2.2 - Unix Installation

 
The Unix installation instructions are a subset of the Windows Installation page (§2.1), since the Unix install is based on the generic all-platforms ZIP which has already been described as one of the installation options for Windows.
The only difference is that Unix version uses the bin/mta.sh script whereas it's bin\mta.bat on Windows, but they have the same calling syntax.


2.2.1 - Prerequisites

The only external dependency is Java. It is probably already on your system, and we shall assume that Unix admins are familiar enough with Java not to need detailed download instructions.


2.2.2 - Install Mailismus

As mentioned above, the Unix installation is based on the generic all-platforms ZIP.
You may untar it wherever is appropriate for your local policies, but for our purposes let's assume it's unpacked into /opt/mailismus, which we shall refer to as MTAHOME for the remainder of this chapter.
This is the same MTAHOME that was referred to in the Windows instructions in §2.1.2, as this is the same ZIP.

Having extracted the ZIP, there is an extra Unix-specific step, to ensure that Mailismus automatically starts up when the system boots.
Create /etc/init.d/mailismus as a symbolic link to MTAHOME/bin/mta.sh, and then put start/stop symbolic links to /etc/init.d/mailismus in the appropriate run-level scripts directory - see /etc/inittab for your system's default run level.
Eg. To auto-run Mailismus in Run Level 3, the relevant run-level symbolic links would typically be in the /etc/init.d/rc3.d, directory, but the except path may differ between the various flavours of Unix.
The rc3.d symbolic links should be numbered so as to start Mailismus late in the Unix bootup cycle, and stop it early during shutdown.


2.2.3 - Initial Setup

  1. Prepare Config
    Same as the corresponding Windows section.

  2. Verify Java Process Runs OK
    Same as the corresponding Windows section, except that whereas the Windows mta.bat script has to be run from the MTAHOME directory, the Unix mta.sh script can be run from anywhere.

    Furthermore, you have the option of using the /etc/init.d/mailismus path instead (see §2.2.2 above), as it points to the mta.sh script.
    For example:

    /etc/init.d/mailismus start

  3. Verify Actual Config
    Same as the corresponding Windows section.

  4. Send Email Message
    Same as the corresponding Windows section.