SMS Server Installation

SMS Server Installation Guide

Prepare SMS server installation package

Download SMS server installation package from GitHub either:

(1)	Use Git to clone the project on your computer by issue command on a terminal: git clone https://github.com/dw999/sms2.git

(2)	Download a zipped archive from https://github.com/dw999/sms2/archive/refs/heads/main.zip, and then decompress it with command: unzip main.zip

Make sure the main installation shell script is executable: chmod +x install_sms.sh

Prerequisites of SMS server installation

-	You are root or root equivalent user, i.e. To install SMS server, you must be a super user.
-	Network connection of your prepared Linux server is well configured and fast enough (> 3Mb/s).
-	You have registered a domain name for your messaging site, and it has already been pointed to your server's public IP address.
-	You have an email address for the SMS administrator. (Note: 1. It should not link to your true identity, 2. It is optional.)
-	You have at least one more email account for SMS routine operations. (Note: It is optional).

Note:
1.	This guide is based on Rocky Linux 8 environment, but it could also be applied to other supported platforms.
2.	If you don't have any email account, the only connection mode you can used is "1". Details please refer to the SMS user guide.

Install SMS server

If all prerequisites of SMS server installation are fulfilled, you may now install SMS server.

Login Linux server as super user, open a terminal window, and go to the directory where decompressed SMS server installation packages located, then execute installation script:

# ./install_sms.sh

If SELinux isn't disabled and/or SNAP hasn't been installed, SMS installation script will handle them for you automatically, and you may see Figure 1(a) and/or Figure 1(b). However, you need to restart your server each time and rerun the installation script again.

If everything is okay, screen like Figure 1(c) will be seen.

Figure 1(a): Disable SELinux

Figure 1(b): Install SNAP

Figure 1(c): Start Installation Process

Installation process is divided into 9 steps, they are:

Step 1:	Install required utilities and packages
Step 2:	Prepare database server and create databases
Step 3:	Prepare RabbitMQ message broker and create accounts.
Step 4:	Prepare SMS server directories, programs and required libraries.
Step 5:	Input essential data to SMS server
Step 6:	Configure Nginx as reverse proxy server and install SSL certificate to the site
Step 7:	Prepare and install SMS application server automatic starting script
Step 8:	Configure Linux system settings
Step 9:	Build audio file converter FFmpeg (optional)

After you press the enter key, step 1 will proceed, and screen like Figure 2 will be seem.

Figure 2

Step 2 is going to prepare (it means configuration) MariaDB database server and create required databases used by SMS server.

When you prepare the MariaDB database server, you need to create password for the database server administrator, and accept default configuration settings to harden database server's security (Figure 3).

After MariaDB database server has been configured, A screen prompt you to create SMS required databases will be shown, you need to press enter to proceed to create databases, and you will be asked to input database server administrator password you just created.

Figure 3

Step 3 will configure the RabbitMQ server automatically, no user intervention is needed. When it is finished, a message will be shown like Figure 4, you may need to take a note and press enter to go to next step.

Figure 4

Step 4 is going to create SMS server directories, install required javascript and node.js libraries, copy SMS programs to it. This step is started automatically like Figure 5 shown.

Figure 5

As node.js libraries are installing, security warning messages may be shown (Figure 6). Don't panic, just write down the follow up instruction and press enter to go to next step.

Figure 6

Step 5 is very important, depends on your configuration, you need to give the system nine to ten essential data for your SMS server. They are SMS connection mode, DNS name of the messaging site, email address of the SMS server administrator, worker email address for SMS operations, the worker email account login username and it's password, SMTP server name of the worker email, port number of the SMTP server, first internal IP address which SMS server will listen on, and an optional second internal IP address which SMS server will listen on (if you have only one internal IP address, then you don't need to input anything to this field and just let it blank). Any incorrect input data will let SMS server malfunction.

Please note that you MUST put 'https://' in front of your DNS name of the messaging site, and ':8443' behind it, just as Figure 7 shown.

After you input all these data, you require to verify and confirm them. If all input data are correct, press 'Y' and then enter to save them. Otherwise, press 'N' to input them again.

Figure 7

Step 6 will generate SSL certificates in accordance with DNS name of your messaging site you input in step 5. In this step, you will be asked to input your email address (just use the same email for the default SMS administrator), and three questions. Figure 9 provides you an example. Beginning of this step, screen like Figure 8 will be shown, you need to press the enter key to proceed.

Note:
This step may fail occasionally, but don't worry, you can rerun this process later after installation by running the below command to subscribe SSL certificates again:

# certbot --nginx

SSL certificates are used to provide the secrecy of your online communication, which is the most important part of the SMS server. Therefore, you must ensure your SSL certificates installation successful before using SMS server. You could check how secure of your web site by using testing site https://www.ssllabs.com:

The general format is https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d={your_web_site_dns_name}

e.g.) https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=argogo.mywire.org

It will give security ratings for your site (similar to Figure 10). If grade of overall rating is below A, that means something is wrong of your site, please fix all the issues before using SMS server for your messaging operation.

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Step 7 will configure and install SMS server automatic starting service, and step 8 will amend some Linux server settings for SMS server. They will run automatically and no user intervention is required. After step 7 and step 8 are done, you will be prompted to install an audio converter FFmpeg (Figure 11). It is optional, but you will get much better user experience to have it. I highly recommend you to install it by input "Y" on the prompt and press enter key. Then screen like Figure 12 will be displayed. Otherwise, you may give "N" and press the enter key to skip it.

FFmpeg installation is a time consuming process. Depends on your server's capability, it may take a long time to complete. So, please be patient and wait for it to finish. If it is completed successfully, it will go to the final stage automatically. Otherwise, error message will be displayed, and you need to press the enter key to go to final stage.

Figure 11

Figure 12

Finally, SMS server installation is completed successfully, it will show you the built-in administrator account details for you like Figure 13 shown. Please write it down, and then press the enter key to let the installation program reboot your Rocky Linux server.

Figure 13

Supplementary

If SSL certificates generation is failure in step 6, you may do it again as Figure 14 shown.

Figure 14

Remark:
I have installed and configured a software firewall for you during SMS server installation, which open ports 22, 80, 443 and 8443 to let users connect to your SMS server. However, you may have another firewall between your SMS server and the internet. For example, a home WiFi router often has a built-in firewall to prevent all incoming connection by default, so that you must configure port forwarding to let outside users connect the SMS server behind your router. For port forwarding configuration, please consult your router manual. If any required port is blocked, SMS server will not function normally, and SSL certificate generation process will be failure.