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+.. _Run Open edX Without Tutor:
+
+How to Run Open edX (edx-platform) Without Tutor
+################################################
+
+.. tags:: site operator, how-to
+
+This guide provides a checklist for running the Open edX platform (edx-platform)
+directly on Ubuntu without using Tutor. This approach requires manual setup of
+all dependent services and is intended for system administrators who need
+fine-grained control over their deployment or development environment.
+
+The focus of this guide is on getting a development environment up and running,
+but it touches on some of the key steps involved in setting up a production
+environment as well.
+
+.. warning::
+
+   Running Open edX without Tutor is significantly more complex than using the
+   officially supported Tutor installation method. This approach requires
+   extensive system administration knowledge and is not recommended for production
+   deployments unless you have specific requirements that prevent using Tutor.
+
+Prerequisites
+*************
+
+* Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
+* Root or sudo access
+* Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB+ recommended for production)
+* Basic familiarity with Django applications
+* Understanding of service management (systemd)
+
+.. warning::
+
+   **Python Version Requirements by Branch:**
+
+   * **Teak and Ulmo named releases**: Require Python 3.11
+   * **Master branch**: Compatible with Python 3.12
+
+   If you need to use Teak or Ulmo, you must install Python 3.11 from the deadsnakes PPA.
+
+   For the latest features, and development use Python 3.12 and the master branches.
+
+   This guide assumes you are using the master branch with Python 3.12.
+
+
+Required Services Overview
+**************************
+
+The Open edX platform requires the following services to be running:
+
+* **MySQL 8.0** - Primary relational database
+* **MongoDB 7.0** - Document storage for modulestore (course content)
+* **Redis 7.x** - Caching and Celery broker
+* **Memcached** - Application caching layer
+* **Elasticsearch 7.x** - Course search functionality
+
+Installation Steps
+******************
+
+1. Install System Dependencies
+==============================
+
+Install required packages:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get update
+   sudo apt-get install -y \
+       build-essential \
+       git \
+       libffi-dev \
+       libmysqlclient-dev \
+       libssl-dev \
+       libxml2-dev \
+       libxslt1-dev \
+       libjpeg-dev \
+       libpng-dev \
+       python3.12 \
+       python3.12-dev \
+       python3-pip \
+       python3-venv \
+       pkg-config
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   python3.12 --version
+   git --version
+
+
+2. Install and Configure MySQL
+==============================
+
+Install MySQL 8.0:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get install -y mysql-server mysql-client
+   sudo systemctl start mysql
+   sudo systemctl enable mysql
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Container environments:** If running in a Docker container without systemd, use
+   ``sudo service mysql start`` instead of systemctl commands.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo systemctl status mysql
+   mysql --version
+
+Create required databases and users:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo mysql -e "CREATE DATABASE edxapp CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
+   sudo mysql -e "CREATE DATABASE edxapp_csmh CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
+   sudo mysql -e "CREATE USER 'edxapp'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';"
+   sudo mysql -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON edxapp.* TO 'edxapp'@'localhost';"
+   sudo mysql -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON edxapp_csmh.* TO 'edxapp'@'localhost';"
+   sudo mysql -e "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+
+.. note::
+
+   Replace ``your_password`` with a strong password. Store it securely for use in Django settings.
+
+**Test database creation:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mysql -u edxapp -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"
+   # Should list edxapp and edxapp_csmh databases
+
+3. Install and Configure MongoDB
+================================
+
+Install MongoDB 7.0:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-7.0.asc | \
+       gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg > /dev/null
+   echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/7.0 multiverse" | \
+       sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-7.0.list
+   sudo apt-get update
+   sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org
+   sudo systemctl start mongod
+   sudo systemctl enable mongod
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Container environments:** If systemctl is not available, start MongoDB manually:
+   ``sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/mongodb /var/log/mongodb && sudo chown -R mongodb:mongodb /var/lib/mongodb /var/log/mongodb && sudo mongod --fork --logpath /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log --dbpath /var/lib/mongodb``
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo systemctl status mongod
+   mongosh --eval "db.version()"
+
+Create MongoDB database and user:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mongosh <<EOF
+   use edxapp
+   db.createUser({
+       user: "edxapp",
+       pwd: "your_mongodb_password",
+       roles: [{role: "readWrite", db: "edxapp"}]
+   })
+   EOF
+
+**Test MongoDB access:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mongosh -u edxapp -p your_mongodb_password --authenticationDatabase edxapp --eval "db.getName()"
+   # Should return: edxapp
+
+4. Install and Configure Redis
+==============================
+
+Install Redis:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get install -y redis-server
+   sudo systemctl start redis-server
+   sudo systemctl enable redis-server
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Container environments:** Use ``sudo service redis-server start`` if systemctl is unavailable.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo systemctl status redis-server
+   redis-cli ping
+   # Should return: PONG
+
+5. Install and Configure Memcached
+==================================
+
+Install Memcached:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get install -y memcached
+   sudo systemctl start memcached
+   sudo systemctl enable memcached
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Container environments:** Use ``memcached -d -u root`` to start in daemon mode if systemctl is unavailable.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo systemctl status memcached
+   # Install netcat if not present
+   sudo apt-get install -y netcat-openbsd
+   echo "stats" | nc localhost 11211
+   # Should return memcached statistics
+
+6. Install and Configure Elasticsearch
+======================================
+
+Install Elasticsearch 7.x:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   wget -qO - https://artifacts.elastic.co/GPG-KEY-elasticsearch | \
+       gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/elasticsearch-keyring.gpg > /dev/null
+   echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/elasticsearch-keyring.gpg] https://artifacts.elastic.co/packages/7.x/apt stable main" | \
+       sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/elastic-7.x.list
+   sudo apt-get update
