Binary package installation for Mac, Unix and Windows

How to set up GeoServer with the binary distribution package (-bin version) for Mac, Unix, and Windows platforms.  This is used for manually installing the files and  running GeoServer as a Java program without a wrapper such as Tomcat.

• Unix
• Mac OSX
• Windows

Unix

Getting GeoServer
Select geoserver-*.bin.zip* versions.

geoserver-*-bin.zip

After downloading the binary distribution, unzip geoserver--bin.zip* file to */usr/local (Recommended). The file will expand the files into /usr/local/geoserver.

cd /usr/local
unzip -xvzf geoserver-*-bin.zip

There are two techniques by which the GeoServer binary distribution can be started.   These will run GeoServer as a user program until you stop it (or the computer is restarted).  To have it automatically started see the section Loading GeoServer at boot time.

• Via an environment variable:
  Open a command console and type:

  $GEOSERVER_HOME/bin/startup.sh

• By changing your current working directory
  Open a command console and type:

  cd $GEOSERVER_HOME/bin
  ./startup.sh

Go to http://localhost:8080/geoserver to configure the server.

Loading GeoServer at boot time

Fedora Core & Redhat Linux

Edit a file called /etc/rc.local:

gedit /etc/rc.local

Add this line:

/usr/local/geoserver/bin/startup.sh &

Save the changes and exit the editor and type the following to make the script executable:

chmod +x /etc/profile.d/geoserver.sh

Now we need to make make those variables immediately available:

source /etc/profile.d/java.sh
source /etc/profile.d/geoserver.sh

Mac OSX

1. Download the GeoServer-x.x.x.zip version from the download page on the GeoServer home page
2. unzip to the directory of your choice
3. Open up a terminal and go to the unzipped 'geoserver' directory on the command line.
4. run bin/startup.sh
5. Go to http://localhost:8080/geoserver to configure your server

If you're interested in running GeoServer with Tomcat and/or on Max OS X server, see GeoServer-Tomcat-Mac

Windows

1. Download the GeoServer-x.x.x.exe version from the download page on GeoServer.org
2. Follow the steps on the installer.
3. Select 'start geoserver' from the start menu
4. Go to http://localhost:8080/geoserver Or use the 'admin geoserver' shortcut from the start menu.

For more information on the data directory head to: Data Directories

Hi -- I am attempting to install Geoserver to a Unix server.  I can get the binaries installed and Geoserver starts -- but it will not allow me to bring it up in a browser @ http://localhost:8080/geoserver. I've tried changing the port number -- I've modified the permissions all throughout the baseline.  I am stuck. Furthermore -- the documentation (which is why I'm writing here in the first place) is not helpful at all, especially when one runs into a problem.  There is a feeling based on the documentation that I'm just missing something -- but I don't know what.  The install binaries Unix documentation seem severely incomplete. I would modify them but I just downloaded this yesterday and know not of what I would be writing. Posted by jfox at Aug 30, 2007 07:56