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{{Installing Moodle}}
{{Installing Moodle}}
An alternative way to maintaining your Moodle server via [[CVS for Administrators|CVS]] is using Git. This page describes how to maintain a copy of Moodle on your production server which can easily be upgraded using Git. If you have customisations of Moodle core code, you are advised to follow the instructions in the [[Development:Quick Git start guide for Moodle development|Quick Git start guide for Moodle development]].
The recommended way (now all Moodle development has moved to this versioning system) is Git. This page describes how to maintain a copy of Moodle on your production server which can easily be upgraded using Git. If you have customisations of Moodle core code, you are advised to follow the instructions in the [[Development:Quick Git start guide for Moodle development|Quick Git start guide for Moodle development]].
 
To get the most of of Git it is worth making the effort to understand its basic concepts - see the See also section below. It can be a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are used to CVS or Subversion.
 
== Getting hold of Git ==
 
Support for Git was, up until recently, mostly confined to Linux but builds are now available for most popular operating systems:
* List of downloads from Git site - http://git-scm.com/download


== Obtaining the code from Git ==
== Obtaining the code from Git ==
The command line version of Git is discussed here. Graphical clients are little more that wrappers around the command line version, so you should be able to deduce the correct parameters quite easily.


You can find the official Moodle git repository at git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git (with an official clone at git://github.com/moodle/moodle.git). To initialize your local checkout, use
You can find the official Moodle git repository at git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git (with an official clone at git://github.com/moodle/moodle.git). To initialize your local checkout, use
 
<pre>
    git clone git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git                      (1)
$ git clone git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git                      (1)
    cd moodle
$ cd moodle
    git branch -a                                                  (2)
$ git branch -a                                                  (2)
    git branch --track local_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE      (3)
$ git branch --track MOODLE_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE      (3)
    git checkout local_22_STABLE                                   (4)
$ git checkout MOODLE_22_STABLE                                   (4)
 
</pre>
* The command (1) initializes the new local repository as a clone of the upstream moodle.git repository, known as the ''origin'' remote repository by default. It creates a new directory named ''moodle'', where it downloads all the files. This operation can take a while.
* The command (1) initializes the new local repository as a clone of the 'upstream' (i.e. the remote server based) moodle.git repository. The upstream repository is called 'origin' by default. It creates a new directory named ''moodle'', where it downloads all the files. This operation can take a while as it is actually getting the entire history of all Moodle versions
* The command (2) lists all available branches.
* The command (2) lists all available branches.
* Use the command (3) to create a new local branch called local_22_STABLE and set it to track the branch MOODLE_22_STABLE from the upstream repository.
* Use the command (3) to create a new local branch called MOODLE_22_STABLE and set it to track the remote branch MOODLE_22_STABLE from the upstream repository.
* The command (4) actually switches to the newly created local branch. Note that the last two lines can be replaced with
* The command (4) actually switches to the newly created local branch.  
 
    git checkout -b --track local_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE        (3 + 4)


that creates a new local tracking branch and switches to it immediately.
Note that Git has a huge number of options for each command and it's actually possible to do the above process with a single command (left as an exercise!!).


The ''master'' local branch, automatically created by git-clone, can then be deleted with the command
==Git from behind a firewall==


    git branch -d master
Git uses a proprietary protocol and it may be blocked by your firewall (port 9418). If this is a problem, you can use Github's http version <nowiki>https://github.com/moodle/moodle.git</nowiki>. It's a bit slower, so use the Git protocol if you can.


== Updating your installation ==
== Updating your installation ==
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The Moodle development team performs integration and testing of fixed bugs every Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday you can install all patches by updating your code. Check the [http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git;a=summary shortlog] to see if the official repository has been already updated or not.
The Moodle development team performs integration and testing of fixed bugs every Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday you can install all patches by updating your code. Check the [http://git.moodle.org/gw?p=moodle.git;a=summary shortlog] to see if the official repository has been already updated or not.


    cd /path/to/your/moodle/checkout
To update your code to the latest version (on the MOODLE_22_STABLE branch) '''all''' you have to do is:
    git fetch                                                      (1)
<pre>
    git status                                                      (2)
$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
    git merge                                                      (3)
$ git pull
</pre>
If this is a production site you should still consider the [[Upgrade]] instructions (e.g. take backups).


The command (1) downloads new updates from the remote repository without touching your local checkout. The command (2) displays the information about the eventual drift between you local version and the upstream one. The command (3) actually modifies your local files with the updates. The git-fetch + git-merge couple can be replaced with a single command
== Installing a contributed extension from its Git repository ==
 
    git pull                                                        (1 + 3)


== Installing a contributed extension from its Git repository ==
This is one way to handle adding plugins from other Git repositories into your Moodle repository. Another way is to use Git Submodules. However, at the time of writing, this is one of Git's rougher features and should be regarded as an advanced option.


For example, let us say we want to install the [[Book module]] form its Git repository into our Moodle 2.2.
For example, let us say we want to install the [[Book module]] form its Git repository into our Moodle 2.2.
<pre>
$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
$ cd mod                                                          (1)
$ git clone git://github.com/skodak/moodle-mod_book.git book      (2)
$ cd book
$ git checkout -b MOODLE_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE        (3)
$ git branch -d master                                            (4)
</pre>
The command (1) changes the current directory into the ''mod'' folder of your local Moodle clone. The command (2) creates a new subdirectory ''book'' and makes a local clone of Petr Škoda's vanilla Book repository. The command (3) creates a new local branch that will track the remote branch with a Book version for Moodle 2.1. The command (4) deletes the ''master'' that was created automatically by git-clone in (2) as we do not want it in this production checkout.


    cd /path/to/your/moodle/checkout
Now it is wise to put the new directory mod/book/ to the list of ignored files of the main Moodle clone, otherwise a status of the main clone will keep reminding you that the new code has not been checked in.
    cd mod                                                          (1)
<pre>
    git clone git://github.com/skodak/moodle-mod_book.git book      (2)
$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
    cd book
$ echo /mod/book/ >> .git/info/exclude
    git checkout -b MOODLE_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE        (3)
</pre>
    git branch -d master                                            (4)
 
The command (1) changes the current directory into the ''mod'' folder of your local Moodle clone. The command (2) creates a new subdirectory ''book'' and makes a local clone of Petr Škoda's vanilla Book repository. The command (3) creates a new local branch that will track the remote branch with a Book version for Moodle 2.2. The command (4) deletes the ''master'' that was created automatically by git-clone in (2) as we do not want it in this production checkout.
 
Now it is wise to put the new directory mod/book/ to the list of ignored files of the main Moodle clone.
 
    cd /path/to/your/moodle/checkout
    echo /mod/book/ >> .git/info/exclude
 
To update your Moodle installation now, you must visit both Git repositories and pull changes from upstream.
To update your Moodle installation now, you must visit both Git repositories and pull changes from upstream.
 
<pre>
    cd /path/to/your/moodle/checkout
$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
    git pull
$ git pull
    cd /path/to/your/moodle/checkout/mod/book
$ cd mod/book
    git pull
$ git pull
 
</pre>
Writing a shell script with these lines in the root of Moodle installation is a very good idea. Otherwise it is easy to forget what Git repositories are there within the main Moodle repository.
Writing a shell script with these lines in the root of Moodle installation is a very good idea. Otherwise it is easy to forget what Git repositories are there within the main Moodle repository.



Revision as of 08:37, 20 December 2011

The recommended way (now all Moodle development has moved to this versioning system) is Git. This page describes how to maintain a copy of Moodle on your production server which can easily be upgraded using Git. If you have customisations of Moodle core code, you are advised to follow the instructions in the Quick Git start guide for Moodle development.

To get the most of of Git it is worth making the effort to understand its basic concepts - see the See also section below. It can be a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are used to CVS or Subversion.

Getting hold of Git

Support for Git was, up until recently, mostly confined to Linux but builds are now available for most popular operating systems:

Obtaining the code from Git

The command line version of Git is discussed here. Graphical clients are little more that wrappers around the command line version, so you should be able to deduce the correct parameters quite easily.

You can find the official Moodle git repository at git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git (with an official clone at git://github.com/moodle/moodle.git). To initialize your local checkout, use

$ git clone git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git                       (1)
$ cd moodle
$ git branch -a                                                   (2)
$ git branch --track MOODLE_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE      (3)
$ git checkout MOODLE_22_STABLE                                    (4)
  • The command (1) initializes the new local repository as a clone of the 'upstream' (i.e. the remote server based) moodle.git repository. The upstream repository is called 'origin' by default. It creates a new directory named moodle, where it downloads all the files. This operation can take a while as it is actually getting the entire history of all Moodle versions
  • The command (2) lists all available branches.
  • Use the command (3) to create a new local branch called MOODLE_22_STABLE and set it to track the remote branch MOODLE_22_STABLE from the upstream repository.
  • The command (4) actually switches to the newly created local branch.

Note that Git has a huge number of options for each command and it's actually possible to do the above process with a single command (left as an exercise!!).

Git from behind a firewall

Git uses a proprietary protocol and it may be blocked by your firewall (port 9418). If this is a problem, you can use Github's http version https://github.com/moodle/moodle.git. It's a bit slower, so use the Git protocol if you can.

Updating your installation

The Moodle development team performs integration and testing of fixed bugs every Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday you can install all patches by updating your code. Check the shortlog to see if the official repository has been already updated or not.

To update your code to the latest version (on the MOODLE_22_STABLE branch) all you have to do is:

$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
$ git pull

If this is a production site you should still consider the Upgrade instructions (e.g. take backups).

Installing a contributed extension from its Git repository

This is one way to handle adding plugins from other Git repositories into your Moodle repository. Another way is to use Git Submodules. However, at the time of writing, this is one of Git's rougher features and should be regarded as an advanced option.

For example, let us say we want to install the Book module form its Git repository into our Moodle 2.2.

$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
$ cd mod                                                          (1)
$ git clone git://github.com/skodak/moodle-mod_book.git book      (2)
$ cd book
$ git checkout -b MOODLE_22_STABLE origin/MOODLE_22_STABLE        (3)
$ git branch -d master                                            (4)

The command (1) changes the current directory into the mod folder of your local Moodle clone. The command (2) creates a new subdirectory book and makes a local clone of Petr Škoda's vanilla Book repository. The command (3) creates a new local branch that will track the remote branch with a Book version for Moodle 2.1. The command (4) deletes the master that was created automatically by git-clone in (2) as we do not want it in this production checkout.

Now it is wise to put the new directory mod/book/ to the list of ignored files of the main Moodle clone, otherwise a status of the main clone will keep reminding you that the new code has not been checked in.

$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
$ echo /mod/book/ >> .git/info/exclude

To update your Moodle installation now, you must visit both Git repositories and pull changes from upstream.

$ cd /path/to/your/moodle/
$ git pull
$ cd mod/book
$ git pull

Writing a shell script with these lines in the root of Moodle installation is a very good idea. Otherwise it is easy to forget what Git repositories are there within the main Moodle repository.

See also

Moodle Docs
Moodle forum discussions
External resources