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Admin - Getting Started

While this application can run on a high end server, that is by no means a requirement. Most user workstations are sufficient.

Step 1: Install Node.js 18 or better and npm

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment. MonTY is built to run on Node.js.

npm is a package manager that contains all the prerequisites for MonTY.

Node.js can run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Installers on the Node.js website include npm. Node.js and npm are also available in most package managers.

> sudo apt install nodejs
> sudo apt install npm

Step 2: Install git

Alternatively, releases are available on GitHub. Git is not required when using releases.

Git is the version control system that manages the code for Attendance Tracking.

Git can run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can install it using an install on the Git website, or from most package managers.

> sudo apt install git

Step 3: Clone the attendance-tracking repository using git

Open a command line, and navigate to the folder where the application will reside.

> git clone https://github.com/cityssm/attendance-tracking

Step 4: Install the dependencies

> cd attendance-tracking
> npm install

Step 5: Initialize the SQL Server tables

Although Attendance Tracking prefers its own database, all tables are declared in the AttendanceTracking schema, making it possible to share a database with another application with little possibility of colliding.

> sqlcmd -S localhost -U saUser -P saP@ss -Q 'create database AttendanceTracking'
> sqlcmd -S localhost -U saUser -P saP@ss -d AttendanceTracking -i database/scripts/createTables.sql -I

Step 6: Create a config.js file

It is recommended to copy the config.sample.js file to get started.

> cp data/config.sample.js data/config.js

See the config.js documentation for help customizing your configuration.

It is important that the config file includes Active Directory credentials for logging in, and database credentials with read/write permission to the AttendanceTracking tables.

Step 7: Start the application

Start Using npm

> npm start

Start Using node

> node ./bin/www

Start as a Windows Service

The included windowsService-install.bat script simplifies the process of keeping the application running in a Windows environment by creating a service that can start with the hosting server.

> npm link node-windows
> windowsService-install