How To Install The Bluecherry Surveillance Software On Linux
Looking for a quick and easy to use surveillance system that supports Linux? Consider taking a look at the Bluecherry surveillance software. It’s a comprehensive security system that focuses on ease of use and simplicity.
Let’s be clear: Bluecherry isn’t free of charge. However, it does come with a 30-day free trial, which users can install to determine if they’re on-board with the product. In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to install the server and client software on Linux.
Install Bluecherry Server
The Bluecherry surveillance system is for servers. Officially, it supports Ubuntu LTS 16.04, CentOS and Debian 8. If you decide to use this software on later versions of Ubuntu, Debian or CentOS, do so at your own risk!
Note: though the Bluecherry surveillance system is a server, that doesn’t mean that you must have a server to run it. Feel free to run this software on the desktop version of Ubuntu, Debian and CentOS provided it stays on at all times.
Ubuntu Server
The developers of Bluecherry have an excellent automatic script that takes care of the heavy lifting. To start the installation, open up a terminal, SSH into your remote server and execute the following command.
sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://dl.bluecherrydvr.com/scripts/install)"
Let the script run on your Ubuntu server or desktop. While the installer is working, it’ll modify several aspects of the machine it’s installing to, install many packages, and configure everything. When the package installation process is complete, return the terminal and follow the prompts that appear.
CentOS Server
CentOS users can quickly install the Bluecherry sever software on their system thanks to the automatic script. It’s also worth pointing out that if you’re using Redhat Enterprise Linux or another Redhat-like server OS, Bluecherry may work on it.
Start the installation on your CentOS box with:
sudo bash -c "$(curl -s https://dl.bluecherrydvr.com/scripts/install)"
The first part of the Bluecherry installation script is automatic. Let the program run and install all of the necessary packages that allow it to run correctly on your CentOS machine. When the installation portion is complete, the installer will walk you through setting up an SQL database for Bluecherry. Follow the prompts and do what the instructions say!
Debian 8 Server
As Debian and Ubuntu are similar in many ways, the installation process for Bluecherry is near identical on both operating systems. To get your Bluecherry system up and running on a server/desktop running Debian 8, run the following command.
Note: Bluecherry also supports Debian 7. If you’d like to set up the server on Debian 7, try the command below, and it should work.
sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://dl.bluecherrydvr.com/scripts/install)"
Pasting the command above into the terminal will set off an automatic process in Debian that involves installing various programs, packages and configuration files for Bluecherry. Sit back and allow the installation program to do its thing. When all of the necessary packages are set up on your Debian machine, the installer will help you finish up the installation by setting up an SQL database. Read what the terminal prompts say, and soon you’ll have the Bluecherry server up and running!
Install Bluecherry Client
If you want to access your Bluecherry security server, you’ll need to install the client. Officially, the developers have downloads available for Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04 and Debian Jesse. The client software also is available for
Ubuntu Client
The developers of Bluecherry distribute their client via a downloadable Deb package. To get it, launch a terminal and use the wget command.
wget https://downloads.bluecherrydvr.com/client/2.2.6/xenial/bluecherry-client_2.2.6-1_amd64.deb
Run the dpkg command to install the Bluecherry package to your Ubuntu PC.
sudo dpkg -i bluecherry-client_2.2.6-1_amd64.deb
After installing the Bluecherry DEB package on many versions of Ubuntu, you may notice some errors. These errors are dependency issues that arise because the dpkg command can’t get the correct dependencies. To fix these errors, we’ll need to add Ubuntu 16.04 as a software source.
sudo -s
echo "#xenial for Bluecherry client" >> /etc/apt/sources.list echo 'deb https://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial universe' >> /etc/apt/sources.list
apt update
Install the Bluecherry dependencies on Ubuntu with:
sudo apt install -f
Debian Client
If you’re using Debian for both the server and client, you’re in luck! Your OS has official support for the client. Install it by downloading the package with wget.
wget https://downloads.bluecherrydvr.com/client/2.2.6/jessie/bluecherry-client_2.2.6-1_amd64.deb
Install the package on Debian with dpkg.
sudo dpkg -i bluecherry-client_2.2.6-1_amd64.deb
Finish out the installation by correcting any dependency issues that occur.
sudo apt-get install -f
Redhat Client
Do you use Fedora Workstation, or CentOS on the desktop, along with your server? Consider reading up on our tutorial about installing DEB packages on Linux distributions that use RPM. There’s no guarantee that this method will work, but if you absolutely need to install the Bluecherry app on a Redhat-based version of Linux, this is a good way to go.
