How to Install Briefkasten on Linux Mint

Briefkasten is an open-source mailbox server that provides a secure and private way to send and receive emails. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Briefkasten on Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • A Linux Mint system with sudo access
  • A terminal emulator
  • Git installed

Step 1 - Clone the Briefkasten Repository

The first step is to clone the Briefkasten repository from Github. Open your terminal emulator and run the following command:

git clone https://github.com/ndom91/briefkasten.git

This will download the latest version of the Briefkasten repository to your local system.

Step 2 - Install Docker and Docker Compose

Briefkasten requires Docker and Docker Compose to run. If you don't have them installed already, run the following commands to install them:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo apt install docker-compose

This will install Docker and Docker Compose on your system.

Step 3 - Configure Briefkasten

Next, navigate to the Briefkasten directory you cloned in step 1:

cd briefkasten

Then, copy the example configuration file:

cp .env.example .env

Open the .env file in a text editor of your choice and set the values for your environment. Make sure to set the MAIL_EXPOSED_HOST variable to the domain name you plan to use for your mail server.

Step 4 - Build and Start the Containers

To build and start the Briefkasten containers, run the following command:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This will download the required images and start the containers in detached mode.

Step 5 - Access the Web Interface

Once the containers are up and running, you can access the Briefkasten web interface by navigating to https://your-domain.com in your web browser. You should see a login screen where you can create your admin account and begin using Briefkasten.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have successfully installed Briefkasten on your Linux Mint system. You now have a secure and private mail server that you can use to send and receive emails.