Installation
============

{pmg} is based on Debian. This is why the install disk images (ISO files)
provided by Proxmox include a complete Debian system as well as all necessary
{pmg} packages.

TIP: See the xref:faq-support-table[support table in the FAQ] for the
relationship between {pmg} releases and Debian releases.

The installer will guide you through the setup, allowing you to partition the local
disk(s), apply basic system configurations (for example, timezone, language,
network) and install all required packages. This process should not take more
than a few minutes. Installing with the provided ISO is the recommended method
for new and existing users.

Alternatively, {pmg} can be installed on top of an existing Debian system. This
option is only recommended for advanced users because detailed knowledge about
{pmg} is required.

include::pmg-installation-media.adoc[]

[[pmg_install_iso]]
Using the {pmg} Installation CD-ROM
-----------------------------------

The installer ISO image includes the following:

* Complete operating system (Debian Linux, 64-bit)

* The {pmg} installer, which partitions the hard drive(s) with ext4,
  XFS or ZFS and installs the operating system

* Linux kernel

* Postfix MTA, ClamAV, Spamassassin and the {pmg} toolset

* Web-based management interface for using the toolset

NOTE: All existing data on the for installation selected drives will be removed
during the installation process. The installer does not add boot menu entries
for other operating systems.

Please insert the xref:installation_prepare_media[prepared installation media]
(for example, USB flash drive or CD-ROM) and boot from it.

TIP: Make sure that booting from the installation medium (for example, USB) is
enabled in your server's firmware settings. Secure boot needs to be disabled
when booting an installer prior to {pmg} version 8.1.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-grub-menu.png"]

After choosing the correct entry (for example, Boot from USB) the {pmg} menu
will be displayed, and one of the following options can be selected:

Install {pmg} (Graphical)::

Start normal installation.

TIP: It's possible to use the installation wizard with a keyboard only. Buttons
can be clicked by pressing the `ALT` key combined with the underlined character
from the respective button. For example, `ALT + N` to press a `Next` button.

Install {pmg} (Terminal UI)::

Starts the terminal-mode installation wizard. It provides the same overall
installation experience as the graphical installer, but has generally better
compatibility with very old and very new hardware.

Install {pmg} (Terminal UI, Serial Console)::

Starts the terminal-mode installation wizard, additionally setting up the Linux
kernel to use the (first) serial port of the machine for in- and output. This
can be used if the machine is completely headless and only has a serial console
available.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-tui-installer.png"]

Both modes use the same code base for the actual installation process to
benefit from more than a decade of bug fixes and ensure feature parity.

TIP: The 'Terminal UI' option can be used in case the graphical installer does
not work correctly, due to e.g. driver issues.

Advanced Options: Install {pmg} (Graphical, Debug Mode)::

Starts the installation in debug mode. A console will be opened at several
installation steps. This helps to debug the situation if something goes wrong.
To exit a debug console, press `CTRL-D`. This option can be used to boot a live
system with all basic tools available. You can use it, for example, to repair a
degraded ZFS 'rpool' or fix the bootloader for an existing {pmg} setup.

Advanced Options: Install {pmg} (Terminal UI, Debug Mode)::

Same as the graphical debug mode, but preparing the system to run the
terminal-based installer instead.

Advanced Options: Install {pmg} (Serial Console Debug Mode)::

Same the terminal-based debug mode, but additionally sets up the Linux kernel to
use the (first) serial port of the machine for in- and output.

Advanced Options: Rescue Boot::

With this option you can boot an existing installation. It searches all attached
hard disks. If it finds an existing installation, it boots directly into that
disk using the Linux kernel from the ISO. This can be useful if there are
problems with the bootloader (GRUB/`systemd-boot`) or the BIOS/UEFI is unable to
read the boot block from the disk.

Advanced Options: Test Memory (memtest86+)::

Runs `memtest86+`. This is useful to check if the memory is functional and free
of errors. Secure Boot must be turned off in the UEFI firmware setup utility to
run this option.

You normally select *Install {pmg} (Graphical)* to start the installation.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-select-target-disk.png"]

The first step is to read our EULA (End User License Agreement). Following
this, you can select the target hard disk(s) for the installation.

