vPostMaster Generic Linux Installation
These instructions are for an ftp download of vPostMaster and a
manual install.
If you're installing vPostMaster on one of the Linux Distributions
which we have packages for, please follow those instructions, not
the generic install instructions. This is the hard way.
Note
These instructions give a basic overview of the installation process,
but there has been very little demand for doing manual installations.
Almost all users do a packaged installation. The authoritative steps
required to do the installation can be found in the "setup-fc3" or
"setup-debian" scripts and the "vpostmaster.spec" or "debian/*" files.
Instructions
vPostMaster Installation Instructions
(c) 2005 tummy.com, ltd.
http://www.tummy.com/
http://www.vpostmaster.com/
info@tummy.com
INTRODUCTION
vPostMaster is a full featured email server with an easy to use web
interface for administering domains, email users and filtering rules.
It is free for non-commercial use. Commercial use licenses are
available.
The Generic Installation instructions assume you have or can:
a recent Linux system installed with SELinux disabled
login as root
install packages using rpm or apt-get
edit a text file
run a script as root
use a web browser
start and stop services
load and configure a Postgres database
PACKAGES
vPostMaster is the consolidation of many different open source and
freely available tools and programs, into a well-integrated environment.
It relies on many different programs, however modern Linux packaging
techniques can make the end result very easy to install. Combined with
automated setup scripts, vPostMaster can be incredibly easy to install.
Instructions are included below for installation over the network using
package repositories, as well as manual installation instructions for
systems which we have not created packages for. Check the vPostMaster
web site (http://www.tummy.com/Products/vpostmaster/) for the latest
information on distributions we provide pre-packaged releases for.
We will try to support the more common systems with pre-built packages.
However, there are only so many test systems we can have available.
Therefore, paying customers have an advantage here. If you are ready to
purchase and would like support for your favorite distribution, please
contact us via the above web site for more information.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
It is highly recommended that you not install vPostMaster, or any
mail-related software, on a production system. Conflicts between
existing and new mail software may result in lost or corrupted data or
system settings and more. Please also ensure that you have a backup of
any important data on the system before you being.
GENERIC INSTALL
Required Packages:
vPostMaster requires the following packages (and their associated
dependencies) to be successfully installed:
Apache
Dovecot (POP/IMAP server)
PHP (built with PostgreSQL enabled)
Postfix (built with PostgreSQL enabled)
PostgreSQL
Psycopg
PyDNS
PySPF
Python
SpamAssassin
SquirrelMail
sudo
Cyrus SASL
Installing vPostMaster:
The packages assume installation in /usr/lib instead of /usr/local.
Search the distribution files for "/usr" for places to change if you
put them elsewhere.
These instructions assume the following directories are being used
for the installation. Please change the locations below if this is
not the case:
/usr/lib/vpostmaster -- Programs and data files.
/var/spool/vpostmaster -- E-mail storage.
/var/www/html/vpostmaster -- Web management console (should be
under the Apache document root).
Create a vpostmaster user: useradd -r vpostmaster
Create the directory structure:
mkdir -p /usr/lib/vpostmaster/bin
mkdir -p /usr/lib/vpostmaster/lib
mkdir -p /usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc
mkdir -p /usr/lib/vpostmaster/postfix
mkdir -p /var/spool/vpostmaster/domains
Install the vPostMaster software:
install -m 755 vpm-pfpolicy vpm-pftransport vpm-pgmaintain vpmsupp.py \
/usr/lib/vpostmaster/lib/
install -m 755 vpm-wwwhelper /usr/lib/vpostmaster/bin/
install -m 640 wwwdb.conf-dist /usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc/wwwdb.conf
install -m 644 vpostmaster-www/*.php /var/www/html/vpostmaster/
install -m 644 vpostmaster-www/*.png /var/www/html/vpostmaster/
install -m 644 vpostmaster-www/*.ico /var/www/html/vpostmaster/
Generate passwords for several PostgreSQL users (these will only be
used by the software internally, so there's no reason not to make
them long and strong), and the encrypted password for your web
management session. Fill them in as environment variables here:
PASSWORD_POSTFIX=
PASSWORD_VPOSTMASTER=
PASSWORD_VPOSTMASTERWWW=
PASSWORD_IMAPSERVER=
The supervisor password needs to be encrypted. "htpasswd" is a good
way to do this:
guin:vpostmaster$ htpasswd -c /dev/tty root
New password:
Re-type new password:
Adding password for user root
root:Jz/bBjocdazNs
guin:vpostmaster$ CRYPTED_SUPERUSER=Jz/bBjocdazNs
Notice that only the last part after "root:" is used as the crypted
password.
Additionally, you will need to know the UID and GID assigned to the
vpostmaster user:
guin:vpostmaster$ grep vpostmaster /etc/passwd
vpostmaster:x:100:101::/home/vpostmaster:/bin/bash
guin:vpostmaster$ VPOSTMASTER_UID=100
guin:vpostmaster$ VPOSTMASTER_GID=101
Set up the PostgreSQL database. On default Red Hat and similar
installs, only the "postgres" user has the ability to do these tasks,
so you will probably have to "su postgres" (or similar) before
running the "psql" commands.
Make sure PostgreSQL is running.
Make sure the "tcpip_socket" value in
"/var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf is set to "true" and is
uncommented.
Ensure that local TCP/IP connections can authenticate using
passwords by adding the following line to
"/var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf":
host all all 127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 password
Re-start the PostgreSQL daemon.