+   sudo apt-get install -y elasticsearch
+   sudo systemctl start elasticsearch
+   sudo systemctl enable elasticsearch
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Container environments:** Use ``sudo /etc/init.d/elasticsearch start`` if systemctl is unavailable.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   # Wait 30 seconds for Elasticsearch to fully start
+   sleep 30
+   curl -X GET "localhost:9200/"
+   # Should return JSON with cluster information
+
+7. Install Node.js and Build Tools
+==================================
+
+Install Node.js 18.x:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
+   sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   node --version
+   # Should return: v18.x.x
+   npm --version
+   # Should return: 9.x.x or higher
+
+8. Clone edx-platform Repository
+================================
+
+Choose your installation directory and clone the repository:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   # Use shallow clone to save time and disk space
+   # Clone master branch (compatible with Python 3.12)
+   sudo git clone --depth 1 --branch master https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform.git
+   cd edx-platform
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Branch Selection:**
+
+   * **master branch** (recommended): Latest development version, Python 3.12 compatible
+   * **release/ulmo.1**: Named release, requires Python 3.11
+   * **release/teak.1**: Named release, requires Python 3.11
+
+   For named releases with Python 3.11, use:
+   ``sudo git clone --depth 1 --branch release/ulmo.1 https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform.git``
+
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   ls -la /opt/edx-platform
+   git log -1
+   # Should show the latest commit
+
+9. Create Python Virtual Environment
+====================================
+
+Create and activate a virtual environment:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   sudo python3.12 -m venv venv
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER venv
+   source venv/bin/activate
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   which python
+   # Should return: /opt/edx-platform/venv/bin/python
+   python --version
+   # Should return: Python 3.12.x
+
+10. Install Python Requirements
+===============================
+
+Install edx-platform Python dependencies:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+   pip install -r requirements/edx/base.txt
+   pip install -r requirements/edx/assets.txt
+
+.. note::
+
+   This step may take 15-30 minutes depending on your system. If you encounter
+   errors, you may need to install additional system libraries. The assets.txt
+   file includes libsass which is required for SASS compilation in the next step.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   pip list | grep -i django
+   # Should show Django and related packages
+   pip list | grep -i celery
+   # Should show Celery
+
+11. Install Node.js Dependencies and Build Assets
+=================================================
+
+Install JavaScript dependencies and build static assets:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   npm clean-install
+   npm run webpack
+
+   # SASS compilation must run with virtual environment activated
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   PATH="$PATH:/opt/edx-platform/node_modules/.bin" python scripts/compile_sass.py --env=production
+
+.. note::
+
+   This step may take 10-20 minutes and requires significant memory. The webpack
+   build and SASS compilation are separate steps because the SASS compilation
+   script requires access to Python packages in the virtual environment. Running
+   ``npm run build`` directly will fail because it doesn't activate the venv before
+   running the SASS compilation script.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   ls node_modules/ | wc -l
+   # Should show hundreds of packages
+   ls -la lms/static/
+   # Should show compiled assets
+
+12. Create Configuration Files
+==============================
+
+Create the configuration directory:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo mkdir -p /edx/etc
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /edx
+
+Create LMS configuration file at ``/edx/etc/lms.yml``:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   PLATFORM_NAME: "Your Open edX Site"
+   LMS_BASE: "localhost:8000"
+   LMS_ROOT_URL: "http://localhost:8000"
+   CMS_BASE: "localhost:8001"
+
+   DATABASES:
+     default:
+       ENGINE: django.db.backends.mysql
+       NAME: edxapp
+       USER: edxapp
+       PASSWORD: your_password
+       HOST: localhost
+       PORT: 3306
+
+   MODULESTORE:
+     default:
+       ENGINE: xmodule.modulestore.mongo.MongoModuleStore
+       OPTIONS:
+         host: localhost
+         port: 27017
+         user: edxapp
+         password: your_mongodb_password
+         db: edxapp
+
+   CACHES:
+     default:
+       BACKEND: django.core.cache.backends.memcached.PyMemcacheCache
+       LOCATION: 127.0.0.1:11211
+
+   CELERY_BROKER_URL: redis://localhost:6379/0
+
+   ELASTIC_SEARCH_CONFIG:
+     - host: localhost
+       port: 9200
+
+   # MFE Configuration
+   MFE_CONFIG:
+     LEARNING_BASE_URL: http://localhost:2000
+     ACCOUNT_SETTINGS_URL: http://localhost:1997
+     ACCOUNT_PROFILE_URL: http://localhost:1995
+     DISCUSSIONS_MFE_BASE_URL: http://localhost:2002
+     GRADEBOOK_BASE_URL: http://localhost:1994
+     AUTHN_BASE_URL: http://localhost:1999
+
+   # CORS Configuration for MFEs
+   CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST:
+     - http://localhost:1999
+     - http://localhost:1995
+     - http://localhost:1997
+     - http://localhost:2000
+     - http://localhost:2002
+     - http://localhost:1994
+
+   CORS_ALLOW_CREDENTIALS: true
+   CORS_ALLOW_HEADERS:
+     - '*'
+
+   # Login redirect whitelist
+   LOGIN_REDIRECT_WHITELIST:
+     - localhost:1999
+     - localhost:1995
+     - localhost:1997
+     - localhost:2000
+     - localhost:2002
+     - localhost:1994
+
+   # Enable MFE features
+   FEATURES:
+     ENABLE_AUTHN_MICROFRONTEND: true
+     ENABLE_DISCUSSION_HOME_PANEL: true
+     ENABLE_DISCUSSIONS_MFE: true
+
+   # Session cookie settings
+   SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN: localhost
+   SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE: Lax
+
+Create CMS (Studio) configuration file at ``/edx/etc/cms.yml``:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   PLATFORM_NAME: "Your Open edX Site"
+   CMS_BASE: "localhost:8001"
+   LMS_BASE: "localhost:8000"
+   LMS_ROOT_URL: "http://localhost:8000"
+
+   DATABASES:
+     default:
+       ENGINE: django.db.backends.mysql
+       NAME: edxapp
+       USER: edxapp
+       PASSWORD: your_password
+       HOST: localhost
+       PORT: 3306
+
+   MODULESTORE:
+     default:
+       ENGINE: xmodule.modulestore.mongo.MongoModuleStore
+       OPTIONS:
+         host: localhost
+         port: 27017
+         user: edxapp
+         password: your_mongodb_password
+         db: edxapp
+
+   CACHES:
+     default:
+       BACKEND: django.core.cache.backends.memcached.PyMemcacheCache
+       LOCATION: 127.0.0.1:11211
+
+   CELERY_BROKER_URL: redis://localhost:6379/0
+
+Create authentication file at ``/edx/etc/lms.auth.json``:
+
+.. code-block:: json
+
+   {
+     "SECRET_KEY": "your-secret-key-change-this",
+     "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
+     "MONGO_PASSWORD": "your_mongodb_password"
+   }
+
+Create ``/edx/etc/cms.auth.json`` with the same structure.
