How to Install FreeScout Help Desk on Ubuntu 22.04: A Step-by-Step Guide

FreeScout Help Desk is a powerful open-source customer support and ticketing system that’s lightweight, PHP-based, and an excellent alternative to commercial help desks like Zendesk. With features like email integration, auto-responders, notes, modules, and team collaboration tools, Install FreeScout Help Desk on Ubuntu 22.04 is a perfect fit for businesses aiming to host their own support platform.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to install FreeScout on an Ubuntu 22.04 server using the LEMP stack (Linux, Nginx, MariaDB, PHP).

Prerequisites

• A fresh VPS or server running Ubuntu 22.04 (1 GB RAM minimum, 2+ GB recommended)
• A domain name pointed to your server’s IP (e.g., freescout.example.com)

Step 1 – Install the LEMP Stack

Start by installing Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, and required PHP extensions.

sudo apt update -y

sudo apt install nginx mariadb-server libmariadb-dev git php-fpm php-mysql php-mbstring php-xml php-imap php-zip php-gd php-curl php-intl -y

Configure PHP

Edit the PHP configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini

Update the following values:

memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 16M
cgi.fix_pathinfo = 0
date.timezone = UTC

Restart PHP-FPM to apply changes

sudo systemctl restart php8.1-fpm

Step 2 – Create a Database for FreeScout

Log into the MariaDB shell

sudo mysql

Run the following SQL commands:

CREATE DATABASE freescout CHARSET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON freescout.* TO 'freescout'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_secure_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Note: Replace ‘your_secure_password’ with a strong password.

Step 3 – Download FreeScout

Create a directory for FreeScout and download the latest version from GitHub:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/freescout
cd /var/www/freescout
sudo git clone https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout .

Set appropriate permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/freescout
sudo find /var/www/freescout -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
sudo find /var/www/freescout -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;

Step 4 – Configure Nginx

Create a new Nginx virtual host:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/freescout.conf

Paste the following configuration (update the domain name):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name freescout.example.com;

    root /var/www/freescout/public;
    index index.php index.html;

    error_log /var/www/freescout/storage/logs/web-server.log;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\. {
        deny all;
    }

    location ~* ^/storage/attachment/ {
        expires 1M;
        access_log off;
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~* ^/(?:css|js|fonts|img)/.*\.(?:css|js|ttf|woff|woff2|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|svg)$ {
        expires 1M;
        add_header Cache-Control "public";
    }
}

Edit the Nginx main configuration:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Add the following line inside the http block and Restart Nginx

server_names_hash_bucket_size 64;
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 5 – Complete Installation via Web Interface

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://freescout.example.com

Now follow these steps:

Check Requirements → Ensure all PHP extensions are met.

Check Permissions → Confirm write permissions

Configure Environment → Set your app URL.

Setup Database → Enter the MariaDB credentials you created earlier

Choose Language → Select your preferred language.

Setup Admin → Create an admin account.

Install → Complete the installation and log in.

Conclusion

FreeScout Help Desk empowers businesses to streamline their customer support workflows with a lightweight, self-hosted, and fully open-source solution. By following the step-by-step installation process outlined in this guide, organizations can quickly deploy FreeScout on Ubuntu 22.04 and begin managing customer inquiries with greater control, flexibility, and efficiency.

Its modern interface, modular design, and robust feature set make FreeScout an ideal alternative to expensive cloud-based platforms—especially for teams that prioritize data privacy and customization.Conclusion

FreeScout Help Desk empowers businesses to streamline their customer support workflows with a lightweight, self-hosted, and fully open-source solution. By following the step-by-step installation process outlined in this guide, organizations can quickly deploy FreeScout on Ubuntu 22.04 and begin managing customer inquiries with greater control, flexibility, and efficiency.

Its modern interface, modular design, and robust feature set make FreeScout an ideal alternative to expensive cloud-based platforms—especially for teams that prioritize data privacy and customization.

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance while setting up FreeScout on Ubuntu 22.04, don’t hesitate to reach out to your web hosting support team. They can help troubleshoot server-related problems, configure essential services, or guide you through technical challenges to ensure your help desk is up and running smoothly. Reliable support can make all the difference in maintaining a seamless customer service platform.