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EZproxy for Linux update

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The instructions on this page describe how to install and update EZproxy for Linux.

Ability versus right

EZproxy allows you to extend access to your databases beyond your library walls to remote users. However, your licensing agreement with database vendors may not authorize you to provide remote access. As an implementer of remote access, it is your responsibility to verify licensing agreements and only permit remote access as authorized.

Update to EZproxy 7.3 GA for Linux

These instructions cover how to update existing Linux installations to EZproxy 7.3. These instructions are valid to update from any version of EZproxy to this release. This process will preserve all existing configuration files.

Before getting started

EZproxy 7.3 requires users to obtain a WSKey to run the software. Before downloading EZproxy, please request your WSKey. To request and obtain a Key, please see Request a WSKey.

If you have already obtained a WSKey for any EZproxy V6.x, you can use this same WSKey to upgrade to the newest version.

  1. Change your current directory to the directory where EZproxy is installed with a command such as: 
    cd /usr/local/ezproxy

  2. Download ezproxy-linux.bin and ezproxy-linux-sha256.sum into the directory where EZproxy is installed. To verify the integrity of the downloaded ezproxy-linux.bin file, run the following command line script.

    sha256sum -c ezproxy-linux-sha256.sum

  • Successful sha256sum command line comparisons should state:

    EZproxy-linux.bin: OK

 Note: If you download the bin file on a different system and use FTP to move it to your EZproxy server, be sure to perform this transfer using binary.

  1. Use the following command to stop the old version of EZproxy:

    ./ezproxy stop

  2. Rename your existing copy of the program file ezproxy to another name such as ezproxy. yyyymmdd replacing yyyymmdd with the current year, month and day using a command such as:

    mv ezproxy ezproxy.yyyymmdd

  3. Rename the program and make it executable with the commands:

    mv ezproxy-linux.bin ezproxy
chmod 755 ezproxy

  4. During this step, if you are updating from EZproxy 5.0 or earlier, you will be asked to allow ezproxy.cfg to be renamed to config.txt and to allow ezproxy.usr to be renamed to user.txt.

    Create any new files required for the updated release with the command:

    ./ezproxy -m

    If you receive any errors during this step, please contact OCLC support.

  5. Optional. If you are updating from an EZproxy 5.0 or earlier, you can choose to rename your existing ezproxy.msg to messages.txt, or you can leave the existing file alone and EZproxy will create a new messages.txt file.

    If you would like to rename the existing file, issue the command:

    mv ezproxy.msg messages.txt

  6. If you are updating from EZproxy V5.7.44 or earlier, copy your new, full WSKey from the OCLC Developer Network WSKeys screen (obtained by following the instructions at How to Request a WSKey), and paste it into your command prompt window with the key command as follows, substituting your complete key for 123456789101112. If you are updating from EZproxy V6.0.8 or newer, you will not need to re-enter your WSKey to update:

    ./ezproxy -k 123456789101112

  7. Start EZproxy with the command:

    ./ezproxy &