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:
- A Debian 12 server or desktop system
- Root or sudo privileges
- PHP 7.2 or later installed
- Composer installed
- 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 unzipStep 2: Download FreeScout
Create a directory for FreeScout and navigate into it:
mkdir /var/www/freescout
cd /var/www/freescoutDownload FreeScout using Composer:
composer create-project --prefer-dist freescout/freescoutStep 3: Configure Apache
Create a new Apache configuration file for FreeScout:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/freescout.confAdd 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 apache2Step 4: Set Up Database
Create a new database and user for FreeScout:
sudo mysql -u root -pEnter 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/installFollow 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/installConclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully installed FreeScout Help Desk on Debian 12. You can now start managing your customer support emails efficiently using FreeScout.
