Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04: Popular Messaging System

This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough on how to Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04. Mattermost is a widely adopted, open-source team messaging platform that offers a self-hosted alternative to services like Slack. This tutorial, brought to you by Orcacore, details the process of setting up Mattermost using Apache as a web server and MariaDB as the database management system.

Before you begin the process to Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

• Access to an Ubuntu 22.04 server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. A basic firewall should also be configured. Refer to Orcacore’s guide on Initial Server Setup with Ubuntu 22.04 for assistance with this.
• A domain name that resolves to your server’s IP address.

Let’s begin the process to Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04.

Step 1 – Install and Configure MariaDB for Mattermost

This guide utilizes MariaDB for managing Mattermost’s data. Begin by updating the system package list and installing the MariaDB server:

# sudo apt update
# sudo apt install mariadb-server -y

Next, secure the MariaDB installation by running the mysql_secure_installation script. This script helps set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, and remove the test database.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

The script will prompt you with a series of questions. An example interaction is shown below:

Enter current password for root (enter for none):
Switch to unix_socket authentication [Y/n] n
Change the root password? [Y/n] y
New password:
Re-enter new password:
Remove anonymous users? [Y/n] y
Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n] y
Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n] y
Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n] y
 ... Success!

Cleaning up...

All done!  If you've completed all of the above steps, your MariaDB
installation should now be secure.

Thanks for using MariaDB!

Create a Mattermost Database and Database User

After securing MariaDB, log in to the MariaDB shell as the root user:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Within the MariaDB shell, create a dedicated database for Mattermost, a database user, and assign a strong password to that user. Replace <mark>mattermostdb</mark>, <mark>orca</mark>, and <mark>strongpassword</mark> with your desired database name, username, and password, respectively.

-- MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE DATABASE <mark>mattermostdb</mark>;
-- MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE USER '<mark>orca</mark>'@'%';
-- MariaDB [(none)]> SET PASSWORD FOR '<mark>orca</mark>'@'%' = PASSWORD('<mark>strongpassword</mark>');

Grant the newly created user full privileges on the Mattermost database:

-- MariaDB [(none)]> GRANT ALL ON <mark>mattermostdb</mark>.* TO '<mark>orca</mark>'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '<mark>strongpassword</mark>' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, flush the privilege tables to apply the changes and exit the MariaDB shell:

-- MariaDB [(none)]> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
-- MariaDB [(none)]> EXIT;

Step 2 – Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04

Create a dedicated system user and group for Mattermost to enhance security:

sudo useradd --system --user-group <mark>mattermost</mark>

Download the latest Mattermost package from the Mattermost release page. Use the wget command to download the package directly to your server. This example uses version 7.10.2, but check the Mattermost website for the latest version.

sudo wget https://releases.mattermost.com/7.10.2/mattermost-7.10.2-linux-amd64.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded archive to the /opt directory:

sudo tar xvzf mattermost-7.10.2-linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /opt/

Create a data directory for storing Mattermost files:

sudo mkdir /opt/mattermost/data

Set the correct ownership and permissions for the Mattermost directory:

# sudo chown -R mattermost:mattermost /opt/mattermost
# sudo chmod -R g+w /opt/mattermost

Step 3 – Configure Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04

Edit the Mattermost configuration file (config.json) to specify the site URL and database settings.

sudo vi /opt/mattermost/config/config.json

Locate the "SiteURL", "DriverName", and "DataSource" parameters within the file and modify them as follows. Replace <mark>https://mattermost.example.com</mark>, <mark>orca:strongpassword</mark>, and <mark>hostname-or-ip</mark> with your actual site URL, database credentials, and database server address, respectively.

"SiteURL": "<mark>https://mattermost.example.com</mark>",
"DriverName": "<mark>mysql</mark>",
"DataSource": "<mark>orca:strongpassword</mark>@tcp(<mark>hostname-or-ip</mark>:3306)/<mark>mattermostdb</mark>?charset=utf8mb4,utf8&writeTimeout=30s",

Save the changes and close the file.

