Install Spider on Linux servers

  • Download Spider from our website and upload to your server: https://spiderd.io/

  • Unarchive the downloaded package and install. We use Linux server and amd64 architecture for example here:

    tar xf spider-v2.7.2-linux-amd64.tar
cd spider-v2.7.2-linux-amd64/
bash install.sh

    The installer asks for confirmation, please type y to confirm and press the ENTER key to continue, or type any other letter and press the ENTER key to abort.

    WARNING: Keep the secret key file safe: /opt/spider/secret.key.

    The installer generates a long random string as secret key in file /opt/spider/secret.key during initial installation, email messages and attachments are compressed (in gzip format) and encrypted with this secret key before saving to disk.

    If this secret key is lost, all archived email messages and attachments are impossible to decrypt and recover.

That's all.

Spider listens on network port 25 for smtp service, 8080 and 443 for web console by default.

  • SMTP service is used to receive emails forwarded by MTA for archiving.
  • Port 8080 is closed when a valid ssl cert is used.
  • If port 25 or 8080 conflicts with other application, you can change the bind addresses and ports in config file /opt/spider/settings.json after installation, parameter smtpd_bind_address and web_bind_address. Check Configuration section for more details.

Here's the output of a sample (initial) installation on an Ubuntu 22.04 server:

# bash install.sh 
**************************************************************
* Install or upgrade the Spider Email Archiver
**************************************************************
We are going to check and create:

- Main config file: /opt/spider/settings.json
- System user and group: "spider", used to run Spider.
- /opt/spider/: root directory of application data.
- /opt/spider/archive/: archived email messages and attachments.
- /opt/spider/fts/: full-text indexed data.
- /opt/spider/log/: application log.

Existing settings will be preserved.

Press letter 'y' to continue, any other key to abort. y
- Generate secret key file /opt/spider/secret.key, used to 
  encrypt and decrypt email messages and attachments.
- Starting / Restarting the Spider Email Archiver.
- Spider Email Archiver has been successfully installed / upgraded.
- You can now access the web console at http://localhost:8080/