CAUTION: By default, the whole server is used and all existing data is removed.
Make sure there is no important data on the server before proceeding with the
installation.

The `Options` button lets you select the target file system, which
defaults to `ext4`. The installer uses LVM if you select
`ext4` or `xfs` as a file system, and offers additional options to
restrict LVM space (see <<advanced_lvm_options,below>>)

If you have more than one disk, you can also use ZFS as a file system.
ZFS supports several software RAID levels, which is particularly useful
if you do not have a hardware RAID controller. The `Options` button
lets you choose the ZFS RAID level and select which disks will be used.

WARNING: ZFS on top of any hardware RAID is not supported and can result in data
loss.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-select-location.png", float="left"]

The next page asks for basic configuration options like your
location, timezone, and keyboard layout. The location is used to
select a nearby download server, in order to increase the speed of updates.
The installer is usually able to auto-detect these settings, so you only need to
change them in rare situations when auto-detection fails, or when you want to
use a keyboard layout not commonly used in your country.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-set-password.png"]

You then need to specify an email address and the superuser (root)
password. The password must have at least 5 characters, but we highly
recommend to use stronger passwords - here are some guidelines:

- Use a minimum password length of 12 to 14 characters.

- Include lowercase and uppercase alphabetic characters, numbers and symbols.

- Avoid character repetition, keyboard patterns, dictionary words, letter or
  number sequences, usernames, relative or pet names, romantic links (current
  or past) and biographical information (e.g., ID numbers, ancestors' names or
  dates).

It is sometimes necessary to send notification to the system administrator, for
example:

- Information about available package updates.

- Error messages from periodic cron jobs.

All those notification mails will be sent to the specified email address.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-setup-network.png"]

The next step is the network configuration. Please note that you can use either
IPv4 or IPv6 here, but not both. If you want to configure a dual stack node,
you can easily do that after the installation.

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-installation.png", float="left"]

When you press `Next`, you will see an overview of your entered configuration.
Please re-check every setting, you can still use the `Previous` button to go
back and edit any settings.

After clicking `Install`, the installer will begin to format and copy packages
to the target disk(s).

[thumbnail="installer/pmg-summary.png"]

Copying the packages usually takes several minutes. When this is
finished, you can reboot the server.

If the installation failed, check out specific errors on the second TTY
(`CTRL + ALT + F2') and ensure that the systems meets the
xref:install_minimal_requirements[minimum requirements]. If the installation
is still not working, look at the xref:getting_help[how to get help chapter].

Further configuration is done via the {pmg} web interface:

[thumbnail="screenshot/pmg-gui-login-window.png"]

. Point your browser to the IP address given during the installation
(https://youripaddress:8006).

. Log in and upload your subscription key.
+
NOTE: The default login is "root", and the password is the one chosen during the
installation.

. Check the IP configuration and hostname.

. Check the timezone.

. Check your xref:firewall_settings[Firewall settings].

. Configure {pmg} to forward the incoming SMTP traffic to your mail
server ('Configuration/Mail Proxy/Default Relay') - 'Default
Relay' is your email server.

. Configure your email server to send all outgoing messages through
your {pmg} ('Smart Host', port 26 by default).

For detailed deployment scenarios see chapter
xref:chapter_deployment[Planning for Deployment].

After the installation, you have to route all your incoming and
outgoing email traffic to {pmg}. For incoming traffic, you
have to configure your firewall and/or DNS settings. For outgoing
traffic you need to change the existing email server configuration.


[[advanced_lvm_options]]
Advanced LVM Configuration Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The installer creates a Volume Group (VG) called `pmg`, and additional
Logical Volumes (LVs) called `root` and `swap`. The size of
those volumes can be controlled with:

`hdsize`::

Defines the total disk size to be used. This way you can save free
space on the disk for further partitioning (i.e. for an additional PV
and VG on the same disk that can be used for LVM storage).

`swapsize`::

Defines the size of the `swap` volume. The default is the size of the
installed memory. The minimum is 4 GB and the maximum is 8 GB. The resulting
value cannot be greater than `hdsize/8`.