+
+.. warning::
+
+   Generate a strong SECRET_KEY using:
+   ``python -c "from django.core.management.utils import get_random_secret_key; print(get_random_secret_key())"``
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   ls -la /edx/etc/
+   # Should show lms.yml, cms.yml, lms.auth.json, cms.auth.json
+   cat /edx/etc/lms.yml | grep PLATFORM_NAME
+   # Should show your platform name
+
+13. Run Database Migrations
+===========================
+
+.. note::
+
+   Before running migrations on the **master branch**, you must add required apps to INSTALLED_APPS.
+   See the "Master Branch Testing: February 2026" section for the complete list of apps to add.
+
+Apply Django migrations:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+
+   # Set environment variables
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+
+   # Run migrations for LMS
+   ./manage.py lms migrate --settings=production
+
+   # Run migrations for CMS
+   ./manage.py cms migrate --settings=production
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mysql -u edxapp -p -e "USE edxapp; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'edxapp';"
+   # Should show 567 tables (master branch, February 2026)
+
+14. Create Django Superuser
+===========================
+
+Create an administrative user:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+
+   # Create superuser with --noinput (non-interactive)
+   ./manage.py lms createsuperuser --username admin --email admin@example.com --noinput --settings=production
+
+   # Set the password using Python
+   python -c "
+   import os
+   import django
+   os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'lms.envs.production')
+   django.setup()
+   from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+   User = get_user_model()
+   user = User.objects.get(username='admin')
+   user.set_password('your-secure-password')
+   user.save()
+   print('Password set successfully')
+   "
+
+.. warning::
+
+   Replace ``your-secure-password`` with a strong password of your choice.
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mysql -u edxapp -p -e "USE edxapp; SELECT username, email, is_superuser, is_staff FROM auth_user WHERE is_superuser=1;"
+   # Should show your superuser with is_superuser=1 and is_staff=1
+
+15. Collect Static Assets
+=========================
+
+Collect Django static files:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+
+   # Collect LMS static files
+   ./manage.py lms collectstatic --noinput --settings=production
+
+   # Collect CMS static files
+   ./manage.py cms collectstatic --noinput --settings=production
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   ls -la /opt/staticfiles/
+   # Should show LMS static files (6,600+ files)
+
+   ls -la /opt/staticfiles/studio/
+   # Should show CMS/Studio static files (3,000+ files)
+
+16. Clone and Set Up MFEs
+=========================
+
+Open edX uses React-based Micro-Frontends (MFEs) for key user-facing features.
+Set these up before starting the servers.
+
+.. important::
+
+   **MFE Branch Selection:**
+
+   MFE branches should match your edx-platform branch:
+
+   * If using **edx-platform master branch**: Use MFE **master** or **main** branches
+   * If using **edx-platform named releases** (e.g., release/ulmo.1): Use corresponding MFE release branches (e.g., open-release/sumac.master)
+
+   This guide uses the **master branch** for both edx-platform and MFEs.
+
+Essential MFEs
+--------------
+
+.. note::
+
+   **npm install vs npm clean-install:**
+
+   Use ``npm install`` rather than ``npm clean-install`` for MFE setup. The clean-install command
+   requires package-lock.json to be perfectly synchronized and may fail with "Missing from lock file"
+   errors. Regular ``npm install`` is more forgiving and will work even if the lock file is slightly
+   out of sync with package.json.
+
+The following MFEs are required for basic functionality:
+
+* **frontend-app-authn** (port 1999) - Login and registration pages
+* **frontend-app-learning** (port 2000) - Course experience
+* **frontend-app-account** (port 1997) - User account settings
+* **frontend-app-profile** (port 1995) - User profile pages
+* **frontend-app-discussions** (port 2002) - Course discussions/forums
+* **frontend-app-gradebook** (port 1994) - Instructor gradebook
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-authn
+--------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-authn.git
+   cd frontend-app-authn
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-authn
+   npm install
+
+Create ``.env.development`` file:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:1999
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   LOGO_URL=http://localhost:8000/static/images/logo.png
+   FAVICON_URL=http://localhost:8000/static/images/favicon.ico
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=1999
+   EOF
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   npm run build
+   ls dist/
+   # Should show built files
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-learning
+------------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-learning.git
+   cd frontend-app-learning
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-learning
+   npm install
+
+Create ``.env.development`` file:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:2000
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   LOGO_URL=http://localhost:8000/static/images/logo.png
+   FAVICON_URL=http://localhost:8000/static/images/favicon.ico
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=2000
+   EOF
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   npm run build
+   ls dist/
+   # Should show built files
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-account
+----------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-account.git
+   cd frontend-app-account
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-account
+   npm install
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:1997
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=1997
+   EOF
+
+**Test:** ``npm run build && ls dist/``
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-profile
+----------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-profile.git
+   cd frontend-app-profile
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-profile
+   npm install
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:1995
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=1995
+   EOF
+
+**Test:** ``npm run build && ls dist/``
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-discussions
+--------------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-discussions.git
+   cd frontend-app-discussions
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-discussions
+   npm install
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:2002
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=2002
+   EOF
+
+**Test:** ``npm run build && ls dist/``
+
+Clone and Configure frontend-app-gradebook
+------------------------------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt
+   sudo git clone https://github.com/openedx/frontend-app-gradebook.git
+   cd frontend-app-gradebook
+   # Uses default branch (master/main) - matches edx-platform master
+   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/frontend-app-gradebook
+   npm install
+
+   cat > .env.development << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
+   BASE_URL=http://localhost:1994
+   LOGIN_URL=http://localhost:1999/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=http://localhost:1999/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8000/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Test Open edX Site
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8001
+   LANGUAGE_PREFERENCE_COOKIE_NAME=openedx-language-preference
+   USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME=edx-user-info
+   CSRF_TOKEN_API_PATH=/csrf/api/v1/token
+   PORT=1994
+   EOF
+
+**Test:** ``npm run build && ls dist/``
+
+.. note::
+
+   **Shared Components**: MFEs use shared header and footer components (``frontend-component-header`` and ``frontend-component-footer``). These are automatically installed as npm dependencies and do not need separate setup.
+
+17. Start LMS and CMS Servers
+=============================
+
+Before starting the servers, build the frontend webpack assets.
