alfresco.

Installing Alfresco on Windows

This section describes how to install Alfresco using the following methods:

  • Complete installation
  • Installation excluding JDK
  • Tomcat bundle installation

Installing Alfresco on Windows (full installation)

The installation wizard for Microsoft Windows installs all of the software and components that you require for running Alfresco.

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following file: Alfresco-Community-3.2-Full-Setup.exe.
  2. Double-click on the downloaded file. You may see an Open File - Security Warning message, prompting you to verify that you wish to run this software. To run the installation wizard, click on Run.
  3. At the Language Selection prompt, select English and click on OK.
  4. When prompted to confirm that you want to install Alfresco on your computer, click on Yes.
  5. The installation wizard launches.
  6. In the Welcome to the InstallJammer Wizard for Alfresco Enterprise window, click on Next.
    Installing Alfresco on Windows (full installation)
  7. In the Setup Type window, select one of the following options:

    Option

    Description

    Typical

    To select all of the components within the Alfresco full installation

    Custom

    To select individual components:

    Default Component (includes DM)

    WCM

    Java

    OpenOffice

    SharePoint Protocol

    MySQL database

    • By default, Alfresco installs an embedded MySQL database instance, which is installed locally in the Alfresco directory and runs on port number 3306. (Optional) Select the database to use. You can choose one of the following:
    Installing Alfresco on Windows (full installation)
  8. If you wish to use an existing MySQL server rather than the embedded MySQL database, select the Custom option and deselect the MySQL Database option.
  9. If you wish to install the embedded MySQL database in addition to your existing MySQL database, select the MySQL Database option. You will be prompted to specify an alternative port number after the installation starts.
  10. If you wish to use a production database other than MySQL, deselect the MySQL Database option. Click on Next.
  11. In the Choose Destination Location window, click on Next to accept the default location for Alfresco or click on Browse to choose another location.
    Installing Alfresco on Windows (full installation)
  12. In the Start Copying Files window, review the settings and click on Next.
  13. 13 The installation starts. If you chose the Typical option, a prompt notifies you when OpenOffice is being installed, and if you have an existing MySQL database (optional), the Database Configuration window notifies you that the default database port 3306 is already used by the embedded MySQL database and prompts you to enter the root password of your chosen database and an alternative database port. Then click on Next (optional).
  14. The installation wizard writes the server name and host to the configuration file called alfrescoglobal.properties.

    Note

    If you are using your existing MySQL database, you need to modify and run the example scripts in the extras directory to create the Alfresco database and user for this instance of MySQL.

  15. In the InstallJammer Wizard Complete window, click on Finish.
Installing Alfresco on Windows (full installation)

The installation is complete. The README file opens. When you close the README file, you are directed to the release notes.

Installing Alfresco on Windows (excluding JDK)

This section describes how to use the Alfresco OpenOffice installation wizard. This installation file has all of the required components for Alfresco, including OpenOffice, but it excludes the Java Developer Toolkit (JDK).

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following installation file: Alfresco-Community-3.2-OOo-Setup.exe.
  2. Double-click on the downloaded file.
  3. You may see an Open File - Security Warning message, prompting you to verify that you wish to run this software. To run the installation wizard, click on Run.
  4. At the Language Selection prompt, select English and click on OK.
  5. When prompted to confirm that you want to install Alfresco on your computer, click on Yes. The installation wizard launches.
  6. In the Welcome to the InstallJammer Wizard for Alfresco Community Edition window, click on Next.
  7. The Browse for Folders window displays, prompting you to locate your JDK installation. Browse to your JDK installation and click on OK. In the Setup Type window, select one of the following options:

    Option

    Description

    Typical

    To select all the components within the Alfresco full installation

    Custom

    To select individual components:

    • Default Component (includes DM)
    • WCM
    • Java
    • OpenOffice
    • SharePoint Protocol
    • MySQL Database
    • Note that, by default, Alfresco installs an embedded MySQL database instance, which is installed locally in the Alfresco directory and runs on port number 3306.
  8. (Optional) Select the database to use. You can choose one of the following:
    • If you wish to use an existing MySQL server rather than the embedded MySQL database, select the Custom option and deselect the MySQL Database option.
    • If you wish to install the embedded MySQL database in addition to your existing MySQL database, select the MySQL Database option. You will be prompted to specify an alternative port number after the installation starts.
    • If you wish to use a production database other than MySQL, deselect the MySQL Database option.
  9. Click on Next.
  10. In the Choose Destination Location window, click on Next to accept the default location for Alfresco or click on Browse to choose another location.
  11. In the Start Copying Files window, review the settings and click on Next. The installation starts. You may see a prompt to notify you when the components are being installed.
  12. (Optional) If you have an existing MySQL database, the Database Configuration window notifies you that the default database port 3306 is already used by the embedded MySQL database, and prompts you to enter the root password of your chosen database and an alternative database port.
  13. (Optional) Click on Next.
  14. The installation wizard writes the server name and host to the alfresco-global.properties file. You need to modify and run the example scripts in the extras directory to create the Alfresco database and user for this instance of MySQL.
  15. In the InstallJammer Wizard Complete window, click on Finish. The installation is complete. The README file opens. When you close the README file, you are directed to the release notes.

Installing the Alfresco Tomcat bundle on Windows

This section describes how to install Alfresco using the Tomcat bundle on a Windows platform. Before you start, ensure that you have a JDK installed. Refer to the Installing a JDK section earlier in this chapter. Alfresco also requires Flash Player, SWFTools, and OpenOffice.org. For more information on installing these components, refer to the Installing Alfresco components section later in this chapter.

