How to Install FreeScout with Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Install Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Nginx is the web server that shows your FreeScout help desk to visitors. To install Nginx on Ubuntu, you’ll first update your package list and then install the nginx package using simple commands.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

You can manage the Nginx service (start, stop, restart it) with these commands:

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Open your web browser and go to your server’s IP address. You should see the “Welcome to nginx!” page.

Additional help on installing Nginx: How to install Nginx on Ubuntu

Install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux

MariaDB stores all your FreeScout help desk information, like tickets and user data. Installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is easy: first, update your system’s package list, then install the mariadb-server package.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server

Ensure it starts automatically:

sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb

Test the connection:

sudo mariadb

You should see a welcome message showing the version. Additional help on installing MariaDB: How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux

Create FreeScout database

FreeScout needs its own database to store all its information safely. To create this database, you’ll first run a command to secure your MariaDB installation, then log in to MariaDB to create a new database named ‘freescoutdb’.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to remove anonymous users and lock down remote access.

Now, log back into MariaDB to create your database:

sudo mariadb

Run these commands inside the MariaDB console:

CREATE DATABASE freescoutdb CHARSET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER freescoutdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'your_secure_password';
GRANT ALL ON freescoutdb.* TO freescoutdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP and Required Extensions

FreeScout needs PHP to process logic, and we’ll use PHP 8.3, which is the standard version for Ubuntu 24.04.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt update
sudo apt install php8.3-fpm php8.3-mysql php8.3-curl php8.3-gd php8.3-imap php8.3-mbstring php8.3-xml php8.3-zip php8.3-intl

Download and Configure FreeScout

Create the directory and download the files:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/freescout
cd /var/www/freescout
sudo git clone https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout .
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/freescout

Nginx Server Block and SSL

You need to tell Nginx how to handle requests for your FreeScout site by creating a server block. This involves making a new file in the Nginx configuration directory and pasting in the correct settings that point to your FreeScout files.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/freescout

Paste your configuration pointing to the /var/www/freescout/public directory and ensure fastcgi_pass points to unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock.

Enable the site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/freescout /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Secure with Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx

Follow the prompts to secure your domain with a free SSL certificate.

Installation Wizard

The FreeScout installation wizard guides you through the final setup steps right in your web browser. You’ll visit your domain, check that your system meets the requirements, enter the database details you just created, and set up your administrator account.

• Check requirements
• Enter database details
• Create your admin account

Once finished, set up the background tasks by running sudo crontab -u www-data -e and adding the line provided by the FreeScout installer. You are now ready to log in and start your dashboard.

Conclusion: By self-hosting, you keep your data private and save money. You now have a fully functional help desk ready for use.

Reference: FreeScout