Global Open Versity ICT Labs Install Guide Mahara & Integration with Moodle on Linux v1.0
Global Open Versity
Systems Integration Hands-on Labs Training Manual
Step-By-Step Install Guide Mahara ePortfolio
& Integration with Moodle LMS on Linux
Kefa Rabah
Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada
krabah@globalopenversity.org www.globalopenversity.org
Table of Contents Page No.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTALL GUIDE MAHARA EPORTFOLIO & INTEGRATION WITH MOODLE LMS ON
LINUX 2
Introduction 2
Hands-On Labs Session 2
Part 1: Mahara Install Prerequisites 3
Step 1: Enabling Cookies on Firefox 3 and IE8 3
1. Cookie Settings on Firefox3 on Linux 3
2. Cookie Settings on IE8 on Windows 4
Step 2: Create Mahara Database 5
Step 3: Download and install Mahara: 5
Step 4: Create Mahara Home Directory 7
Step 5: Install Mahara 8
Part 2: Integrating Moodle with Mahara 15
Step 1: Enable SSO: Mahara 17
Step 2: Configuring the XMLRPC Plugins 18
Step 3: Enable SSO: Moodle 20
Step 4: Advanced SSO: Mahara 29
Step 5: Creating a new User in Moodle & SSO into Mahara 32
Part 3 SSO into Moodle from Mahara 34
Step 1: Configure Peer services from Moodle 34
Step 2: Configure Network Authentication from Moodle 36
Step 3: Configuring SSO Authentication on Mahara to enable SSO into Moodle 38
Step 4: Creating Account in Mahara to SSO into Moodle 39
Part 4: Troubleshooting 42
Step 1: Troubleshooting Mahara Installation and Configuration. 42
Step 2: Troubleshooting SSO Authentication from Mahara to Moodle 42
Part 5: Hands-on Labs assignments 43
Web Content Management Training 43
Linux Administration Training 43
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1
© April 2007, Kefa Rabah, Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada
www.globalopenversity.org EBT105 – Web Content Management Training
Global Open Versity ICT Labs Install Guide Mahara & Integration with Moodle on Linux v1.0
Global Open Versity
Systems Integration Hands-on Labs Training Manual
Step-By-Step Install Guide Mahara ePortfolio & Integration with
Moodle LMS on Linux
By Kefa Rabah, krabah@globalopenversity.org Sept 3,, 2010 GTS Institute
Introduction
Mahara is an open source e-portfolio system with a flexible display framework. Mahara, meaning 'think' or
'thought' in Te Reo Māori, is user centered environment with a permissions framework that enables
different views of an e-portfolio to be easily managed. Mahara also features a weblog, resume builder and
social networking system, connecting users and creating online learner communities.
The ePortfolio option allows you to collect, reflect on and share your achievements and development
online, in a space you control. The networking option allows you to create online communities and social
network through Groups, Blogs and Forums.
Moodle is a free and open source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management
System, Learning Management System (LMS), or Virtual Learning Environment. Moodle is designed to
help educators create online courses with opportunities for rich interaction. Its open source license and
modular design mean that people can develop additional functionality. Development is undertaken by a
globally diffused network of commercial and non-commercial users, streamlined by the Moodle Company
based in Perth, Western Australia.
Hands-On Labs Session
In this Hands-on manual, you will learn to setup your own Mahara ePortfolio server and integrate it with
Moodle LMS. We assume that you know how to install and configure Linux CentOS-5 server, and also
how to install and configure Moodle LMS on Linux. In this lab session, you learn how to install and
configure Mahara on Linux CentOS-5. Next, I will show how to integrate it with Moodle LMS using SSO
via XMLRPC authentication scheme. The entire hands-on lab was done using VMware, however, you can
also use any other virtual machines like MS VirtualPC, Linux Xen, or VirtualBox from Oracle. Upon
completion of this hands-on lab session you should have gained expertise and skills to plan design
implement and deploy your own Mahara ePortfolio and its integration with Moodle LMS.
Some of the related links that you may need to get you started are listed below:
1. Install Guide Linux CentOS5 Server
2. Step-by-step Install Guide for Moodle with Dimdim Web Meeting
3. Step-by-step Install Guide Moodle on Linux with Sclipo Live Web Class
4. Using Webmin and Bind9 to Setup DNS Server on Linux
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© April 2007, Kefa Rabah, Global Open Versity, Vancouver Canada
www.globalopenversity.org EBT105 – Web Content Management Training
Global Open Versity ICT Labs Install Guide Mahara & Integration with Moodle on Linux v1.0
Part 1: Mahara Install Prerequisites
Step 1: Enabling Cookies on Firefox 3 and IE8
Mahara ePortfolio requires that you enable cookies for it function properly.
Cookies are small text files given to you by websites. The websites use these text files to store information
about your preferences. Generally, cookies are harmless. We recommend you enable cookies in your web
browser so that websites will function properly.
Cookies are stored on your computer by websites you visit and contain information such as site
preferences or login status. This section describes how to enable and disable cookies in Firefox.
1. Cookie Settings on Firefox3 on Linux
Cookies are enabled by default in Firefox. To custom configure your cookies settings on your Linux
CentOS 5 server, do the following:
1. Click Edit menu and then select Privacy tab
2. Under History heading, set Firefox will: to "Use custom settings for history" as shown in
Fig. 1.
3. Checkmar