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pergamonmu:quickstart:install:initial

ZIP File Installation

File Version

Ensure that you have been provided or have downloaded the correct ZIP file version for your operating system. All file names will include both the Operating System (along with whether the file is 32 or 64 bit), and the software version.

At this time, Esferico ltd. have released desktop versions of Pergamon MU for Windows (v7.1 SP1 onwards), MacOSX, and Linux. See the here for minimum specifications.

Initial Installation

This version of the Pergamon Mu application has been provided in a conventional Zip file format and without an installer. As Pergamon does not require special information to be written into the operating system (e.g. Registry entries), there is little to no advantage in providing an installer and may actually hinder the install process (e.g. when creating distributable images etc.)

  1. Download the installation file (as discussed above) – the link should have been provided either with your order confirmation, or directly from Esferico ltd. by email, but may also be available from clearly marked download archives on the Esferico website.

  2. Move the file to where you want to install the software - we recommend doing so in a sub-directory called Pergamon. You may wish to place this directory under the ‘Program Files’ directory of Windows (the conventional place for final installed applications), or place it in another separate directory. Location is irrelevant to Pergamon – it will run from any location that you choose, including USB flash drives.

    Remember however, that Pergamon needs to have write-permissions to the database. Depending upon how you have your O/S configured, it may be better to place the installation away from Program Files.

    Special Note: If you intend to use a SQLITE database (a standalone installation), remember that the SQLITE database system is not designed for network use (e.g. a mapped drive on a server). Network latency etc. may cause unexpected results. While Esferico ltd. have successfully run a networked installation using a SQLITE database, this has been under test conditions and is certainly not recommended for any live installation. If you require a true networked installation, please look at installing a PostgreSQL server (free of charge) to do so.

  3. Extract everything from the ZIP file. Two new directories should be created called PergamonMU (containing the application software) and resource. Depending upon the version of software downloaded, you may also have a new sterile database called pergamon.sqlite.

  4. If you have been provided with a separate pre-licensed database (this will happen usually only if you have had a database conversion from previous software), download it now using the provided link and copy the extracted file (with a .sqlite suffix) into the same Pergamon directory, replacing the current pergamon.sqlite (if existing).

  5. If copied correctly, this directory will now contain only three entries: PergamonMu (a folder), pergamon.sqlite (the database file) and resource (a folder).

  6. To run the software, enter the directory called ‘PergamonMu’. Here, either:

    a. Double-click the file here called ‘PergamonMu.exe’ – this will start the application this time only, or;

    b. Right-click on the file and select ‘Create Shortcut’. This will create a shortcut icon in this directory, but which you can then drag-and-drop onto your desktop for ease of repeated access at a later time.

Creating Your Database



If you have been provided with a pre-licensed database, or you intend to use the shipped empty sterile pergamon.sqlite database, you do not need to follow the instructions in this section.


In order to create a new database:

  1. Start the PergamonMu software by either method described in the last section.

  2. Select what type of database you require – you are currently permitted to choose either an encrypted standalone (using SQLite) or a preconfigured network installation using a central database server (at this time, PostgreSQL only).

  3. Select ‘Next’ to start the installation process for SQLite, or to enter the database connection details in the case of a database server (omitted in these instructions).

  4. Once completed*, close the window and re-start the software.

*Special note: Most operating systems give priority to internal processes rather than updating the screen. On occasion, on some workstations, this database creation process appears to ‘hang’ or the message ‘not responding’ is displayed. Please ignore this message – this is simply the operating system interpreting the process incorrectly and it will correct itself after only a few seconds.

Licensing Your Database



If you have been provided with a pre-licensed database, you do not need to follow the instructions in this section.


In order to license your database:

  1. Start the PergamonMu software as before to display the licensing dialog.

  2. Enter your organisation name – this will be used on reports etc. This could be your SLS title, or a School Name.

  3. If you want to initially allow the OPAC to verbally confirm searches etc. turn this on by clicking the appropriate check-box.

