How To Install sysPass Password Manager on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

In today’s digital landscape, managing passwords securely is crucial for protecting sensitive information. sysPass, an open-source password management solution, offers a robust and user-friendly platform for individuals and organizations to store and manage their credentials safely. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of installing sysPass Password Manager on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, ensuring that you have a reliable system for password management.

sysPass stands out as an excellent choice for Ubuntu users due to its compatibility with the LAMP stack, customizable features, and strong security measures. By following this tutorial, you’ll be able to set up a self-hosted password management system that gives you full control over your data while benefiting from the latest improvements in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the installation process, ensure that you have the following prerequisites in place:

A server running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with root or sudo access
A minimum of 1GB RAM and 10GB storage space
A registered domain name pointing to your server’s IP address
Basic familiarity with Linux command-line operations

Additionally, you’ll need to have the following software components ready:

Apache web server
MySQL or MariaDB database server
PHP 7.4 or later (PHP 8.x is recommended for optimal performance)
Git for cloning the sysPass repository

Preparing the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Server

Start by updating your Ubuntu system to ensure you have the latest packages and security patches:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Next, install some essential packages that will be required throughout the installation process:

sudo apt install software-properties-common apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl -y

It’s also a good practice to configure the firewall to allow incoming connections on ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS). If you’re using UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), you can enable these ports with the following commands:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Installing LAMP Stack

sysPass requires a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack to function. Let’s install each component:

Apache Web Server

Install Apache with the following command:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

After installation, start and enable Apache to run on system boot:

sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

MySQL/MariaDB Database

Install MariaDB, which is a drop-in replacement for MySQL:

sudo apt install mariadb-server -y

Secure your MariaDB installation by running the security script:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password and remove insecure default settings.

PHP and Required Modules

Install PHP and the necessary modules for sysPass:

sudo apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-json php-common php-mysql php-zip php-gd php-mbstring php-curl php-xml php-pear php-bcmath -y

After installation, restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Configuring the Database for sysPass

Now, let’s set up a database and user for sysPass:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Once logged in to the MySQL prompt, create a new database and user:

CREATE DATABASE syspass_db;
CREATE USER 'syspass_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON syspass_db.* TO 'syspass_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace ‘your_strong_password’ with a secure password of your choice.

Downloading and Installing sysPass

With the LAMP stack in place, we can now proceed to install sysPass:

Cloning sysPass Repository

Use Git to clone the sysPass repository:

sudo git clone https://github.com/nuxsmin/sysPass.git /var/www/html/syspass

Setting Proper Permissions

Adjust the ownership and permissions of the sysPass directory:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/syspass
sudo chmod 750 /var/www/html/syspass/app/{config,backup}

Installing Composer

sysPass uses Composer to manage PHP dependencies. Install Composer with these commands:

curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php
sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/composer

Installing PHP Dependencies

Navigate to the sysPass directory and install the required PHP packages:

cd /var/www/html/syspass
sudo -u www-data composer install --no-dev

Configuring Apache for sysPass

Create a new Apache virtual host configuration for sysPass:

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

Add the following content, replacing ‘your_domain.com’ with your actual domain name:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName your_domain.com
    ServerAdmin webmaster@your_domain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/syspass
    
    <Directory /var/www/html/syspass>
        Options FollowSymlinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/syspass_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/syspass_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the new virtual host and disable the default one:

sudo a2ensite syspass.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Securing sysPass with SSL/TLS

To ensure secure communication between users and the sysPass server, let’s set up SSL/TLS encryption using Let’s Encrypt:

Installing Certbot

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Obtaining and Configuring Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate

Run Certbot to obtain and configure the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your_domain.com

Follow the prompts to complete the certificate installation and configuration.

Enforcing HTTPS

Edit the Apache configuration file to enforce HTTPS:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/syspass-le-ssl.conf

Add the following lines inside the <VirtualHost *:443> block:

Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains"
Header always set X-Frame-Options DENY
Header always set X-Content-Type-Options nosniff

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Completing sysPass Installation

With all components in place, you can now complete the sysPass installation through the web interface:

Open your web browser and navigate to https://your_domain.com
You’ll be redirected to the sysPass installation page
Follow the on-screen instructions to configure the initial settings:
- Enter the database details (database name, username, and password)
- Create an admin account
- Set the master password (used for encrypting sensitive data)
Complete the installation process by clicking “Install”

Install sysPass Password Manager on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Post-Installation Configuration

After successfully installing sysPass, take some time to customize the settings to fit your needs:

Customizing sysPass Settings

Log in to the admin panel
Navigate to “Configuration” > “General”
Adjust settings such as session timeout, password complexity requirements, and two-factor authentication options

Setting Up User Accounts and Groups

Create user accounts for your team members
Set up groups to manage access permissions efficiently
Assign appropriate roles and permissions to users and groups

Configuring Backup Options

Implement a robust backup strategy to protect your password data:

Navigate to “Maintenance” > “Backup”
Configure automatic backups to run at regular intervals
Choose a secure location to store your backups, preferably off-site or in encrypted cloud storage

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any problems during or after the installation, consider these common issues and their solutions:

Database Connection Errors

Double-check your database credentials in the sysPass configuration
Ensure that the MySQL/MariaDB service is running: sudo systemctl status mysql
Verify that the sysPass database user has the correct permissions

Permission Problems

Ensure that the web server has the necessary permissions to read and write to the sysPass directory
Check Apache error logs for any permission-related issues: sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

PHP Configuration Issues

Verify that all required PHP modules are installed and enabled
Check PHP version compatibility with sysPass requirements
Review PHP configuration settings in php.ini for any conflicts

Congratulations! You have successfully installed sysPass. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing sysPass Password Manager on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the sysPass website.

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