How to Install Cyrus IMAP on FreeBSD Latest

Cyrus IMAP is an open-source messaging application that allows you to store and access email, contacts, and calendar data. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Cyrus IMAP on FreeBSD Latest.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure that you have the following:

• A FreeBSD Latest server machine
• A root or sudo user access
• A stable internet connection

Step 1: Update FreeBSD

Start by updating your FreeBSD system to ensure that all packages are up to date. To do this, run the following command:

sudo freebsd-update fetch install

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Cyrus IMAP requires some packages to be installed on the system before the installation process. Run the following command to install the required packages:

sudo pkg install autoconf automake bison cyrus-sasl cyrus-sasl-saslauthd cyrus-sasl-gssapi cyrus-sasl-ldap libtool libxml2 pcre

Step 3: Download Cyrus IMAP Source Code

Cyrus IMAP source code is available for download from their official website. Navigate to the official website and download the latest version of the software. You can use the wget command to download it directly to your FreeBSD system.

wget https://www.cyrusimap.org/releases/cyrus-imapd-3.2.6.tar.gz

Step 4: Extract the Source Code

Extract the source code using the following command:

tar -xvzf cyrus-imapd-3.2.6.tar.gz

Step 5: Build and install the Cyrus IMAP

Change the directory to the extracted directory:

cd cyrus-imapd-3.2.6

Now, configure, build, and install the Cyrus IMAP package using the following commands:

./configure --prefix=/usr/local/cyrus --with-service-path=/var/imap --with-perl
make
make install

Step 6: Add Cyrus IMAP user

Create a new user for the Cyrus IMAP server using the pw command.

sudo pw adduser cyrus -d /nonexistent -s /sbin/nologin

Step 7: Configure Cyrus IMAP

Copy and modify the configuration files:

sudo cp /usr/local/cyrus/etc/imapd.conf /usr/local/cyrus/etc/imapd.conf.sample
sudo cp /usr/local/cyrus/etc/cyrus.conf /usr/local/cyrus/etc/cyrus.conf.sample

Open the imapd.conf file using a text editor and uncomment the following lines:

unixhierarchysep: yes
allowplaintext: yes

Modify the cyrus.conf file to look like the following, replacing localhost with your server's name:

START {
imap cmd="imapd -U 30" listen="localhost:imap" prefork=0
sieve cmd="timsieved" listen="localhost:sieve" prefork=0
}
SERVICES {
imap {
  # Authenticated TLS
  #cert: /etc/ssl/certs/server.crt
  #key: /etc/ssl/private/server.key
  #tls_ca_file: /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
  #tls_protocol_min: TLS1_2
}

sieve {
  # Authenticated TLS
  #cert: /etc/ssl/certs/server.crt
  #key: /etc/ssl/private/server.key
  #tls_ca_file: /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
  #tls_protocol_min: TLS1_2
}
}
EVENTS {
}

NOTIFY {
  cmd="notifyd"
  listen="localhost:2003"
  proto="udp"
}

Step 8: Create Cyrus IMAP Service

Create a service for Cyrus IMAP using the following command:

sudo vim /usr/local/etc/rc.d/cyrus-imapd

Add the following content:

#!/bin/sh

# PROVIDE: cyrus-imapd
# REQUIRE: DAEMON
# KEYWORD: shutdown

. /etc/rc.subr

name="cyrus_imapd"
rcvar="cyrus_imapd_enable"
pidfile="/var/run/cyrus/imapd.pid"
command="/usr/local/cyrus/bin/master"
command_args="-d"
extra_commands="test"

load_rc_config $name

: ${cyrus_imapd_enable:="NO"}

start_precmd=start_precedence
start_precedence()
{
    mkdir -p /var/run/cyrus
    chown cyrus:mail /var/run/cyrus
}

run_rc_command "$1"

Make the service file executable:

sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/cyrus-imapd

Step 9: Start and Enable Cyrus IMAP

Start and enable the Cyrus IMAP service using the following commands:

sudo service cyrus-imapd start
sudo sysrc cyrus_imapd_enable=YES

Conclusion

That's it! You have successfully installed Cyrus IMAP on FreeBSD Latest. Now you can access your emails, contacts, and calendar data from your server.