Fool proof install - step by step

I don’t know that there is ever an all encompassing solution for getting a successful install of ERPNext.

I do also agree that the current process is difficult for any but the most experienced to have success.

All I can offer is what I know worked for me: (at least this week)

  • spin up a fresh image of Ubuntu 18.04 (if unsure use “lsb_release -a” to see release info)
  • if it is 18.04.4 then run apt-get update and apt-get upgrade as root user

As "root"user: (replace anything in [brackets] with your own information)

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install python3-minimal build-essential python3-setuptools
adduser [def_user]
usermod -aG sudo [def_user]

Then logout as root user and log in again as [def_user]
As [def_user] do the following:

export LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
sudo wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/frappe/bench/master/playbooks/install.py
sudo -H python3 install.py --production --user [def_user]

Note: I do not put any passwords in the command that starts the install.py because I want to see that the script progresses properly and asks for those during the process. Recent changes in how the script works have eliminated much of the verbose screen activity that used to keep you updated with the install progress. Forcing it to ask me for passwords lets me know at least a little bit about where it is in the process. You can do it anyway you like.

This is what has been working for me this past week. I cannot speak to anything else except to say that I have read on the forum that folks with Ubuntu 18.04.3 may have had better success by NOT running the apt-get update & upgrade commands. Your mileage may vary… :sunglasses:

BKM

I don’t think this is correct. I installed on server with 2GB RAM a few hours ago without issues.

It tried your guide with a fresh OS without update and upgrade: same time out :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

Ok… maybe I am missing something here…

What timeout?

Does the install complete?

Not sure what you mean by timeout.

If you mean a timeout of startup wizard, the just accept the timeout and click on “Retry” in the next box.

BKM

@Curt.Beck Okay just to be sure that this isn’t related to your cloud host… can you try any other host to see if that’s the issue? I regularly spin up test servers on google cloud VPS while my production server is on AWS and backup on DigitalOcean. Whenever there’s an update, i spin a test server and load my backup to test the update before upgrading my production. I installed a new instance a few hours ago to test v12.5.2 without issues so maybe you should try another host just to eliminate your host as being the issue.

Ok, let me see if I can get past this confusion.

Is this the process you are having trouble with:

Step 1 - Login as Administrator to start the setup wizard

Step 2 - Answer all the questions until you get to the Complete Setup button

Step 3 - After clicking the Complete Setup button the process begins…

BeginningSetup

Step 4 - The wizars experiences a timeout error like this:

WizarsTimeoutError

Step 5 - Click on the “Close” button of the error screen

ClickClose

Step 6 - The underlying error screen is now revealed

SetupFailedScreen

Step 7 - Just click on the “Retry” button (see red arrow)

ClickRetry

Step 8 - You are taken back to the last step of the wizard again. Just clicl “Complete Setup” again

Finally, in just a few minutes the wizard will complete and take you to the v12 desk.

This is the same thing that I have had to do since trying to install and use v12. It happens on every install and I just click through it to get a working system.

So, @Curt.Beck are you experiencing something different?

I ran through the server install exactly as I described a few posts back, and then started the wizard exactly like in this post. It took me about 45 minutes to complete everything, but I did it again so I could take the screenshots.

Please let us know if this is where you are having problems and if you tried this solution yet.

BKM

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@flexy2ky

May be I was not precise.
I mean VM installation , not server.

After a lot of retrys i found following solution:

I installed ERPNext like my step by step guide Fool proof install - step by step - #50 by Curt.Beck.

After setting up the company I tried and retried 10 times with my german data inputs, also for chart of accounts. I used SK04 first. After no happy ending and 10 times no succes I changed the data. The result is: I was able to succes the setting up process, but only with “Standard with Numbers” for chart of accounts. With our german SK04 i was not possible.

So, for a full ERP use not really a solution, but I don’t use accounting in ERP. So for me it’s working, but maybe not for other german users.

So after a long journey I completed the installation!!!

No I have the next problem. I can’t use more then one email outgoing account in MS Office 365. The next WTF. So i go on to the next topic. Login with Office 365: Email not verified

ERPNext has some good parts, but just to setting it up it’s a mess and really frustrating! (for a normal user and no professional Linux and Python god).

So for all othe installers, use my guide for a manual installation. It woked for me. I don’t know how long it works, maybe until the next update :wink:

Thanks to all.

  1. the complexity of the stack
  2. the ease of installation not being the #1 priority of the people writing the application necessarily (for which you can not blame anyone because everybody is entitled to his/her own priorities)

secondary thought on this … nobody is entitled to an easy installation routine (even though I agree that it would be a great plus to have such). Generally a multi-service application like ERPNext is complex and likewise users need to have some abilities to get things going and maintaining an installation. There are several offers (erpnext.com being one of them) taking the technical complexity away from users without sufficient expertise. So the choice is to pay with $ for services or with expertise/sweat for private deployments.

2 Likes

I came across into this post, by searching on discuss. Very interesting discussion.

I have been using this Erpnext for about 3 years. ( actually my wife used it ). I am far from a developer level. I just an software hobiist. She have been running a beauty clinic with 3 outlet in defferent town., since 2008. She bought a custom erp system wrote from scratch by the provider. on Php. In 2015 the provider has gone and the system crasch all time. I toke a look and gave up to maintain or repair. Coz the system has no framework.

I have tried odoo, the healthcare module too complex, she just need simple and easy to use. So I combined Odoo with openEMR installation on single server. But all users complaining to log in into TWO system. Anda difficult in daily working by click there and there. User complain made headache.

In 2016 I found erpnext and give tried. Most user feel comfort. Today we have been running the version 11 since 2018 and still usable.

In january 2020 I deployederpnext v.12 for a shipping company, and so far no complain.

In my point of view as software hobiist, Erpnext is great. I need just learning : Python, Mysql … that’s all. Easy Install script is just for FUN, it is not for Production.

This time, during the Covid19 I need to deploy again. I face the Mysql warning

2020-04-12 9:46:00 10 [Warning] Access denied for user ‘root’@‘localhost’ (using password: NO)

The site running flawlessly, have no problem for operations. But the error log on this mysql is annoying. This is one of the problem for someone to poke easy install scripts and workable for various linux distros. My running server powered by gentoo, but the IT admin for shipping company only understand Debian, the deployment is on Debian 10.3 buster. ( which got sql warning ). Debian or probably Mariadb people set by default the plugin on auth_socket which is No Password required for root privilege and use sudo environment for root privileges.

However the bench command : bench new-site site-name --install-app erpnext ( I consider this is automatic install ) Always asking Mysql Root Password.

Let say user choose install procesure :

Log in as root to mysql shell
Create Databse
Grant root user to the database

Create a site for frappe with command
bench new-site site-name --db-name database-name --mariadb-root-username root --mariadb-root-password ROOTPASSWORD --install-app erpnext

I think and believed the root password is mandatory for frappe install in which Debian by default use auth_socket. mysql root password will work with plugin mysql_native_password plugin. I dont know either Debian perople or Mariadb People decided this.

Frappe people can not anticipate what happening at Debian and Mariadb, and probably ubuntu, linuxmint, arch, gentoo, windows or OSX. It is NOT FAIR for blaming Frappe on what did by other community/team.

Thus users have to familiarize themself to what they choose, decided use Debian OS, then have to dig debian, choose mariadb have to dig Mariadb, an so on.

There are thousands of “Solution” to solve Mariadb warning on the net world. I think most of them did not realize they screw up the things and many user use their guide but come into frustations.

So I decided to let the mysql warning stay there on log, as far as the frappe running well and smooth.

sorry for long post