  4. Enter the license code (without the dashes) that you have been provided for your installation.

    This license determines your client number in the online Pergamon Hub, the type of license that you have (e.g. the primary school ‘Mu’ software rather than for a secondary or college), and the number of terminals permitted in your installation. In the case of primary schools, no limit has been included in your license, however any multi-user installation requires a networked relational database (e.g. PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MSSQLServer etc.).

  5. Select to continue / license. You will be permitted to enter further license codes for special functions, but these are not used in the primary school version of Mu. Click ‘No’ and the license dialog will close.

Creating a Working User


If you have been provided with a pre-licensed or otherwise pre-configured database (including the empty sterile database), you will already have two managerial users created for you: admin / password and user / password. You only need to following these instructions to create new users (note: not readers)


Please remember that usernames and passwords are case-sensitive.

The admin user is the standard administration user provided with all installations, allowing basic administration of the software at a high level. It does not however, have permission to access everyday functions such as Readers, Catalogue or Circulations. Usually, use the admin user only in emergencies - create your own users for everyday operations.

To create a new user:

  1. Start the PergamonMu software as above.

  2. Click the golden ‘Lock’ toolbar button in the top-right of the screen to login as a manager user.

  3. Enter your user name (admin) and password (password) to login as the top-level management user.

  4. Click the golden ‘Lock’ toolbar button again to display the managerial menu.

  5. Click on ‘Tools’, then select ‘Users

  6. Click the ‘Create’ toolbar button to create a new user.

  7. Select this new user in the left-hand list, which will be named ‘U2017-?????????’ to display the new user’s details.

  8. Edit the user details and enter or replace:

    Login (e.g. your initials)
    Firstname (the first name of the new user)
    Surname (the surname of the new user)

  9. In order to very quickly turn on all of the permissions for this user, click the ‘Info’ toolbar button in the top-left of the screen.

  10. Click on ‘Invert Permissions’ (under normal circumstances, you would only select those user permissions required by that user)

  11. Click on ‘Update’ either in the toolbar or the button at the bottom of the window.

  12. With the same user selected in the list, click on the ‘Reset’ toolbar button. Enter a password twice in the text boxes provided to create a new password for the user.

  13. Finally, click on ‘Manager Logout’ – you can do this either within the gold manager menu on the original OPAC screen, or here in the User Manager – both will remove all manager windows from the screen and log you out.

Creating a Reader Assistant

If you want to create a new reader-assistant with permission to use certain (limited) functions on the OPAC screen:

  1. Click on the manager ‘lock’ icon again to login.

  2. Enter the login name and password that you just created (above), then click on ‘Login’.

  3. This time, select ‘Readers’ from the manager menu.

  4. Use the ‘Create’ toolbar button to create a new reader account. Select it in the left-hand list and edit its details in the same way that you did in the User Manager (see the manual for further details).

  5. Remember to ‘Update’ the changes, then close the Reader Manager window.

At this point, this would be a reader completed and ready to use in the system. On this occasion however, we want to give the reader some management responsibilities.

  1. Select the Manager menu again. Click the ‘Tools’ menu option, followed by ‘Users’.

  2. Select the user that you created earlier from the left-hand list to display the details.

  3. Click on the down arrow in the Reader Field and select the name of the reader that you just created.

  4. Click on ‘Update’ to save the changes.

This reader now has full access to any functionality for which they have been given permission in the User Settings list. As we turned on all permissions using the ‘Invert Permissions’ menu item, this includes the Issue and Return screen option that will appear on the OPAC.

Additional Notes:

  1. Logging in as the manager user of this pairing will automatically login the reader as well. It is possible to logout the reader without logging out the manager.

  2. Logging in as the reader of this pairing will not automatically login the managerial user.
  3. In normal operation, you would have many readers in the database who had been created during the normal library operation. At times, you may consider that one or more of them are trusted to perform basic library operations. To do so, you would create a new User (i.e. not reader, as that already exists) and turn on only the most basic permissions that you want them to perform, then attach their reader number to it. This is therefore the reverse order than what was demonstrated above. See the manual for more information.


Installation of Pergamon MU
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pergamonmu/quickstart/install/initial.txt · Last modified: 2017/11/13 09:36 by admin