Deploy SupportPal on Docker

Deploy SupportPal using a multi-node configuration with Docker Compose on GNU/Linux. Experience with Docker is recommended.

Contents

Prerequisites
Installation
Customisation
Uninstall

Prerequisites

Ensure your system meets our recommended system requirements. Operating system and software requirements are already satisfied by our Docker containers.

Additional software is required to deploy SupportPal on Docker:

Linux Expand Collapse

Install Docker.
Install the latest version of Docker Compose (1.24 or greater).
Install Git.

Install GNU Make:

CentOS / RHEL

sudo yum install make -y

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt install make -y

MacOS Expand Collapse

Install Docker Desktop.
Install Git.
Install Homebrew.
Install GNU Make through homebrew:
```
brew install make
```

Windows Expand Collapse

Install Docker Desktop.
Install Git Bash.
Install Chocolatey.
Install GNU Make through Chocolatey:
```
choco install make
```

Installation & Configuration

All commands must be ran in a bash compatible terminal. If you're on Windows, use Git Bash.

Install SupportPal

To start the installation, run the following:

Linux / MacOS


bash <(curl -LsS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/supportpal/helpdesk-install/master/templates/docker-compose/setup.sh)

Windows


winpty bash <(curl -LsS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/supportpal/helpdesk-install/master/templates/docker-compose/setup.sh)

Next Steps

Congratulations, you've successfully installed SupportPal!

You can control the state of the containers via the make command:

make help

We now recommend that you learn how to administer your installation.

Customisation

Configuring HTTPS

By default, the software will run on HTTP using port 80, however we recommend using HTTPS for added security. To allow HTTPS, we provide an integration with LetsEncrypt, start the process with the following steps:

Change the current working directory to the docker-compose directory, for example:


        cd helpdesk-install/templates/docker-compose

Stop the containers if they are currently running:
```
make stop
```

Copy the Docker composer override file:

cp docker-compose.override.yml.dist docker-compose.override.yml

Update the Makefile file, replacing the COMPOSE_FILES variable:

COMPOSE_FILES=-f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml -f docker-compose.override.yml

Add your help desk domain name to the .env file. If you intend to use multiple domains / brands with your helpdesk, only specify one - it does not matter which one you choose.
```
DOMAIN_NAME=example.com
```

You may now either set up a self-signed SSL certificate (if your domain is not available to the public), or a full LetsEncrypt SSL certificate for your domain.

Self-Signed SSL Certificate

Execute the script, replacing the top level domain names with your own. You can list as many domain names as you need:

./../../configs/letsencrypt/create-self-signed.sh -- example.com www.example.com

LetsEncrypt SSL Certificate

Note
In order for this step to succeed, the domain name must be reachable for verification over port 80.

Execute the script, replacing the domain names and email address. You can list as many domain names as you need. At least one of the domain names needs to be the DOMAIN_NAME specified in the .env file.

./../../configs/letsencrypt/init-letsencrypt.sh --email user@company.com -- example.com www.example.com

Restart the containers for your changes to take effect:

make restart

Configuring nginx

You can extend our default nginx configuration by making changes to templates/docker-compose/gateway/custom.conf within the helpdesk-install repository. See https://nginx.org/en/docs/ for assistance with nginx config directives.

Restart the containers for your changes to take effect:

make restart

Configuring PHP

You can extend our default PHP configuration by copying files into the containers.

Create templates/docker-compose/php/custom.ini
Add your PHP configuration to the file. See https://www.php.net/manual/en/configuration.file.php for assistance with PHP directives.
Update the volumes definition for the supportpal and supportpal_cron containers in templates/docker-compose/docker-compose.prod.yml:
```
- ./php/custom.ini:/usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/10-custom.ini
```
You can change the 10 in the filename to control the priority that the file is loaded.
Restart the containers for your changes to take effect:
```
make restart
```

Extending SupportPal

It is easy to extend your SupportPal installation. Simply add your files to the relevant directory in the helpdesk-install repository:

Extension	`helpdesk-install` Directory
Creating plugins	templates/docker-compose/customization/plugins
Creating reports	templates/docker-compose/customization/reports
Creating translations	templates/docker-compose/customization/languages
Creating themes	templates/docker-compose/customization/templates

The changes should be immediately visible in your SupportPal installation without needing to restart the containers.

Uninstall

WARNING
This sequence of commands will permanently erase your installation, including the database data.

All commands must be ran in a bash compatible terminal. If you're on Windows, use Git Bash.

To completely remove your help desk installation, follow the steps below:

Change the current working directory to the docker-compose directory, for example:


        cd helpdesk-install/templates/docker-compose

Take a full backup.
Run the uninstall command:
Linux
```
sudo make uninstall
```
MacOS / Windows
```
make uninstall
```