Baïkal is an open-source CalDAV and CardDAV server that allows you to sync your calendars, contacts, and tasks across devices. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Baïkal on Debian Latest.
Before proceeding with the installation, make sure you have the following:
First, we need to download the Baïkal package from their official website. You can use wget to download it to your server:
wget https://sabre.io/files/baikal/latest.zip
Extract the downloaded file using the unzip command:
unzip latest.zip
This will create a baikal folder in your current directory.
We will assume you have already installed and configured your web server (Apache or Nginx). If not, please follow the appropriate guides to set it up.
To configure Apache2 to work with Baïkal, you need to create a virtual host file in /etc/apache2/sites-available. You can name it whatever you like, for example baikal.conf. Here is a sample configuration file:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
DocumentRoot /path/to/baikal
ServerName yourdomain.com
<Directory /path/to/baikal>
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Save the file and run the following command to enable the virtual host:
a2ensite baikal.conf
Then, restart the Apache2 server.
systemctl restart apache2
To configure Nginx to work with Baïkal, create a new virtual host file in /etc/nginx/sites-available. This example assumes your domain name is yourdomain.com and your Baïkal installation is located in /path/to/baikal:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
access_log /var/log/nginx/baikal.access.log;
error_log /var/log/nginx/baikal.error.log;
root /path/to/baikal;
index index.php index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ /(.*\.php)$ {
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
include fastcgi_params;
}
}
Save and close the file, then create a symbolic link to enable it:
ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/baikal.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
Then, restart Nginx.
systemctl restart nginx
Baïkal supports two types of databases: MySQL and SQLite. You can choose which one to use based on your preferences.
If you want to use MySQL, first create a new database and user for Baïkal:
mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE baikal;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON baikal.* TO 'baikaluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
Replace yourpassword with a strong password.
Next, create a new configuration file for Baïkal in /path/to/baikal/Specific/ named db_mysql.inc.php. Here is an example configuration:
<?php
define('PDO_DSN', 'mysql:host=localhost;dbname=baikal');
define('PDO_USERNAME', 'baikaluser');
define('PDO_PASSWORD', 'yourpassword');
define('PDO_OPTIONS', array(
\PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_INIT_COMMAND => 'SET NAMES utf8',
\PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => \PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
\PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES => false,
));
Update the values for PDO_DSN, PDO_USERNAME, and PDO_PASSWORD to match your MySQL setup.
If you want to use SQLite, create a new configuration file for Baïkal in /path/to/baikal/Specific/ named db_sqlite.inc.php. Here is an example configuration:
<?php
define('PDO_DSN', 'sqlite:/path/to/baikal/database.db');
define('PDO_USERNAME', null);
define('PDO_PASSWORD', null);
define('PDO_OPTIONS', array());
Replace /path/to/baikal/database.db with the path to your SQLite database file.
Now, open your web browser and go to http://yourdomain.com/install.php. If everything is set up correctly, you should see the Baïkal installation page.
Follow the instructions on the page to install Baïkal. During the installation process, you will be asked to provide the database credentials and the administrator account information.
After the installation is complete, remove the install.php file for security reasons:
rm /path/to/baikal/install.php
It is highly recommended to use SSL to secure your Baïkal installation. You can obtain a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt. Here is a guide on how to set it up:
How to Install Let's Encrypt SSL on Debian
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Baïkal on your Debian server. You can now start syncing your calendars, contacts, and tasks across devices.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
