One-Click Installation

UVdesk Initialization:

Overview:

This guide will walk you through initializing UVdesk Community on your AWS instance in just one click. The setup process is streamlined using our custom script, designed for ease of use and efficiency. Before starting the script, ensure the minimum requirement is met.

Pro Tip: We recommend associating an AWS Elastic IP with your instance before running the setup. This prevents your IP address from changing when the instance is stopped and restarted.

Step 1: Access Your AWS Instance

1. Launch Your AWS EC2 Instance:

• Choose your desired AWS EC2 instance type. (Recommended: t3a.small / t3.small)
• Open ports 22, 80 and 443 in the security group.
• Once the instance is running, connect to it via SSH.

2. Connect to the Instance:

• Open your terminal (Mac/Linux) or use an SSH client (e.g., PuTTY for Windows).
• Run the following SSH command:

3. Run the Initialization Script:

• To initiate the installation, run the following command:

• Note: This script automates the entire installation process. While it runs, ensure your terminal remains active, and do not close the session. It typically takes two to four minutes: the application is downloaded, then UVdesk creates its database, its support roles and your administrator account before the site is served. The script generates new credentials for this instance.

Step 2: Instance Set Up and Installation

1. Completion Confirmation:

• Once the installation is finished, you will see a summary on the screen that includes both of your addresses and your administrator sign-in.
• Write the password down. It is generated for this instance and is not stored anywhere you can read it back.

2. Two addresses, and which one you want

Please note: the plain address is your customers’ support centre, not your login page. UVdesk serves a public knowledgebase and ticket form at http://<your-public-ip>/, and signs agents in at a separate address. That address carries a language prefix, so /member/login on its own returns a not-found page. Use the full address exactly as the summary prints it.

• Your customers go to http://<your-public-ip>/
• You and your agents go to http://<your-public-ip>/en/member/login

3. Sign In:

• Open the agent sign-in address and enter the email and password shown in the summary.
• You will arrive at the agent dashboard, with the ticket queue, your knowledgebase and settings all reachable from the left.

4. Change the administrator email address

Do this before you go any further. The address the installer generates cannot receive mail. It is on a reserved domain, so if you lose the password there is no way to reset it. Open your profile, set your own email address, and save.

Turning email into tickets

• Open Settings, then Mailbox, and add the mailbox your customers already write to. You will need the incoming (IMAP) details from your mail provider.
• Add your outgoing mail provider in the same area, so replies from your agents reach your customers.
• The mailbox is checked every five minutes and new messages become tickets automatically. Nothing needs to be scheduled by you.
• This image does not include a mail server. No mail is sent or collected until you add a provider, so agent replies and password resets will not be delivered before then.

Step 3: Add Your Own Domain and SSL

• Your helpdesk is served over plain HTTP until you associate a domain. To use your own domain name with a free SSL certificate, run:

• Full instructions are in Associating Your Domain.

Important Notes:

• Outgoing Email:
  This instance does not send email until you configure a mail provider under Settings. Until then, password resets and agent replies will not be delivered.
• Mail Sending Blockage:
  AWS may have email-sending restrictions in place by default. Before using the instance for email sending, submit a request to AWS to lift the restriction on outbound email traffic.
• The database is not reachable from the internet.
  MariaDB runs on a private network inside the instance with no published port. Port 3306 does not need to be open and must not be opened.
• Do not run the installer a second time.
  Each run generates new database passwords, while an existing database keeps the ones it was created with. If you think something went wrong, email [email protected] rather than running it again.