+
+Build Webpack Assets
+--------------------
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   npm run build
+
+This will compile webpack bundles and SASS files. The build generates ``webpack-stats.json`` files that need to be copied to the production staticfiles directory:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   # Copy webpack stats files to production location
+   cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/
+   cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/studio/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/studio/
+
+Start Development Servers
+--------------------------
+
+Open separate terminal windows for each service. In each terminal, activate the virtual environment first:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+
+Terminal 1 - Start LMS:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   ./manage.py lms runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --settings=production
+
+.. note::
+
+   The manage.py script automatically prepends ``lms.envs.`` to the settings module, so use ``--settings=production`` not ``--settings=lms.envs.production``.
+
+Terminal 2 - Start CMS:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+   ./manage.py cms runserver 0.0.0.0:8001 --settings=production
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   # In a new terminal
+   curl -I http://localhost:8000
+   # Should return HTTP 200 OK
+
+   curl -I http://localhost:8001
+   # Should return HTTP 302 Found
+
+For Production
+--------------
+
+Use Gunicorn as the WSGI server:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   pip install gunicorn
+
+   # Start LMS
+   gunicorn -c /opt/edx-platform/lms/envs/gunicorn.py lms.wsgi:application
+
+   # Start CMS (in separate terminal)
+   gunicorn -c /opt/edx-platform/cms/envs/gunicorn.py cms.wsgi:application
+
+18. Start Celery Workers
+========================
+
+Open edX uses Celery for asynchronous task processing.
+
+Configure Celery Broker Settings
+---------------------------------
+
+The production settings construct the broker URL from component settings. Ensure these are in your configuration files (``/edx/etc/lms.yml`` and ``/edx/etc/cms.yml``):
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   CELERY_BROKER_TRANSPORT: redis
+   CELERY_BROKER_HOSTNAME: localhost:6379
+   CELERY_BROKER_VHOST: 0
+   CELERY_BROKER_USER: ''
+   CELERY_BROKER_PASSWORD: ''
+
+Start Celery Workers
+--------------------
+
+Open separate terminal windows for each worker:
+
+Terminal 3 - LMS Celery worker:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=lms.envs.production
+   celery -A lms.celery worker --loglevel=info
+
+Terminal 4 - CMS Celery worker:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+   export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=cms.envs.production
+   celery -A cms.celery worker --loglevel=info
+
+**Test this step:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   celery -A lms.celery inspect active
+   # Should connect and show active tasks (may be empty)
+
+19. Start MFE Development Servers
+=================================
+
+Start each MFE in a separate terminal:
+
+Terminal 5 - frontend-app-authn:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-authn
+   npm run start
+
+Terminal 6 - frontend-app-learning:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-learning
+   npm run start
+
+Terminal 7 - frontend-app-account:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-account
+   npm run start
+
+Terminal 8 - frontend-app-profile:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-profile
+   npm run start
+
+Terminal 9 - frontend-app-discussions:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-discussions
+   npm run start
+
+Terminal 10 - frontend-app-gradebook:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-gradebook
+   npm run start
+
+**Test each MFE:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   curl -I http://localhost:1999  # authn
+   curl -I http://localhost:2000  # learning
+   curl -I http://localhost:1997  # account
+   curl -I http://localhost:1995  # profile
+   curl -I http://localhost:2002  # discussions
+   curl -I http://localhost:1994  # gradebook
+   # Each should return HTTP 200
+
+20. Full Integration Verification
+=================================
+
+Test the complete system:
+
+1. **Verify all services are running:**
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      sudo systemctl status mysql
+      sudo systemctl status mongod
+      sudo systemctl status redis-server
+      sudo systemctl status memcached
+      sudo systemctl status elasticsearch
+
+2. **Access the LMS:**
+
+   Open a browser and navigate to ``http://localhost:8000``
+
+   You should see the LMS home page with the login button linking to the authn MFE.
+
+3. **Access CMS (Studio):**
+
+   Navigate to ``http://localhost:8001``
+
+   You should see the Studio login page.
+
+4. **Test authentication:**
+
+   Click the login button. You should be redirected to ``http://localhost:1999/login``
+
+   Log in with your superuser credentials.
+
+5. **Test course experience:**
+
+   Create a test course in Studio (``http://localhost:8001``)
+
+   Navigate to the course from the LMS. The course content should load in the Learning MFE (``http://localhost:2000``)
+
+6. **Test profile:**
+
+   Click on your username in the LMS header
+
+   Select "Profile" - should navigate to ``http://localhost:1995``
+
+7. **Test account settings:**
+
+   From the user menu, select "Account" - should navigate to ``http://localhost:1997``
+
+8. **Verify all MFE ports respond:**
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      for port in 1994 1995 1997 1999 2000 2002; do
+          echo -n "Port $port: "
+          curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:$port
+          echo
+      done
+      # All should return 200
+
+Development Workflow Tips
+*************************
+
+Managing Multiple Processes
+===========================
+
+Running Open edX without Tutor means managing many processes simultaneously. Here are strategies to help:
+
+Using Terminal Multiplexer (tmux)
+---------------------------------
+
+Use tmux to manage multiple terminal sessions:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   # Install tmux
+   sudo apt-get install -y tmux
+
+   # Start a new tmux session
+   tmux new -s openedx
+
+   # Create windows for each service (Ctrl-b c to create new window)
+   # Window 0: LMS
+   cd /opt/edx-platform && source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   ./manage.py lms runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --settings=production
+
+   # Window 1: CMS (Ctrl-b c)
+   cd /opt/edx-platform && source venv/bin/activate
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+   ./manage.py cms runserver 0.0.0.0:8001 --settings=production
+
+   # Window 2: LMS Celery worker
+   cd /opt/edx-platform && source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=lms.envs.production
+   celery -A lms.celery worker --loglevel=info
+
+   # Window 3: CMS Celery worker
+   cd /opt/edx-platform && source venv/bin/activate
+   export CMS_CFG=/edx/etc/cms.yml
+   export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=cms.envs.production
+   celery -A cms.celery worker --loglevel=info
+
+   # Windows 4-9: Individual MFEs
+   # Navigate between windows with Ctrl-b <number>
+   # Detach from session: Ctrl-b d
+   # Reattach to session: tmux attach -t openedx
+
+Using Process Managers
+----------------------
+
+For a more robust solution, use supervisord for managing services:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get install -y supervisor
+
+Create supervisor configuration files in ``/etc/supervisor/conf.d/`` for each service.
