How to install MRBS on Debian/Ubuntu

Manually managing library hall reservations for various departments became increasingly difficult, prompting a search for an automated solution. Teachers and students needed a system for booking the hall independently. Extensive research led to MRBS (Meeting Room Booking System), a free and open-source web-based platform for managing room bookings and resource scheduling.

Key features of MRBS include:

Accessibility via any workstation browser (web/intranet based).
User-friendly web interface and straightforward navigation.
Flexible options for recurring bookings.
Integration with existing user databases like Netware, NT Domain, or NIS for authentication.
Prevention of double-booking conflicts.
Comprehensive reporting capabilities.
Selectable views by day, week, or month.
Multiple authorization levels (read-only, user, admin).
Support for bookings by time or period, particularly useful for schools and colleges.
Email notifications for room administrators regarding new bookings.

This setup utilizes the following server specifications:

Operating System: Debian 11
RAM: 2 GB
Storage: 10 GB
SSH connection
A dedicated “mrbs” subdomain pointing to the server’s IP, under the main domain.

Let’s initiate the setup process!

System Update

Prior to installation, ensure your Debian 11 system is current:

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade

Package Installation

Install the necessary packages using:

sudo apt install -y apache2 apache2-utils software-properties-common mariadb-server mariadb-client php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-iconv

MariaDB Security Configuration

Enhance the security of your MariaDB installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Access the web root directory:

cd /var/www/html

Download the MRBS 1.11.0 package:

sudo wget https://excellmedia.dl.sourceforge.net/project/mrbs/mrbs/MRBS%201.11.0/mrbs-1.11.0.zip

Unzip the package:

sudo unzip mrbs-1.11.0.zip

Rename the extracted directory:

sudo mv mrbs-1.11.0 mrbs

Set ownership for the web server user:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data mrbs/web/

Set web directory permissions:

sudo chmod -R 755 mrbs/web

Copy the sample configuration file:

sudo cp mrbs/web/config.inc.php-sample mrbs/web/config.inc.php

Customize your MRBS setup:

sudo vim mrbs/web/config.inc.php

Virtual Host Creation

Create a dedicated virtual host for MRBS:

sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/mrbs.conf

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/mrbs.conf

Modify the configuration file:

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  ServerAdmin admin@yourdomain.com
  ServerName mrbs.yourdomain.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/html/mrbs/web

      Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
      AllowOverride All
      Order allow,deny
      allow from all

  ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mrbs_error.log
  CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mrbs_access.log combined

Disable the default Apache virtual host and enable the MRBS virtual host:

sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf && sudo a2ensite mrbs.conf

Restart Apache to implement changes:

sudo systemctl reload apache2 && sudo systemctl restart apache2

Database and User Creation

Create a database and dedicated user within MariaDB to house the MRBS data:

Access the MariaDB shell as root:

sudo mysql -uroot -p

Create the database and user:

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CREATE DATABASE mrbs;
CREATE USER 'mrbs'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'mrbs123';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'mrbs'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
quit;

Important: Substitute “mrbs123” with a strong, unique password.

MRBS Table Import

Import the MRBS tables into the newly created database:

sudo mysql -u root -pyourmysqlrootpassword mrbs < /var/www/html/mrbs/tables.my.sql

Configure MRBS to use this database.

MRBS Configuration

Update the configuration file to connect MRBS to the database:

Open the configuration file:

sudo vim /var/www/html/mrbs/web/config.inc.php

Locate the “Database Settings” section and adjust the following:

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$dbsys = "mysql";
$db_host = "localhost";
$db_database = "mrbs";
$db_login = "mrbs";
$db_password = "mrbs123";

Important: Replace “mrbs123” with the password defined earlier. Save the file.

MRBS Application Access

With MRBS installed and configured, access the application via: http://mrbs.yourdomain.com

Reference: https://mrbs.sourceforge.io/view_text.php?section=Documentation&file=INSTALL