Getting Started

OpenDataBio is a web-based software supported in Debian, Ubuntu and Arch-Linux distributions of Linux and may be implemented in any Linux based machine. We have no plans for Windows support, but it may be easy to install on a Windows machine using Docker.

OpenDataBio is written in PHP and developed with the Laravel framework. It requires a web server (Apache or nginx), PHP and a SQL database – tested only with MySQL and MariaDB.

You may install OpenDataBio easily using the Docker files included in the distribution. The repository now includes a docker/prod profile and docker-compose.prod.yml so Docker can also be used for production deployments (with server-specific tuning and secrets management).

If you just want to test OpenDataBio locally, follow the Docker Installation.

Next steps

1. Apache Installation
2. Nginx Installation
3. Docker Installation
4. Upgrade OpenDataBio
5. Administrator configuration

Prep for installation

1. You may want to request a Tropicos.org API key for OpenDataBio to be able to retrieve taxonomic data from the Tropicos.org database. If not provided, mainly the GBIF nomenclatural service will be used;
2. Decide how Pl@ntNet image identification will be authorized. A Pl@ntNet developer API key in PLANTNET_API_KEY provides a quota shared by the installation. Alternatively, leave the server key empty, enable personal keys, and require users to add their own key in their profile. With PLANTNET_ALLOW_USER_KEYS=true, personal keys always take precedence; PLANTNET_SERVER_FALLBACK controls whether users without one may use the server key. See Administrator configuration.
3. OpenDataBio sends email for completed Jobs, dataset requests and password recovery. Configure a dedicated SMTP account or transactional email provider and store its credentials only in .env. Google no longer supports “Less secure app access”; when Gmail SMTP is appropriate, use an account with two-step verification and an app password, subject to your organization’s policy. See config/mail.php and .env.example for the supported settings.