How to Install ViMbAdmin on Elementary OS

ViMbAdmin is a web-based graphical user interface tool designed for managing virtual mail domains, accounts, and aliases. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install ViMbAdmin on your Elementary OS latest version.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure you have the following requirements:

• A system running Elementary OS
• A non-root user with sudo privileges
• A LAMP stack installed on your system
• PHP version 5.5 or later
• Composer

Step 1: Download ViMbAdmin

First, open your web browser and visit the official website of ViMbAdmin https://www.vimbadmin.net/. You will find the download link for ViMbAdmin.

Alternatively, you can use the following command to clone the ViMbAdmin repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/opensolutions/ViMbAdmin.git /var/www/vimbadmin

Note that the above command will clone the ViMbAdmin master branch to the /var/www/vimbadmin directory.

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Before deploying ViMbAdmin, you need to install its dependencies. Open your terminal and use the following command:

$ cd /var/www/vimbadmin
$ composer install --no-dev

This will install all the required dependencies for ViMbAdmin, which might take a few seconds.

Step 3: Configure the Database

Next, you need to configure the database for ViMbAdmin. Open your preferred text editor and create a new file named .env.local.

nano /var/www/vimbadmin/.env.local

Then, paste the following code to the .env.local file and update it according to your database settings:

APP_ENV=prod
APP_SECRET=SOMERANDOMSECRET
DATABASE_URL=mysql://username:password@localhost/dbname

After updating the database settings, save and close the file.

Step 4: Setup the Database and Load Data

Once you have configured the database, it's time to create the tables and load data. Run the following command:

$ bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate

This command will create the necessary tables in your database.

For example, to load the initial data required by ViMbAdmin, run the following command:

$ bin/console vimbadmin:init

This will load the necessary data involved in ViMbAdmin functionality.

Step 5: Configure Apache

Next, you need to create a virtual host for ViMbAdmin in Apache configuration. Open your preferred text editor to create a new file.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/vimbadmin.conf

In the new file, copy and paste the following configuration.

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName mail.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/vimbadmin/public

        <Directory /var/www/vimbadmin/public>
            AllowOverride All
            Order allow,deny
            Allow from all
        </Directory>

    ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/vimbadmin.error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/apache2/vimbadmin.access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Replace the serverName and DocumentRoot with your domain name or IP address.

Now, enable the new virtual host with the following command:

sudo a2ensite vimbadmin.conf

Now restart Apache to load the new configuration with the following command:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Access ViMbAdmin

Once everything is set up, you can access ViMbAdmin by visiting your domain name or IP address on your web browser.

http://mail.example.com

You can now log in to ViMBAdmin using the default login credentials:

Username: postmaster@domain.com
Password: admin_password

You can change the password after you log in.

Conclusion

That's it. You have successfully installed ViMbAdmin on your Elementary OS latest version. Now you can begin creating and managing virtual email domains, accounts, and aliases.

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!