Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing Redmine, ensure your system is up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Keeping your system updated is crucial for security and performance, whether you're setting up Redmine locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Redmine requires several packages to run. Install the necessary dependencies using the following command:

sudo apt install build-essential libsqlite3-dev libmysqlclient-dev libpq-dev libmagickwand-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev -y
            

These libraries are required for Redmine to function properly. If you are using MySQL as your database, you will need to install the MySQL server as well:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Step 3: Install Ruby and Rails

Redmine is built on Ruby on Rails, so you need to install Ruby and Rails. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt install ruby-full -y
sudo gem install rails -v 6.1.4
            

After installing Rails, you can verify the installation by checking the version:

rails -v

Step 4: Download and Configure Redmine

Navigate to the /opt directory and download the latest version of Redmine:

cd /opt
sudo wget http://www.redmine.org/releases/redmine-5.0.0.tar.gz
sudo tar -xzf redmine-5.0.0.tar.gz
sudo mv redmine-5.0.0 redmine
            

Next, navigate to the Redmine directory:

cd redmine

Copy the example configuration file:

sudo cp config/database.yml.example config/database.yml

Edit the database configuration file to set up your database settings:

sudo nano config/database.yml

Configure the database settings according to the database you are using (SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL). For example, if using MySQL:

production:
  adapter: mysql2
  database: redmine_production
  host: localhost
  username: your_username
  password: your_password
            

Step 5: Set Up the Database

Create the database for Redmine using MySQL. Log in to the MySQL shell:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create the Redmine database:

CREATE DATABASE redmine_production CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
CREATE USER 'your_username'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON redmine_production.* TO 'your_username'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
            

Next, run the database migrations to set up the required tables:

bundle exec rake db:migrate RAILS_ENV=production

Step 6: Install Additional Gems

Install the necessary gems for Redmine:

bundle install --without development test

Step 7: Configure Apache Web Server

If you are using Apache, create a new configuration file for Redmine:

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

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain:

    ServerAdmin admin@your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /opt/redmine/public
    ServerName your-domain.com
    ServerAlias www.your-domain.com

    
        AllowOverride all
        Require all granted
    

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/redmine_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/redmine_access.log combined

            

Enable the new site and the necessary Apache modules:

sudo a2ensite redmine.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
            

Step 8: Access Redmine

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com or http://your-server-ip. You should see the Redmine welcome page where you can start configuring your project management tool.

This setup provides a fully functional project management system, whether hosted locally or on a Windows VPS Servers platform.

Step 9: Secure Redmine with Let's Encrypt SSL

For enhanced security, it is advisable to secure your Redmine installation with SSL using Let's Encrypt. First, install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Run Certbot to obtain and configure the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.com -d www.your-domain.com

Certbot will automatically configure Apache to use SSL, ensuring secure access to your Redmine instance, whether it is on a local server or hosted on a Windows VPS hosting UK.