Installing Mattermost on Proxmox: prerequisites and methods

Installing Mattermost – Quick reference guide

1. General principle

• Installation suited for an administrator comfortable with Linux (command line, services, reverse proxy).
• Runs on a Linux server (VM, LXC, bare-metal, or via Docker containers).

2. Recommended server type

• OS: 64-bit Linux (Ubuntu/Debian recommended).
• Possible platforms:
  • VPS or dedicated server at a hosting provider.
  • Self-hosted server (with port forwarding + DNS).
  • Virtualized environment such as Proxmox (VM or LXC).

3. Required software components

• System: Linux server distribution (Ubuntu 18.04+ or equivalent).
• Database: PostgreSQL (recommended) or MySQL/MariaDB.
• Web server / reverse proxy: Nginx or Apache.
• TLS certificates: Let's Encrypt via Certbot or equivalent (for HTTPS).
• System service: systemd unit or equivalent to start Mattermost at boot.

4. Main steps for a "classic" installation (VM or LXC)

1. Update the system and install required packages (PostgreSQL/MySQL, Nginx/Apache, utilities).
2. Create the database and dedicated SQL user for Mattermost.
3. Download and extract the Mattermost archive to a directory (e.g. /opt/mattermost).
4. Configure config.json (site URL, DB connection, ports, basic options).
5. Create a dedicated system user and a systemd unit for the Mattermost service.
6. Configure Nginx/Apache as a reverse proxy to Mattermost, enable HTTPS (Let's Encrypt).

5. Using Proxmox

• Options:
  • Linux VM (Ubuntu/Debian) with classic installation.
  • Linux LXC container with classic installation.
  • VM or LXC "Docker host" on which Mattermost is deployed via Docker.
• Scripts or LXC templates are available to deploy Mattermost directly in Proxmox (automated pre-configuration).

6. Deployment with Docker

• Available images:
  • Mattermost server (dedicated image, often used with docker-compose).
  • PostgreSQL (official postgres image).
  • Nginx reverse proxy (official nginx image) or equivalents (Traefik, Nginx Proxy Manager).
• Typical docker-compose setup:
  • mattermost-app service (application).
  • db service (PostgreSQL).
  • reverse-proxy service (Nginx/Traefik) exposed on 80/443.

7. Complexity level

• Reasonable for an administrator comfortable with:
  • Service management (systemd).
  • Database configuration.
  • Reverse proxy and TLS certificates.
• Simpler with:
  • A step-by-step tutorial adapted to the distribution.
  • Pre-configured scripts or containers (Proxmox helper scripts, Docker stacks).