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following installation file: alfresco-community-tomcat-3.2.zip.
  2. Specify C:Alfresco as the location for the download.
  3. Extract the downloaded file into the location you specified.
  4. Ensure that the JAVA_HOME environment variable points to the location of your JDK installation.
  5. Open the alfresco-global.properties file.
  6. Locate the property dir.root.
  7. Change the property to show an absolute path for the alf_data directory. Replace backslashes with slashes. For example:

    dir.root=C:/Alfresco/alf_data

  8. This directory is created for you when you start the server.
  9. Add the property settings for your preferred database.
  10. Comment out the settings for the remaining databases.
  11. Save the alfresco-global.properties file.

Installing Alfresco on Red Hat Linux

This section describes how to install Alfresco on Red Hat Linux using the following methods:

  • Installation wizard
  • Tomcat bundle

The installation wizard for Red Hat Linux installs the software and components that you require for running Alfresco. This installation wizard does not include JDK or an embedded database. Before you install Alfresco, ensure that you have the following softwares installed on your system:

  • JDK 6
  • MySQL database

These instructions are for working on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) in an X11 environment.

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following installation file: Alfresco-Community-3.2-Linux-x86-Install.

    Note

    Ensure that you have the correct permissions set for executing the file.

  2. Execute the downloaded file.
  3. At the Language Selection prompt, select English and click on OK.
  4. When prompted to confirm installation, click on Yes. The installation wizard launches.
  5. In the welcome window, click on Next. The Browse for Folder window displays, prompting you to locate your JDK installation.
  6. Browse to your JDK installation and click on OK.
  7. In the Setup Type window, select one of the following options:

    Option

    Description

    Typical

    To select all of the components within the Alfresco full installation

    Custom

    To select individual components:

    • Default Component (includes DM)

    • WCM

    • Java

    • OpenOffice

    • SharePoint Protocol

  8. Click on Next.
  9. In the Choose Destination Location window, click on Next to accept the default location for Alfresco.
  10. In the Start Copying Files window, review the settings and click on Next. The installation starts. If you chose the Typical option, a prompt notifies you when OpenOffice and the SharePoint Protocol are being installed.
  11. Click on Next.
  12. (Optional) In the Database Configuration window, enter the root password of your MySQL database and a port number.
  13. Click on OK.
  14. In the OpenOffice Location window, browse to your OpenOffice location and click on OK. If you do not want to use OpenOffice for your document conversions, select the Alfresco installation folder as the location.
  15. The installer looks for<path>/soffice.exe. As a temporary workaround, cp soffice.bin soffice.exe will help the installer finish correctly.
  16. Click on Next. A prompt notifies you when the SharePoint Protocol is being installed.
  17. In the InstallJammer Wizard Complete window, click on Finish.
  18. The installation is complete. The README file opens. When you close the README file, you are directed to the release notes.

Installing the Alfresco Tomcat bundle on Linux

This section describes how to install the Alfresco Tomcat bundle on Linux.

Before you start, ensure that you have a JDK installed. Refer to the Installing a JDK earlier in this chapter. Alfresco also requires Flash Player, SWFTools, and OpenOffice.org. For more information on installing these components, refer to the Installing Alfresco components section.

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following installation file: alfresco-community-tomcat-3.2.tar.gz.
  2. Specify /opt/alfresco/ as the location for the download.
  3. If you change this location from /opt/alfresco/, edit alfresco.sh to point the APPSERVER variable to the Tomcat bundle location /opt/alfresco/tomcat.
  4. Extract the downloaded file into the location you previously specified.
  5. Ensure that the JAVA_HOME environment variable points to the location of your JDK installation.
  6. Open the alfresco-global.properties file.
  7. Locate the property dir.root.
  8. Change the property to show an absolute path for the alf_data directory. For example: dir.root=/opt/alfresco/alf_data.
  9. This directory is created for you when you start the server.
  10. Add the property settings for your preferred database.
  11. Comment out the settings for the remaining databases.
  12. Save the alfresco-global.properties file.
  13. (Optional) If you deployed previous versions of Alfresco, you can remove any temporary files created by your application server.

Installing Alfresco on Mac

The installation wizard for Mac installs all of the software and components that you require for running Alfresco. This installation wizard does not include JDK or an embedded database. Before you install Alfresco, ensure that you have the following softwares installed on your system:

  • JDK 6
  • MySQL database

If you have these software installed, proceed to the following steps:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area and download the following installation file:

    Alfresco-Community-3.2-MacOSXInstall.tar.gz

  2. Double-click on the downloaded file to unpack it.
  3. Run the following executable file:

    Alfresco-Community-3.2-MacOSXInstall

  4. At the Language Selection prompt, select English and click on OK.
  5. When prompted to confirm installation, click on Yes. The installation wizard launches.
  6. In the welcome window, click on Next. The Browse for Folder window displays, prompting you to locate your JDK installation.
  7. Browse to your JDK installation and click on OK.
  8. In the Setup Type window, select one of the following options:

    Option

    Description

    Typical

    To select all of the components within the Alfresco full installation

    Custom

    To select individual components:

    • Default Component (includes DM)
    • WCM
    • Java
    • OpenOffice
    • SharePoint Protocol
  9. Click on Next.
  10. In the Choose Destination Location window, click on Next to accept the default location for Alfresco.
  11. In the Start Copying Files window, review the settings and click on Next. The installation starts. If you chose the Typical option, a prompt notifies you when OpenOffice and the SharePoint Protocol are being installed.
  12. In the InstallJammer Wizard Complete window, click on Finish.
  13. The installation is complete. The Readme file opens. When you close the Readme file, you are directed to the release notes.

Installing the Alfresco WAR on any platform

Use the Web Archive (WAR) file to install Alfresco on any platform. A WAR file is a JAR file used to distribute a collection of files (JavaServer Pages, servlets, Java classes, XML files, tag libraries, and static web pages) that together constitute a web application.

