Install Roundcube webmail client

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Note

11/10/2024: smtp setting revised.

23/1/2024: Minor changes.

26/3/2023: smtp setting revised.

16/12/2021: Updated installation command.

27/5/2019: Changed to use extracting directly to web directory. Protection measures added.

8/5/2019: All "/var/www/web" changed to "/var/www/html/web". "<version number>" used instead of a specific number. More descriptions on settings added.

25/12/2014: Created.

Intro

Roundcube is a webmail client.

Install Roundcube using apt

~~Execute:~~

$ sudo apt install roundcube

(Deleted, not working, 11/10/2024)

Install Roundcube from roundcube.net

If the apt installation does not work, execute to remove:

$ sudo apt remove roundcube

Then download roundcubemail-<version number>-complete.tar.gz by selecting "Complete: <version number>" at https://roundcube.net/download/, usually to own "Downloads" directory.

Extract the compressed file, move the extracted directory and files to underneath "/var/www/html", and rename the directory as "roundcube".

Ensure that the hidden ".htaccess" file is also moved.

A quicker way is to extract directly to "/var/www/html" and rename the directory there.

Install Roundcube under "/var/www/html":

$ cd /var/www/html
$ sudo tar -xzfv /home/<own account name>/Downloads/roundcubemail-<version number>-complete.tar.gz  (extract to current directory)
$ tar -xzf /home/<own account name>/Downloads/roundcubemail-<version number>-complete.tar.gz (extract to current directory) 
$ ls      (see the existence of the extracted directory)
$ sudo mv roundcubemail-<version number> roundcube    (change directory name)
$ cd roundcube
$ sudo chown www-data:www-data logs
$ sudo chown www-data:www-data temp

"-xzfv" can be remembered as extract zipped file verbose. Use "-xzf" if "v" not working.

(changed to use "-xzf", added cd roundcube, 16/12/2021)

(changed to use "tar" directly to web directory, 27/5/2019)

Set up Roundcube

Install MySQL database + PHP + phpMyAdmin, if not already installed.

https://localhost/phpmyadmin

Create a database user "roundcube" with database "roundcube":

click "Users" at the top menu bar
click "Add user" at the page middle
enter "roundcube" at the User name entry
select "Local" for "localhost" at the Host entry

(Select "Local", not enter "local", 11/10/2024)

enter and re-type the password
click "Create database with same name and grant all privileges"
click "Go" at the bottom

Enter at web browser:

https://localhost/roundcube/installer

Configure Roundcube:

accept all of the defaults
enter database user "roundcube", database "roundcube" and password under Database setup
click: "CREATE CONFIG"
download the configuration file generated and save it as config.inc.php
move the downloaded file:

$ mv /home/<own account name>/Downloads/config.inc.php /var/www/html/roundcube/config

click: "CONTINUE" on the webpage
click: "Initialize database"
~~set to use secure SMTP port 465 (i.e. set "localhost:465" as SMTP Host)~~
(last line not working, changed to next line, 26/3/2023)
set "ssl://kctang.com.hk" as SMTP Host
(revised again, 11/10/2024)
enter username and password, and sender and recipient full email addresses to test SMTP config
accept "localhost" as IMAP Host
enter username and password to test IMAP config

If installed from roundcube.net, remove or rename installer directory, and protect logs and temp directories:

$ sudo cd /var/www/html/roundcube
$ sudo rm -R installer                   (remove)
$ sudo mv installer installer.original   (or rename)
$ sudo chown -R $USER:$USER logs
$ sudo chown -R $USER:$USER temp

(revised to add protection, 27/5/2019)

Configure PHP5 only (not necessary for PHP7 and later):

$ sudo gedit /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini

define:

date.timezone = Asia/Hong_Kong

otherwise the date column of the web mail would be blank.

Restart Apache2 service:

$ sudo systemctl reload apache2
or
$ sudo service apache2 reload

https://localhost/roundcube

https://www.kctang.com.hk/roundcube

Click Settings > Identity to define some settings:

Click Settings > Preferences > User Interface

> Time zone > Asia/Hong Kong

> Time format > 07:30

> Date format > 24/7/2023

> Save.

Click Settings > Preferences > Composing Messages

> Compose HTML messages > always

> When replying > start new message above the quote

> Force standard separator in signatures > turn off

> Save.

Click Settings > Contacts > Import to import contacts files, e.g. previously exported from Google.

(more descriptions on settings added, 8/5/2019)

(further added, 26/3/2023)

Upgrade if installed from roundcube.net

Download and extract the subdirectory of the new version to "Downloads" directory as "roundcubemail-<new version number>".

Upgrade existing directory using the installto.sh script:

$ cd /home/<own account name>/Downloads/roundcubemail-<new version number>/bin
$ ./installto.sh /var/www/html/roundcube

In case of big trouble

Uninstall Roundcube:

$ sudo apt-get remove roundcube

Remove "/var/www/html/roundcube":

$ cd /var/www/html
$ sudo rm -r roundcube

Delete mySQL user "roundcube" and database "roundcube" using phpMyAdmin.

Intall Roundcube as new.

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