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This step-by-step guide will show you how to install and run Mail-in-a-Box on Ubuntu VPS. Mail-in-a-Box is an easy-to-deploy mail server solution that automatically configures all necessary services to provide a complete mail system, including DNS, spam filtering, webmail, and more. 📬 What is Mail-in-a-Box? Mail-in-a-Box is an open-source project that turns a fresh Ubuntu VPS into a full-featured email server for your domain. It handles: SMTP (Postfix) IMAP/POP3 (Dovecot) Webmail (Roundcube) DNS (nsd) Spam protection (SpamAssassin, Postgrey) Encryption (Let's Encrypt, DANE, DKIM, SPF) ⚙️ System Requirements A fresh Ubuntu 22.04 LTS server (the only supported OS as of latest version) At least 1 GB RAM (2 GB+ recommended) A public static IPv4 address A domain name pointing to the server Root or sudo user access ✅ Pre-Installation Checklist Point your domain's A record to your VPS IP. Set hostname to a subdomain (e.g., box.example.com). Ensure no mail or DNS software is already installed. Allow necessary ports: 25 (SMTP), 587 (submission), 993 (IMAPS), 443 (HTTPS), 53 (DNS), 22 (SSH) Set Hostname sudo hostnamectl set-hostname box.example.com Also update /etc/hosts: sudo nano /etc/hosts Add: 123.123.123.123 box.example.com box Replace with your actual VPS IP. 📨 How to Install and Run Mail-in-a-Box on Ubuntu VPS To install and run Mail-in-a-Box on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps outlined below: Update System sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Install Git & Clone Installer sudo apt install curl git -y git clone https://github.com/mail-in-a-box/mailinabox cd mailinabox Run the Installer sudo setup/start.sh Follow the Prompts The script will ask: Admin email address Mail hostname (use same as your box, e.g., box.example.com) Timezone Create a password for the admin user The installer will configure: DNS Server Postfix (SMTP) Dovecot (IMAP) Spam filtering HTTPS with Let's Encrypt 🌐 DNS Setup After install, go to: https://box.example.com/admin Login with the email/password you set. Navigate to System → External DNS for DNS records. Update your DNS registrar or provider (like Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) to match the required records: A records MX record (pointing to box.example.com) TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) NS records (if using Mail-in-a-Box as authoritative DNS) 🔐 Enabling HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt Mail-in-a-Box configures Let’s Encrypt automatically. The certificates are renewed automatically via cron job. You can verify or force renew: sudo mailinabox # Select "Re-run Setup" Or manually renew: sudo certbot renew 📥 Accessing Mail-in-a-Box Admin Panel Open a browser and go to: https://box.example.com/admin Services provided: Admin Panel: /admin Webmail: /mail (Roundcube) CardDAV/CalDAV: /cloud (Nextcloud Lite) You can also configure desktop or mobile mail clients using: IMAP: box.example.com, port 993 (SSL) SMTP: box.example.com, port 587 (STARTTLS) 🛡️ Security Tips Use fail2ban (installed by default). Set up a firewall (UFW or iptables): sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 25,53,80,443,587,993/tcp sudo ufw enable Regularly update: sudo mailinabox # Choose "Check for System Updates" Use strong passwords for email users. Configure backups under System → Backup Status in admin panel. 🧰 Troubleshooting & Maintenance Re-run installer for upgrades: cd mailinabox sudo setup/start.sh Mail logs: sudo tail -f /var/log/mail.log Check service status: sudo mailinabox # Choose "System Status Checks" Reboot services manually: sudo systemctl restart postfix dovecot ✅ Conclusion You now know how to install and run Mail-in-a-Box on Ubuntu VPS. By following this guide, you’ll have a fully functional, self-hosted email server using Mail-in-a-Box. It’s a powerful yet beginner-friendly solution for personal or small business email hosting. Be sure to keep your server updated and your DNS records accurate to maintain reliable mail delivery.

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