Use this method of installing Alfresco if you already have installed a JDK, a supported database, an application server, and the additional Alfresco components. The WAR zip includes the binaries for ImageMagick and pdf2swf. To download and install the Alfresco WAR file you need to carry out the following:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition download area.
  2. Select and download one of the following files:

    alfresco-community-war-3.2.zip

    alfresco-community-war-3.2.tar.gz

  3. Specify a location for the download.
  4. Extract the downloaded file.
  5. Copy the alfresco.war file and share.war file to the appropriate location for your application server, for example:<TOMCAT_HOME>/webapps.

If you deployed previous versions of Alfresco, you must remove any temporary files created by your application server.

Modifying the directory paths for Tomcat 6.x

If you install Tomcat 6.x separately, some of the directories that were present in Tomcat 5.x will not be present in the former. For example, Tomcat 6.x does not contain the shared/classes and shared/lib directories. Alfresco uses these directories to locate some of the configuration override files. This section describes how to configure Tomcat 6.x to use the correct directory structure and files for Alfresco:

  1. Locate<TOMCAT_HOME>.
  2. Create the shared/classes directory.
  3. Open the<TOMCAT-HOME>/conf/catalina.properties file.
  4. Change the value shared.loader= to the following:

    shared.loader=${catalina.base}/shared/classes,${catalina.base}/shared/lib/*.jar

  5. Copy the JDBC drivers for the database you are using to lib/.
  6. Ensure that a copy of the commons-el.jar file is in the lib directory.
  7. If you are using Java SE 6, copy any .jar files that needed to go into the Tomcat common/endorsed directory into the following directory:

    ...jdk6/jre/lib/endorsed.

Downloading the extension samples

Each Alfresco distribution includes a download containing sample extension files, such as the Spring configuration. You can use these sample extensions for advanced Alfresco customizations by downloading and installing the files mentioned below, as follows:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition downloads area.
  2. Select and download one of the following files:

    alfresco-community-sample-extensions-3.2.zip

    alfresco-community-sample-extensions-3.2.tar.gz

  3. Specify a location for the download. The extension samples are available for you to configure. Once you have downloaded the sample files, copy them into<classPathRoot>.

Deploying Share into a separate Tomcat instance

This task provides information for running Share in a separate Tomcat instance. These instructions are for Windows deployments, but Linux-based deployments can use the same methods:

  1. Install a new Tomcat instance.
  2. Modify the /conf/server.xml file for the new Tomcat instance as follows:

    a. Change the port number in the line (for example, to 8006):

    <Server port="8005" shutdown="SHUTDOWN">

    b. Change the port number in the section (for example, to 8180):

    <!-- Define a non-SSL HTTP/1.1 Connector on port 8080 -->

    <Connector port="8080" ....

  3. Move the share.war file from the original Tomcat /webapps directory to the new Tomcat /webapps directory.
  4. (Optional) Configure the original Alfresco Tomcat deployment.
  5. Start the original Tomcat. You can use Alfresco-supplied batch files.
  6. Ensure that a copy of the commons-el.jar file is in the Share Tomcat lib directory.
  7. If you are running the Share Tomcat on a separate machine, you must modify the override file in the Share Tomcat web-extension directory, as follows:
    1. Open the webscript-framework-config-custom.xml file.
    2. Change any instance of the server and port to the correct name or IP address of the Alfresco server: http://<server-name>:8080.
    3. Start the new Share Tomcat. You can use copies of the Alfresco-supplied batch files, or your own.

Installing Alfresco components

This section describes how to install components that integrate with Alfresco. These can be installed any time before or after installing Alfresco. This section will take you through the installation of these components:

  • Alfresco WCM
  • WCM standalone deployment receiver
  • OpenOffice
  • ImageMagick
  • Microsoft Office Add-ins
  • Flash Player
  • SWFTools
  • TinyMCE language packs
  • Alfresco Module Package
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Protocol Support

Installing Alfresco WCM

This section describes how to set up Alfresco Web Content Management (WCM) to an existing instance of Alfresco:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition download area.
  2. Select one of the following files:
    • Windows: alfresco-community-wcm-3.2.zip
    • Linux: alfresco-community-wcm-3.2.tar.gz
  3. Download the file into the Alfresco home directory. For example:
    • Windows: C:Alfresco
    • Linux: /opt/alfresco
  4. Browse to the Alfresco home directory and unzip the downloaded file.
  5. If your unzip program asks about existing directories, allow this because no existing files will be overwritten.
  6. In the root of the Alfresco home directory, copy the wcm-bootstrap-context.xml file to the<extension> directory.
  7. Restart the Alfresco server.

This ensures that the Alfresco server starts to use the installed WCM components. To restart the Alfresco server, see the Starting the Alfresco server section further on in this chapter. WCM is installed and configured.

Verifying the WCM installation

Verify the WCM installation after you have installed, configured, and started the Alfresco server:

  1. In the Alfresco home directory, open alfresco.log.
  2. In alfresco.log, search for the following text: The Web Forms folder was successfully created: and The Web Projects folder was successfully created:
  3. Check that the following additional spaces are in your Alfresco repository:
    • Web Projects in Company Home
    • Web Forms in Data Dictionary

WCM has been installed, configured, started, and verified. To use the Website Preview feature, start the Alfresco virtualization server (see the Starting the Alfresco virtualization server section later in this chapter).

