---
layout: default
navsection: installguide
title: Install Workbench
...

h2. Install prerequisites

The Arvados package repository includes Workbench server package that can help automate much of the deployment.  It requires:

* "Ruby 2.1 and bundler":install-manual-prerequisites-ruby.html
* The Arvados Python SDK
* Graphviz
* Build tools to build gem dependencies
* Nginx

Workbench doesn't need its own database, so it does not need to have PostgreSQL installed.

On older distributions, you may need to use a backports repository to satisfy these requirements.  For example, on older Red Hat-based systems, consider using the "nginx16":https://www.softwarecollections.org/en/scls/rhscl/nginx16/ Software Collection.

On a Debian-based system, install the following packages:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">sudo apt-get install bison build-essential graphviz git nginx python-arvados-python-client arvados-workbench</span>
</code></pre>
</notextile>

On a Red Hat-based system, install the following packages:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">sudo yum install bison make automake gcc gcc-c++ graphviz git nginx python27-python-arvados-python-client arvados-workbench</span>
</code></pre>
</notextile>

{% include 'notebox_begin' %}

If you intend to use specific versions of these packages from Software Collections, you may have to adapt some of the package names to match; e.g., @nginx16@.

{% include 'notebox_end' %}

{% include 'note_python27_sc' %}

h2. Set up configuration files

The Workbench server package uses configuration files that you write to @/etc/arvados/workbench@ and ensures they're consistently deployed.  Create this directory and copy the example configuration files to it:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">sudo mkdir -p /etc/arvados/workbench</span>
~$ <span class="userinput">sudo chmod 700 /etc/arvados/workbench</span>
~$ <span class="userinput">sudo cp /var/www/arvados-workbench/current/config/application.yml.example /etc/arvados/workbench/application.yml</span>
</code></pre>
</notextile>

h2. Configure Workbench

Edit @/etc/arvados/workbench/application.yml@ following the instructions below.  The deployment script will consistently deploy this to Workbench's configuration directory.  Workbench reads both @application.yml@ and its own @config/application.defaults.yml@ file.  Values in @application.yml@ take precedence over the defaults that are defined in @config/application.defaults.yml@.  The @config/application.yml.example@ file is not read by Workbench and is provided for installation convenience only.

Consult @config/application.default.yml@ for a full list of configuration options.  Always put your local configuration in @/etc/arvados/workbench/application.yml@&mdash;never edit @config/application.default.yml@.

h3. secret_token

This application needs a secret token. Generate a new secret:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">ruby -e 'puts rand(2**400).to_s(36)'</span>
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
</code></pre>
</notextile>

Then put that value in the @secret_token@ field.

h3. arvados_login_base and arvados_v1_base

Point @arvados_login_base@ and @arvados_v1_base@ at your "API server":install-api-server.html. For example like this:

<notextile>
<pre><code>arvados_login_base: https://prefix_uuid.your.domain/login
arvados_v1_base: https://prefix_uuid.your.domain/arvados/v1
</code></pre>
</notextile>

h3. site_name

@site_name@ can be set to any arbitrary string. It is used to identify this Workbench to people visiting it.

h3. arvados_insecure_https

If the SSL certificate you use for your API server isn't an official certificate signed by a CA, make sure @arvados_insecure_https@ is @true@.

h3. Other options

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@.

h2. Configure Piwik

In @/var/www/arvados-workbench/current/config@, copy @piwik.yml.example@ to @piwik.yml@ and edit to suit.

h2. Prepare the Workbench deployment

Now that all your configuration is in place, run @/usr/local/bin/arvados-workbench-upgrade.sh@.  This will install and check your configuration, and install necessary gems.

