How to modify email settings

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Modifying Email Settings in Discourse

To modify email settings in Discourse, users currently need to access the command line, as these settings are not available in the GUI. D2Rhino expressed a desire to switch to Sparkpost, but found the command line requirement challenging due to their limited Linux knowledge.

mpalmer provided a step-by-step guide to make the change:

  • Run cd /var/discourse
  • Run nano containers/app.yml to edit SMTP-related settings
  • Exit the editor and save changes
  • Run ./launcher rebuild app
  • Wait for the rebuild to complete

Alternatively, pfaffman suggested using ./discourse-setup to change settings, which avoids the need for manual editing with nano. However, users need to stop the app first using ./launcher stop app.

1

First thanks for building the only forum worth using, from a user’s perspective, anyway! Great work, beautifully designed, and I much appreciate it.

So my question is I signed up for Sparkpost and want to modify my email settings to use it rather than my personal SMTP/email provider (which isn’t working, and after reading docs on github, it looks like I can solve the issue by switching to Sparkpost). Sparkpost is all set up with domains verified, DNS records set, etc.

BUT…it doesn’t look like I can alter my forum’s email settings via GUI and must do it via command line (a big ouch)!

So, I don’t know anything about Linux command line. What do I type in to even allow me reach these settings in my digital ocean box once I’m connected as root?

Any chance everything will be GUI at some point for Discourse? It’ll be required for it to reach wider adoption…

2

The settings can’t be modified in the web interface, and given that they’re pretty much fire-and-forget settings, it’s unlikely they’ll be brought into the web interface any time soon.

To make the change, do the following once you’re in your droplet as root:

  1. Run cd /var/discourse
  2. Run nano containers/app.yml
  3. Edit SMTP-related settings as needed
  4. Exit out of the editor with Ctrl-X (and select ‘Y’ to save changes)
  5. Run ./launcher rebuild app
  6. Wait a few minutes for the rebuild to complete
  7. …
  8. PROFIT!
3

:+1::grinning_face: thanks a ton from us Linux-ignorant types!

4

You can replace steps 2-5 with

./discourse-setup

It will now (as of a couple weeks ago) let you change the settings and avoid nano. (You actually have to

./launcher stop app

But it’ll tell you that.