Installing Claris Server on a single machine

This section describes how to install Claris Server.

Claris Server is available as a download from the Claris Studio > Downloads page associated with your account.

Before you begin

  • Confirm that your machine meets the minimum requirements. See the Claris Server technical specifications.

  • If you plan to use the furigana option for fields and the Furigana function, make sure you have third-party tools such as Kakasi installed on your machine.

Note  To install Claris Server, you can use Ubuntu Server or Ubuntu Desktop on dedicated hardware or a virtual machine.

Step 1. Ensure the Linux packages are available

Update the Linux repository to make the dependent Linux packages available. Enter the command:

sudo apt update

Step 2. Install the Linux packages

Install the required Linux packages using the following CLI commands in the following order:

  • sudo apt install wget

  • sudo apt install unzip

Step 3. Upgrade Linux

Upgrade Linux internal libraries with the latest security and third-party software updates. Enter the command:

sudo apt upgrade

Step 4. Download Claris Server

Download and unzip the Claris Server installer package.

Note  To install Claris Server on Ubuntu Server, use a separate computer with a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) to find the link for the installer (steps 1-3). To install Claris Server on Ubuntu Desktop, you can directly download the installer by clicking the Download button and saving the installer to your chosen directory.

  1. Sign in to Claris Studio.

  2. In the left pane, click Downloads.

  3. Take note of the installer URL provided in the text below the Download button.

  4. Create a new directory to download the installer. Enter the command:

    mkdir <directory_name>

    Note  <directory_name> is your chosen directory name.

  5. Change to the installer directory. Enter the command:

    cd <directory_name>

    Note  <directory_name> is your chosen directory name.

  6. Download the Claris Server installer using the copied URL from Claris Studio Downloads page. Enter the command:

    wget <installer_url>

    Note  <installer_url> is the URL noted in step 3.

  7. Unzip the Claris Server installer package file. Enter the command:

    unzip cs-<VN>.<BN>-amd64-Ubuntu20.zip

    Note  <VN> is the version number and <BN> is the build number.

Step 5. Remove FileMaker Server if it's installed

  1. Disconnect all clients and close all databases using FileMaker Server Admin Console, or using the following fmsadmin commands:

    fmsadmin disconnect client

    fmsadmin close

  2. Make copies of databases stored in /opt/FileMaker/FileMaker Server/Data/Databases.

  3. Run the following command to stop the FileMaker Server service:

    sudo service fmshelper stop

  4. Run the following command to completely remove FileMaker Server from your machine:

    sudo apt purge filemaker-server

  5. Run the following command to remove packages that were automatically installed for FileMaker Server dependencies:

    sudo apt autoremove

  6. Restart your machine.

Step 6. Upgrade Claris Server if an older version is installed

  1. Disconnect all clients and close all databases using Claris Server Admin Console, or using the following fmsadmin commands:

    fmsadmin disconnect client

    fmsadmin close

  2. Run the following command to stop the Claris Server service:

    sudo service claris stop

  3. Follow the instructions in the next section to install Claris Server.

    Your existing Claris Server data and settings are saved and will be used for the updated version of Claris Server.

Step 7. Install Claris Server

  1. Identify the name of the Claris Server installer. Enter the command:

    ls claris*.deb

  2. Run the Claris Server installer. Enter the command:

    sudo apt install ./claris-server-<VN>.<BN>-amd64.deb

    Note  <VN> is the version number and <BN> is the build number.

  3. To accept the Claris Server license agreement, enter Y.

  4. To verify the installation, check that the Claris Server processes and the Nginx server are running. Enter the commands:

    • ps -A | grep fm

    • ps -A | grep nginx

  5. After installation is complete, do one of the following:

    • For installations using Ubuntu Server: Use the following URL to sign in to Admin Console:

      https://<host>/admin-console

      Note  <host> is the IP address or host name of the machine running Claris Server.

    • For installations using Ubuntu Desktop: Close Terminal, then right-click the claris.desktop shortcut icon on your desktop and select Allow Launching. Double-click the claris.desktop shortcut icon to open Claris Server Admin Console in a web browser, then sign in to Admin Console.

If the web server and Claris Server processes are running, the installation is complete.

Next steps

  • Use the following URLs to access Claris Server Admin Console:

    • Local (Ubuntu Desktop): http://localhost:16001/admin-console

    • Remote: https://<host>/admin-console

    Note  <host> is the IP address or host name of the machine running Claris Server.

  • If you plan to use existing FileMaker databases, convert them using Claris Pro. See "Convert your FileMaker apps to Claris apps" in Claris Help Center.

  • Upload databases to Claris Server. See "Uploading files to a FileMaker host" in Claris Pro and FileMaker Pro Help.

  • To authenticate for the following services, you must first create extended Claris accounts in your custom apps: Claris WebDirect, scheduled scripts, Claris Data API, OData API, and Custom Web Publishing with XML (when available). See "Create an extended Claris account" in Claris Help Center.