Change to the Mattermost directory and start the Mattermost server as the mattermost user:

# cd /opt/mattermost
# sudo -u mattermost ./bin/mattermost

Once the server starts, you should see log messages indicating that the server is listening on port 8065. You can then stop the server by pressing Ctrl + C.

Step 4 – Create a Systemd Unit File for Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04

Create a systemd unit file to manage the Mattermost service.

sudo vi /etc/systemd/system/mattermost.service

Add the following content to the file:

[Unit]
Description=Mattermost
After=syslog.target network.target mysqld.service

[Service]
Type=notify
WorkingDirectory=/opt/mattermost
User=mattermost
ExecStart=/opt/mattermost/bin/mattermost
PIDFile=/var/spool/mattermost/pid/master.pid
TimeoutStartSec=3600
KillMode=mixed
LimitNOFILE=49152

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Set the appropriate permissions for the service file:

sudo chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/mattermost.service

Reload the systemd daemon to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Start and enable the Mattermost service:

# sudo systemctl start mattermost
# sudo systemctl enable mattermost

Verify that the Mattermost service is running:

sudo systemctl status mattermost

The output should indicate that the service is active and running.

Output
● mattermost.service - Mattermost
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/mattermost.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Mon 2023-05-29 08:28:53 UTC; 4min 17s ago
   Main PID: 4485 (mattermost)
      Tasks: 54 (limit: 4575)
     Memory: 427.8M
        CPU: 15.924s
     CGroup: /system.slice/mattermost.service
             └─4485 /opt/mattermost/bin/mattermost
             └─4495 plugins/com.mattermost.plugin-channel-export/server/dist/plugin-linux-amd64
...

Step 5 – Configure Apache for Mattermost

Install Apache:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

Enable the necessary Apache modules:

# sudo a2enmod rewrite
# sudo a2enmod proxy
# sudo a2enmod proxy_http
# sudo a2enmod proxy_wstunnel

Create an Apache virtual host configuration file:

sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites-available/mattermost.conf

Add the following content to the file, replacing <mark>admin@example.com</mark> and <mark>mattermost.example.com</mark> with your actual email address and domain name:

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerAdmin <mark>admin@example.com</mark>
ServerName <mark>mattermost.example.com</mark>

ProxyPreserveHost On

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} /api/v[0-9]+/(users/)?websocket [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP:UPGRADE} ^WebSocket$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP:CONNECTION} bUpgradeb [NC]
RewriteRule .* ws://127.0.0.1:8065%{REQUEST_URI} [P,QSA,L]

<Location />
Require all granted
ProxyPass http://127.0.0.1:8065/
ProxyPassReverse http://127.0.0.1:8065/
ProxyPassReverseCookieDomain 127.0.0.1 <mark>mattermost.example.com</mark>
</Location>

</VirtualHost>

Activate the virtual host:

sudo ln -s /etc/apache2/sites-available/mattermost.conf /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/mattermost.conf

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6 – Configure Firewall for Mattermost

Allow HTTP, HTTPS, and Mattermost’s default port (8065) through the firewall:

# sudo ufw allow http
# sudo ufw allow https
# sudo ufw allow 8065

Reload the firewall:

sudo ufw reload

Step 7 – How To Access Mattermost Dashboard?

Access the Mattermost web interface by navigating to your server’s IP address or domain name in your web browser:

http://<mark>your-domain-name-or-IP</mark>:8065

You should be presented with the Mattermost create account screen. Create your account and proceed to set up your team.

You have successfully installed and configured Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04. You can now begin collaborating with your team.

Conclusion

This guide demonstrated how to Install Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04 using MariaDB for data management and Apache as a reverse proxy. You also learned how to access the Mattermost dashboard through a web browser.

Here are some other articles you may find helpful:

Install and Use DirectAdmin on Ubuntu 22.04

Install Nagios Monitoring Tool on Ubuntu 20.04

FAQs

Alternative Solutions for Installing Mattermost on Ubuntu 22.04

While the above guide outlines a common and effective method for installing Mattermost, alternative approaches exist. Here are two different ways to achieve the same goal, along with explanations and code examples.