Create the PostgreSQL users in the database. This may need to be
run as the "postgres" user:
createdb vpostmaster
psql -d vpostmaster -c "CREATE USER postfix WITH PASSWORD
'${PASSWORD_POSTFIX}' NOCREATEDB NOCREATEUSER;"
psql -d vpostmaster -c "CREATE USER vpostmaster WITH PASSWORD
'${PASSWORD_VPOSTMASTER}' NOCREATEDB NOCREATEUSER;"
psql -d vpostmaster -c "CREATE USER vpostmasterwww WITH PASSWORD
'${PASSWORD_VPOSTMASTERWWW}' NOCREATEDB NOCREATEUSER;"
psql -d vpostmaster -c "CREATE USER imapserver WITH PASSWORD
'${PASSWORD_IMAPSERVER}' NOCREATEDB NOCREATEUSER;"
# run shell script which loads the schema
/path/to/vpostmaster/sources/schema.sql
psql -d vpostmaster -c "INSERT INTO adminusers ( name,
issuperuser, cryptedpasswd ) VALUES ( 'superuser', 't',
'$CRYPTED_SUPERUSER' );"
Set up the passwords in their appropriate configuration files:
Create /usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc/wwwdb.conf, and change it to have
group read permission by the Apache server. You can find the
group which the web server runs as by looking for the "Group"
line in the Apache config file.
echo "dbname=vpostmaster host=127.0.0.1 user=vpostmasterwww " \
"password=${PASSWORD_VPOSTMASTERWWW}" \
>/usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc/wwwdb.conf
chown root:apache /usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc/wwwdb.conf
chmod 440 /usr/lib/vpostmaster/etc/wwwdb.conf
Place the following in the Dovecot SQL file
"/etc/dovecot-pgsql.conf" (with $ variables expanded to the
appropriate value):
connect = host=localhost dbname=vpostmaster user=imapserver password=$PASSWORD_IMAPSERVER
default_pass_scheme = CRYPT
password_query = SELECT users.cryptedpasswd AS password FROM users WHERE users.name = '%n' AND users.domainsname = '%d'
user_query = SELECT userdir AS home, $VPOSTMASTER_UID AS uid, $VPOSTMASTER_GID AS gid FROM users WHERE users.name = '%n' AND users.domainsname = '%d'
Long lines must not be broken up. Now, change the permissions on
it:
chown root /etc/dovecot-pgsql.conf
chmod 400 /etc/dovecot-pgsql.conf
Write the Postfix PostgreSQL file, "/etc/postfix/vpm-domains",
again substituting the appropriate $ variables:
user=postfix
password=${PASSWORD_POSTFIX}
hosts=localhost
dbname=vpostmaster
table=domains
select_field='X'"
where_field=name"
additional_conditions = and active = 't'
And change the permissions:
chown root /etc/postfix/vpm-domains
chmod 400 /etc/postfix/vpm-domains
Re-start Apache.
Web helper:
Set up sudo to allow the Apache user to run the vPostMaster helper
as the "vpostmaster" user. The "apache" string must be the actual
user name which your web server runs as. See the "User" line
in your Apache configuration file for the exact value. Then run
"visudo" and add the following lines to the file:
# vpostmaster helper, allow Apache to run it as vpostmaster
apache ALL=(vpostmaster) NOPASSWD: /usr/lib/vpostmaster/bin/vpm-wwwhelper
This helper allows the vPostMaster web control panel to create
new users home directories. Without this, an error will be
displayed during user creation, and the user will not be able to
log in via POP or IMAP until they receive an incoming message.
In the future this helper may also be used to display current
quota information.
Set up Postfix:
The following lines must be added to the "/etc/postfix/main.cf"
file:
# vPostMaster setup
inet_interfaces = all
virtual_transport = vpm-pftransport
virtual_mailbox_domains = pgsql:/etc/postfix/vpm-domains
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtpd_sasl_application_name = smtpd
broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes
#always_bcc = archive_address@example.com
smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
permit_sasl_authenticated
check_policy_service unix:private/vpm-pfpolicy
reject_unauth_destination
The following lines must be added to the "/etc/postfix/master.cf"
file:
# vPostMaster setup
vpm-pfpolicy unix - n n - - spawn
user=vpostmaster argv=/usr/lib/vpostmaster/postfix/vpm-pfpolicy
vpm-pftransport unix - n n - - pipe
flags=Fqhu user=vpostmaster argv=/usr/lib/vpostmaster/postfix/vpm-pftransport $sender $recipient
The long lines must not be broken.
Re-start your Postfix daemon.
Dovecot configuration:
Add the following lines to the end of the "/etc/dovecot.conf":
# vPostMaster Configuration
default_mail_env = maildir:~/Maildir/
auth_userdb = pgsql /etc/dovecot-pgsql.conf
auth_passdb = pgsql /etc/dovecot-pgsql.conf
first_valid_uid = 100
Re-start the Dovecot daemon.
Further things:
Don't forget to make sure that all the daemons start on a reboot.
Now is a good time to do that. The daemons that are required include
Postfix, Dovecot, Apache, and PostgreSQL.
SUPPORT
If you run into trouble with vPostMaster, support is available from
tummy.com's experienced system administrators.
Commercial Licenses include support.
Paid support is available for free, non-commercial installations.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are support forums available for vPostMaster users.
If you have questions with either the non-commercial or commercial
version please contact us through our secure webform at
https://secure.tummy.com/Company/contactus.html/
or by email to info@tummy.com