+
+Example for LMS (``/etc/supervisor/conf.d/edxapp-lms.conf``):
+
+.. code-block:: ini
+
+   [program:edxapp-lms]
+   command=/opt/edx-platform/venv/bin/python /opt/edx-platform/manage.py lms runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --settings=production
+   directory=/opt/edx-platform
+   environment=LMS_CFG="/edx/etc/lms.yml"
+   user=www-data
+   autostart=true
+   autorestart=true
+   stdout_logfile=/var/log/supervisor/edxapp-lms.log
+   stderr_logfile=/var/log/supervisor/edxapp-lms-error.log
+
+Reload supervisor after adding configuration:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo supervisorctl reread
+   sudo supervisorctl update
+   sudo supervisorctl start all
+
+Using Shell Scripts
+-------------------
+
+Create helper scripts to start/stop all services:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mkdir -p /opt/scripts
+   cat > /opt/scripts/start-all.sh << 'EOF'
+   #!/bin/bash
+   # Start backend services
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   ./manage.py lms runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --settings=lms.envs.production &
+   ./manage.py cms runserver 0.0.0.0:8001 --settings=cms.envs.production &
+   celery -A lms.celery worker --loglevel=info &
+   celery -A cms.celery worker --loglevel=info &
+
+   # Start MFEs
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-authn && npm run start &
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-learning && npm run start &
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-account && npm run start &
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-profile && npm run start &
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-discussions && npm run start &
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-gradebook && npm run start &
+
+   echo "All services started"
+   wait
+   EOF
+
+Make the script executable:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   chmod +x /opt/scripts/start-all.sh
+
+Production Considerations
+*************************
+
+For production deployments, additional configuration is required:
+
+Separate Services
+=================
+
+In this development setup, all services run on a single server. For production:
+
+* Run MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Memcached, and Elasticsearch on dedicated servers or use managed services
+* Distribute load across multiple LMS/CMS application servers
+* Use a load balancer to distribute traffic
+
+Web Server Configuration
+========================
+
+* Install and configure Nginx or Caddy as a reverse proxy
+* Configure SSL/TLS certificates for all domains
+* Set up proper logging and log rotation
+* Configure static and media file serving
+* Enable HTTP/2 and compression
+
+Service Management
+==================
+
+* Create systemd service files for LMS, CMS, and Celery workers
+* Set up automatic restart on failure
+* Configure resource limits and monitoring
+* Use supervisord or systemd for process management
+
+Security Hardening
+==================
+
+* Use strong passwords for all database users
+* Configure firewall rules (ufw or iptables)
+* Keep all services updated with security patches
+* Use separate database users with minimal required privileges
+* Configure ALLOWED_HOSTS in Django settings
+* Disable DEBUG mode in production settings
+* Set secure cookie flags (Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite)
+* Implement rate limiting
+
+Performance Optimization
+========================
+
+* Configure appropriate worker counts for Gunicorn - note that multiple threads per process is known to have issues at the time of writing
+* Tune MySQL, MongoDB, and Elasticsearch for your workload
+* Set up CDN for static assets
+* Configure Redis persistence appropriately
+* Enable Django caching layers
+
+Monitoring and Logging
+======================
+
+* Set up application monitoring (e.g., New Relic, Datadog)
+* Configure centralized logging (e.g., ELK stack)
+* Monitor service health and resource usage
+* Set up alerting for critical issues
+* Track application performance metrics
+* Monitor error rates and response times
+
+MFE Production Deployment
+=========================
+
+For production, MFEs should be built and served as static files rather than using the development server.
+
+Build MFEs for Production
+-------------------------
+
+For each MFE, create a ``.env.production`` file with production URLs:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/frontend-app-learning
+
+   # Create production environment file
+   cat > .env.production << 'EOF'
+   LMS_BASE_URL=https://lms.yoursite.org
+   BASE_URL=https://learning.yoursite.org
+   LOGIN_URL=https://authn.yoursite.org/login
+   LOGOUT_URL=https://authn.yoursite.org/logout
+   REFRESH_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENDPOINT=https://lms.yoursite.org/login_refresh
+   ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME=edx-jwt-cookie-header-payload
+   SITE_NAME=Your Open edX Site
+   STUDIO_BASE_URL=https://studio.yoursite.org
+   EOF
+
+   # Build for production
+   NODE_ENV=production npm run build
+
+Serve MFEs with Nginx
+---------------------
+
+Configure Nginx to serve the built MFE static files:
+
+.. code-block:: nginx
+
+   server {
+       listen 443 ssl http2;
+       server_name learning.yoursite.org;
+
+       ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/certs/yoursite.crt;
+       ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/private/yoursite.key;
+
+       root /opt/frontend-app-learning/dist;
+       index index.html;
+
+       location / {
+           try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
+       }
+
+       # Cache static assets
+       location ~* \.(js|css|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico|svg|woff|woff2|ttf|eot)$ {
+           expires 1y;
+           add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";
+       }
+   }
+
+Repeat this configuration for each MFE with appropriate server names and root directories.
+
+Additional Production Considerations
+------------------------------------
+
+* Use a CDN to serve MFE static assets globally
+* Configure proper cache headers for optimal performance
+* Set up proper DNS and SSL certificates for all MFE subdomains
+* Use environment-specific configuration files
+* Implement automated deployment pipelines for MFE updates
+* Monitor MFE performance and error rates
+* Consider using a build cache to speed up subsequent builds
+* Enable gzip compression for text assets
+
+Common Issues
+*************
+
+Port Conflicts
+==============
+
+If ports 8000, 8001, or any MFE ports are in use, modify the configuration to use different ports. Update both the server startup commands and the configuration files.
+
+Memory Issues
+=============
+
+Ensure sufficient RAM is available. Consider adding swap space if running on limited hardware. MFE builds are particularly memory-intensive.
+
+Migration Failures
+==================
+
+If migrations fail:
+
+* Make sure that all required apps are added to the ``INSTALLED_APPS`` setting in Django settings
+* Check database connectivity and permissions
+* Review migration logs for specific errors
+* Ensure all required services are running
+* Verify database user has sufficient privileges
+
+Static Asset 404 Errors
+========================
+
+Ensure ``collectstatic`` completed successfully and your web server is configured to serve static files from the correct directory.
