iredmail-doc/en_US/iredmail-easy/2-iredmail-easy.best.practice.md

Best Practice

[TOC]

How the fearless upgrade works

iRedMail Easy splits config files of softwares to 2 parts: Core and Custom, this is the magic of fearless one-click upgrade.

iRedMail Easy maintains core config files to make sure everything works as expected, but we understand that one rule doesn't work for everyone and you may want to change/override some settings configured by iRedMail Easy.

Please follow some simple rules to store your custom settings, and do not modify the core config files (manually) managed by iRedMail Easy.

Including config files

Many softwares support loading settings from extra config files with directive like include (Nginx, Dovecot), include_try (Dovecot), require_once (PHP applications). In this case, it will be configured to load extra config files under /opt/iredmail/custom/<software-name>/. We use Dovecot for example to explain the details.

Dovecot's main config file is /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf, we have directives at the bottom of dovecot.conf like this:

!include_try /etc/dovecot/conf-enabled/*.conf
!include_try /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/conf-enabled/*.conf

It will try to load all files ends with .conf under /etc/dovecot/conf-enabled/ first, then /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/conf-enabled/.

Files under /etc/dovecot/conf-enabled/ are maintained by iRedMail Easy, if you want to override some settings, please create a file which ends with .conf under /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/conf-enabled/ with your custom settings. for example, Dovecot is configured to enable services like below by iRedMail Easy:

dovecot_protocols = pop3 imap sieve lmtp

What can you do to disable it without modify files under /etc/dovecot/? Easy, just create a file, e.g. custom.conf under /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/conf-enabled/ with content below (pop3 is removed), then restart Dovecot service:

dovecot_protocols = imap sieve lmtp

Modify config files in-place

If software does not support loading settings from extra config files, you may need to apply your own settings by running commands to modify its config files under /etc/. For example, Postfix.

Postfix doesn't support directive like include to load extra config files, you can change some settings by modifying its config files (e.g. /etc/postfix/main.cf) directly, but next time you upgrade your iRedMail server with iRedMail Easy, the config file will be rewritten by iRedMail Easy, then you lose all custom settings.

Fortunately, iRedMail Easy supports executing a shell script each time it deploying or upgrading a software. For Postfix, it's /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/custom.sh.

Let's say you want to add IP address 192.168.1.1 to Postfix parameter mynetworks, instead of modifying /etc/postfix/main.cf directly, you can write shell commands in /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/custom.sh like below:

postconf -e mynetworks='127.0.0.1 192.168.1.1'

Then run it manually:

cd /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/
bash custom.sh

When iRedMail Easy deploys or upgrades Postfix, it will run this script the same way.

Remove existing file and create a new one

Nginx supports loading extra config file with include directive, but it doesn't support overriding existing parameters. for example, if parameter client_max_body_size is defined in one file, but you have include directive to load same parameter in another file, Nginx will report duplicate parameter and refuse to start. In this case, you have to remove existing config files (which contains the parameter you want to customize) generated by iRedMail Easy and create a new one. Let's use parameter client_max_body_size for example.

iRedMail Easy generates files under /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/ for different parameters, and parameter client_max_body_size is defined in /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/client_max_body_size.conf like this:

client_max_body_size 15m;

You need to add a new file under /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/conf-enabled/ first, then add shell command in /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/custom.sh to remove /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/client_max_body_size.conf like below:

rm -f /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/client_max_body_size.conf

Now run this script:

cd /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/
bash custom.sh

When iRedMail Easy deploys or upgrades Nginx, it will run this script the same way.

The rest

• SOGo doesn't support any of the ways mentioned above, if you need to modify any settings, please either use /opt/iredmail/custom/sogo/custom.sh to modify please read details below.

SSL cert

iRedMail Easy generates self-signed ssl cert by default, cert files are stored under /opt/iredmail/ssl/:

• key.pem: private key
• cert.pem: certificate
• combined.pem: full chain

To get rid of self-signed cert, you can either:

• Request a free cert from Let's Encrypt, or
• Use a bought SSL certificate.

Softwares

MariaDB

• /opt/iredmail/custom/mysql/:
  • All files end with .cnf will be loaded by Mariadb.
  • It will override existing settings defined in files under /etc/mysql/.

Sample config file, /opt/iredmail/custom/mysql/custom.conf:

[mysqld]
max_connections     = 1024

Nginx

• /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/custom.sh: a bash shell script for advanced customization. This file will be executed every time iRedMail Easy deploys / upgrades the Nginx.

  For example, Nginx doesn't support override existing settings by loading
  same parameter from another config file, in this case you should run `rm`
  command in this file (`custom.sh`) to remove existing config file
  generated by iRedMail Easy and store custom settings in another file.
  

• /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/conf-enabled/: additional Nginx global settings used inside http {} block.

  • If you want to override a parameter which is already defined in /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/, please update /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/custom.sh to remove file under /etc/nginx/conf-enabled/ first, then write your own config file under /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/conf-enabled/ to set a proper value.

• /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/sites-conf.d/default-ssl/: additional settings for default https website (inside the server {} block).

