Zimbra is a great mail system that is runnable out of the box after a relatively easy installation, featuring web-gui, pop3, smtp access and even a mobile interface for use when surfing from a mobile phone. The installation on Ubuntu 7.10 is starting to be obsolete as of the release of v8.04. Since the v8.04 is an LTS(Long Term Support) Zimbra will probably support it soon as a host OS, otherwise v6.06 is their official supported version of Ubuntu but as this how-to shows it can be installed and be runnable on v7.10.

During this how-to i will use example.com as domain for easier explanation of things, this should of course be replaced with your own domain name.

1. Make sure you have Ubuntu Server up and running with static ip and proper dns entries.

2. Download Latest Zimbra Open Source Edition and unpack it.

3. Add valid mx records to your dns, this is requiered for Zimbra to work ex.
mail.example.com. A 1.2.3.4
example.com. MX 0 mail.example.com.

4. use sudo in interactive mode.
$ sudo -i

5. Install prerequisite software required for Zimbra
# apt-get install curl libcurl3 fetchmail libgmp3c2 libstdc++5 openssl libltdl3 ssh openssh-server

6. Start installation of Zimbra
# ./install.sh

7. Answer yes on following to continue despite wrong ubuntu version
This platform is UBUNTU7
Packages found: zimbra-core_5.0.xxx.deb
This may or may not work

Install anyway? [N] y

The system will be modified. Continue? [N] y

8. Choose default for following questions.
Install zimbra-ldap [Y]
Install zimbra-logger [Y]
Install zimbra-mta [Y]
Install zimbra-snmp [Y]
Install zimbra-store [Y]
Install zimbra-apache [Y]
Install zimbra-spell [Y]
Install zimbra-proxy [N]

9. Choose yes on following questions.
You appear to be installing packages on a platform different
than the platform for which they were built

This platform is UBUNTU7
Packages found: zimbra-core_5.0.xxx.deb
This may or may not work

Install anyway? [N] y

The system will be modified. Continue? [N] y

10. Answer no to following question since we don’t want mail as @mail.example.com instead we want for @example.com
DNS ERROR resolving MX for mail.example.com
It is suggested that the domain name have an MX record configured in DNS
Change domain name? [Yes] n

11. When installation is done and configuration is showing there are a few thing that must be changed
- Set correct timezone press 1 => 5 => timezone number => r
- Change admin user to create to following, admin@example.com and not admin@mail.example.com,this will ask for admin password to, press 2 => 3 => r
- Change default ldap domain press 2 => 3 => set domain as example.com, not mail.example.com => r
Finish by pressing a for apply and then press enter on the to following questions
Save configuration data to a file? [Yes]
Save config in file: [/opt/zimbra/config.xxx]
and finally press y to modify the system configuration
The system will be modified – continue? [No] y

12. Now the system is finishing off and your faced with following question, answer as you please.
Notify Zimbra of your installation? [Yes]

Now you can access the administration through the web via https://mail.example.com:7071/ with user admin and the password you set earlier.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm and is filed under Mail, Server, Ubuntu, Zimbra. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.