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Installing ERPNext on Ubuntu, A Secure and Multi-Tenant Approach with Cloudflare Tunnel

··797 words·4 mins
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Andrew Sulisthio
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Andrew Sulisthio
Passionately developing efficient and easy-to-maintain web solutions for businesses whilst procuring and serving international connoisseurs with auction-grade coffees

This post builds upon my previous guide for setting up a secure Ubuntu server in Hyper-V. Now, we’ll install ERPNext, a powerful open-source ERP system, on that server. We’ll leverage Cloudflare Tunnel for secure, SSL-encrypted access, and I’ll show you how to set up a second “sandbox” ERPNext instance for testing and development.

Part 1: Exposing Your Server Securely with Cloudflare Tunnel

Before installing ERPNext, we need a secure way to access the server. Cloudflare Tunnel provides a robust, SSL-encrypted connection without exposing your server’s IP address directly to the internet.

  1. Cloudflare Setup:
    • Log in to your Cloudflare account.
    • Click “Websites” and select the domain you want to use for your ERPNext instance.
    • Navigate to “Tunnels” under the “Traffic” section and click “Create a tunnel.”
    • Choose a name for your tunnel (e.g., erpnext-tunnel).
    • Select the Linux/Debian option for your server.
  2. Run the Cloudflare Tunnel Connector:
    • Cloudflare will provide a set of commands to run on your Ubuntu server.
    • Important: Log in to your server via SSH as your regular user (the one you use for sudo commands). Do not use the root user.
    • Copy and paste the provided commands into your server’s terminal and run them. This installs the cloudflared connector.
  3. Verify Tunnel Connection:
    • Back in the Cloudflare dashboard, you should see a connector listed in the “Connectors” section at the bottom of the page, with a status of “Connected.”
    • Click “Next.”
  4. Configure Public Hostnames:
    • This step defines how traffic is routed to your server.
    • Subdomain: Choose a subdomain for your ERPNext instance (e.g., erp).
    • Domain: Select your domain from the dropdown.
    • Type: Select HTTP.
    • URL: Enter localhost.
    • Click “Save tunnel.”

With the Cloudflare Tunnel configured, your server is now accessible via https://erp.yourdomain.com (replace erp.yourdomain.com with your actual subdomain and domain).

Part 2: Installing ERPNext using the Easy Install Script

Now that our server is securely accessible, let’s install ERPNext. I recommend using the “ERPNext Quick Install” script for a streamlined setup.

  1. SSH Access: Ensure you’re logged into your Ubuntu server via SSH as your regular user (the one that can use sudo).

  2. Download and Run the Script:

    • Clone the ERPNext Quick Install repository and run it using the following set of commands:
    sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/flexcomng/erpnext_quick_install
cd erpnext_quick_install
chmod +x erpnext_install.sh
source erpnext_install.sh

  3. Follow the Prompts: The script will guide you through the installation process. Here’s a breakdown of the inputs you’ll need to provide (adjust as needed):

    • ERPNext Version: Choose the version you want to install (e.g., 3 for Version 15).
    • Continue? yes
    • SQL Root Password: your_secure_sql_password (choose a strong password)
    • Confirm Password: your_secure_sql_password
    • Site Name: Crucial: Enter your fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that you configured in Cloudflare (e.g., erp.yourdomain.com). This is essential for SSL to work correctly.
    • Administrator Password: your_erpnext_admin_password (choose a strong password)
    • Install ERPNext? yes
    • Production Install? yes
    • Install HRMS? yes (or no, depending on your needs)
    • Install SSL? yes
    • Email Address: [email protected]

  4. Post-Installation:

    • After the script completes, run the following commands (these are sometimes necessary to ensure proper Nginx configuration):
    sudo bench setup nginx
sudo service nginx restart

You should now be able to access your ERPNext instance by visiting https://erp.yourdomain.com in your web browser.

Part 3: Creating a Second “Sandbox” ERPNext Instance (Multi-Tenancy)

It’s highly recommended to have a separate ERPNext instance for testing, development, and exploring new features without risking your production data. Here’s how to set up a second instance using ERPNext’s multi-tenancy features:

  1. Add a New Cloudflare Tunnel Public Hostname:

    • In Cloudflare, navigate to your tunnel configuration.
    • Add a new public hostname entry for your second instance.
    • Subdomain: Choose a different subdomain (e.g., erp2).
    • Domain: Select your domain.
    • Type: HTTP
    • URL: localhost (both instances can share the same port)
    • Save the changes.

  2. Create a New ERPNext Site:

    • SSH into your server and navigate to the frappe-bench directory of ERPNext.
    • Run the following command to create a new site:
    bench new-site erp2.yourdomain.com

    (Replace erp2.yourdomain.com with your actual subdomain and domain).

  3. Enable DNS Multi-Tenancy:

    bench config dns_multitenant on

  4. Install ERPNext and HRMS on the New Site:

    bench --site erp2.yourdomain.com install-app erpnext
bench --site erp2.yourdomain.com install-app hrms

  5. Restart Nginx:

    bench setup nginx
service nginx restart

You can now access your second ERPNext instance at https://erp2.yourdomain.com. You’ll have a completely separate database and configuration, allowing you to experiment freely.

Important Considerations:

  • sshd_config.d Directory: Be aware that configurations in the /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/ directory can override settings in the main sshd_config file. Check these files to ensure password authentication is truly disabled.

Final Thoughts:

I hope this comprehensive guide empowers you to deploy ERPNext securely and efficiently, along with a dedicated sandbox environment. Feel free to customize the installation further to suit your specific needs. I am confident this set up will prove to be invaluable as you explore the full potential of ERPNext!