---
date: 2016-11-24 08:26:09
title: "FreeBSD email server - Part +: Calendars and contacts"
tags:
- Tutorial
- FreeBSD
- Email
- CalDAV
- CardDAV
---

This guide is an addition to the [FreeBSD email server series][tutorial-email].
It is not required for your email server to operate properly, but it is often
considered a very important feature for those who want to switch from a third
party email provider to their own solution. It does build upon the completed
series, so be sure to work through that before starting on this.

## Install required packages
```
pkg install py27-radicale
```

## Configure Radicale
### /usr/local/etc/radicale/config
Open up the `/usr/local/etc/radicale/config` file, and update each `[block]`.

#### [server]
The server is binding to `localhost` only. This way it is not accessible on
`:5232` from outside the server. Outside access will be provided through an
nginx reverse proxy instead.

```ini
hosts = 127.1:5232
daemon = True

dns_lookup = True

base_prefix = /
can_skip_base_prefix = False

realm = Radicale - Password required
```

#### [encoding]
```ini
request = utf-8
stock = utf-8
```

#### [auth]
```ini
type = IMAP

imap_hostname = localhost
imap_port = 143
imap_ssl = False
```

#### [storage]
```ini
type = filesystem
filesystem_folder = /usr/local/share/radicale
```

#### [logging]
```ini
config = /usr/local/etc/radicale/logging
```

### /usr/local/etc/radicale/logging
This file is fine on the defaults in FreeBSD 11. This saves you from
configuring a little bit.

## Configure Dovecot
### Enable imap
This option was disabled in the [IMAP server tutorial][tutorial-email],
however, if we want to auth using the same credentials as the mailserver, this
option is needed again. Bind it to `localhost`, so it can only be used
internally. In `/usr/local/etc/dovecont/conf.d/10-master.conf`, enable the
`imap` port again:

```ini
...
service imap-login {
    inet_listener imap {
        address = 127.1
        port = 143
    }
    ...
}
...
```

## Configure nginx
To make using the service easier, you can setup [nginx][nginx] to act as a
reverse proxy. If you followed the [webserver tutorial][tutorial-webserver],
you already have the basics for this set up. I do recommend you check this out,
as I will only explain how to configure a virtual host to deal with the reverse
proxy here.

### Setup a reverse proxy
Assuming you have taken the crash-course in setting up the nginx webserver, you
can attain a reverse proxy using the following config block. Note that this block
only does HTTPS, as I use HTTP only to redirect to HTTPS.

```nginx
# static HTTPS
server {
    # listeners
    listen       443 ssl;
    server_name  radicale.domain.tld;

    # enable HSTS
    add_header  Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubdomains; preload";

    # keys
    ssl_certificate      /usr/local/etc/letsencrypt/live/domain.tld/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key  /usr/local/etc/letsencrypt/live/domain.tld/privkey.pem;

    # / handler
    location / {
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_pass http://127.1:5232;
    }
}
```

## Enable the service at startup
```
echo 'radicale_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf.local
```

## Start the server
```
service radicale start
```

[nginx]: https://www.nginx.com/
[tutorial-email]: /post/2016/10/31/freebsd-mailserver-part-1-preparations/
[tutorial-webserver]: /post/2016/10/25/setup-nginx-with-lets-encrypt-ssl/