`minfree`::

Defines the amount of free space that should be left in the LVM volume group
`pmg`. With more than 128GB storage available, the default is 16GB, otherwise
`hdsize/8` will be used.
+
NOTE: LVM requires free space in the VG for snapshot creation (not
required for lvmthin snapshots).


ZFS Performance Tips
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZFS works best with a lot of memory. If you intend to use ZFS make sure to have
enough RAM available for it. A good calculation is 4GB plus 1GB RAM for each TB
RAW disk space.

ZFS can use a dedicated drive as write cache, called the ZFS Intent Log (ZIL).
Use a fast drive (SSD) for it. It can be added after installation with the
following command:

---
# zpool add <pool-name> log </dev/path_to_fast_ssd>
---

Adding the `nomodeset` Kernel Parameter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Problems may arise on very old or very new hardware due to graphics drivers. If
the installation hangs during the boot. In that case, you can try adding the
`nomodeset` parameter. This prevents the Linux kernel from loading any
graphics drivers and forces it to continue using the BIOS/UEFI-provided
framebuffer.

On the {pmg} bootloader menu, navigate to 'Install {pmg} (Terminal UI)' and
press `e` to edit the entry. Using the arrow keys, navigate to the line starting
with `linux`, move the cursor to the end of that line and add the
parameter `nomodeset`, separated by a space from the pre-existing last
parameter.

Then press `Ctrl-X` or `F10` to boot the configuration.

[[pmg_install_on_debian]]
Install {pmg} on Debian
-----------------------

{pmg} ships as a set of Debian packages, so you can install it
on top of a normal Debian installation. After configuring the
xref:pmg_package_repositories[package repositories], you need to run:

[source,bash]
----
apt update
apt install proxmox-mailgateway
----

Installing on top of an existing Debian installation seems easy, but
it assumes that you have correctly installed the base system, and you
know how you want to configure and use the local storage. Network
configuration is also completely up to you.

NOTE: In general, this is not trivial, especially when you use LVM or
ZFS.


[[pmg_install_on_debian_container]]
Install {pmg} as a Linux Container Appliance
--------------------------------------------

{pmg} can also run inside a Debian-based LXC
instance. In order to keep the set of installed software, and thus the
necessary updates minimal, you can use the `proxmox-mailgateway-container`
meta-package. This does not depend on any Linux kernel, firmware, or components
used for booting from bare-metal, like GRUB.

A ready-to-use appliance template is available through the `mail` section of the
https://www.proxmox.com/proxmox-virtual-environment/overview[Proxmox VE]
appliance manager, so if you already use Proxmox VE, you can set up a {pmg}
instance in minutes.

NOTE: It's recommended to use a static network configuration. If DHCP must be
used, ensure that the container always leases the same IP, for example, by
reserving one with the container's network MAC address.

Additionally, you can install this on top of a container-based Debian
installation. After configuring the
xref:pmg_package_repositories[package repositories], you need to run:

[source,bash]
----
apt update
apt install proxmox-mailgateway-container
----

[[pmg_package_repositories]]
Package Repositories
--------------------

{pmg} uses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Packaging_Tool[APT] as its
package management tool like any other Debian-based system.

Repositories in {pmg}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Repositories are a collection of software packages. They can be used to install
new software, but are also important to get new updates.

NOTE: You need valid Debian and Proxmox repositories to get the latest
security updates, bug fixes and new features.

APT Repositories are defined in the file `/etc/apt/sources.list` and in `.list`
files placed in `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/`.

Repository Management
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[thumbnail="screenshot/pmg-gui-admin-repositories.png"]

Since {pmg} 7.0 you can check the repository state in the web interface. The
'Dashboard' shows a high level status overview, while the separate 'Repository'
panel (accessible via 'Administration') shows in-depth status and list of all
configured repositories.

Basic repository management, for example, activating or deactivating a
repository, is also supported.

Sources.list
^^^^^^^^^^^^

In a `sources.list` file, each line defines a package repository. The preferred
source must come first.  Empty lines are ignored. A `#` character anywhere on a
line marks the remainder of that line as a comment. The available packages from
a repository are acquired by running `apt update`. Updates can be installed
directly using `apt`, or via the GUI (Administration -> Updates).