Installing the WCM standalone deployment receiver

The standalone deployment receiver allows a web project from WCM to be deployed to a remote file server, typically a web or application server. The published files are then typically published by a web server such as Apache for static content, or an application server such as Tomcat or JBoss for dynamic content. To carry out the installation follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition download area.
  2. Download one of the following files:
    • Windows: Alfresco-DeploymentCommunity-3.2-Setup.exe
    • Linux: Alfresco-DeploymentCommunity-3.2-Linux-x86-Install
  3. At the Language selection prompt, click on OK.
  4. At the Install Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver prompt, click on Yes.
  5. In the Welcome to the Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver window, click on Next.
  6. In the Choose Destination Location window, click on Next to accept the default location for Alfresco or choose another location. For example, C:alfrescodeployment on Windows or /opt/alfresco/deployment on Linux.
  7. In the Deployment Settings window, enter the following settings:

    Deployment setting

    Description

    Temporary Data

    The directory in which to store temporary data files

    Log Location

    The directory in which to store log data

    Metadata Location

    The directory in which to store metadata

    Target Location

    The directory in which to store deployment files

    Name of default filesystem target

    The default name of the filesystem target is default

  8. For Windows directory locations, the backslashes need to be changed. For example, use C:\directory1\directory2. Alternatively, you can use the slash character as a separator, for example, C:/directory1/directory2.
  9. Click on Next.
  10. Enter a username and password for the user account that will administer the deployment receiver.
  11. If you are using RMI as your transport protocol, enter the port numbers for the following:

    Deployment setting

    Description

    RMI Registry Port Number

    The port number for the RMI registry. Choose the default of 44101 to avoid conflict with the other services.

    RMI Service Port Number

    The port number to use for the RMI service. Choose this so that there are no conflicts with other services.

  12. In the Start Copying Files window, click on Next.
  13. In the InstallJammer Wizard Complete window, click on Finish.

The deployment receiver, out of the box, is configured with a single filesystem deployment target.

Compiling and deploying the customizations on top of the WCM core

We already talked about the build process for the code deployment in the previous sections. So we have the build file ready and now we will see how we can deploy the code or customizations we have done for Alfresco WCM. There are two main approaches for this.

Integrating the code in the existing Alfresco WAR file

In this approach, we will integrate the files directly in the alfresco.war file. For this you need to run the integrate-extension target. This target has some dependent targets, which will compile the Java source files. Make the JAR file and then package everything in one ZIP file and then integrate it with the alfresco.war file.

Deploying the code as an AMP

AMP stands for Alfresco Module Package. Using this approach, you can install the code as a module. If you are installing using AMP, you should follow the folder-specific folder structure for that, which has already been described earlier in the Source code tree section. Apart from the folder structure, there are two other files that need to be created:

  • module.properties: This will specify the metadata of the module with the ID and version number.

    The sample module.properties file that we have used here will look like: 

    # Cignex module
module.id=Cignex
module.title=Cignex Website
module.description=Cignex Website module
module.version=1.0
  • file-mapping.xml: This file will be used if you want to customize the way in which your AMP file is mapped into the WAR. If it is not provided, then the default mapping information will be used.

    Here we have customized this for the WEB-INF folder, which generally contains the faces-config-custom.xml or any faces-related configuration files.

    The content for file-mapping.xml file is: 

    # Custom AMP to WAR location mappings
/web/WEB-INF=/WEB-INF

For deploying the code as an AMP, you need to run the update-war target. This target has some dependent targets, which will compile the Java source files. Make the JAR file and then create an AMP package with all of the customized files and finally install this AMP to the Alfresco WAR file and update the WAR file.

Installing OpenOffice

Within Alfresco, you can transform a document from one format to another, for example, a text file to a PDF file. To have access to these transformation facilities in Alfresco, you must install OpenOffice. This is optional and can be done any time after Alfresco is installed. If you installed Alfresco using an installation wizard, OpenOffice may already be installed.

Installing OpenOffice
  1. Browse to the OpenOffice.org download site: http://download.openoffice.org.
  2. Download the latest (stable) version of OpenOffice for your platform.
  3. When prompted, specify a download destination.
  4. Browse to the location of your downloaded file and install the application.
  5. A wizard guides you through the installation.
  6. Accept the license agreement and click on Next.
  7. Enter customer information and click on Next.
  8. Select the Setup Type as Custom and click on Next.
    Installing OpenOffice
  9. Change the installation directory to:
    • Windows: c:AlfrescoOpenOffice
    • Linux: /opt/alfresco/OpenOffice
    Installing OpenOffice
  10. Optionally, select the files for which you want OpenOffice to be the default application and click on Next.
  11. Start one of the OpenOffice programs for the initial registration and then close the program.
  12. If the Alfresco server is running, stop and restart the server.
  13. Modify the ooo.exe= property in the<classPathRoot>alfresco-global.properties file to point to the OpenOffice binary office.exe.

Installing ImageMagick

To enable image manipulation in Alfresco, you must install and configure ImageMagick. Alfresco uses ImageMagick to manipulate images for previewing. If you installed Alfresco using one of the installation wizards, ImageMagick has already been installed. If however, ImageMagick has not been installed, you can choose to do so by downloading it and installing it to work with your Alfresco instance.

  1. Verify if ImageMagick is already installed in your system. You can run the convert command, which is part of ImageMagick and is usually located in /usr/bin.
  2. If ImageMagick is not in your system, browse to the ImageMagick download site and install the appropriate package for your platform.
  3. Modify the img.root= and img.exe= properties in the<classPathRoot>/alfrescoglobal.properties file to point to the ImageMagick root directory.

    For example, in Windows:

    • Set the img.root= property to img.root=C:/Alfresco/ImageMagick.
    • Set the img.exe= property to img.exe=C:/Alfresco/ImageMagick/bin/convert.exe.

      And for Linux:

    • Set the img.root= property to img.root=/ImageMagick.
    • Set the img.exe= property to img.exe=/ImageMagick/bin/convert.exe.
    • Ensure that you do not include a slash (/) at the end of the path. For example, /ImageMagick/.

Installing Microsoft Office add-ins

This task describes how to install Alfresco Add-ins for Microsoft® Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The Alfresco add-ins have been designed with Microsoft Office 2003 in mind. However, they are also compatible with Microsoft Office 2007. Before you start, make sure that:

  • The .NET Programmability Support option is installed for each of the Office applications that you are installing the add-ins in (such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). To find these options, run the Office Setup program and expand the list of available options for each application. You may require your original Office 2003 install media to add these required components.
  • The installing user has Windows administrator privileges.
  • Any Microsoft Office applications on your system are NOT running, including Outlook if you use Word as an e-mail editor. If you are running Office 2007 on Windows Vista, note that Microsoft has rewritten the WebDAV parts of Vista, which means you will experience READ-ONLY access to the Alfresco repository over WebDAV. This is a known problem with Vista and affects many applications, including Microsoft's own SharePoint Server. There is no known workaround at the time of writing. CIFS access is unaffected and works as it does with Windows XP. Therefore, use CIFS to obtain read/write access to Alfresco using Windows Vista.

