Install Web Layer in OpenERP 8 as Stand-Alone Server

Installing the web layer for OpenERP 8 (now known as Odoo 8) as a stand-alone HTTP server involves setting up the system to handle HTTP requests directly. This is useful for development environments or specific production setups where you want to run Odoo without relying on a separate web server like Nginx or Apache.

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up OpenERP 8 (Odoo 8) as a Stand-Alone HTTP Server

Prerequisites

1. System Requirements:

• A machine with a Unix-based OS (like Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian) or Windows.
• Python 2.7 installed.
• PostgreSQL database server installed and running.

2. Dependencies:

• Ensure you have all necessary Python dependencies.
• Have Odoo 8 source code or package ready for installation.

Step 1: Install Python and Dependencies

Ensure Python 2.7 and necessary libraries are installed. This guide assumes you’re using a Unix-based system.

1. Update and Install Essential Packages:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install python-dev python-pip build-essential

2. Install Python Packages: Odoo 8 requires several Python packages. Install them using pip:

   sudo pip install babel decorator docutils feedparser gevent \
                    jinja2 lxml mako MarkupSafe mock passlib psutil \
                    psycopg2-binary pydot pyparsing pyPdf python-dateutil \
                    pytz pywebdav pyyaml reportlab requests six suds-jurko \
                    vobject werkzeug wsgiref xlwt pillow

Step 2: Install PostgreSQL

1. Install PostgreSQL:

   sudo apt-get install postgresql postgresql-contrib

2. Create a PostgreSQL User for Odoo:

   sudo su - postgres
   createuser --createdb --username postgres --no-createrole --no-superuser --pwprompt odoo

Enter a password when prompted and then exit the postgres user shell:

   exit

Step 3: Download and Install OpenERP 8 (Odoo 8)

1. Download Odoo 8: Download the source code from GitHub:

   cd /opt
   sudo git clone --depth=1 --branch=8.0 https://www.github.com/odoo/odoo.git
   cd odoo

2. Install Odoo: No specific installation is needed since you will run it directly from the source directory. However, make sure to install remaining dependencies and prepare the configuration.

Step 4: Configure Odoo as a Stand-Alone HTTP Server

1. Create a Configuration File: Create a configuration file odoo.conf in the /etc directory:

   sudo nano /etc/odoo.conf

Add the following content to the file (customize the paths and settings as needed):

   [options]
   ; This is the password that allows database operations:
   admin_passwd = your_admin_password
   db_host = False
   db_port = False
   db_user = odoo
   db_password = your_postgres_password
   addons_path = /opt/odoo/addons,/opt/odoo/your_custom_addons_path
   logfile = /var/log/odoo/odoo.log
   xmlrpc_port = 8069

Save and close the file.

2. Create Log Directory: Ensure the log directory exists and set the appropriate permissions:

   sudo mkdir /var/log/odoo
   sudo chown odoo:odoo /var/log/odoo

Step 5: Start Odoo Server

1. Run Odoo as Stand-Alone HTTP Server: Navigate to the Odoo directory and start the server with the configuration file:

   cd /opt/odoo
   ./odoo.py --config=/etc/odoo.conf

This command starts Odoo and it will be accessible via HTTP on port 8069 by default.

2. Test Odoo: Open a web browser and navigate to:

   http://your_server_ip:8069

You should see the Odoo 8 login screen or the initial setup screen if it’s the first time you are running Odoo.

Step 6: (Optional) Run Odoo as a Background Service

For production environments, you typically want Odoo to run as a service, so it starts automatically on system boot and runs in the background.

1. Create an Init Script: Create a script in /etc/init.d:

   sudo nano /etc/init.d/odoo

Add the following script:

   #!/bin/sh
   ### BEGIN INIT INFO
   # Provides:          odoo
   # Required-Start:    $remote_fs $syslog
   # Required-Stop:     $remote_fs $syslog
   # Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
   # Default-Stop:      0 1 6
   # Short-Description: Odoo ERP
   # Description:       Odoo ERP Business Application
   ### END INIT INFO

   PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
   DAEMON=/opt/odoo/odoo.py
   NAME=odoo
   DESC=odoo
   USER=odoo
   CONFIG=/etc/odoo.conf
   LOGFILE=/var/log/odoo/odoo.log

   test -x $DAEMON || exit 0

   set -e

   case "$1" in
     start)
       echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
       start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid --chuid $USER --background --make-pidfile --exec $DAEMON -- --config=$CONFIG --logfile=$LOGFILE
       echo "$NAME."
       ;;
     stop)
       echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
       start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid --oknodo
       echo "$NAME."
       ;;
     restart)
       echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
       start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid --oknodo
       sleep 1
       start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid --chuid $USER --background --make-pidfile --exec $DAEMON -- --config=$CONFIG --logfile=$LOGFILE
       echo "$NAME."
       ;;
     *)
       N=/etc/init.d/$NAME
       echo "Usage: $N {start|stop|restart}" >&2
       exit 1
       ;;
   esac

   exit 0

Save and close the file.

2. Make the Script Executable:

   sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/odoo

3. Register the Script to Run at Startup:

   sudo update-rc.d odoo defaults

4. Start Odoo Service:

   sudo service odoo start

You can now manage Odoo as a service with commands like start, stop, restart, etc.

Summary

By following these steps, you set up OpenERP 8 (Odoo 8) to run as a stand-alone HTTP server on port 8069. This setup is ideal for simpler environments or specific needs where a reverse proxy server is not required. For more robust and scalable deployments, consider using Nginx or Apache as a front-end server to handle web traffic and proxy requests to the Odoo server.