Natively install Discourse in Arch Linux

Installation
1

Hi,

I’m using ruby 2.3.0p0 (2015-12-25 revision 53290) [x86_64-linux].

I wanted to install Discourse, so after a

sudo -u discourse -s /usr/bin/bash -c "cd /srv/http/discourse; bundle install --no-cache --no-prune --deployment --without development test"

I was running:

sudo -u discourse -s /usr/bin/bash -c "cd /srv/http/discourse; bundle exec rake db:create db:migrate db:test:prepare RAILS_ENV=production"

then at the end, I got:

== Seed from /srv/http/discourse/db/fixtures/500_lounge_category.rb

== Seed from /srv/http/discourse/db/fixtures/501_meta_category.rb

== Seed from /srv/http/discourse/db/fixtures/502_staff_category.rb

== Seed from /srv/http/discourse/db/fixtures/999_settings.rb

== Seed from /srv/http/discourse/db/fixtures/999_topics.rb
rake aborted!
NoMethodError: undefined method `[]' for nil:NilClass
/srv/http/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.3.0/gems/activerecord-4.1.10/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb:144:in `purge'
/srv/http/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.3.0/gems/activerecord-4.1.10/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake:347:in `block (3 levels) in <top (required)>'
/srv/http/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.3.0/gems/activerecord-4.1.10/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake:353:in `block (3 levels) in <top (required)>'
Tasks: TOP => db:test:load => db:test:purge

It’s with the Master version of Discourse I’m getting this issue and also with some previous tested versions like 1.3.2.

2

Are you following the only supported way to install discourse?

3

No. I’m on ArchLinux. (It’s a bug to support only Discourse based on an Docker-Ubuntu image). So, could you officially support Discourse based on Docker-ArchLinux image? Or, could you support natively ArchLinux and remove the heavy Docker? I guess it’s a no.

4

Since Arch Linux supports Docker, Discourse should run just fine on it.

5

The Docker image is based only on Ubuntu not on ArchLinux. https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker/blob/master/image/base/Dockerfile

When we choose ArchLinux, we choose ArchLinux, not Ubuntu…

Seriously, you should support a Docker-ArchLinux image. And btw, it’ll be great to fix the bug above.Thanks :slightly_smiling:

6

What you’re describing above is not a bug – you are simply not using the supported install method.

Why should you care about the operating system inside the container?

7

It’s not an install method. When you use a container, you don’t really install it, you are just bloating your operating system with the bleeding-edge of virtualization and encouraging the laziness of some software developers that prefer their own environment to the environment of their potential users.

So, yes it’s a bug, and yes, it’s your choice to support only an Ubuntu-based Docker image that runs Discourse.

8

If you want to see it like this, feel free to do so. You will be on your own, however: In this forum, we can only support the Docker-based installation.

1 Like
9

Ok. I was using Flarum. I’ll probably migrate to NodeBB. :sob:

10

Discourse is open source.

If you want to do things “your own way” there’s nothing stopping you from doing so.

The main issue is support. The Discourse team has a lot on it’s plate just helping those that are doing things the supported way.

Supporting non-Discourse-supported procedure sounds like a golden business opportunity for you.

8 Likes
11

For Discourse, I’m using only the ArchLinux package from the ArchLinux AUR.

ArchLinux follows the KISS principle unlike Ruby on Rails, Ubuntu or Docker.

Nope, it’s not a golden business opportunity because I’ll migrate to NodeBB that supports ArchLinux.

And Flarum is also a great alternative to Discourse. But it’s currently in Beta and some issues are not fixed, so I’ll choose NodeBB. :kissing_heart: