Installing the Ensembl website

The build instructions are split into three sections:

How to install other applications required by Ensembl: git, Perl, MySQL, Apache 2, Dotter
How to install the Ensembl software
How to install the Ensembl data

Ensembl and MySQL

PLEASE NOTE - even if you do not wish to download all the Ensembl data - for the website to function you will need:

a local database server to manage display settings and user accounts (if these are enabled).
the mysql client software installed on your machine.

If you do not wish to run MySQL (or cannot run a MySQL server locally) AND you do not wish to enable user accounts then you can install SQLite as an alternative server.

Ensembl Version Numbers...

Each Ensembl release has an integer version number associated with it, and that version number is used to identify the correct versions of API, Web code and databases (see below) that make up that release.

For the API and Web code, a git branch (essentially a named snapshot of the code) is made for each release, named with the release version number. The current release is version 104, and the git branch for identifying the API and Web code for this release is 'release/104'.

The Ensembl database names consist of the species, the database type, the release number, and the data version. The current human 'core' database is named homo_sapiens_core_104_. i.e. a human core database, release 104, data version built on the GRCh38 assembly.

The idea is that components with the same release version should work together - i.e. any web site built with 'version 104' API and web code, and 'version 104' databases should work correctly.

Once you have completed all these steps, you are ready to configure your installation.

Next: Configuration →