cattaDoc backend requirements

cattaDoc is web/cloud-based: The user needs a browser. The rest is on the backend server - and all is open source.

The backend server side of cattaDoc consists of a web server with PHP, a relational database, MySQL, as well as a document repository and a library file repositories, ie. folders on a file server for storing files and documents.

cattaDoc version 6.5 is tested with MySQL 8 and PHP 7.4.

Documents and files are not stored in MySQL, but in the cattaDoc server´s file system, in socalled repositories. cattaDoc maintains pointers in the database to the documents and files i the repositories.

MySQL database

All cattaDoc information is stored in a database, MySQL.

The use of full-text search requires MySQL 5.6 or higher.

Download MySQL

MySQL is included in most Linux distributions and can easily be installed using a Linux package manager, e.g. YAST in OpenSUSE or apt in Ubuntu.

MySQL was first acquired by Sun Microsystems and then Oracle, but you can still download the free open source MySQL database from dev.mysql.com, the socalled Community Edition.

Web server

cattaDoc has been tested on Apache as well as Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).

Apache
Apache is open source and is included in most Linux distributions or can easily be installed using a Linux package manager, e.g. YAST in OpenSUSE or Synaptic Package Manager in Ubuntu.

The open source Apache web server can be downloaded from httpd.apache.org, e.g. for Windows.

Microsoft IIS
Microsoft includes a web server with Windows, i.e. it is free for all Windows users, but not installed by default on desktop or workstation editions of Windows.

Here is what you do to install it - make sure you have the Windows installation CD:

1. Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off
• In Windows XP it is: Open Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Add/Remove Windows Components
2. Select Internet Information Services (IIS)
3. Click on Details... and make sure that World Wide Web Service is selected
4. Click OK -> Next and follow the instructions

After installation of Internet Information Services you might have to reapply the latest Windows service pack in order to ensure that you have the latest patches and security fixes for IIS.

PHP

PHP is the scripting language that cattaDoc is based on.

Download PHP

PHP is open source and is included in most Linux distributions or can easily be installed using a Linux package manager, e.g. YAST in OpenSUSE or apt in Ubuntu.

Two Windows PHP packages are available in a number of different versions, including 32-bit and 64-bit.

gettext
cattaDoc requires one specific add-on to PHP: gettext

Gettext - part of the GNU project - is an open standard for supporting different languages in an application, e.g. an English, a Danish, a French, etc. user interface.

The gettext functions implement an NLS (Native Language Support) API which can be used to internationalise applications.

Note: gettext is operating system-specific and is therefore NOT included in the cattaDoc download file.

In earlier version of PHP, gettext was not included in the installer package, but this seems to be history now.

Enable gettext

In Windows, gettext is a separate DLL (dynamic link library) file:

• php_gettext.dll

Install and / or enable gettext in Windows:

1. Extract the gettext DLL file from the PHP zip package. It is in the ext sub-folder
2. Copy php_gettext.dll to the extensions subfolder for the PHP installation, e.g. C:\PHP\ext
3. Edit the PHP configuration file, php.ini, e.g. C:\PHP\php.ini, to include gettext support by removing the semicolon in front of the line:
   extension=php_gettext.dll
4. Make sure that the extensions folder is correctly defined in php.ini, e.g.:
   extension_dir = C:\PHP\ext
5. In php.ini, adjust the maximum file size for cattaDoc documents, e.g. 10 MB:
   upload_max_filesize = 10M
6. Restart your web server

cattaDoc runs with the PHP.INI parameter register_globals = Off - but of course also with register_globals = On.

PEAR Mail_Mime

PEAR Mail_Mime is an optional PHP add-on for cattaDoc.

PEAR Mail_Mime provides a set of classes to deal with the creation and manipulation of MIME messages. It allows people to create e-mail messages including text and HTML parts, attachments etc.

By adding PEAR Mail_Mime to cattaDoc, you can mail documents to recipients directly from the Send document event in cattaDoc.

Using PEAR Mail_Mime requires access to an SMTP mail server.

You can download PEAR Mail_Mime from pear.php.net.

You integrate PEAR Mail_Mime in cattaDoc through System administration --> Configuration / System constants.

PEAR Mail_Mime replaces HTML Mime Mail used in previous versions of cattaDoc (prior to version 5). HTML Mime Mail is no longer supported. In fact, it is replaced by PEAR Mail_Mime.

Note: PEAR Mail_Mime is part of PHP (operating system-specific) and is therefore not included in the full cattaDoc download package.

pdftotext

Please note that another optional component pdftotext is needed in cattaDoc to extract plain text from PDF documents to enable full-text search.

pdftotext is operating system-specific and therefore not included in the cattaDoc download file.