How To Install Kanboard on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Kanboard is a powerful open-source project management tool that utilizes the Kanban methodology to help teams visualize their workflows and manage tasks efficiently. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of installing Kanboard on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, ensuring you have a robust platform for managing your projects. Whether you are a developer, project manager, or team leader, setting up Kanboard can significantly enhance your project management capabilities.

Table of Contents

What is Kanboard?

Kanboard is a simple yet effective project management software designed to facilitate task organization and workflow management. Its primary focus is on visualizing work through Kanban boards, which allows teams to track progress and collaborate seamlessly. Some key features of Kanboard include:

Task assignments with due dates
Customizable workflows
File attachments and subtasks
Integration with external services via plugins

Compared to other project management tools like Trello, Kanboard offers a more minimalist interface, making it ideal for small teams and projects that require straightforward task management.

System Requirements

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Web Server: Apache or Nginx
Database: MariaDB or MySQL
PHP: Version 7.4 or higher with necessary extensions (php-mysql, php-gd, php-mbstring, php-xml)

Preparing Your System

Step 1: Update and Upgrade Packages

The first step in the installation process is to ensure that your system packages are up-to-date. Open your terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This command updates the package list and upgrades any outdated packages on your system.

Step 2: Install Required Software

You will need to install Apache (or Nginx), MariaDB (or MySQL), and PHP along with several PHP extensions. Use the following command to install these components:

sudo apt install apache2 mariadb-server php php-mysql php-gd php-mbstring php-xml -y

This command installs the Apache web server, MariaDB database server, and PHP along with necessary extensions required by Kanboard.

Setting Up the Database

Step 3: Configure MariaDB

After installing MariaDB, you need to secure your installation. Run the following command:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This script will prompt you to set a root password and remove anonymous users among other security measures. Follow the prompts carefully to enhance your database security.

Step 4: Create a Database and User for Kanboard

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a new database for Kanboard and a user with appropriate privileges by executing these SQL commands:


CREATE DATABASE kanboard;
CREATE USER 'kanboarduser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON kanboard.* TO 'kanboarduser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace 'your_password' with a strong password that you will remember.

Downloading and Installing Kanboard

Step 5: Download Kanboard

The next step is to download the latest version of Kanboard from its GitHub repository. Use the following command:

wget https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/archive/v1.2.24.tar.gz

Step 6: Extract and Move Files

Once downloaded, extract the files using:

tar -xvzf v1.2.24.tar.gz

Next, move the extracted directory to your web server’s root directory:

sudo mv kanboard-1.2.24 /var/www/html/kanboard

Configuring Apache for Kanboard

Step 7: Create a Virtual Host Configuration File

Create a new virtual host configuration file for Kanboard using your preferred text editor:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/kanboard.conf

Add the following configuration settings to this file

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/kanboard
    ServerName example.com

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/kanboard-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/kanboard-access.log combined

    <Directory "/var/www/html/kanboard">
        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Make sure to replace 'example.com' with your actual domain name.

Step 8: Enable the Site and Restart Apache

Enable the new virtual host configuration and restart Apache for changes to take effect:

sudo a2ensite kanboard.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Finalizing Installation

Step 9: Set Permissions for Kanboard Directory

You need to set proper permissions for the Kanboard directory so that it can write data correctly:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/kanboard/data
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/kanboard

Step 10: Accessing Kanboard Web Interface

You can now access Kanboard by navigating to http://example.com. You should see the Kanboard login page.

The default login credentials are:

Email: admin@example.com
Password: admin

Please change these credentials immediately after logging in for security purposes.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error: “403 Forbidden”: This usually indicates permission issues. Make sure that the web server has access rights to the directories.
Error: “Database Connection Failed”: Check if you created the database correctly and if you entered the right credentials in /var/www/html/kanboard/config.php.
Error: “404 Not Found”: Ensure that your virtual host configuration is correct, and that you have enabled it in Apache.
Error: “500 Internal Server Error”: Check Apache error logs located at /var/log/apache2/kanboard-error.log . This can provide insight into what went wrong.
Error: “PHP Extensions Missing”: Ensure all required PHP extensions are installed as mentioned in earlier steps.
Error: “SSL Certificate Not Found”: If using HTTPS, ensure SSL is configured correctly using Certbot or another SSL service.
Error: “Timeout Error”: This may be caused by server overload or misconfiguration; check server load and configurations accordingly.
Error: “Memory Limit Exceeded”: Increase memory limit in your PHP configuration file (/etc/php/7.x/apache2/php.ini ) by modifying ;memory_limit = 128M .
Error: “Session Storage Error”: Ensure permissions are set correctly for session storage directories in your application directory.
Error: “Plugin Not Found”: Ensure plugins are installed correctly in their respective directories and are compatible with your version of Kanboard.
Error: “File Uploads Disabled”: Check settings in /etc/php/7.x/apache2/php.ini , specifically ensure ;file_uploads = On .
Error: “Data Directory Not Writable”: Ensure that permissions for the data directory (/var/www/html/kanboard/data ) are set correctly as shown above.
Error: “Debugging Mode On”: If you see debug messages on screen, disable debugging mode in your configuration file (/var/www/html/kanboard/config.php) by setting ‘DEBUG' => false .
Error: “Invalid Token” during login attempts: Clear browser cache or try logging in from an incognito window if this issue persists

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Kanboard. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing Kanboard open source project management on your Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Kanboard website.

VPS Manage Service Offer

If you don’t have time to do all of this stuff, or if this is not your area of expertise, we offer a service to do “VPS Manage Service Offer”, starting from $10 (Paypal payment). Please contact us to get the best deal!