Focalboard is an open-source alternative to tools like Asana, Trello, and Notion. It can be installed as a stand-alone application or integrated into the Mattermost platform on your servers. Companies and businesses can use Focalboard to help their developers stay aligned to complete tasks, reach milestones, and achieve their goals. If you want a simple and intuitive Kanban-style project management platform, you may want to take a look at Focalboard.
How to install Focalboard on Ubuntu Linux
As described above, Focalboard is an open-source alternative to tools like Asana, Trello, and Notion. It can be installed as a stand-alone application or integrated into the Mattermost platform. Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux.
Install PostgreSQL on Ubuntu Linux
Focalboard uses PostgreSQL to store its data. You will have to install PostgreSQL on Ubuntu, and the post below shows you how. How to install PostgreSQL on Ubuntu Linux Once you installed PostgreSQL, run the command below to connect to the PostgreSQL console. On the PostgreSQL console, run the queries below to create a new database called focaldb and a user account called focal user with a password. When you’re done, run the command below to quit and exit the console.
Download Focalboard on Ubuntu Linux
Once you have created a database and user, Download the Ubuntu archive package from the appropriate release in GitHub. The example below uses the link for v0.15.0, but you’re encouraged to use the latest version in the release list: Once you have moved Focalboard content to the /opt directory, run the commands below to edit its JSON configuration file. Change the line below to match your database configuration settings. Save the file and exit.
Create a Systemd service file for Focalboard
After making the changes above, you’ll want to create a Systemd service to control starting and stopping Focalboard. Run the commands below to create a new Systemd service account file. Then copy and paste the content below into the file. Save and exit. Then run the commands below to reload Systemd daemon. Now you should be able to stop, start and reload Focalboard. From here, you can access Focalboard on the local server using its hostname or IP address followed by port 8080. However, if you want to use a domain or user-friendly name or improve performance, you may have to set up a proxy server.
Create a reverse proxy server with Focalboard
Below are two posts that show you how to set up a reverse proxy server:
How to set up a proxy server with Nginx How to set a proxy server with Apache
You can choose either setup above, however, Nginx provides a better option with Focalboard. Install and set up a reverse proxy configuration file for Focalboard. If you are using Nginx reverse proxy, use the configuration below with your proxy server. Save your file and exit. Now enable and reload Nginx and connect to Focalboard with the domain name provided. Create a new account and login. That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to install and configure Focalboard on Ubuntu Linux. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
