On Linux/Solaris, the best practice is to install, configure and run each service (including Confluence) as a dedicated user with only the permissions they require.

To install, configure and run Confluence automatically on Linux/Solaris:

1. Create a confluence user for instance, using the following command:

   sudo useradd --create-home -c "Confluence role account" confluence

2. Create a directory to install Confluence into.  In this example we're using /usr/local/confluence.

   sudo mkdir /usr/local/confluence
   sudo chown confluence: /usr/local/confluence
   

   
   

3. Log in as the confluence user to install Confluence:

   sudo su - confluence
   cd /usr/local/confluence/
   tar zxvf /tmp/confluence-5.6.4.tar.gz
   ln -s confluence-5.6.4/ current
   

4. Edit <<CONFLUENCE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY>>/confluence/WEB-INF/classes/confluence-init.properties file, and set confluence.home=/usr/local/confluence/<Confluence_Data_Home> (ensure you have removed the comment '#')

5. Then back as root, create the file /etc/init.d/confluence (code shown below), which will be responsible for starting up Confluence after a reboot (or when manually invoked).
   If you are running Ubuntu Jaunty (or later) do not perform this step. Please use the instructions further down this page.

   #!/bin/sh -e
   # Confluence startup script
   #chkconfig: 2345 80 05
   #description: Confluence
   
   # Define some variables
   # Name of app ( JIRA, Confluence, etc )
   APP=confluence
   # Name of the user to run as
   USER=confluence
   # Location of Confluence install directory
   CATALINA_HOME=/usr/local/confluence/current
   # Location of Java JDK
   export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle
   
   case "$1" in
     # Start command
     start)
       echo "Starting $APP"
       /bin/su -m $USER -c "$CATALINA_HOME/bin/start-confluence.sh &> /dev/null"
       ;;
     # Stop command
     stop)
       echo "Stopping $APP"
       /bin/su -m $USER -c "$CATALINA_HOME/bin/stop-confluence.sh &> /dev/null"
       echo "$APP stopped successfully"
       ;;
      # Restart command
      restart)
           $0 stop
           sleep 5
           $0 start
           ;;
     *)
       echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/$APP {start|restart|stop}"
       exit 1
       ;;
   esac
   
   exit 0
   

6. Make this file executable:

   sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/confluence

7. Set this file to run at the appropriate runlevel. For example, use sudo chkconfig --add confluence on Redhat-based systems, sudo update-rc.d confluence defaults or rcconf on Debian-based systems.

8. You should now be able to start Confluence with the init script. A successful startup output typically looks like this:

   $ sudo /etc/init.d/confluence start
   Starting Confluence:
   If you encounter issues starting up Confluence, please see the Installation guide at http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Confluence+Installation+Guide
   Using CATALINA_BASE:   /usr/local/confluence/current
   Using CATALINA_HOME:   /usr/local/confluence/current
   Using CATALINA_TMPDIR: /usr/local/confluence/current/temp
   Using JRE_HOME:       /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.7.0-oracle
   done.
   

   
   You should then see this running at http://<server>:8090/
   The port for this will be whatever is defined in your Confluence server.xml file.

Adding Confluence as a service for Ubuntu Jaunty (or later)

To continue configuring Confluence to start automatically as a service on Ubuntu Jaunty (or later):

1. After logging in as the confluence user to install Confluence, create start and stop scripts in /usr/local/confluence:
   
   Example startscript:

   #!/bin/bash
   export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle-1.7.0.71/
   export JDK_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle-1.7.0.71/
   cd /usr/local/confluence/current/bin
   ./startup.sh
   

   
   Example stopscript:

   #!/bin/bash
   export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle-1.7.0.71/
   export JDK_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle-1.6.0.71/
   cd /usr/local/confluence/current/bin
   ./shutdown.sh
   

2. Make both of these scripts executable. For example, by issuing the command: sudo chmod a+x /usr/local/confluence/start /usr/local/confluence/stop.

3. Karmic and later: Create two text files in /etc/init/ called confluence-up.conf and confluence-down.conf:
   
   confluence-up:

   start on runlevel [2345]
   
   script
   
   	date >> /tmp/confluence-startup.out
   	exec sudo -u confluence /usr/local/confluence/start >> /tmp/confluence-startup.out 2>&1
   
   end script
   

   
   confluence-down:

   start on runlevel [16]
   
   expect fork
   respawn
   
   exec sudo -u confluence /usr/local/confluence/stop >> /tmp/confluence-shutdown.out 2>&1
   

   
   
   ... and make them readable to all users:
   sudo chmod a+r /etc/init/confluence-up.conf /etc/init/confluence-down.conf

1. Jaunty, Intrepid: Create two text files in /etc/event.d/ called confluence-up and confluence-down:
   
   confluence-up:

   start on runlevel 2
   start on runlevel 3
   start on runlevel 4
   start on runlevel 5
   
   exec sudo -u confluence /usr/local/confluence/start >> /tmp/confluence-startup.out 2>&1
   

   
   confluence-down:

   start on runlevel 1
   start on runlevel 6
   
   exec sudo -u confluence /usr/local/confluence/stop >> /tmp/confluence-shutdown.out 2>&1
   

   
   ... and make them readable to all users:
   sudo chmod a+r /etc/event.d/confluence-up /etc/event.d/confluence-down

RELATED TOPICS

Starting Confluence Automatically on System Startup