Are you looking for a robust and open-source mail server for your websites and web servers? Look no further! Postal Mail Server is a complete and fully-featured mail server that can be run on your own servers. Similar to popular platforms like Sendgrid, Mailgun, and Postmark, Postal is developed by Krystal and has been released as an open-source project for the community. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Postal Mail Server on AlmaLinux 8, empowering you to take control of your email infrastructure.
Prerequisites
Before we dive into the installation process, let’s make sure we have everything we need:
- A system with AlmaLinux 8 installed and running.
- Root access to the system.
- Docker installed and running. If you haven’t installed Docker yet, you can refer to one of our comprehensive guides on installing Docker on AlmaLinux 8.
- LAMP Stack (Apache, MariaDB, and PHP) installed and running. If you haven’t set up your LAMP Stack yet, don’t worry! We have a detailed guide on installing the LAMP Stack on AlmaLinux 8 that you can follow.
Now that we have all the prerequisites in place, let’s proceed with the installation and configuration of Postal Mail Server.
Step 1: Install Git, Curl & JSON data
To run certain Postal commands, we need to have a few system utilities installed. Let’s start by installing Git, Curl, and JSON data:
yum install git curl jq
Step 2: Download Postal Git Repository
Next, let’s download the Postal Git Repository:
git clone https://postalserver.io/start/install /opt/postal/install ln -s /opt/postal/install/bin/postal /usr/bin/postal
Step 3: Setup Database Connection using Docker
Postal requires a database engine to store all email and configuration data. Let’s set up a MariaDB database using Docker:
docker run -d \ --name postal-mariadb \ -p 127.0.0.1:3306:3306 \ --restart always \ -e MARIADB_DATABASE=crowncloud \ -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=crowncloud_password \ mariadb
Make sure you replace “crowncloud_password” with a strong and secure password of your choice.
Step 4: Install RabbitMQ using Docker
RabbitMQ is responsible for dispatching messages between different processes in Postal. Let’s set up RabbitMQ using Docker:
docker run -d \ --name postal-rabbitmq \ -p 127.0.0.1:5672:5672 \ --restart always \ -e RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_USER=crowncloud \ -e RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS=crowncloud_password \ -e RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_VHOST=crowncloud \ rabbitmq:3.8
Similar to the previous step, make sure to replace “crowncloud_password” with a strong password.
Step 5: Install Postal Mail Server
Now it’s time to install Postal Mail Server. Run the following command, replacing “dev1.domainhere.info” with the actual hostname you want to access your Postal web interface at. Make sure you have set up this domain with your DNS provider before proceeding:
postal bootstrap dev1.domainhere.info
Step 6: Configure Postal Mail Server
After the installation, we need to configure Postal with appropriate values for your setup. Open the Postal configuration file using the following command:
nano /opt/postal/config/postal.yml
In the configuration file, you will find a section named “DNS”. Replace the placeholder values with your actual domain name or IP address. Here’s an example of how it should look like:
dns: mx_records: - postal.dev1.domainhere.info smtp_server_hostname: postal.dev1.domainhere.info track_domain: postal.dev1.domainhere.info spf_include: spf.postal.dev1.domainhere.info return_path: rp.postal.dev1.domainhere.info route_domain: routes.postal.dev1.domainhere.info
Save the changes and exit the editor.
Step 7: Install Docker Compose
To manage the Postal Mail Server, we need to install Docker Compose. Run the following commands:
curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose ln -s /usr/local/bin/docker-compose /usr/bin/docker-compose
Step 8: Initialize the Database
Before we can start using Postal, we need to initialize the database. Run the following command:
postal initialize
Step 9: Create a User Account
To access and manage Postal, we need to create a user account. Run the following command:
postal make-user
Follow the prompts to set up your username and password.
Step 10: Start Postal Mail Server
Now that everything is set up, it’s time to start Postal Mail Server:
postal start
Step 11: Enable Firewall
To ensure the security of your Postal Mail Server, it’s essential to enable the firewall and allow the necessary ports. Run the following commands:
firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-port 5000/tcp firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https firewall-cmd --reload
Step 12: Install Caddy Server using Docker
To handle SSL termination and web traffic, we’ll use Caddy Server as a web proxy. Run the following command to install Caddy Server using Docker:
docker run -d \ --name postal-caddy \ --restart always \ --network host \ -v /opt/postal/config/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile \ -v /opt/postal/caddy-data:/data \ caddy
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Postal Mail Server on AlmaLinux 8. Now, let’s access and manage your Postal Mail Server.
Open your preferred web browser and enter the domain name or IP address configured on your server, followed by port 5000:
https://dev1.domainhere.info:5000
Replace “dev1.domainhere.info” with your actual IP or domain. You will be redirected to the Postal Mail Server interface, where you can configure and manage your mail server.
Conclusion
By following this comprehensive guide, you have successfully installed Postal Mail Server on AlmaLinux 8. Postal provides a reliable and open-source solution for managing your email infrastructure. With its extensive features and easy-to-use interface, Postal empowers businesses to take control of their email delivery.
Remember, if you need any assistance with your cloud hosting needs, Shape.host is here to help. Shape.host offers reliable Cloud VPS services with exceptional customer support, starting at just $5/month. Experience the power of scalable and secure cloud hosting solutions with Shape.host.
So, what are you waiting for? Install Postal Mail Server on AlmaLinux 8 today and streamline your email delivery process with ease and efficiency.