---
layout: default
navsection: installguide
title: Install the API server
...

h2. Prerequisites:

# A GNU/Linux (virtual) machine
# A domain name for your api server
# Ruby >= 2.0.0
# Bundler: @gem install bundler@
# Curl libraries: @sudo apt-get install libcurl3 libcurl3-gnutls libcurl4-openssl-dev@

h2. Download the source tree

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">git clone https://github.com/curoverse/arvados.git</span>
</code></pre></notextile>

See also: "Downloading the source code:https://arvados.org/projects/arvados/wiki/Download on the Arvados wiki.

h2. Install gem dependencies

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">cd arvados/services/api</span>
~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">bundle install</span>
</code></pre></notextile>

h2. Configure the API server

Configure the database:

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<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">cp -i config/database.yml.sample config/database.yml</span>
</code></pre></notextile>

By default, the development database will use the sqlite3 driver, so no configuration is necessary.  If you wish to use mysql or postgres, edit @config/database.yml@ to your liking and make sure the database and db user exist. Then initialize the database:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">RAILS_ENV=development bundle exec rake db:setup</span>
</code></pre></notextile>

Then set up omniauth:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">cp -i config/initializers/omniauth.rb.example config/initializers/omniauth.rb
</code></pre></notextile>

Edit @config/initializers/omniauth.rb@. Set @APP_SECRET@ to the value of @app_secret@ from "installing the single sign on server":install-sso.html .

Next, edit the main configuration:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">cp -i config/application.yml.example config/application.yml
</code></pre></notextile>

First, choose a unique 5-character alphanumeric string to use as your @uuid_prefix@. An example is given that generates a 5-character string based on a hash of your hostname. The `uuid_prefix` is a unique identifier for your API server. It also serves as the first part of the hostname for your API server.

For a development site, use your own domain instead of arvadosapi.com.

You also need to install a secret_token for signing cookies. Generate a new secret:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">rake secret
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
</code></pre></notextile>

Put it in @config/application.yml@ in the production or common section:

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<pre><code><span class="userinput">    secret_token: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz</span>
</code></pre>
</notextile>

You will also want to change @compute_node_nameservers@ to suit your environment.

Consult @application.default.yml@ for a full list of configuration options. Always put your local configuration in @application.yml@ instead of editing @application.default.yml@.

You can now run the development server:

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<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">rails server
</code></pre></notextile>

h3. Apache/Passenger (optional)

You can use "Passenger":https://www.phusionpassenger.com/ for deployment. Point it to the services/api directory in the source tree.

To enable streaming so users can monitor crunch jobs in real time, add to your Passenger configuration in Apache:

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<pre><code><span class="userinput">PassengerBufferResponse off</span>
</code></pre>
</notextile>

h2. Add an admin user

Point browser to the API endpoint. Log in with a google account.

In the rails console:

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<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">rails console</span>
irb(main):001:0&gt; <span class="userinput">Thread.current[:user] = User.find(1)</span>
irb(main):002:0&gt; <span class="userinput">Thread.current[:user].is_admin = true</span>
irb(main):003:0&gt; <span class="userinput">User.find(1).update_attributes is_admin: true, is_active: true</span>
irb(main):004:0&gt; <span class="userinput">User.find(1).is_admin</span>
=&gt; true
</code></pre></notextile>

h2. Create an API token

In rails console:

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<pre><code>~/arvados/services/api$ <span class="userinput">rails console</span>
irb(main):001:0&gt; <span class="userinput">a = ApiClient.new(owner_uuid:'0')</span>
irb(main):002:0&gt; <span class="userinput">a.save!</span>
irb(main):003:0&gt; <span class="userinput">x = ApiClientAuthorization.new(api_client_id:a.id, user_id:1)</span>
irb(main):004:0&gt; <span class="userinput">x.save</span>
irb(main):005:0&gt; <span class="userinput">x.api_token</span>
</code></pre></notextile>