Markdown Tutorial - How to Install Modoboa on OpenBSD

Introduction

Modoboa is a popular open-source mail server management platform that allows users to manage multiple email domains and accounts. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install Modoboa on OpenBSD.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, there are a few prerequisites that need to be met to ensure a successful installation of Modoboa on OpenBSD:

• A working OpenBSD installation with root access
• An internet connection

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Modoboa has several dependencies that need to be installed before we can install Modoboa itself:

$ doas pkg_add py3-pip py3-virtualenv nginx postgresql-client

Step 2: Create a Modoboa User

We will now create a Modoboa user to run the application:

$ doas useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/ksh modoboa

Step 3: Install Modoboa

We will now download and install Modoboa with pip:

$ doas -u modoboa virtualenv modoboa-env
$ doas -u modoboa sh -c ". modoboa-env/bin/activate && pip install modoboa"

Step 4: Configure Modoboa

We need to create a configuration file for Modoboa:

$ doas -u modoboa sh -c ". modoboa-env/bin/activate && \
   modoboa-admin.py deploy --collect-static --settings=config"

Step 5: Start the Web Server

We will now start the Nginx web server:

$ doas rcctl enable nginx
$ doas rcctl start nginx

Step 6: Create a Database

We will create a PostgreSQL database for Modoboa:

$ doas -u _postgresql createdb -O _postgresql modoboa

Step 7: Configure Modoboa Database

We will now configure Modoboa to use the PostgreSQL database we just created:

$ doas -u modoboa vim $HOME/.config/modoboa/config.py

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql',
        'NAME': 'modoboa',
        'USER': '_postgresql',
        'PASSWORD': '',
        'HOST': '/var/run/postgresql',
        'PORT': '',
    }
}

Step 8: Start Modoboa

We are now ready to start Modoboa:

$ doas -u modoboa sh -c ". modoboa-env/bin/activate && \
   modoboa-admin.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000"

Conclusion

We have successfully installed Modoboa on OpenBSD! By following the above steps, you can now manage multiple email domains and accounts with ease.

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!