How to Install FreeScout Help Desk on Debian 12

Introduction

FreeScout is an open-source help desk and shared inbox system for email management. It allows teams to manage customer support emails efficiently. This guide will walk you through the process of installing FreeScout Help Desk on Debian 12.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. A Debian 12 server or desktop system
2. Root or sudo privileges
3. PHP 7.2 or later installed
4. Composer installed
5. MySQL or MariaDB installed

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Update the package index and install required packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y apache2 mariadb-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql composer unzip

Step 2: Download FreeScout

Create a directory for FreeScout and navigate into it:

mkdir /var/www/freescout
cd /var/www/freescout

Download FreeScout using Composer:

composer create-project --prefer-dist freescout/freescout

Step 3: Configure Apache

Create a new Apache configuration file for FreeScout:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/freescout.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/freescout/public

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

    <Directory /var/www/freescout/public>
        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks +MultiViews
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Enable the FreeScout site and restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite freescout
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 4: Set Up Database

Create a new database and user for FreeScout:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter your MySQL root password when prompted, then create the database and user:

CREATE DATABASE freesocut_db;
CREATE USER 'freesocut_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON freesocut_db.* TO 'freesocut_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit;

Step 5: Install FreeScout

Access FreeScout installation wizard in a web browser:

http://your_domain_or_ip/install

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You will need to provide your database details and create an admin account.

Step 6: Finish Installation

Once the installation is complete, remove the install directory for security:

rm -rf /var/www/freescout/install

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed FreeScout Help Desk on Debian 12. You can now start managing your customer support emails efficiently using FreeScout.