Alternative 1: Using Docker Compose

Docker Compose provides a streamlined way to define and manage multi-container Docker applications. This method simplifies the deployment of Mattermost and its dependencies (database, etc.) by encapsulating them within Docker containers.

• Explanation: Docker Compose uses a YAML file (docker-compose.yml) to define the services, networks, and volumes required for the application. This approach offers several advantages:

  • Isolation: Each component runs in its own container, preventing conflicts and ensuring consistency.
  • Reproducibility: The docker-compose.yml file acts as a blueprint, making it easy to recreate the environment on different machines.
  • Scalability: Docker Compose facilitates scaling the application by increasing the number of containers for each service.

• Steps:

  1. Install Docker and Docker Compose:

     sudo apt update
     sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

  2. Create a docker-compose.yml file:

     sudo vi docker-compose.yml

  3. Add the following content to the docker-compose.yml file:

     version: "3.9"
     services:
       db:
         image: "mariadb:10.6"
         volumes:
           - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
         restart: unless-stopped
         environment:
           MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: "your_root_password"
           MYSQL_USER: "mattermost"
           MYSQL_PASSWORD: "your_mattermost_password"
           MYSQL_DATABASE: "mattermost"
     
       mattermost:
         image: "mattermost/mattermost-team-edition:latest"
         depends_on:
           - db
         ports:
           - "8065:8065"
           - "8067:8067"
         volumes:
           - mattermost_data:/mattermost_data
           - ./config:/mattermost/config # Mount the config directory
         restart: unless-stopped
         environment:
           MM_SQLSETTINGS_DRIVERNAME: "mysql"
           MM_SQLSETTINGS_DATASOURCE: "mattermost:your_mattermost_password@tcp(db:3306)/mattermost?charset=utf8mb4,utf8&writeTimeout=30s"
           MM_SERVICESETTINGS_SITEURL: "http://your_domain_or_ip:8065"
           MM_SERVICESETTINGS_LISTENADDRESS: ":8065"
     
     volumes:
       db_data:
       mattermost_data:

     • Note: Replace "your_root_password", "your_mattermost_password", and "http://your_domain_or_ip:8065" with your actual root password, Mattermost database user password, and your server’s URL, respectively. Creating a ./config directory next to docker-compose.yml and placing the config.json file there will allow you to customize your config without rebuilding the container.

  4. Start the Mattermost containers:

     sudo docker-compose up -d

  5. Access Mattermost: Open your web browser and navigate to http://your_domain_or_ip:8065.

Alternative 2: Using a Pre-built Mattermost AMI (Amazon Machine Image) on AWS

If you’re using AWS, deploying a pre-built Mattermost AMI can significantly simplify the installation process.

• Explanation: AWS Marketplace offers pre-configured AMIs that include Mattermost and all its dependencies. This eliminates the need for manual installation and configuration, allowing you to quickly deploy Mattermost on AWS.

• Steps:

  1. Log in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to the AWS Marketplace.
  3. Search for "Mattermost".
  4. Select a Mattermost AMI that suits your needs (e.g., one with built-in backups or specific configurations).
  5. Click "Continue to Subscribe".
  6. Review the terms and conditions and click "Accept Terms".
  7. Click "Continue to Configuration".
  8. Choose the desired region and instance type.
  9. Configure the instance details (security groups, key pair, etc.).
  10. Launch the instance.
  11. Access Mattermost: After the instance is launched, obtain the public IP address of the instance and access Mattermost through your web browser (e.g., http://your_instance_ip). You may need to configure DNS to point your domain to the instance’s IP address. The initial setup instructions are typically provided by the AMI vendor.

These alternative solutions offer different approaches to installing Mattermost, catering to various preferences and environments. The Docker Compose method provides greater control and portability, while the AWS AMI option simplifies deployment within the AWS ecosystem. Choose the method that best aligns with your needs and expertise.