.File `/etc/apt/sources.list`
----
# basic Debian repositories:
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib

# security updates
deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib

# Proxmox Mail Gateway repo required too - see below!
----

{pmg} provides three different package repositories.


{pmg} Enterprise Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the default, stable and recommended repository, available for
all {pmg} subscription users. It contains the most stable packages,
and is suitable for production use. The `pmg-enterprise` repository is
enabled by default:

.File `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/pmg-enterprise.list`
----
deb https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pmg bookworm pmg-enterprise
----

As soon as updates are available, the `root@pam` user is notified via
email about the newly available packages. From the GUI, the change-log of
each package can be viewed (if available), showing all details of the
update. Thus, you will never miss important security fixes.

Please note that you need a valid subscription key to access this
repository. We offer different support levels, which you can find further
details about at {pricing-url}.

NOTE: You can disable this repository by commenting out the above line
using a `#` (at the start of the line). This prevents error messages,
if you do not have a subscription key. Please configure the
`pmg-no-subscription` repository in this case.


{pmg} No-Subscription Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the name suggests, you do not need a subscription key to access
this repository. It can be used for testing and non-production
use. It's not recommended to use this on production servers, as these
packages are not always heavily tested and validated.

We recommend configuring this repository in `/etc/apt/sources.list`.

.File `/etc/apt/sources.list`
----
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib

# security updates
deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib

# PMG pmg-no-subscription repository provided by proxmox.com,
# NOT recommended for production use
deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pmg bookworm pmg-no-subscription
----


{pmg} Test Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, there is a repository called `pmgtest`. This contains the
latest packages, and is heavily used by developers to test new
features. As with before, you can configure this using
`/etc/apt/sources.list` by adding the following line:

.sources.list entry for `pmgtest`
----
deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pmg bookworm pmgtest
----

WARNING: the `pmgtest` repository should only be used
for testing new features or bug fixes.


SecureApt
~~~~~~~~~

We use GnuPG to sign the `Release` files inside these repositories,
and APT uses these signatures to verify that all packages are from a
trusted source.

The key used for verification is already installed, if you install from
our installation CD. If you install via another means, you can manually
download the key by executing the following command as root user:

----
 # wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
----

Verify the checksum afterwards with the `sha512sum` CLI tool:

----
# sha512sum /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
7da6fe34168adc6e479327ba517796d4702fa2f8b4f0a9833f5ea6e6b48f6507a6da403a274fe201595edc86a84463d50383d07f64bdde2e3658108db7d6dc87 /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
----

or the `md5sum` CLI tool:

----
# md5sum /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
41558dc019ef90bd0f6067644a51cf5b /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
----


Debian Non-Free Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Certain software cannot be made available in the `main` and `contrib`
areas of the {debian} archives, since it does not adhere to the Debian
Free Software Guidelines (DFSG). These are distributed in the
{debian_nonfree_archive_area}. For {pmg} two packages from the `non-free` area
are needed in order to support the RAR archive format:

* `p7zip-rar` for matching xref:pmg_mailfilter_what[Archive Objects] in the
  xref:chapter_mailfilter[Rule system]

* `libclamunrar` for detecting viruses in RAR archives.

To enable the `non-free` component, run `editor /etc/apt/sources.list` and
append `non-free` to the end of each `.debian.org` repository line.

Following this, you can install the required packages with:

----
apt update
apt install libclamunrar p7zip-rar
----


[[pmg_debian_firmware_repo]]
Debian Firmware Repository
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Starting with Debian Bookworm ({pmg} 8) non-free firmware (as defined by
https://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines[DFSG]) has been moved to the
newly created Debian repository component `non-free-firmware`.

Enable this repository if you want to set up
xref:pmg_firmware_cpu[Early OS Microcode Updates] or need additional
xref:pmg_firmware_runtime_files[Runtime Firmware Files] not already included in
the pre-installed package `pve-firmware`.

To be able to install packages from this component, run
`editor /etc/apt/sources.list`, append `non-free-firmware` to the end of each
`.debian.org` repository line and run `apt update`.