Now proceed to the following steps:

  1. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition download area.
  2. Run the Microsoft setup file:
    alfresco-community-office2003-addins-3.2.zip.
  3. This example refers to the Office installer that installs all three add-ins. You can also use individual installers to add Alfresco to one of the three Office applications.
  4. These individual installers are:

    alfresco-community-word2003-addin-3.2.zip

    alfresco-community-excel2003-addin-3.2.zip

    alfresco-community-powerpoint2003-addin-3.2.zip

  5. Run setup.exe.
  6. If required, the setup program will download the required components from the Microsoft website. These components are .NET 2.0 Framework and Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Second Edition runtime. The setup is complete.
  7. Run the Office application, for example, run Word.
  8. A welcome window with configuration options is displayed. You can return to the configuration options at any time using the link at the bottom of the add-in window.
  9. In the Web Client URL field, enter the location of Alfresco Explorer.

    For example: http://server:8080/alfresco/.

  10. In the WebDAV URL field, append webdav/ to the Alfresco Explorer URL.

    For example: http://server:8080/alfresco/webdav/.

  11. In the CIFS Server field, enter the path to the CIFS server. The add-in will try to auto-complete this value, but you should verify for the correct address.

    For example: \server_aalfresco or \serveraalfresco.

  12. If you intend to use the CIFS interface to save documents via the add-in, it is very important that you are authenticated automatically. Limitations in the Microsoft Office APIs mean that an error is shown instead of an authentication dialog box if the Alfresco CIFS interface rejects your connection attempt. If you are not in an Enterprise environment, where it may not be possible to configure automatic authentication, you can map a network drive to the Alfresco CIFS interface instead.
  13. In the Authentication area, enter your Alfresco username and password.
  14. The add-in will always try to automatically log you into Alfresco in order to present your checked out documents and your assigned tasks. If you are using the CIFS interface, authentication is usually automatic. However, sometimes the add-in needs to present your Alfresco username and password for authentication. It is recommended that you enter and save your Alfresco credentials. All values are stored in the Windows registry and your password is encrypted against casual hacking attempts.
  15. Click on Save Settings.

Installing Flash Player

Alfresco Share uses the Flash Player for viewing Flash previews and also when you use the multi-file upload facility. This is optional and may be installed after you have installed Alfresco.

  1. Browse to the Adobe Flash Player download website: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer.
  2. Download the latest (stable) version of Flash Player for your platform.
  3. Browse to the location of your downloaded file and install the application.
  4. A wizard guides you through the installation.
  5. When the installation is complete, click on Close.

Installing SWFTools

Alfresco Share uses the pdf2swf utility of the SWFTools for previewing PDF files. The pdf2swf utility generates one frame per page of fully-formatted text inside a Flash movie. To install the pdf2swf utility, you must install the complete SWFTools. This is optional and may be installed after you have installed Alfresco.

Installing SWFTools on Windows

Follow these steps to install SWFTools on Windows:

  1. Browse to the SWFTools website: http://www.swftools.org/.
  2. Download the latest (stable) version of the SWFTools for your platform. The Windows version is designated with the suffix .exe.
  3. Download a version post 0.8.1 from 2007-02-28 because it does not support some functionalities Alfresco needs to render the preview.
  4. Browse to the location of your downloaded file and install the application.
  5. A wizard guides you through the installation.
  6. Accept the license agreement and click on Next.
  7. Select the installation directory.
  8. Select whether you want to install the SWFTools for all users or only for the current user.
  9. Click on Next to begin the install process.
  10. By default, the options to Create start menu and Create desktop shortcut are selected.
  11. Click on Finish.
  12. Modify the swf.exe= property in the alfresco-global.properties file to point to the SWFTools root directory.

    For example: swf.exe=C:/Alfresco/bin/pdf2swf.

  13. Ensure that you do not include a slash (/) at the end of the path. For example, /usr/bin/.
  14. The SWFTools are installed. For the most up-to-date instructions on installing the SWFTools, refer to the SWFTools website.

Installing SWFTools on Linux

Alfresco Share uses the features provided in the development snapshots of the tools. For Linux, there is no binary version, so you need to compile a development snapshot. Before you compile, ensure that the following packages are installed in your machine:

  • zlib-devel
  • ibjpeg-devel
  • giflib-devel
  • freetype-devel
  • gcc
  • gcc-c++

You can download and install all of these packages using the following command: 

yum install zlib-devel libjpeg-devel giflib-devel freetype-devel gcc gcc-c++

To download and install the SWFTools:

  1. Browse to the SWFTools website.
  2. Download the latest version of the SWFTools for your platform. The Unix version is designated with the suffix .tar.gz.
  3. Download a version post 0.8.1 from 2007-02-28 because it does not support some functionalities Alfresco needs to render the preview. The following version has been tested and verified by Alfresco as being fully functional: http://www.swftools.org/swftools-2008-10-08-0802.tar.gz (you may have to copy this URL and paste it into a download manager).
  4. Unpack the tar.gz file. The installation file contains detailed instructions on how to compile and install the SWFTools.
  5. Change to the directory containing the source code.
  6. Type the following command to configure the package for your system:
    ./configure
  7. If you see a message on Red Hat Linux that states your operating system is unknown, then use the following setting: ./configure build=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.
  8. If you have an issue on Solaris with the lame libs, you can disable the making of portions of SWFTools that use lame by using the following setting: ./configure -disable-lame.
  9. Type the following command to compile the package:
    make
  10. Optionally, you can run the make check command to run any self-tests that come with the package.
  11. Type the following command to install the programs, data files, and documentation:
    make install
  12. By default, the files are installed to the /usr/local/bin directory.
  13. Modify the swf.exe= property in the alfreso-global.properties file to point to the SWFTools root directory, for example: swf.exe=/usr/bin/pdf2swf.
  14. Ensure that you do not include a slash (/) at the end of the path. For example, /usr/bin/.

