Introduction

This is the second part of our guide on building a complete email server. In Part 1, we configured Postfix (SMTP) and Dovecot (IMAP/POP3), allowing you to send and receive emails via the command line.

Now, we will install Roundcube, a modern, browser-based webmail client that provides a user-friendly interface similar to Gmail or Outlook. This involves setting up a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MariaDB, PHP) to run Roundcube.

Step 1: Install the LAMP Stack

Roundcube requires a web server, a database, and PHP. We will install and configure these components.

1.1 Install Apache, PHP, and MariaDB:
Install all required packages with a single command:

sudo yum install -y httpd php php-fpm php-mcrypt php-cli php-gd php-curl php-xml php-mysql php-mbstring php-pspell php-imagick mariadb-server

1.2 Start and Enable Services:

sudo systemctl start httpd mariadb
sudo systemctl enable httpd mariadb

1.3 Configure PHP Settings:
Edit the main PHP configuration file to set your timezone.

sudo vi /etc/php.ini

Find the line ;date.timezone = and modify it to your region. Remove the semicolon (;) to uncomment it.

date.timezone = "Asia/Kolkata"

Save the file and restart Apache to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Pro Tip: You can find a list of supported timezones here. Using the correct timezone is crucial for accurate email timestamps.

Step 2: Configure MariaDB Database

2.1 Secure MariaDB Installation:
Run the security script to set a root password and remove insecure defaults:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, and remove the test database.

2.2 Create a Database for Roundcube:
Log into MariaDB and create a dedicated database and user for Roundcube for better security.

mysql -u root -p

Enter your root password when prompted, then run the following SQL commands inside the MariaDB shell:

CREATE DATABASE roundcubemail;
CREATE USER 'roundcube'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '=213@!#webL';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON roundcubemail.* TO 'roundcube'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

http://mail.you_domain.com/roundcube/installer

Step 3: Install and Configure Roundcube

3.1 Download Roundcube:
Navigate to the web root directory and download the latest stable version of Roundcube. (Note: Check the Roundcube download page for the most recent version.)

cd /tmp
sudo wget -c https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/download/1.3.7/roundcubemail-1.3.7-complete.tar.gz

3.2 Extract and Move Files:
Extract the downloaded archive and move it to your web directory.

sudo tar xzf roundcubemail-1.3.7-complete.tar.gz
sudo mv roundcubemail-1.3.7 /var/www/html/roundcubemail

18. 3.3 Import the Database Schema:
    Import the initial database structure into your roundcubemail database.

    bash

    cd /var/www/html/roundcubemail
    sudo mysql -u root -p roundcubemail < SQL/mysql.initial.sql

    3.4 Set Correct Permissions:
    Apache needs to own the files to read and write to them.

    bash

    sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/roundcubemail

    3.5 Restart Services:

    bash

    sudo systemctl restart httpd mariadb

    

Roundcube Configuration File Created

You can review your configuration from the Test config page as shown in the following screenshot.

Step 4: Complete Setup via Web Browser

The final configuration is done through a web-based installer.

1. Open your browser and navigate to your Roundcube installer:
   http://mail.your_domain.com/roundcubemail/installer

2. General Configuration:

   • Set a product_name (e.g., “YourDomain Webmail”).

3. Database Setup:

   • Database type: MySQL

   • Database server: localhost

   • Database name: roundcubemail

   • Username: roundcube

   • Password: =213@!#webL (the password you set earlier)

4. IMAP & SMTP Settings:

   • IMAP server: localhost

   • SMTP server: localhost

   • Ensure both are set to use TLS or SSL on their standard ports (993 for IMAPS, 465 for SMTPS). For this test setup, you may need to use tls/starttls on ports 143 and 587 if SSL is not yet configured.

5. Create Config: Click Create Config and then Continue on the success message.

6. Test Configuration: Use the Test Config page to verify all settings are correct.

Step 5: Secure the Installation

5.1 Remove the Installer Directory:
This is a critical security step. The installer directory contains sensitive data and must be deleted to prevent unauthorized access.

sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/roundcubemail/installer

5.2 (Recommended) Disable the Installer in Config:
As an alternative, you can disable the installer in the config file instead of deleting it. Edit the config file:

sudo vi /var/www/html/roundcubemail/config/config.inc.php

Find and ensure the following line is set:

$config['enable_installer'] = false;

Step 6: Log In to Roundcube

Your webmail is now ready! Open your browser and navigate to:
http://mail.your_domain.com/roundcubemail/

Log in using the email user credentials you created in Part 1 (e.g., admin@your_domain.com and its password). You should see the inbox with the test email you sent earlier.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully configured a complete email server stack on CentOS 7:

• Postfix as the SMTP server for sending mail.

• Dovecot as the IMAP server for retrieving mail.

• Roundcube as the web-based client to access your emails.

You can now send and receive emails through a modern, intuitive web interface.

Important Security Note & Next Steps

This guide sets up a functional server, but a production email server requires further hardening:

1. SSL/TLS Certificates: It is essential to encrypt communication between the client and server using SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt. Currently, your login credentials and emails are transmitted in plain text, which is highly insecure.

2. Firewall Rules: Ensure only necessary ports are open.

3. Spam Filtering: Implement tools like SpamAssassin and ClamAV to filter spam and viruses.

   Pro Tip

   Managing a secure email server requires constant vigilance against security threats and spam. For a reliable, hassle-free solution, consider a professional managed email hosting service

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Deepak Udai

He is a cloud infrastructure and reliability engineering leader with a strong focus on performance, automation, and scalability. Known for solving complex technical challenges, he supports teams through mentorship and collaboration while delivering efficient, high-performance solutions from planning to deployment.

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