Setting Up Etherpad on ServerStadium

Introduction

Etherpad offers a real-time, web-based collaborative text editor, perfect for teams needing to work together seamlessly on documents. Hosting Etherpad on ServerStadium’s infrastructure (VM Pricing, Dedicated Servers) ensures reliable performance, making it an excellent choice for businesses, educational institutions, or any collaborative project.

Setting Up Etherpad on ServerStadium

Prerequisites

• A ServerStadium VM or dedicated server (VM Pricing, Dedicated Servers).
• Basic knowledge of Linux server administration.

Step 1: Select and Prepare Your ServerStadium Server

1. Choose a Server: Select a ServerStadium VM or dedicated server suitable for hosting Etherpad, considering factors like expected user load and data storage.
2. Server Setup: Update and upgrade your server:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Etherpad requires Node.js and a database (like MySQL or MariaDB):

1. Install Node.js:

   curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_14.x | sudo -E bash –
   sudo apt install -y nodejs

2. Install MySQL/MariaDB (Optional, if using a database):

   sudo apt install mariadb-server
   sudo mysql_secure_installation

Step 3: Install and Configure Etherpad

1. Clone Etherpad’s Repository:

   git clone –branch master https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git
   cd etherpad-lite

2. Configure Etherpad:

   Edit the settings in settings.json to configure Etherpad as per your requirements.

   cp settings.json.template settings.json
   nano settings.json

3. Start Etherpad:

   ./bin/run.sh

   This will start Etherpad on the default port (9001).

Step 4: Set Up a Reverse Proxy (Optional)

To make Etherpad accessible on port 80, set up a reverse proxy:

1. Install and Configure Nginx or Apache:

   sudo apt install nginx
   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/etherpad

   Configure Nginx to reverse proxy requests to Etherpad.

2. Enable the Site and Restart Nginx:

   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/etherpad /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
   sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 5: Accessing Etherpad

1. Access Etherpad: Navigate to your Etherpad instance via http://your_server_ip or the domain you’ve configured.

Step 6: Customization and Plugins

1. Customize Etherpad: Use Etherpad’s rich set of plugins to add additional features or customize the editor to your liking.

Conclusion

Your Etherpad instance is now set up on a ServerStadium server, providing a powerful platform for real-time document collaboration. For further assistance, check out our knowledge base or contact our support team.