{% include 'notebox_begin' %}
You can safely ignore the following error message you may see when installing gems:
<notextile>
<pre><code>themes_for_rails at /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.1/bundler/gems/themes_for_rails-1fd2d7897d75 did not have a valid gemspec.
This prevents bundler from installing bins or native extensions, but that may not affect its functionality.
The validation message from Rubygems was:
  duplicate dependency on rails (= 3.0.11, development), (>= 3.0.0) use:
    add_runtime_dependency 'rails', '= 3.0.11', '>= 3.0.0'
Using themes_for_rails (0.5.1) from https://github.com/holtkampw/themes_for_rails (at 1fd2d78)
</code></pre>
</notextile>
{% include 'notebox_end' %}

This command aborts when it encounters an error.  It's safe to rerun multiple times, so if there's a problem with your configuration, you can fix that and try again.

h2. Set up Web server

For best performance, we recommend you use Nginx as your Web server front-end, with a Passenger backend to serve Workbench.  To do that:

<notextile>
<ol>
<li>Install Nginx via your distribution or a backports repository.</li>

<li><a href="https://www.phusionpassenger.com/documentation/Users%20guide%20Nginx.html">Install Phusion Passenger for Nginx</a>.</li>

<li><p>Edit the http section of your Nginx configuration to run the Passenger server, and act as a front-end for it.  You might add a block like the following, adding SSL and logging parameters to taste:</p>

<pre><code>server {
  listen 127.0.0.1:9000;
  server_name localhost-workbench;

  root /var/www/arvados-workbench/current/public;
  index  index.html index.htm index.php;

  passenger_enabled on;
  # If you're using RVM, uncomment the line below.
  #passenger_ruby /usr/local/rvm/wrappers/default/ruby;
}

upstream workbench {
  server     127.0.0.1:9000  fail_timeout=10s;
}

proxy_http_version 1.1;

server {
  listen       <span class="userinput">[your public IP address]</span>:443 ssl;
  server_name  workbench.<span class="userinput">uuid-prefix.your.domain</span>;

  ssl on;

  index  index.html index.htm index.php;

  location / {
    proxy_pass            http://workbench;
    proxy_redirect        off;

    proxy_set_header      X-Forwarded-Proto https;
    proxy_set_header      Host $http_host;
    proxy_set_header      X-External-Client $external_client;
    proxy_set_header      X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header      X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
  }
}
</code></pre>
</li>

<li>Restart Nginx.</li>

</ol>
</notextile>

h2. Trusted client setting

Log in to Workbench once to ensure that the Arvados API server has a record of the Workbench client. (It's OK if Workbench says your account hasn't been activated yet. We'll deal with that next.)

In the <strong>API server</strong> project root, start the rails console.  Locate the ApiClient record for your Workbench installation (typically, while you're setting this up, the @last@ one in the database is the one you want), then set the @is_trusted@ flag for the appropriate client record:

<notextile><pre><code>/var/www/arvados-api/current$ <span class="userinput">RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rails console</span>
irb(main):001:0&gt; <span class="userinput">wb = ApiClient.all.last; [wb.url_prefix, wb.created_at]</span>
=&gt; ["https://workbench.example.com/", Sat, 19 Apr 2014 03:35:12 UTC +00:00]
irb(main):002:0&gt; <span class="userinput">include CurrentApiClient</span>
=&gt; true
irb(main):003:0&gt; <span class="userinput">act_as_system_user do wb.update_attributes!(is_trusted: true) end</span>
=&gt; true
</code></pre>
</notextile>

h2(#admin-user). Add an admin user

Next, we're going to use the rails console on the <strong>API server</strong> to activate our own account and give yourself admin privileges:

<notextile>
<pre><code>/var/www/arvados-api/current$ <span class="userinput">RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rails console</span>
irb(main):001:0&gt; <span class="userinput">Thread.current[:user] = User.all.select(&:identity_url).last</span>
irb(main):002:0&gt; <span class="userinput">Thread.current[:user].is_admin = true</span>
irb(main):003:0&gt; <span class="userinput">Thread.current[:user].update_attributes is_admin: true, is_active: true</span>
irb(main):004:0&gt; <span class="userinput">User.where(is_admin: true).collect &:email</span>
=&gt; ["root", "<b>your_address@example.com</b>"]
</code></pre></notextile>

At this point, you should have a working Workbench login with administrator privileges. Revisit your Workbench URL in a browser and reload the page to access it.