ParaChat Server 4.5
Unix / Linux Installation Instructions

Overview


Please see also the ParaChat Server documentation.  For installation inquiries or support, please send email to support@parachat.com.

Although these installation instructions are written for UNIX systems, the ParaChat server should install and run in any Java environment.

    Quick Start:

    1. Install Java.
    2. Untar this kit.
    3. Install the Java ParaServer.
    4. Use your Web browser for the rest.


1. Install and run Java on your system.

  • ParaChat does not own or maintain Java, and the Java SDK comes with its own set of installation instructions.  Java may already be installed on your system.  If Java is not, it must be installed.
  • You can get the most recent Java JDK (Java Development Kit) from Javasoft. We recommend Java 1.3.1.
  • Ask your system admin for help on installing Java and setting it in your PATH.
  • If you are using Solaris, DO NOT use the Java that comes with the OS.  Download the latest version of JDK or JRE from Javasoft instead.
  • If the server hangs or returns a garbled thread dump, disable native threads.
  • Many JIT (Just-In-Time) Java Compilers available are somewhat buggy. They may cause our server to hang or crash unpredictably. Each JIT usually comes with instructions on how to disable/bypass it for precisely this reason.


2. Download the ParaChat Server Installation Kit.

    Choose one of the following formats of the kit and extract it on your system.
Kit Name  Type Best for
ParaChat450.tar.Z compressed tar file Standard Solaris/POSIX
ParaChat450.tar.gz  gzipped tar file FreeBSD/Linux



3. Set up a server administration account (optional).

  • The server does not need to be installed or run by a privileged user (i.e. root).  You can run the ParaChat server from an ordinary user account, or you can create a new account used only for server administration.
HINT: On UNIX systems, make sure the shell from which you will be starting the ParaChat server is not running with artificially low resource limits.  The number of file descriptors should be as high as possible and no less than 1024.  On most UNIX systems, type limit or ulimit to find out the number of file descriptors. To increase the number, for example to 1024, type limit descriptors 1024.



4. Make sure your Java installation is working properly.

  • Log on to the user account from which the server will be installed and administered.  At the shell prompt, type: java -version
  • You should get a message stating the version of Java you have installed (JDK1.3.1 or above is recommended). If you see an error message, you either don't have Java installed (see step 1) or the Java bin directory is not in your path


5. Unpack the installation kit.

  • The archive extracts into a subdirectory carrying the name of the release.
  • Assume you picked this compressed file, ParaChat450.tar.gz.  Unpack it first:
       $ gzip -d ParaChat450.tar.gz
       $ tar xvf ParaChat450.tar
  • Now you should see a directory "ParaChat450".  This is the server directory.  It is referred to as the server directory in the sections that follow:


6. Run the installation program.

  • Go to the server directory:
      •  
      $ cd ParaChat450
  • and run:

    •  
      $ ./install.sh

During the installation, you will need to submit a "admin" password.





7. Start and shut down a ParaChat server.

At this point all you need to do is start the server.

  • To start the chat server, go to the server directory, and run (it is a good idea to shut it down before you restart it):
      •  
      $ ./parachatd.sh
  • To shutdown the chat server, go to the server directory, and run:

    •  
      $ ./shutdown.sh


8. Access a Test Room and Admin Web Pages

  • To access the test room on the server, open this URL in your browser:

      • http://<yourhost.com>:7877/testroom.html

  • By default, HTTP port is 7877. For example, suppose your machine name is parachat.com(using the machine's IP works too):

      • http://parachat.com:7877/testroom.html

  • The URL of the server admin pages, for example, is:

      • http://parachat.com:7877/plynx/parachat/index.lhtml

  • Use "admin" as user name and the password you typed during installation to login to the admin pages (see image below):

Sample of ParaChat Server Web-based Administration Log-in Page


9. Move the client class files to your own Web server document tree (optional)

  • You will want to move the httpd directory (or copy it) to the document tree of another production Web server.  The location you choose must match the document base URL specified in the ParaChat client HTML applet tag on the Web page containing the chat room.
  • You can also link your Web server document tree to the parachat httpd/ directory.
  • Remember that the Java applets can only connect to the server from which it was loaded. Your chat server needs to run on the same host as the Web server that is serving out the class files.

Next Steps



    2. Test Room:

    Visit the Test ParaChat Room that is now running on your chat server. The Test Room will display the ParaChat applet, and the applet HTML, that serves as a guide to implementing your own ParaChat rooms. Open the Test Room in your browser by clicking here, or access the Test Room from your Start button:



    4. License:

    Your ParaChat Server v4.5 evaluation is equipped with a limited-use, 30-day, 5- user license. To implement ParaChat in your production environment, purchase a full-use license securely online using the ParaChat Server v4.5 Order Form. For pricing options and fees, please visit the ParaChat Server Price List.


    5. Promote:

    As a service to promote and drive traffic to your new ParaChat rooms, list your chat pages in our ParaChat Room Directory. This is a free service provided to ParaChat customers.





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