The SWFTools are installed. For the most up-to-date instructions on installing the SWFTools, refer to the SWFTools website.

Installing TinyMCE language packs

Translations in Alfresco use the language pack supplied in the default bundle. This default bundle includes English (en), French (fr), German (de), Japanese (jp), Spanish (es), and Italian (it). If you have a translation that is not supplied with Alfresco, then you must add the appropriate TinyMCE language pack for the translation to work correctly.

If you installed Alfresco using one of the installation wizards or bundles, the default language packs are already installed. You can also download and install the language packs from the TinyMCE website.

  1. Browse to the TinyMCE website: http://tinymce.moxiecode.com/download_i18n.php.
  2. Download the required TinyMCE language pack.
  3. Unpack the language file:
    • For Share, unpack to:<TOMCAT_HOME>/webapps/share/modules/editors/tiny_mce.
    • For Explorer, unpack to:<TOMCAT_HOME>/webapps/alfresco/scripts/tiny_mce.
  4. Ensure that the browser cache is cleared or refresh the page.

Installing an Alfresco Module Package

An Alfresco Module Package (AMP) is a bundle of code, content model, content, and the directory structure that is used to distribute additional functionality for Alfresco. This section describes how to install an AMP in an Alfresco WAR using the Module Management Tool (MMT). The MMT is used to install and manage AMP files, and it is included in the Alfresco installers. The MMT is also available as a separately downloadable JAR file from the Alfresco release download area (alfresco-mmt-3.2.jar).

For Tomcat, alternatively, run the apply_amps.bat command, which is in the root Alfresco directory. This batch file applies all of the AMP files that are located in the amps directory. You can verify the correctness of installation of AMP as follows:

  1. Browse to the /bin directory:
    • Windows: C:Alfrescoin
    • Linux: /opt/alfresco/bin
  2. Run the following command:
    java -jar alfresco-mmt.jar install <AMPFileLocation> <WARFileLocation>[options]

    Where:

    Option

    Description

    <AMPFileLocation>

    The location of the AMP file that you want to install.

    <WARFileLocation>

    The location of the WAR file for your Alfresco installation.

    -verbose

    Install command [options]. Enables detailed output containing what is being updated and to where it is being copied.

    -directory

    Install command [options]. Indicates that the AMP file location specified is a directory. All AMP files found in the directory and its sub-directories are installed.

    -force

    Install command [options]. Forces installation of AMP regardless of currently installed module version.

    -preview

    Install command [options]. Previews installation of AMP without modifying the WAR file. It reports the modifications that will occur on the WAR without making any physical changes, for example, the changes that will update existing files. It is a good practice to use this option before installing the AMP.

    -nobackup

    Indicates that the WAR will not be backed up before the AMP is installed.

  3. This command installs the files found in the AMP into the Alfresco WAR. If the module represented by the AMP is already installed and the installing AMP is of a higher release version, then the files for the older version are removed from the WAR and replaced with the newer files. The following command shows an example of how to install the example-amp.amp, and assumes that the AMP file is in the same directory as WAR file:
    java -jar alfresco-mmt.jar install example-amp.amp alfresco.war -preview
  4. Review the modification to check the changes that will update any existing files.
  5. The following example will install the AMP file:
    java -jar alfresco-mmt.jar install example-amp.amp alfresco.war -verbose
  6. The modified Alfresco WAR can then be redeployed back into your application server. On restarting the application server, the console will show that the custom class was initialized during startup.
  7. Verify that the AMP is installed using the MMT list command. For example:
    java -jar alfresco-mmt.jar list <WARFileLocation>
  8. This command provides a detailed listing of all of the modules currently installed in the specified WAR file. When the repository is next started, the installed module configuration will be detected, and the repository will be bootstrapped to include the new module functionality and data. It is not recommended that you overwrite an existing file in an AMP; however, it is sometimes necessary. The MMT makes a backup copy of the updated file and stores it in the WAR. When an update of the module occurs and the old files are removed, this backup will be restored prior to the installation of the new files. Problems may occur if multiple installed modules modify the same existing file. In these cases, a manual restore may be necessary if recovery to an existing state is required. Some application servers (notably Tomcat) do not always fully clean up their temporary working files and this can interfere with successful installation of an AMP file. To remedy this situation, it is recommended that you delete (or move) the Tomcat work and temp directories while Tomcat is shut down.

Installing Microsoft Office SharePoint Protocol Support

The Microsoft Office SharePoint Protocol Support offers Microsoft users greater choice by providing a fully-compatible SharePoint repository that allows the Microsoft Office Suite applications (for example, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) to interact with Alfresco as if it was SharePoint. This enables your users to leverage the Alfresco repository directly from Microsoft Office.

You can also use Microsoft Office SharePoint Protocol Support to enable online editing for Office documents within Alfresco Share. It enables your users to modify Office files without checking them in and out. Alfresco locks the file while it is being modified and releases the lock when the file is saved and closed. The following diagram shows the architecture of the SharePoint Protocol Support in relation to an Alfresco installation.

Installing Microsoft Office SharePoint Protocol Support

The SharePoint Protocol Support architecture embeds a Jetty web server within the Alfresco repository. Microsoft Office clients communicate directly with the Jetty server using WebDAV-like calls with proprietary extensions and on a different port number from Alfresco Share. This port number can be configured in the SharePoint Protocol Support properties files.