+
+Service Connection Errors
+==========================
+
+Verify all required services (MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Memcached) are running and accessible on the configured hosts and ports.
+
+MFE CORS Errors
+===============
+
+If you see CORS errors in the browser console, verify:
+
+* ``CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST`` in LMS configuration includes all MFE URLs
+* ``CORS_ALLOW_CREDENTIALS`` is set to ``true``
+* LMS has been restarted after configuration changes
+* Cookie domains are configured correctly
+
+MFE Authentication Issues
+=========================
+
+If MFEs cannot authenticate:
+
+* Verify all MFEs have the correct ``LMS_BASE_URL`` in their ``.env`` files
+* Check that cookie domains are configured correctly
+* Ensure ``ACCESS_TOKEN_COOKIE_NAME`` matches across all MFEs
+* Verify ``LOGIN_REDIRECT_WHITELIST`` includes all MFE domains
+* Check browser console for specific error messages
+
+MFE Build Failures
+==================
+
+If ``npm run build`` fails:
+
+* Ensure you have sufficient memory (Node.js builds can be memory-intensive)
+* Check Node.js version compatibility with the MFE
+* Clear npm cache: ``npm cache clean --force``
+* Delete ``node_modules`` and reinstall: ``rm -rf node_modules && npm clean-install``
+* Check for disk space issues
+
+Celery Worker Issues
+====================
+
+If Celery workers fail with "No such transport: ''" error:
+
+This indicates the BROKER_URL is not being constructed properly. The production.py settings build
+BROKER_URL from component settings, not from CELERY_BROKER_URL directly.
+
+**Solution:** Ensure your configuration files (lms.yml, cms.yml) include these component settings:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   CELERY_BROKER_TRANSPORT: redis
+   CELERY_BROKER_HOSTNAME: localhost:6379
+   CELERY_BROKER_VHOST: 0
+   CELERY_BROKER_USER: ''
+   CELERY_BROKER_PASSWORD: ''
+
+Other Celery troubleshooting steps:
+
+* Verify Redis is running and accessible
+* Check Celery logs for errors
+* Ensure DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and LMS_CFG/CMS_CFG environment variables are set
+* Verify worker processes are actually running: ``ps aux | grep celery``
+
+LMS/CMS Server Startup Issues
+==============================
+
+**Error: "Cannot resolve bundle commons" or webpack-stats.json errors:**
+
+The production settings require webpack assets to be built before starting servers.
+
+**Solution:**
+
+1. Build webpack assets: ``cd /opt/edx-platform && npm run build``
+2. Copy webpack-stats.json files to production location:
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/
+      cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/studio/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/studio/
+
+**Error: "No module named 'lms.envs.lms'" when using --settings:**
+
+The manage.py script automatically prepends the environment prefix to the settings argument.
+
+**Solution:** Use ``--settings=production`` not ``--settings=lms.envs.production``
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   # Correct:
+   ./manage.py lms runserver --settings=production
+
+   # Incorrect:
+   ./manage.py lms runserver --settings=lms.envs.production
+
+Alternative: Using Docker Compose Without Tutor
+************************************************
+
+If you want containerization benefits without Tutor's abstractions, you can create a custom Docker Compose setup:
+
+#. Create separate containers for each service
+#. Mount edx-platform code as volumes
+#. Configure networking between containers
+#. Use custom entrypoint scripts for initialization
+
+This approach provides isolation while maintaining direct control over the configuration. Ongoing experiments in adopting this configuration are happening at `Minimal edX Platform <https://github.com/feanil/minimal-edx-platform>`_.
+
+Testing Results and Validation
+*******************************
+
+Latest Testing: February 2026
+==============================
+
+**Environment:**
+- Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS (Docker container)
+- edx-platform branch: release/ulmo.1 (commit ea91c4c)
+- Python 3.12.3
+- Node.js 18.20.8
+- MySQL 8.0.45, MongoDB 7.0.29, Redis 7.0.15, Elasticsearch 7.17.29, Memcached 1.6.24
+
+**Results:** Steps 1-12 completed successfully with all corrections applied to the main installation
+instructions. All services started correctly, Python packages installed (600+ packages), Node.js
+dependencies installed (1019 packages), webpack build completed, and SASS compilation succeeded.
+
+**Key Corrections Made:**
+- Updated to Python 3.12 (Ubuntu 24.04 default)
+- Added pkg-config to system dependencies
+- Updated MongoDB and Elasticsearch to use modern GPG key method (not apt-key)
+- Added netcat-openbsd for Memcached testing
+- Changed to shallow git clone with --depth 1
+- Fixed npm build process to run SASS compilation with venv activated
+- Added container environment notes for service management
+
+**Additional Findings:**
+
+1. **Installation Time:** Steps 1-12 took approximately 45-60 minutes total:
+
+   - Python packages (Step 10): ~15 minutes
+   - Node packages (Step 11): ~5 minutes
+   - Webpack build: ~1 minute
+   - SASS compilation: ~30 seconds
+
+2. **Disk Space:** After completing Step 12:
+
+   - edx-platform directory (shallow clone): ~2.5 GB
+   - Virtual environment with packages: ~3 GB
+   - node_modules: ~1 GB
+   - Total: ~6.5 GB (vs ~10+ GB for full clone)
+
+3. **Memory Usage:** Peak memory during npm build was ~4 GB. Minimum 8 GB RAM recommended.
+
+4. **Node.js Deprecation:** Node.js 18.x shows deprecation warning. Future testing should
+   evaluate Node.js 20.x compatibility.
+
+5. **Service Versions:** All services installed correctly with latest stable versions from
+   repositories. Version drift from guide specifications is normal and expected.
+
+Master Branch Testing: February 2026
+=====================================
+
+**Environment:**
+- Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS (Docker container)
+- edx-platform branch: master (February 2026)
+- Python 3.12.3
+- Node.js 18.20.8
+- MySQL 8.0.45, MongoDB 7.0.29, Redis 7.0.15, Elasticsearch 7.17.29, Memcached 1.6.24
+
+**Results:** Steps 1-19 completed successfully with all services operational. All migrations ran without Python 3.11 compatibility issues.
