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FastX 5 Server Installation

The purpose of this document is to give an in-depth understanding of how to install and configure FastX for use on your Linux system.  This guide will cover basic installation as well as more advanced topics such as installation in non standard locations.

Release Notes

System Requirements

  • Intel or AMD x86-64 or ARM64 processor
  • RHEL 9 or later (or equivalent Debian/Ubuntu etc); including RHEL 10
  • Files Requirements

Additional Requirements

  • FastX Activation Code (License Key)
  • FastX Advanced Code (For Cluster Support)

These requirements can be modified by changing the default startup options.

  • /tmp directory with Read/Write access for all users
  • Clustering: Mounted $HOME directory recommended

FastX Client

FastX can be access using the FastX client or using a common web browser. The installation of the FastX Server on your Liunx system is required in order to use the FastX client or web browser.

1

Installation Instructions

For Private Network Installation (Disconnected from the internet or Non-Root Installation)

Basic Package (Activation Key Required)

Download the repo setup script

Download Script
2

Set up the repository:

sudo bash setup-starnet-repo.sh
3

Install FastX

RHEL/Fedora

sudo dnf install fastx5-server

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install fastx5-server
4

Optional: Add a License and License Info

Normal Standalone Installation:

Have your license activation key ready, and run the following command:

sudo -u fastx /usr/lib/fastx/5/install/activate

With a Central License Server:

If your FastX license is served from a central license server, run the following command:

sudo -u fastx /usr/lib/fastx/5/install/license-server

Default Ports

  • TCP Port 22 for SSH
  • TCP Port 3300 for web (https://hostname:3300)

To open this port through the firewall, run these commands:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=3300/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
Additional Registration Options

Advanced Installation Topics

Installing in an Alternate Location

On RPM based systems (RHEL/Fedora/CentOS/SuSE/etc), the FastX server can be installed in a location different from the default.

In the following example, the FastX server will be installed in /opt/fastx

rpm -i --prefix=/opt/fastx fastx5-server-*.rpm

NOTE: Debian packages (.deb) do not install to an alternate location. To install the FastX server in an alternate location, use the non-root instructions

Disabling Services

The following services are installed by default

  • fastx5 — web server
  • fastx5-sshd — sshd service for launching sessions without user logins
  • fastx5-rlm — rlm license service

To prevent the installation of services add the environment variable FASTX_INSTALL_DISABLE when installing. Use one or more of “fastx5”, “sshd”, and “rlm”, separated with a comma to disable one or more of these services.

FASTX_INSTALL_DISABLE=fastx5,sshd,rlm dnf install -y fastx5-server

Alternate Configuration Locations

Alternate Configuration Locations

Default file locations can be specified as environment variables.

To specify custom locations, do the following:

  1. Run the command systemctl edit fastx5.service
  2. In the [Service] section, add environment variable(s) such as:
    • Environment=FX_VAR_DIR=/my/custom/location
  3. Save
  4. Restart FastX: systemctl restart fastx5
  5. To change the FX_LOCAL_DIR location and preserve communication between a FastX client SSH connection and the FastX server, change that variable in the /usr/lib/fastx/5/.env file.

Migration From FastX 4

FastX 3 user will need to migrate to FastX 4.  Then migrate to FastX 5.

Upgrading Theme

FastX 5 has moved from a single theme to multiple themes. To reflect multiple themes, FastX also moved the login page settings into the theme itself

Copy the /etc/fastx/theme.ini file into /etc/fastx/themes/theme.ini

mkdir -p /etc/fastx/themes 
cp /etc/fastx/theme.ini /etc/fastx/themes 
chown -R fastx.fastx /etc/fastx/themes

Move the Login configuration from /etc/fastx/fastx.env to /etc/fastx/themes/theme.ini
There is a new section in the theme called login (shown below). Move the variables from fastx.env to the following sections

[login] # 
LOGIN_THEME_LOGO_POSITION 
logoPosition= 
# AUTH_SSH_HIDE_PASSWORD 
hidePassword=false 
# AUTH_SSH_HIDE_MANAGE_KEYS 
hideManageKeys=false 
# LOGIN_HIDE_ADMIN_BUTTON 
hideAdminButton=false 
# LOGIN_DISCLAIMER 
disclaimer=This is a Disclaimer. 
# LOGIN_TAGLINE 
tagline=The fastest systems are powered by FastX

Moving Icons

The icons directory has now been renamed to media

mv -T /etc/fastx/icons /etc/fastx/media

Migrating Users

Migrating Users

Clustering has been moved to its own package fastx-advanced. For clustered users copy the /var/fastx directory to the server running the cluster

Additional Information

Resetting the Admin Account

Admins are defined by Linux User Groups.  If somehow you need to reset the admin account run the following command.

/usr/lib/fastx/5/tools/reset-admin

Note: The user who is running the FastX web service always has superadmin access.

Installing Third-Party Certificates

FastX ships with self-signed certificates to get the web server up and running with as little trouble as possible.  Once the system has been configured and is ready to go into production, it is time to add your own certificates from a trusted third party (VeriSign, Thawte, Comodo etc).  Acquiring the certificate is beyond the scope of this guide and typically the trusted third parties have instructions on how to do those.

Edit $FX_CONFIG_DIR/fastx.env (note: $FX_CONFIG_DIR is /etc/fastx by default):

CERT_FILE=/path/to/your/valid.crt 
KEY_FILE=/path/to/your/valid.key 
CA_FILE=/path/to/your/valid/ca_bundle.crt

Restart the service:

sudo systemctl restart fastx5