How to Install Roundcube on POP! OS Latest

Introduction

Roundcube is a free and open-source webmail client that allows you to access your email accounts through a web interface. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install Roundcube on POP! OS Latest using Apache, MariaDB, and PHP.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

Step 1: Update the System

Ensure that your system is up-to-date by running the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Apache web server

Roundcube requires a web server to run. In this tutorial, we will install and configure Apache. To install Apache, run the following command:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

Once the installation is complete, you can check the status of the Apache server by running the following command:

sudo systemctl status apache2

You should see a message indicating that the Apache server is active.

Step 3: Install MariaDB

MariaDB is the database server used by Roundcube for storing email data. Install MariaDB by running the following command:

sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y

Once the installation is complete, run the following command to secure the database server:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This command performs several tasks, including setting the MariaDB root password and removing anonymous users.

Step 4: Install PHP

Roundcube requires PHP to run. Install PHP by running the following command:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-imap php-ldap php-json php-xml -y

Once the installation is complete, restart Apache by running the following command:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 5: Download and Install Roundcube

Download the latest version of Roundcube from the official website at https://roundcube.net/download/. Choose the stable version and click on the download button.

Once downloaded, extract the compressed file by running the following command:

tar xvfz roundcubemail-x.y.z.tar.gz

Replace x.y.z with the version number you downloaded.

Copy the extracted directory to the Apache web directory by running the following command:

sudo cp -r roundcubemail-x.y.z /var/www/html/roundcube

Create a configuration file by copying the sample file:

sudo cp /var/www/html/roundcube/config/config.inc.php.sample /var/www/html/roundcube/config/config.inc.php

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /var/www/html/roundcube/config/config.inc.php

Change the following parameters according to your system:

$config['db_dsnw'] = 'mysql://roundcube:password@localhost/roundcube';
$config['smtp_server'] = 'localhost';
$config['smtp_port'] = 25;
$config['default_host'] = 'ssl://mail.example.com';

Save and exit the file.

Step 6: Create a Database for Roundcube

Log in to the MariaDB shell:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter your root password when prompted.

Create a new database for Roundcube:

CREATE DATABASE roundcube;

Create a new user for the Roundcube database:

CREATE USER 'roundcube'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

Replace password with a strong password.

Grant the user the privileges to the database:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON roundcube.* TO 'roundcube'@'localhost';

Exit the MariaDB shell:

exit

Step 7: Configure Virtual Host

Create a new virtual host configuration file:

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

Add the following lines to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/roundcube
    ServerName mail.example.com
    <Directory /var/www/html/roundcube>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
    RewriteEngine on
    RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =mail.example.com
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</VirtualHost>

Replace admin@example.com with your email address and mail.example.com with your domain name.

Save and exit the file.

Enable the virtual host configuration:

sudo a2ensite roundcube.conf

Restart Apache for the changes to take effect:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 8: Access Roundcube

Open your web browser and navigate to https://mail.example.com/roundcube. You should see the Roundcube login page.

Enter your email address and password to access your email.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured Roundcube on POP! OS Latest. With Roundcube, you can access your email accounts through a web interface, making it convenient to access your emails from anywhere.

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