Virola Self-Hosted Server Installation on CentOS Linux

These instructions are also applicable to AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and other Red Hat/Fedora-based distributions.

  1. Download and install the Virola Server package 
    sudo dnf install -y https://virola.io/downloads/2.6.1.25081117/virola-server-fedora-2.6.1.25081117_x86_64.rpm

  2. Register Virola Server as a systemd service

    Once the package is installed, you'll be prompted to register Virola Server as a systemd service (daemon) so it can start automatically at system boot and restart gracefully when needed.

    We recommend enabling this option.

    To configure Virola Server as a systemd service on CentOS, follow these steps:

    1. Answer Y to the question Do you want to configure Virola Server?, and continue answering Y to all subsequent configuration prompts.

    2. When prompted to enter the IP address on which Virola Server will listen, specify your desired IP.

      You can enter 0.0.0.0 to make the server accessible from any address, but ensure proper security measures are in place.

    3. When prompted to enter the port on which your Virola server will listen on, specify the desired port.

    4. Answer Y to the question Do you want to start Virola Server Sysetmd service now?

      After completing these steps, the systemd service configuration will be created and Virola Server will start automatically.

      You'll then see your login credentials, which you can use to sign in to the Virola client app as the server administrator.

  3. You can configure your Virola Server to be accessible only from your local machine, from your local network, or from the internet. Depending on your needs, you may need to adjust your network settings and select the appropriate IP address for the server host.

    For more information, see:

If you choose not to register Virola Server as a systemd service

If you prefer not to register Virola Server as a systemd service during installation, simply answer n when asked Do you want to configure Virola Server? The installation will still complete successfully.

To launch the server manually afterward, use the following command: 

virola-server --listen HOST:PORT

where

  • HOST - the IP address you want Virola Server to use
  • PORT - the port number assigned to your Virola Server

Example:
virola-server --listen 127.0.0.1:7777

If you later decide to set up Virola Server as a systemd service, follow the instructions.

Next steps

To communicate via the installed Virola Server, you will need to install Virola Client:

  1. Go to Virola Client downloads
  2. Download Virola Client installer for CentOS
  3. Proceed with the installation

Logging into Virola Client

Upon launching the Virola Client, you will need to enter the following details on the login screen:

  • Server Host - host you've specified when running Virola Server (127.0.0.1 in the example above)
  • Server Port - the port you specified when running Virola server (7777 in the example above)
  • Username: admin
  • Password: admin

After entering these details, click on "Login" button.

Now you can use Virola Client for both communication, and your team and server management. Use our video tutorials to learn how to add users, create chat rooms, etc.

Important Notes

Make sure to change your default admin password to a more secure one as soon as possible. You can do this either from the Virola Client (Hamburger menu / My User Profile / User Account Settings / Change My User Password) or using the --change-password command line argument of the Virola server.

We strongly recommend to encrypt Linux machine on which Virola server is running. The best way is to encrypt it during Linux installation but it is also possible to encrypt the existing Linux instance. We've prepared a detailed instruction about disc encryption in Linux environment for you.

For any questions or additional assistance, our online support team is available to help. Click the live chat button to start a conversation with one of our support representatives.