+
+**Why Master Branch:**
+
+The release/ulmo.1 branch has a dependency on boto 2.49.0 which is incompatible with Python 3.12. There are likely other compatibility issues with Python 3.12. The master branch uses only boto3, making it compatible with Python 3.12 on Ubuntu 24.04.
+
+**Required INSTALLED_APPS Changes:**
+
+The master branch requires the following apps to be added to INSTALLED_APPS:
+
+**For LMS** (``lms/envs/common.py``):
+
+Add these apps near the end of the INSTALLED_APPS list (around line 2025, before the closing bracket):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   # Learning Core Apps, used by v2 content libraries (content_libraries app)
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.content_libraries',
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.collections",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.components",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.contents",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.publishing",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.units",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.subsections",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.sections",
+
+   # Additional required apps
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.bookmarks",
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.discussions",
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.theming",
+
+Also add ``lms.djangoapps.program_enrollments`` after programs config (around line 1895):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   # programs support
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.programs.apps.ProgramsConfig',
+   'lms.djangoapps.program_enrollments',
+
+**For CMS** (``cms/envs/common.py``):
+
+Add these apps near the end of the INSTALLED_APPS list (around line 900, before the closing bracket):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   # Learning Core Apps, used by v2 content libraries (content_libraries app)
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.content_libraries',
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.collections",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.components",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.contents",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.publishing",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.units",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.subsections",
+   "openedx_learning.apps.authoring.sections",
+
+   # Additional required apps
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.bookmarks",
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.discussions",
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.theming",
+   "openedx.core.djangoapps.content_staging",
+
+**Note:** ``lms.djangoapps.bulk_email`` is already uncommented in the master branch.
+
+**Migration Results:**
+
+- LMS migrations: 567 tables created successfully
+- CMS migrations: Completed successfully
+- No boto2-related errors
+- All apps initialized properly
+
+**Static Assets:**
+
+- LMS: 6,604 files copied, 6,686 post-processed
+- CMS: 3,087 files copied, 3,115 post-processed
+
+**Webpack Assets (Step 17):**
+
+The production settings require webpack bundles to be built before starting servers:
+
+1. Run ``npm run build`` in the edx-platform directory to compile webpack bundles and SASS files
+2. Copy webpack-stats.json files from build output to production location:
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/
+      cp /opt/edx-platform/test_root/staticfiles/studio/webpack-stats.json /opt/staticfiles/studio/
+
+3. Important: The manage.py script automatically prepends ``lms.envs.`` or ``cms.envs.`` to settings arguments,
+   so use ``--settings=production`` not ``--settings=lms.envs.production``
+
+**Celery Configuration (Step 18):**
+
+The production.py settings construct BROKER_URL from component settings rather than using CELERY_BROKER_URL directly.
+Required settings in both lms.yml and cms.yml:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   CELERY_BROKER_TRANSPORT: redis
+   CELERY_BROKER_HOSTNAME: localhost:6379
+   CELERY_BROKER_VHOST: 0
+   CELERY_BROKER_USER: ''
+   CELERY_BROKER_PASSWORD: ''
+
+Both Celery workers started successfully and connected to Redis.
+
+**MFE Setup (Step 19):**
+
+All 6 essential MFEs were set up using their master/main branches (not release branches) to match edx-platform master:
+
+- frontend-app-authn (port 1999): Started successfully
+- frontend-app-learning (port 2000): Started successfully
+- frontend-app-account (port 1997): Started successfully
+- frontend-app-profile (port 1995): Started successfully
+- frontend-app-discussions (port 2002): Started successfully
+- frontend-app-gradebook (port 1994): Started successfully
+
+All MFE development servers responded with HTTP 200.
+
+**Complete System Status:**
+
+All services operational and tested:
+- ✓ MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Memcached, Elasticsearch
+- ✓ LMS server (HTTP 200 on port 8000)
+- ✓ CMS server (HTTP 302 on port 8001)
+- ✓ LMS and CMS Celery workers connected to Redis
+- ✓ All 6 MFE development servers responding
+
+Known Issues and Corrections (Historical - January 2026)
+*********************************************************
+
+The following issues were discovered during initial testing. Most have been corrected in the
+main installation steps above:
+
+System Dependencies (Step 1)
+=============================
+
+**Issue 1: Python Version** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+The document originally specified Python 3.11, but Ubuntu 24.04 ships with Python 3.12 by default.
+
+**Resolution:** Main installation steps now use Python 3.12. If you specifically need Python 3.11,
+add the deadsnakes PPA as shown below, but Python 3.12 works correctly with release/ulmo.1.
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo apt-get install -y software-properties-common
+   sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
+   sudo apt-get update
+   sudo apt-get install -y python3.11 python3.11-dev python3.11-venv
+
+**Issue 2: Missing pkg-config** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+The ``pkg-config`` package is required for building Python packages (especially mysqlclient).
+
+**Resolution:** Added to Step 1 system dependencies list.
+
+**Issue 3: Python symlink** ⚠️ OPTIONAL
+
+Some build scripts expect ``/usr/bin/python`` to exist but it doesn't by default in Ubuntu 24.04.
+
+**Resolution:** Not required for the installation process. If needed for other tools:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.12 /usr/bin/python
+
+MongoDB and Elasticsearch Setup (Steps 3 & 6)
+==============================================
+
+**Issue 4: Deprecated apt-key** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+The instructions originally used ``apt-key add -`` which is deprecated in Ubuntu 24.04.
+
+**Resolution:** Steps 3 and 6 now use the modern GPG keyring method with ``signed-by``.
+
+Repository Checkout (Step 8)
+=============================
+
+**Issue 5: Branch naming convention** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+Newer releases use ``release/<name>.<number>`` format instead of ``open-release/<name>.master``.
+
+**Resolution:** Step 8 now uses the correct branch format and includes shallow clone
+with ``--depth 1`` to save time and disk space.
+
+Python Requirements (Step 10)
+==============================
+
+**Issue 6: Missing assets requirements** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+The ``requirements/edx/assets.txt`` file (which includes libsass for SASS compilation) was not
+originally included in the installation steps.
+
+**Resolution:** Step 10 now includes installing ``requirements/edx/assets.txt`` after base.txt.
+
+Node.js Assets (Step 11)
+=========================
+
+**Issue 7: npm run build fails** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+Running ``npm run build`` fails because the SASS compilation script (a Python script) is executed
+outside the virtual environment, causing ``ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'click'``.
