Set up a groupware server using kolab

Kolab is a software suite that allows for web-based

• mail
• address management
• calendar

This article describes how to set up a Kolab 2.2 server. It has been tested with Debian 5 and SUSE 11.1, but should work same or similar with other distributions.

• get a root terminal and download all Kolab files:

cd /tmp
mkdir kolab
cd kolab
wget -r -l1 --retr-symlinks http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/kolab/server/release/kolab-server-2.2.0/ix86-debian4.0/
cd ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/kolab/server/release/kolab-server-2.2.0/ix86-debian4.0/

• install kolab:

sh install-kolab.sh 2>&1 | tee /root/kolab-install.log
/kolab/etc/kolab/kolab_bootstrap -b

• Debian: Replace Exim with ssmtp:

apt-get install ssmtp.

ssmtp is not a real MTA and will not block port 25 (while Exim would do and prevent Kolab's Postfix from starting). But with a working ssmtp instead of just disabling Exim, your system can still send mails out which is important, when hosting for example other webpages (PHP) which needs to send mails. Configure ssmtp in /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf to use localhost as the mail hub, so it relay mails throigh the Postfix running below /kolab.

• SUSE: stop postfix: run /etc/init.d/postfix stop
• start kolab

/etc/init.d/kolab start

• configure kolab

/kolab/sbin/kolabconf
/kolab/bin/openpkg rc all restart

• log in on https://localhost for admin interface (user name manager) and on https://localhost/horde for the web frontend

See also

• http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/kolab/server/release/kolab-server-2.2.0/ix86-debian4.0/1st.README
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolab