Note: Roundcube is installed for all hosting accounts by default as one of the supported Webmail clients. Follow the instructions below only if you want to install a separate copy of Roundcube on your hosting account.

You need to follow these steps to install a local copy of Roundcube on your hosting account:

  1. Download the installation package from the site of the vendor. Roundcube can be obtained from:

    http://roundcube.net/download

  2. Once you've downloaded the archive that contains the installation, you need to upload it to your disk space.

    You can either extract all the files from the downloaded archive and upload them, or you can upload the archive and use the hosting Control Panel's File Manager to extract the package. Please note that the installation files are usually placed in a subdirectory, so after extraction you may need to move them to the directory you've designated for the Roundcube application. The File Manager lets you select multiple files and folders to move to any location on your account.

    The best way to upload big files or multiple files is via FTP. If you are not sure how to upload the files, you can refer to the Upload files category from our online documentation.

    If you are installing the application directly in your main domain or in a subdomain, you may need to delete the default index.php file first. You can do this either via FTP or through your hosting Control Panel's File Manager.

  3. Create a new MySQL database and user for the Roundcube application. For security reasons, MySQL databases and users can be created only through the hosting Control Panel. Detailed instructions on the process are available in our Creating a MySQL database/user article.

    Once you have the database and MySQL user created, you should associate the MySQL user with the database by following the instructions from our Associating a MySQL user with a database article. Unless you have a reason to do otherwise, you can select all available privileges for the new MySQL user.

  4. Enable the ImageMagick PHP extension by following the instructions from our Image manipulation with scripts article.

  5. Obtain and install an SSL certificate for the hostname where you want to install Roundcube. Details on the process are available in our SSL Certificates article.

  6. Access the installer directory of the Roundcube installation package in your browser. For example, if you've placed the installation package in a subdirectory named roundcube_subdirectory of your main site directory and your domain name is your_domain.com, you will be able to access the Roundcube installation setup at:

    https://your_domain.com/roundcube_subdirectory/installer
  7. Once you access the installer, it will check the environment. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the NEXT button.

  8. Next is the Create config step. We will only outline the settings required to get Roundcube working. You can feel free to use/change any other settings at will.

    In the General configuration section, we recommend that you fill out the support_url field. You should provide a URL where users can get support for your Roundcube installation.

    In the Database setup section, you need to configure your MySQL settings - the database name, user, and respective user password you created in step #3. If you use a MySQL 8 database, you should set 127.0.0.1:3308 as database server; otherwise, leave the default localhost setting.

    In the IMAP Settings section, you need to configure the following settings:

      • default_host: ssl://mail.your_server.com (Make sure that you replace your_server.com with your actual server name which can be retrieved from the Welcome email for your account or from the upper left corner of your hosting Control Panel.)
      • default_port: 993
      • auto_create_user: Yes
      • junk_mbox: Junk Mail

    Configure the SMTP connection in the SMTP Settings section by using the settings listed below:

      • smtp_server: ssl://mail.your_server.com (Make sure that you replace your_server.com with your actual server name which can be retrieved from the Welcome email for your account or from the upper left corner of your hosting Control Panel.)
      • smtp_port: 465

    Click on the CREATE CONFIG button.

  9. You should see a message that the configuration file was saved successfully. Click on the CONTINUE button to proceed.

  10. Click on the Initialize database button.

  11. Use the Test SMTP config and Test IMAP config forms with a mailbox created in your hosting Control Panel to verify that the SMTP and IMAP settings of your Roundcube installation are correct.

  12. Close the installation page and delete the installer directory of your Roundcube installation using the hosting Control Panel's File Manager.

  13. Force HTTPS for Roundcube by adding the following line the config/config.inc.php file of your Roundcube installation:

    $config['force_https'] = true;

Once you have completed these steps, a local copy of Roundcube should be installed successfully under your account, and if you've placed the installation package in a subdirectory named roundcube_subdirectory of your main site directory and your domain name is your_domain.com, you will be able to access your local copy of Roundcube at:

https://your_domain.com/roundcube_subdirectory/