OTRS is an open-source helpdesk and ticketing system used for customer support and service management. This guide will walk you through installing OTRS on AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, and Ubuntu.
Prerequisites:
Before starting the installation, ensure the following:
- A server running AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, or Ubuntu.
- Root or sudo access to your server.
- LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) installed.
- A domain or subdomain pointing to your server.
Step 1: Update the System
Make sure all system packages are up-to-date.
- For Ubuntu/Debian:
- For AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
Step 2: Install Required Software
OTRS requires Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP, and other dependencies. Let’s install them.
- Install Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP, and required PHP extensions:
- For Ubuntu/Debian:
- For AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
Step 3: Configure the Database
OTRS requires a database to store its data. Let’s create a database for OTRS.
- Log in to MariaDB/MySQL:
- Create a database and user for OTRS:
Step 4: Install OTRS
- Download OTRS from the official website:
- Set the correct permissions for OTRS:
Step 5: Configure OTRS
- the configuration file:
- the database configuration in OTRS:
Search for the following section and update the database settings:
Step 6: Set Up the OTRS Web Interface
- Create an Apache configuration file for OTRS:
- For Ubuntu/Debian:
- Add the following content to the configuration file:
- Enable the site and rewrite module (for Ubuntu/Debian):
- Restart Apache:
- For Ubuntu/Debian:
- For AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
Step 7: Configure the OTRS Cron Jobs
- Set up cron jobs for OTRS:
- Add the following lines to the crontab:
- Save and exit.
Step 8: Complete the OTRS Setup via Web Interface
-
Access OTRS in your browser at
http://yourdomain.com
. -
Complete the setup wizard:
- You will be prompted to set the OTRS administrator credentials and configure initial settings.
- After the setup, you can log in as the admin user to manage your tickets.
Step 9: Secure OTRS with SSL (Optional)
For production environments, it is recommended to secure OTRS with SSL. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate.
- Install Certbot:
- For Ubuntu/Debian:
- For AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux:
- Obtain an SSL certificate:
- Restart Apache to apply the SSL configuration.
Step 10: Access OTRS in the Browser
After completing the installation, you can log in to your OTRS system at http://yourdomain.com
or https://yourdomain.com
if SSL is configured.