How to Install SquirrelMail on Windows 11

SquirrelMail is open-source webmail software that is compatible with a variety of web servers and PHP setups. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface for sending and receiving emails, making it a popular choice for personal and business email hosting.

In this tutorial, we will guide you step-by-step through the process of installing SquirrelMail on a Windows 11 system.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, you will need to make sure your system meets the following requirements:

• A web server (such as Apache, Nginx, or IIS)
• PHP version 5.1.2 or higher
• A running MySQL or PostgreSQL database
• A compatible browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge)

Step 1: Download SquirrelMail

The first step in the installation process is to download the latest version of SquirrelMail from the official website. You can download it from squirrelmail.org.

Step 2: Unzip the Downloaded File

After you have downloaded the SquirrelMail package, extract the contents of the ZIP file to a convenient location on your hard drive, such as C:/SquirrelMail

Step 3: Configure SquirrelMail

In the extracted folder of SquirrelMail, locate the file named config_default.php and rename it as config.php.

Now, open the config.php file in any text editor and update the following values under the '$config['default_host']' parameter with the appropriate configuration information for your web server:

$config['default_host'] = 'localhost';     # change the localhost with your mail server IP address
$config['default_port'] = 143;
$config['smtp_server'] = 'localhost';       # change the localhost with your smtp server IP address
$config['smtp_port'] = 25;
$config['imap_auth_type'] = 'LOGIN';
$config['smtp_auth_mech'] = 'PLAIN';

You can also update other configuration settings, such as language, theme, and security settings as per your preferences.

Step 4: Set Up the Database

SquirrelMail requires a MySQL or PostgreSQL database to store its user data. You can create the database using PHPMyAdmin or any other MySQL database tool.

Create a database named 'squirrelmail' and a user with full privileges to access the database.

Update the database configuration in the config.php file with the following parameters:

$config['db_dsnw'] = 'mysql://username:password@localhost/squirrelmail';    # replace 'username' and 'password' with your database credentials

Step 5: Copy SquirrelMail Files to Webroot Directory

Copy the entire contents of the SquirrelMail folder to the webroot directory of your web server, which is usually located at C:/xampp/htdocs in XAMPP.

Step 6: Access SquirrelMail

Now, you can access SquirrelMail by typing the following URL in your browser's address bar:

http://localhost/squirrelmail/

This will open the SquirrelMail login page, where you can enter your email id and password to access your mailbox.

Conclusion

That's it! You have successfully installed SquirrelMail on your Windows 11 system. You can now explore the various features and options of SquirrelMail to manage your emails efficiently.

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