• /opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/sites-enabled/: additional virtual web hosts.

iRedMail uses the directory structure recommended by Debian/Ubuntu:

/etc/nginx/                         # all config files

        |- conf-available/          # store settings used inside Nginx `http {}` block.
                                    # Note: files under this directory are NOT
                                    #       loaded by Nginx directly.

        |- conf-enabled/            # symbol links to files under `conf-available/`.
                                    # Note: files under this directory are
                                    #       loaded by Nginx directly.

        |- sites-available/         # store virtual web host config files.
                                    # Note: files under this directory are NOT
                                    #       loaded by Nginx directly.

        |- sites-enabled/           # symbol links to files under `sites-available/`.
                                    # Note: files under this directory are
                                    #       loaded by Nginx directly.

        |- sites-conf.d/
                |- default-ssl/     # modular config files used by default
                                    # virtual web host.

/opt/iredmail/custom/nginx/         # all custom config files.
                        |- conf-available/
                        |- conf-enabled/
                        |- sites-available/
                        |- sites-enabled/
                        |- custom.sh        # shell script used for advanced customization

Postfix

Postfix doesn't support loading settings from multiple files.

• /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/main.cf: If this file exists, /etc/postfix/main.cf will be a symbol link to this file.

• /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/master.cf: If this file exists, /etc/postfix/master.cf will be a symbol link to this file.

• /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/helo_access.pcre

• /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/postscreen_access.cidr

• /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/custom.sh: a bash shell script for advanced customization. It will be ran while iRedMail Easy deployment or upgrade.

  For example, to change setting enable_original_recipient to yes (defaults to no set in /etc/postfix/main.cf), you can write one shell command in /opt/iredmail/custom/postfix/custom.sh like below:

postconf -e enable_original_recipient=yes

To update settings in master.cf, you can run postconf -M and postconf -P. For example, create new transport submission:

postconf -M submission/inet="submission inet n - n - - smtpd"
postconf -P "submission/inet/syslog_name=postfix/submission"
postconf -P "submission/inet/smtpd_tls_security_level=encrypt"
postconf -P "submission/inet/smtpd_sasl_auth_enable=yes"
postconf -P "submission/inet/smtpd_client_restrictions=permit_sasl_authenticated,reject"
postconf -P "submission/inet/content_filter=smtp-amavis:[127.0.0.1]:10026

For more details about postconf command, please check its manual page: postconf(1).

Dovecot

Dovecot supports loading from mulitple config files, and settings will be overrode by the last one.

• /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/conf-enabled/: store custom Dovecot settings.
• /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/custom.sh: a bash shell script used for advanced customization

Roundcube

• File /opt/iredmail/custom/roundcube/custom.inc.php

  All your custom settings should be placed in this file, and do NOT touch main config file /opt/www/roundcubemail/config/config.inc.php.

• Directory /opt/iredmail/custom/roundcube/plugins/

  All third-party or custom plugins should be placed under this directory. Plugins will be linked to /opt/www/roundcubemail/plugins/ automatically during iRedMail Easy deployment, but you need to create the symbol link manually if you don't want to run another deployment.

• Directory /opt/iredmail/custom/roundcube/skins/

  All third-party or custom skins should be placed under this directory. Skins will be linked to /opt/www/roundcubemail/skins/ automatically during iRedMail Easy deployment, but you need to create the symbol link manually if you don't want to run another deployment.

SOGo

SOGo doesn’t support directive like include to load extra settings from multiple files, so you have to either maintain your own SOGo config file (/opt/iredmail/custom/sogo/sogo.conf) or use the custom.sh shell script to do some customization based on the config file generated by iRedMail Easy platform.

• File /opt/iredmail/custom/sogo/sogo.conf

  If this file exists, /etc/sogo/sogo.conf will be created as a symbol link to this file during iRedMail Easy deployment.

• Shell script /opt/iredmail/custom/sogo/custom.sh

  A bash shell script for advanced customization, you can customize SOGo config file with shell commands organized in this file.

  This file will be ran by iRedMail Easy deployment each time it deploys or upgrade SOGo component.

iRedAPD

• File /opt/iredmail/custom/iredapd/settings.py

  All custom settings must be stored in this file. It will be linked to /opt/www/iredapd/custom_settings.py during iRedMail Easy deployment or upgrade.

iRedAdmin

• File /opt/iredmail/custom/iredadmin/settings.py

  All custom settings must be stored in this file. It will be linked to /opt/www/iredadmin/custom_settings.py during iRedMail Easy deployment or upgrade.

Amavisd

• /opt/iredmail/custom/amavisd/amavisd.conf

Fail2ban

• /opt/iredmail/custom/fail2ban/jail.local: used to override settings in [DEFAULT] section of main fail2ban config file. For example, maxretry, findtime, bantime, ignoreip.
• /opt/iredmail/custom/dovecot/custom.sh: used for advanced customization. for example, if you have some new jails, you can write jail config files under /opt/iredmail/custom/fail2ban/ too (you're free to create sub-folder to store the jail config files), then use custom.sh to create symbol link of jails you want to enable under /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/.

Backup

• iRedMail Easy generates daily cron jobs to backup mail accounts and SQL/LDAP databases (stored under /var/vmail/backup/ by default), but not mailboxes, you need to backup mailboxes yourself.
• Files under /opt/iredmail/custom/ contain all your custom settings. If you need to restore a iRedMail Easy server to another one, please copy /opt/iredmail/custom/ to new server first, then perform the iRedMail Easy deployment.

References

• Dovecot: Including config files