Ensure your system is updated;

# Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade
[ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && sudo reboot -f

# CentOS / RHEL 7
sudo yum -y update
sudo reboot

Install git utility on the system that will be used to pull code from Github repository.

# Ubuntu
sudo apt -y install git

# CentOS / RHEL 7
sudo yum -y install git

We’ve created bash scripts on available on Github repo that can be used to configure DNS server for Zimbra. We can clone the repo using the commands below.

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/jmutai/scripts.git

Navigate to scripts folder then zimbra in your working directory.

cd scripts/zimbra/

Configuring Bind DNS Server (Optional)

This is an optional for step for users without active DNS server in their infrastructure.

There are scripts for setting up Bind DNS server on both Ubuntu 18.04 & RHEL 7/CentOS 7 server.

$ ls zimbra_bind_setup_*
zimbra_bind_setup_rhel.sh zimbra_bind_setup_ubuntu.sh

Execute the scripts to configure the system like below.

# Ubuntu
$ ./zimbra_bind_setup_ubuntu.sh

# CentOS / RHEL 7
$ ./zimbra_bind_setup_rhel.sh

In the first prompt screen press enter key to start the configuration of Bind DNS server.

Internet connectivity is required for packages installation...

Press key enter to continue <Enter>

You’ll also be asked to input Zimbra domain name, hostname and IP address

 

Input Zimbra Base Domain. E.g example.com : computingforgeeks.com
Input Zimbra Mail Server hostname (first part of FQDN). E.g mail : mail
Input Zimbra Server IP Address : 192.168.200.20

Test DNS server works

 

$ dig A mail.computingforgeeks.com @127.0.0.1 +short
192.168.200.20

$ dig MX computingforgeeks.com @127.0.0.1 +short
mail.computingforgeeks.com.

You can now use configured DNS server in your Zimbra installation – A and MX records are the only configurations required for the setup.

2. Install Zimbra dependency packages

There are few packages that should be installed before you can deploy Zimbra email solution on your CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 or Ubuntu 18.04 Linux system.

We’ve created bash scripts to ease these operations. All you need to do is clone the repository from Github, and run the scripts that does much offloading for you.

 

Ensure git command line tool is installed on your Zimbra server.

# Ubuntu
sudo apt -y install git

# CentOS / RHEL 7
sudo yum -y install git

Clone the repository with the scripts to be executed.

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/jmutai/scripts.git

Switch to the scripts/zimbra folder.

cd scripts/zimbra

We have separate scripts for RHEL 7 based and Ubuntu system.

$ ls zimbra_install_prereqs_*
zimbra_install_prereqs_rhel.sh  zimbra_install_prereqs_ubuntu.sh

Run the script matching your OS to install dependency packages on the system.

 

# Ubuntu
$ ./zimbra_install_prereqs_ubuntu.sh

# CentOS / RHEL 7
$ ./zimbra_install_prereqs_rhel.sh

Input your domain, Mail server hostname and its IP address when asked to provide this information.

Input Zimbra Base Domain. E.g example.com : computingforgeeks.com
Input Zimbra Mail Server hostname (first part of FQDN). E.g mail : mail
Please insert your IP Address : 192.168.200.20

You’re required to provide server timezone as well, e.g Europe/London

Input your timezone value, example Africa/Nairobi : Africa/Nairobi

If all goes well you’ll get a success message. This is a green light to installing Zimbra 9 on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 / Ubuntu 18.04.

Necessary pre-reqs satisfied, you can now install Zimbra server..

3. Download Zimbra 9 installation archive

Zimbra 9 is Open Source, but the Zimbra Modern UI and some other components that are part of the Network Edition (which traditionally have not been included in the Open Source Edition) do not use Open Source licenses. For this reason, the installer packages for the Community are not released by Zimbra as of Zimbra 9.

 

Option 1: Download Zimbra 9 open source build

As an end user, you have the option of building the packages yourself or using pre-built ones. You can check out below builds:

 

• Zimbra build by INTALIO Open Source Experts.
• Zimbra build created by Ian Walker.

Extract the package once downloaded.

tar xvf zcs*.tgz

Navigate to created directory once the file has been extrated.

cd zcs*/

Option 2: Download Zimbra 9 Network Edition

Visit Zimbra Network releases page and provide your details for trial license. For direct access to file go to Downloads page.

 

# CentOS 7
wget https://files.zimbra.com/downloads/9.0.0_GA/zcs-NETWORK-9.0.0_GA_3924.RHEL7_64.20200331010312.tgz
tar xvf zcs-NETWORK-*.tgz
cd zcs-NETWORK-9*/

# RHEL 7
wget https://files.zimbra.com/downloads/9.0.0_GA/zcs-NETWORK-9.0.0_GA_3924.RHEL7_64.20200331010312.tgz
tar xvf zcs-NETWORK-*.tgz
cd zcs-NETWORK-9*/

# Ubuntu 20.04
wget https://files.zimbra.com/downloads/9.0.0_GA/zcs-NETWORK-9.0.0_GA_4178.UBUNTU20_64.20211112031526.tgz
tar xvf zcs-NETWORK-*.tgz
cd zcs-NETWORK-9*/

# Ubuntu 18.04
wget https://files.zimbra.com/downloads/9.0.0_GA/zcs-NETWORK-9.0.0_GA_3924.UBUNTU18_64.20200331010312.tgz
tar xvf zcs-NETWORK-*.tgz
cd zcs-NETWORK-9*/

Proceed with the installation in step 4.

 

4. Install Zimbra 9 Collaboration suite

Start Zimbra 9 installation using ./install.sh command as shown below;

sudo ./install.sh

Agree to software license agreement terms.

 

Do you agree with the terms of the software license agreement? [N] Y

From list of installation packages select the ones you’ll like to have in your Zimbra Collaboration suite.

 

Use Zimbra's package repository [Y] y
.....
Select the packages to install

Install zimbra-ldap [Y] ye4ex

Install zimbra-logger [Y] y

Install zimbra-mta [Y] y

Install zimbra-dnscache [Y] n

Install zimbra-snmp [Y] y

Install zimbra-store [Y] y

Install zimbra-apache [Y] y

Install zimbra-spell [Y] y

Install zimbra-memcached [Y] Y

Install zimbra-proxy [Y] y

Install zimbra-drive [Y] Y

Install zimbra-imapd (BETA - for evaluation only) [N] n

Options on Network Edition installation:

Select the packages to install

Install zimbra-ldap [Y]

Install zimbra-logger [Y]

Install zimbra-mta [Y]

Install zimbra-dnscache [Y] n

Install zimbra-snmp [Y]

Install zimbra-store [Y]

Install zimbra-apache [Y]

Install zimbra-spell [Y]

Install zimbra-convertd [Y]

Install zimbra-memcached [Y]

Install zimbra-proxy [Y]

Install zimbra-archiving [N]

Install zimbra-drive [Y]

Install zimbra-imapd (BETA - for evaluation only) [N]

Install zimbra-network-modules-ng [Y]
Install zimbra-connect [Y]

Confirm the settings and proceed with the installation of Zimbra 9 community edition on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 / Ubuntu 18.04 Linux machine.

zimbra-store package check complete.

Installing:
    zimbra-core
    zimbra-ldap
    zimbra-logger
    zimbra-mta
    zimbra-snmp
    zimbra-store
    zimbra-apache
    zimbra-spell
    zimbra-memcached
    zimbra-proxy
    zimbra-drive
    zimbra-chat

The system will be modified. Continue? [N] Y

Configure your domain name as below, this should match configuration in your DNS server.