My YaCy AppImage for beta testing

YaCy
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YaCy Installation Guide (AppImage)

Introduction

Welcome to YaCy, the decentralized search engine! This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and running YaCy using the AppImage format on Linux. With YaCy, you can experience a private, peer-to-peer internet search without centralized servers.

System Requirements

  1. Operating System: Linux (any distribution that supports AppImage).
  2. Dependencies:
  • libfuse2 (to run AppImages).
  • OpenJDK 11 or higher (Java runtime).

Step 1: Preparing Your System

1.1 Install libfuse2

Most Linux distributions require libfuse2 to execute AppImages. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt install libfuse2*

For non-Debian-based distributions, use your package manager to install libfuse2 . Example:

  • Fedora: sudo dnf install fuse-libs
  • Arch: sudo pacman -S fuse2

1.2 Verify Java Installation

If Java is not already installed, YaCy will attempt to install OpenJDK 11 on first execution. You will need to provide your sudo password when prompted.

To check if Java is installed, run:

java -version

If Java is not installed, follow the instructions during the first run of YaCy.

Step 2: Download the AppImage

Download the YaCy AppImage from the official source:

Step 3: Running the AppImage

  1. Make the AppImage Executable: Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the AppImage and make it executable:
chmod +x YaCy_1.940.2.AppImage
  1. Execute the AppImage: Run the AppImage:
./YaCy_1.940.2.AppImage

If OpenJDK 11 is not installed, the AppImage will prompt for your sudo password to install it.
3. Subsequent Runs: After the first setup, simply double-click the AppImage file to start YaCy.

Step 4: Accessing YaCy

Once YaCy is running, open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost:8090

This is your local YaCy interface where you can configure settings, start crawling, and perform searches.

Optional: Managing the Data Folder Untested

By default, YaCy’s data folder is stored in the /tmp directory. This folder is temporary and will be cleared after the system restarts.

To Specify a Persistent Data Location:

  1. Open the YaCy configuration page in your browser (http://localhost:8090/ConfigBasic.html ).
  2. Update the Data Root Path to your desired directory.
  3. Restart YaCy for the changes to take effect.

Step 5: Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  1. AppImage Not Executing:
  • Ensure libfuse2 is installed.
  • Check that the AppImage has executable permissions (chmod +x ).
  1. Port Conflict:
  • If http://localhost:8090 does not load, check if another application is using port 8090. Update the port in YaCy’s configuration file (DATA/SETTINGS/yacy.conf ).
  1. Data Folder Size:
  • The data folder can grow significantly. Periodically clear unwanted data.

Step 6: Uninstallation

  1. Remove the AppImage: Delete the downloaded AppImage file:
rm YaCy_1.940.2.AppImage
  1. Clear Temporary Data: Remove the /tmp folder created by YaCy (optional):
rm -rf /tmp/<yacy_data_folder>

Additional Resources

Enjoy using YaCy and joining the decentralized search revolution!

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