Installing the SharePoint Protocol Support AMP

The SharePoint Protocol support functionality is installed from an Alfresco AMP. If you use the Windows or Linux installers to install Alfresco, the SharePoint Protocol Support is installed by default. These instructions describe how to install the SharePoint Protocol Support into the Alfresco WAR. When you install this file, it responds to the SharePoint requests from Office, and therefore allows Alfresco to appear as the SharePoint server.

Note

If you installed Alfresco using an installation wizard, the SharePoint Protocol may already be installed.

Follow the steps listed below to apply the SharePoint AMP to your Alfresco instance:

  1. Shut down your Alfresco server.
  2. Browse to the Enterprise download area.
  3. Browse to the Alfresco Community Edition download area.
  4. Download the vti-module.amp file.
  5. Move the file to the amps directory.
  6. Install the vti-module.amp file into the alfresco.war file using the Module Management Tool (MMT). The vti-module.amp file holds the functionality for the SharePoint connector. For Tomcat, alternatively, run the apply_amps.bat command, which is in the root Alfresco directory. This batch file applies all of the AMPS that are located in the amps directory.
  7. Start your Alfresco server to expand the directory structure.
  8. Verify that you have applied the SharePoint AMP to Alfresco by checking that you have the following directory:
    /webapps/alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/ alfresco/module/org.alfresco.module.vti/context

Configuring SharePoint Protocol Support

The SharePoint Protocol Support functionality uses the properties in the default configuration file called vti.properties in<TOMCAT_HOME>/webapps/alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/module/org.alfresco.module.vti/context.

Custom properties and overrides can be set in the alfresco-global.properties file. Ensure that you have applied the SharePoint Protocol Support AMP. This can be done and verified as follows:

  1. Open the alfresco-global.properties file.
  2. Add the following properties:
    vti.server.port=7070
vti.alfresco.deployment.context=/alfresco
vti.alfresco.alfresoHostWithPort=http://your-host:8080
vti.share.shareHostWithPort=http://your-share-host:8080
  3. The following table describes the properties.

Property

Description

vti-server.port

Use this property to configure on which port the SharePoint server listens. The default port number is 7070.

vti.alfresco.deployment.context

Use this property to specify the URL that you enter in the Microsoft Office Shared Workspace. The default is set to /alfresco. For example, the default /alfresco sets the URL to http://your-sharehost:7070/alfresco.

vti.alfresco.alfresoHostWithPort

Use this property to specify the IP address or host name of the Alfresco server. Replace your-host with the location of your Alfresco server.

vti.share.shareHostWithPort

Use this property to specify the Share instance. Replace your-share-host with the location of your Share instance. This property includes the prefix http://, which allows for HTTPS support.

The vti.properties file in<TOMCAT_HOME>/webapps/alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/module/org.alfresco.module.vti/context contains the full list of properties. Do not change the properties in this file; use only the alfresco-global.properties file. Now, perform the following:

  1. Save the alfresco-global.properties file.
  2. Restart your Alfresco server. The Microsoft SharePoint Protocol Support functionality is installed and configured.

Configuring SharePoint Protocol for Online Editing

There is a known issue with Office 2003 and 2007 Office documents opening as read-only in Internet Explorer for all versions before Vista SP1. Refer to the knowledge base article 870853 on the Microsoft website to enable the Online Editing functionality.

Running Alfresco

This section describes how to start and stop the following:

  • Alfresco server
  • Alfresco Explorer
  • Alfresco Share
  • Virtualization server
  • Standalone deployment receiver

Note

Before running Alfresco, you may need to modify the configuration settings. If you have installed Alfresco using one of the installation wizards, the configuration is set for you.

Starting the Alfresco server

Once you have installed Alfresco, you can test the installation by starting the server.

For Windows:

  1. Browse to C:alfresco and double-click on alf_start.bat.
  2. Or if you installed Alfresco using the installer, from the Start menu, select All Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Start Alfresco Server.

    A command prompt opens with a message indicating the server has started. 

    INFO: Server startup in nnnn ms

For Linux:

  1. Browse to /opt/alfresco/ and run alfresco.sh start.
  2. The default shell is sh. You can edit the alfresco.sh file to change to your preferred shell.

Starting Alfresco Share

Once you have installed Alfresco, you can start Alfresco Share using a browser.

  1. Browse to the location of your Alfresco installation. If you installed Alfresco on your local machine, browse to http://localhost:8080/share. In Windows, alternatively, you can click on the Start menu and select All Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Alfresco Share. Alfresco Share opens.
  2. Log in using admin as the default username and password.

Starting Alfresco Explorer

Once you have installed Alfresco, you can start Alfresco Explorer using a browser.

  1. Browse to the location of your Alfresco installation. If you installed Alfresco on your local machine, browse to http://localhost:8080/alfresco. In Windows, alternatively, you can click on the Start menu, and select All Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Alfresco Explorer. Alfresco Explorer opens.
  2. Log in using admin as the default username and password.

Stopping the Alfresco server

For Windows:

  1. Browse to C:alfresco and double-click on alf.stop.bat.
  2. Or click on the Start menu and select All Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Stop Alfresco Server.

The command prompt that opened during startup closes. Alfresco has now stopped.

For Linux:

  1. Browse to /opt/alfresco/ and run alfresco.sh stop.

Starting the Alfresco virtualization server

If you have installed Alfresco WCM, you can use the Preview Website feature by starting the Alfresco virtualization server.

For Windows:

  1. Browse to C:alfresco and double-click on virtual.start.bat.
  2. Or click on the Start menu and select All Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Start Virtual Server.

For Linux:

  1. Browse to /opt/alfresco/ and run virtual.alf_sh start.

Stopping the Alfresco virtualization server

For Windows:

  1. Browse to C:alfresco and double-click on virtual.stop.bat.
  2. Or you can also click on the Start menu and select Programs | Alfresco Community Edition | Stop Virtual Server.

