How to Install HyperKitty on POP! OS Latest

HyperKitty is a web application built for displaying and interacting with email archives in a modern, user-friendly interface. Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to install HyperKitty on POP! OS Latest.

Step 1: Update your system

Before you do anything else, make sure your system is up to date. Open a terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This command will update your package list and upgrade any outdated packages on your system.

Step 2: Install Git

We will use Git to clone the HyperKitty repository. If you don't have Git installed, run the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install git -y

Type Y and hit Enter to confirm the installation when prompted.

Step 3: Clone the HyperKitty repository

Now we can clone the HyperKitty repository from GitHub. In your terminal, navigate to the directory where you want the repository to be cloned and run the following command:

git clone https://github.com/hyperkitty/hyperkitty.git

This command will clone the entire repository, including all its branches and tags, to your current working directory.

Step 4: Install HyperKitty dependencies

HyperKitty has several dependencies that must be installed before it can be run. Run the following command in your terminal to install them:

sudo apt install python3 python3-dev python3-venv python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-wheel build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev zlib1g-dev -y

This command will install Python 3 and several packages that HyperKitty requires for building and running.

Step 5: Create a virtual environment

It's a good practice to create a Python virtual environment for HyperKitty. This will allow you to install the required packages without affecting your system-wide Python installation. Run the following commands in your terminal to create and activate a virtual environment:

cd hyperkitty
python3 -m venv hyperkitty-env
source hyperkitty-env/bin/activate

This will create a new virtual environment in the hyperkitty-env directory and activate it.

Step 6: Install HyperKitty

Now we're ready to install HyperKitty. Run the following command in your terminal:

pip install -e .

This command will install HyperKitty and all its dependencies.

Step 7: Initialize the database

HyperKitty requires a PostgreSQL database for storing email archives. Run the following commands in your terminal to create a new database and initialize it:

sudo apt install postgresql -y
sudo su - postgres
createuser -d -R -S hyperkitty
createdb -O hyperkitty hyperkitty
exit
python manage.py migrate

These commands will install PostgreSQL, create a new database user and database, and initialize the database schema.

Step 8: Collect static assets

HyperKitty comes with a set of static assets like CSS and JavaScript files that need to be collected before it can be run. Run the following command in your terminal to collect them:

python manage.py collectstatic --no-input

This command will collect all the static assets and store them in the static directory.

Step 9: Start the server

Finally, we're ready to start the HyperKitty server. Run the following command in your terminal:

python manage.py runserver

This will start the server and listen on port 8000 by default. You should be able to access HyperKitty in your browser at http://localhost:8000/.

Conclusion

We have successfully installed and configured HyperKitty on POP! OS Latest. Now you can enjoy browsing your email archives in a modern and user-friendly interface.

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