Chapter 2: Installation & Setup

This chapter covers the complete installation process for the School Management System.

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2.1 Pre-Installation Requirements

Server Requirements

Before installing, ensure your server meets these requirements:

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
-------------	---------	-------------
PHP Version	8.2+	8.2 or higher
MySQL Version	5.7+	8.0+
Web Server	Apache/Nginx	Apache 2.4+
RAM	2GB	4GB+
Disk Space	5GB	20GB+
Composer	Latest	Latest

Required PHP Extensions

OpenSSL

Mbstring

Tokenizer

Ctype

JSON

Fileinfo

curl

Database Requirements

Create an empty database

Note the database credentials (host, username, password, database name)

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2.2 Installation Methods

Method A: Manual Installation (Recommended)

#### Step 1: Download Source Code `bash git clone https://github.com/your-repo/school-management-system.git cd school-management-system `

#### Step 2: Install Dependencies `bash composer install `

#### Step 3: Configure Environment

Copy the example environment file:

`bash cp .env.example .env `

Edit .env file with your database credentials:

`env DB_CONNECTION=mysql DB_HOST=127.0.0.1 DB_PORT=3306 DB_DATABASE=school_db DB_USERNAME=root DB_PASSWORD=your_password `

#### Step 4: Generate Application Key `bash php artisan key:generate `

#### Step 5: Run Migrations `bash php artisan migrate `

#### Step 6: Seed Initial Data (Optional) `bash php artisan db:seed `

#### Step 7: Set Permissions `bash

Linux/Mac

chmod -R 755 storage/ chmod -R 755 bootstrap/cache/ chown -R www-data:www-data storage/ `

#### Step 8: Configure Web Server

For Apache (.htaccess): Ensure the public/.htaccess file is properly configured.

For Nginx: Add server block: `nginx server { listen 80; server_name yourdomain.com; root /path/to/public; index index.php index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string; } location ~ \.php$ { fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock; fastcgi_index index.php; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name; include fastcgi_params; } location /storage { alias /path/to/storage/app/public; } } `

#### Step 9: Complete Installation

Open your browser and navigate to your domain

Follow the on-screen installation wizard

Create your admin account

Complete initial configuration

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Method B: Using Install Script

#### Step 1: Upload Files Upload all files to your server's web directory (public_html or www or htdocs).

#### Step 2: Set Permissions Ensure the following folders are writable:

/storage

/bootstrap/cache

/public/uploads

#### Step 3: Run Installation Script Navigate to: https://yourdomain.com/install

Note: The install script may already be included in your package.

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2.3 Post-Installation Checklist

After successful installation, verify these items:

Database

[ ] Database connection established

[ ] All tables created

[ ] Initial data seeded (if selected)

File Permissions

[ ] Storage directory writable

[ ] Cache directory writable

[ ] Upload directory writable

Configuration

[ ] Application key generated

[ ] .env file properly configured

[ ] Debug mode disabled (production)

Web Server

[ ] Site accessible via browser

[ ] Clean URLs working

[ ] Assets loading correctly

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2.4 First-Time Setup Wizard

After installation, complete these steps:

Step 1: Welcome Screen

Select your language

Click "Continue"

Step 2: School Information

Enter your school details:

Field	Description	Example
-------	-------------	---------
School Name	Full school name	Sunshine International School
School Tagline	Short tagline	Excellence in Education
Email	Contact email	info@school.edu
Phone	Contact number	+1 234 567 890
Address	Full address	123 Education Lane, City

Step 3: Academic Year

Create your first academic year:

Field	Description	Example
-------	-------------	---------
Year Name	Academic year label	2025-2026
Start Date	Year start date	2025-01-01
End Date	Year end date	2025-12-31
Is Current	Set as active year	Yes ✓

Step 4: Administrator Account

Create the main admin account:

Field	Description	Example
-------	-------------	---------
Name	Full name	John Smith
Email	Login email	admin@school.edu
Password	Account password	**
Confirm Password	Confirm password	**

Step 5: Configuration

Set basic preferences:

Setting	Options
---------	---------
Currency	USD, EUR, KHR, etc.
Date Format	DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY
Time Format	12-hour, 24-hour
Timezone	Select appropriate timezone

Step 6: Complete

Review your settings

Click "Complete Setup"

You will be redirected to the login page

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2.5 Logging In for the First Time

Admin Login

Navigate to: https://yourdomain.com/login

Enter your admin credentials:

- Email: admin@school.edu (or your configured email) - Password: Your chosen password

Click "Login"

After Login

You will see the admin dashboard

All menu items should be accessible

You can now begin configuring the system

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2.6 Troubleshooting Installation Issues

Common Problems and Solutions

#### Problem: "No connection to database" Solution:

Verify database credentials in .env file

Ensure MySQL service is running

Check database user has proper permissions

Verify database host is correct (localhost or IP)

#### Problem: "Class 'Illuminate\Foundation\Application' not found" Solution: `bash composer install --no-dev composer dump-autoload `

#### Problem: "Permission denied" errors Solution: `bash

Linux

chmod -R 755 storage bootstrap/cache chown -R www-data:www-data . `

#### Problem: Assets not loading (CSS/JS) Solution: `bash php artisan config:clear php artisan cache:clear php artisan view:clear npm run build # If using mix `

#### Problem: Blank white screen Solution:

Check .env file exists

Enable error reporting in index.php:

`php error_reporting(E_ALL); ini_set('display_errors', 1); `

Check server error logs

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2.7 Upgrading the System

Before upgrading:

Backup your database and files

Check release notes for breaking changes

Test in staging environment first

Upgrade Steps

`bash

Pull latest changes

git pull origin main

Update dependencies

composer update --no-dev

Run migrations

php artisan migrate

Clear cache

php artisan optimize:clear `

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2.8 Installation Complete

Next Steps

Continue to Chapter 3: Initial Configuration to complete system setup

Configure user roles and permissions (Chapter 4)

Add your first classes and students

Support

If you encounter issues not covered here:

Check the FAQ section

Review server error logs

Contact system administrator

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Quick Reference

Essential Commands

`bash composer install # Install dependencies php artisan migrate # Run database migrations php artisan db:seed # Seed initial data php artisan cache:clear # Clear application cache php artisan config:clear # Clear config cache `

Important Files

File	Purpose
------	---------
`.env`	Environment configuration
`config/app.php`	Application settings
`config/database.php`	Database settings

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Table of Contents

Installation & Setup