+
+**Resolution:** Step 11 now separates the build into two parts:
+
+1. Run ``npm run webpack`` (does not need venv)
+2. Run SASS compilation with venv activated: ``source venv/bin/activate && PATH="$PATH:/opt/edx-platform/node_modules/.bin" python scripts/compile_sass.py --env=production``
+
+The PATH addition ensures ``rtlcss`` from node_modules/.bin is available for RTL CSS generation.
+
+Database Migrations (Step 13)
+==============================
+
+**Issue 8: Settings syntax and environment variables** ✅ TESTED AND FIXED
+
+The correct settings flag format is ``--settings=production``, not ``--settings=lms.envs.production``,
+and the ``LMS_CFG`` environment variable must be set to point to the configuration file.
+
+**Issue 9: Missing apps in INSTALLED_APPS (release/ulmo.1)** ✅ TESTED AND FIXED
+
+The release/ulmo.1 branch is missing several apps from INSTALLED_APPS in ``lms/envs/common.py``,
+which causes KeyError exceptions during migrations.
+
+**Required fixes for lms/envs/common.py:**
+
+1. Uncomment bulk_email app (around line 2130):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   'lms.djangoapps.certificates.apps.CertificatesConfig',
+   'lms.djangoapps.instructor_task',
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.course_groups',
+   'lms.djangoapps.bulk_email',  # Uncomment this line
+   'lms.djangoapps.branding',
+
+2. Add program_enrollments app after programs config (around line 2253):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   # programs support
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.programs.apps.ProgramsConfig',
+   'lms.djangoapps.program_enrollments',  # Add this line
+
+3. Add missing openedx.core.djangoapps apps (locations vary, add where appropriate):
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.bookmarks',
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.content_libraries',
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.discussions',
+   'openedx.core.djangoapps.theming',
+
+**Issue 10: MODULESTORE configuration incomplete** ✅ TESTED AND FIXED
+
+The minimal MODULESTORE configuration in ``/edx/etc/lms.yml`` causes ``TypeError: MongoModuleStore.__init__()
+missing 2 required positional arguments: 'fs_root' and 'render_template'``.
+
+**Resolution:** The MODULESTORE must use MixedModuleStore with complete configuration. Replace the minimal
+MODULESTORE section in ``/edx/etc/lms.yml`` with:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   DOC_STORE_CONFIG:
+     db: edxapp
+     host: localhost
+     port: 27017
+     user: edxapp
+     password: your_mongodb_password
+     collection: modulestore
+     ssl: false
+     socketTimeoutMS: 6000
+     connectTimeoutMS: 2000
+     auth_source: null
+     read_preference: SECONDARY_PREFERRED
+
+   CONTENTSTORE:
+     ENGINE: xmodule.contentstore.mongo.MongoContentStore
+     DOC_STORE_CONFIG:
+       db: edxapp
+       host: localhost
+       port: 27017
+       user: edxapp
+       password: your_mongodb_password
+       ssl: false
+       auth_source: null
+     OPTIONS:
+       db: edxapp
+       host: localhost
+       port: 27017
+       user: edxapp
+       password: your_mongodb_password
+       ssl: false
+       auth_source: null
+
+   MODULESTORE:
+     default:
+       ENGINE: xmodule.modulestore.mixed.MixedModuleStore
+       OPTIONS:
+         mappings: {}
+         stores:
+           - NAME: split
+             ENGINE: xmodule.modulestore.split_mongo.split_draft.DraftVersioningModuleStore
+             DOC_STORE_CONFIG:
+               db: edxapp
+               host: localhost
+               port: 27017
+               user: edxapp
+               password: your_mongodb_password
+               collection: modulestore
+               ssl: false
+               socketTimeoutMS: 6000
+               connectTimeoutMS: 2000
+               auth_source: null
+               read_preference: SECONDARY_PREFERRED
+             OPTIONS:
+               default_class: xmodule.hidden_block.HiddenBlock
+               fs_root: /edx/var/edxapp/data
+               render_template: common.djangoapps.edxmako.shortcuts.render_to_string
+           - NAME: draft
+             ENGINE: xmodule.modulestore.mongo.DraftMongoModuleStore
+             DOC_STORE_CONFIG:
+               db: edxapp
+               host: localhost
+               port: 27017
+               user: edxapp
+               password: your_mongodb_password
+               collection: modulestore
+               ssl: false
+               socketTimeoutMS: 6000
+               connectTimeoutMS: 2000
+               auth_source: null
+               read_preference: SECONDARY_PREFERRED
+             OPTIONS:
+               default_class: xmodule.hidden_block.HiddenBlock
+               fs_root: /edx/var/edxapp/data
+               render_template: common.djangoapps.edxmako.shortcuts.render_to_string
+
+   DATA_DIR: /edx/var/edxapp/data
+
+Create the required data directory:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   sudo mkdir -p /edx/var/edxapp/data
+
+**Final working approach (tested February 2026):**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   cd /opt/edx-platform
+   source venv/bin/activate
+   export LMS_CFG=/edx/etc/lms.yml
+   ./manage.py lms migrate --settings=production
+
+**Test result:**
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   mysql -u edxapp -p -e "USE edxapp; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'edxapp';"
+   # Should show 566 tables (February 2026 test result)
+
+**Status:** Migrations complete successfully with all fixes applied. The issues were not circular imports
+as initially suspected, but rather missing app registrations and incomplete MODULESTORE configuration.
+
+Environment Notes
+=================
+
+**Issue 11: Container/non-systemd environments** ✅ FIXED IN MAIN STEPS
+
+Container environments without systemd require different service management commands.
+
+**Resolution:** Notes have been added throughout Steps 2-6 explaining how to start services
+in container environments using ``service`` commands or direct daemon invocation.
+
+See Also
+********
+
+* :ref:`Installing and Starting the Open edX Platform`
+* `Open edX Developer Documentation <https://docs.openedx.org/en/latest/developers/>`_
+* `edx-platform Repository <https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform>`_
+* `Open edX Configuration Repository <https://github.com/openedx/configuration>`_
+
+**Maintenance chart**
+
++--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+
+| Review Date  | Working Group Reviewer        |   Release      |Test situation                  |
++--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+
+|              |                               |                |                                |
++--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------+