TAK Server Install CentOS

3 minute read

TAK Server Options

There are two options to install TAK server.

Install from source using the source code on GitHub. Although the GitHub source code is far behind the packaged release version on tak.gov. These steps may or may not work depending on when you view this tutorial.
Download the .rpm/.deb files from tak.gov

Install from Source

Instructions for installing TAK Server on CentOS 7

CentOS

First you will need the CentOS ISO (CentOS 7). Setup either a VM or install on baremetal.

Follow the prompts on the install, be sure to enable your networking on the install screen, and also set the install to be “infrastructure server”.

Be sure to create an admin password and make the user you create an admin.

TAKServer

Once your CentOS server is setup update the packages.

sudo yum update -y && sudo yum upgrade -y

Then install

sudo yum install epel-release -y

Make sure git is installed

sudo yum install git -y

then clone the TakServer repo

git clone https://github.com/TAK-Product-Center/Server.git

You will also need to make sure Java 11 is installed. (JDK & JRE)

sudo yum install java-11-openjdk-devel -y

You will also need to install patch

sudo yum install patch -y

As well as Postgres

sudo yum install https://download.postgresql.org/pub/repos/yum/reporpms/EL-7-x86_64/pgdg-redhat-repo-latest.noarch.rpm -y

Once those are installed you can build the project.

Build Project

Navigate into the src directory and clean and build the project

cd Server/src
./gradlew clean bootWar

If that completes you are ready to move on.

Run the following:

./gradlew clean buildRpm

This will generate the rpm image for you.

Install from Downloaded .rpm

scp of ftp or sftp the downloaded .rpm file from tak.gov to your server.

sftp <user>@<tak-server-ip>

If you built from source do the following:

cd Server/src/takserver-package/build/distributions

In here you should see the server rpm:

takserver-<version>-RELEASE<Number>.noarch.rpm

At the time of writing this my rpm is takserver-4.5-RELEASE72.noarch.rpm

Both approaches follow the same steps:

Then install the .rpm by running the following command.

sudo yum install takserver-4.5-RELEASE72.noarch.rpm

Setup DB

There is a db install script pre-made that you will have to run.

sudo /opt/tak/db-utils/takserver-setup-db.sh

Reload Service

After the db setup script is complete you can reload the services

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

At this point you can set TAK Server to start at boot

sudo systemctl enable takserver

Certificates

First you will have to become the tak user that is created.

sudo su tak

Then create env variables:

export STATE=<state>
export CITY=<city>
export ORGANIZATION=<my-organizaton>
export ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT=<my-unit>

Navigate to

/opt/tak/certs/

Then run

./makeRootCa.sh

It will ask you to give a name for your CA: example-name

Create a server certificate:

./makeCert.sh server takserver

Client Certs

For each client that you want on your network copy the following command and change user to the user you want to add: ex -> Alpha.

./makeCert.sh client <user>

Admin UI Cert

Generate an admin cert to gain access to the admin UI.

./makeCert.sh client admin

Verify Certs

In the /opt/tak directory open up the coreConfig.xml.

You should see a <security> section like this. Verify that the keystoreFile and trustoreFile match the output from the generate CA step.

    <security>
        <tls keystore="JKS" keystoreFile="certs/files/takserver.jks" keystorePass="atakatak" truststore="JKS" truststoreFile="certs/files/truststore-root.jks" truststorePass="atakatak" context="TLSv1.2" keymanager="SunX509"/>
    </security>

Reload

Stay logged in as the tak user when completing these commands

After you have created the certs restart the TAK Server.

systemctl restart takserver

Then authorize the admin cert.

java -jar /opt/tak/utils/UserManager.jar certmod -A /opt/tak/certs/files/admin.pem

Also, the generated CA trustores and certs will be here:

/opt/tak/certs/files

Firewall

Setup the following firewall rules:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port 8089/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port 8443/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

After reloading the firewall check that the ports are opened by running:

sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports

The output should look like this

8089/tcp 8443/tcp

Web UI

In order to access the webUI you will need to download the admin certificate that you created in the previous step.

You can do this a number of ways.

SFTP
SCP
FileZilla

Choose whichever is best for you. The file you are looking for is here:

/opt/tak/certs/files/admin.p12

Once you have this cert you will have to import it in your browser.

Firefox: Settings -> Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> Certificates -> View Certificates

Select Your Certificates and import the downloaded cert.

The password is atakatak

Then navigate to:

https://yourip:8443/

(Optional) Create Admin Credentials

Create Login Credentials for local admin account:

sudo java -jar /opt/tak/utils/UserManager.jar usermod -A -p <password> <username>

Setup Wizard

Secure: https://yourip:8443/setup/

Insecure with user/pass: http://yourip:8080/setup

Other Configurations

After running through the wizard you may want to disable port 8080.

sudo nano /opt/tak/CoreConfig.xml

then remove

<connector port="8080" tls="false" _name="http_plaintext"/>

save the changes and restart tak server.

sudo systemctl restart takserver

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