For Linux:

  1. Browse to /opt/alfresco/ and run sh virtual_alf.sh stop.

Starting the deployment engine

The standalone deployment engine is implemented as a set of Java libraries and is multi-platform. Bourne shell scripts are provided for Unix, and Windows batch files are provided for Windows.

For Windows, to start the standalone deployment engine:

  1. Open a command prompt and run the deploy_start script, or select Start Menu | All Programs | Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver | Start Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver.
  2. The Start Menu action is available if you have used the deployment installer to install the Standalone Deployment Engine. This action is calling the deploy_start.bat script. It is also possible to install the standalone deployment engine as a Windows service, which can automatically start when Windows starts.

For Linux, to start the standalone deployment engine, open a command prompt and run the deploy_start.sh script.

  1. When deploying to a deployment engine running on a multi-NIC system, it may be necessary to bind the RMI registry to a particular IP address. To do this, add the following to the Java command in deploy_start.sh or deploy_start.bat:
    -Djava.rmi.server.hostname=x.x.x.x

    Here x.x.x.x is the IP address assigned to the NIC to which you want to bind.

Stopping the deployment engine

The standalone deployment engine is implemented as a set of Java libraries and is multi-platform. Bourne shell scripts are provided for Unix, and Windows batch files are provided for Windows.

For Windows, to stop the standalone deployment engine:

  1. Open a command prompt and run deploy_stop.bat, or select Start Menu | All Programs | Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver | Stop Alfresco Standalone Deployment Receiver.

For Linux, to stop the standalone deployment engine open a command prompt and run the deploy_stop.sh script.

Starting and stopping Alfresco as a console application

The options for starting and stopping Alfresco as a console application can be viewed by clicking on Start | All Programs | Alfresco Enterprise as shown in the following screenshot:

Starting and stopping Alfresco as a console application

The options there are discussed next:

  1. Stop Alfresco Server: This option is used to stop the Alfresco server. It stops the MySQL server and the Tomcat application server.
  2. Start Alfresco Server: Use this option to start the Alfresco server as a console application. This will start the MySQL server and the Tomcat server.
  3. Stop Virtual Server: This option is used to stop the Alfresco Virtual server. It stops the Virtual Tomcat application server.
  4. Start Virtual Server: Use this option to start the Alfresco Virtual server, mainly used for Alfresco WCM. This will start the Virtual Tomcat Server.
  5. Alfresco Explorer: This option is used to open Alfresco Web Client in the browser.
  6. Alfresco Share: This option is used to open Alfresco Share in the web browser.
  7. Alfresco Website: This option is used to open Alfresco's website in the web browser.

Alternatively, you can always start, stop, and restart the Tomcat application server and the MySQL database server manually by going to their respective directories. It gives more control to the user. However, the console option gives batch files to perform the start/stop procedures in a consolidated way, relieving the user of any unwanted errors.

Installation folder structure

Let's take a peek into the installation directory<alfresco_installation_folder> to look at the folders:

  • alfresco: All of the shortcuts to installing, uninstalling, starting, and stopping Alfresco as a Windows service, and restarting, stopping, and starting of Alfresco as a normal console application from the Start menu of Windows points to this folder.
  • alf_data: All of the Alfresco content and Lucene indexes are stored in this directory.
  • amps: All of the AMP extensions files are required to be put here, and then use the apply_amps script to perform the update.
  • bin: This directory contains the sub-installations of Alfresco. The main installation scripts in the alfresco directory calls the sub-scripts in this folder to start the sub-Alfresco Tomcat component of the installation, creating and setting up the permissions for the Alfresco MySQL database. This folder is very useful for people going for the manual installation rather than using an installer.
  • extras: Contains additional files such as space template for records management file plan, which can be imported into the Alfresco repository.
  • java: As is evident by the name, it contains the Java Development Kit. All of the Alfresco development is done using Java as the core programming language.
  • licenses: This directory contains the licenses for Alfresco, MySQL, Apache, and licenses for the other third-party applications used inside Alfresco.
  • tomcat: Again, as evident from the name, this directory holds the Tomcat installation where the Alfresco application is deployed as a WAR file. You can see the alfresco.war and share.war files in the webapps sub-folder of this directory.
  • openoffice: This directory contains the entire portable Office suite installation that is used for word processing, spread sheet processing, and so on.
  • virtual-tomcat: This folder contains the customized Tomcat, which is used for previewing the files in the WCM.
  • The README file gives information about using CIFS and some troubleshooting tips.

You can uninstall the program by clicking on the uninstall.exe application.

Configuring Alfresco as a Windows service

You can also configure Alfresco as a Windows service in a standard Alfresco/Tomcat Installation. With the default installation, Alfresco is bundled as a web application that launches within Tomcat. To configure Alfresco to run as a Windows service, you need to set up Tomcat to run as a Windows service.

To configure Alfresco as a Windows service:

  1. Open a command prompt.
  2. Go to the<alfresco_installation_folder>/tomcat/bin directory.
  3. Use the following commands:
    
service.bat install alfresco
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --DisplayName "Alfresco Server"
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --JvmMs=256 --JvmMx=512 --JvmSs=64
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --JavaHome=<alfresco_installation_folder>/java
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --Environment ALF_HOME=<alfresco_installation_folder>/
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --Environment PATH=<alfresco_installation_folder>/bin;%PATH%
tomcat5.exe //US//alfresco --StartPath <alfresco_installation_folder>--Startup auto
  4. To uninstall the service, go to the<alfresco_installation_folder>/tomcat/bin and enter the following command:
    
service.bat uninstall alfresco
  5. To edit your service settings, navigate to<alfresco_installation_folder>/tomcat/bin and enter the following command:
    
tomcat5w.exe //ES//alfresco
  6. To start the service, locate the service named Alfresco Server in your Windows Service control panel and start Alfresco from this control panel.
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