Configuring Mattermost Server for Secure Connection (HTTPS) in Docker Environment

Troubleshooting
1

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on setting up the Mattermost server to operate over a secure (HTTPS) connection within a Docker environment. I’ve been following the instructions outlined in the official documentation: Configure TLS on Mattermost server — Mattermost documentation.

One of the essential steps in this process involves executing the command:

sudo setcap cap_net_bind_service=+ep /opt/mattermost/bin/mattermost

However, since I’m using the Docker version of Mattermost (mattermost/mattermost-team-edition:8.1.0), I’m facing a slight challenge in applying this step.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could guide me on how to achieve the equivalent configuration within the Docker setup.

Additionally, I’m curious to know if it’s feasible to run Mattermost over HTTPS without the necessity of a domain. I’ve observed that it functions adequately over HTTP using my IP address.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

2

Hello Yiru Chen! To configure Mattermost to operate over a secure HTTPS connection within a Docker environment, there are a few steps you can follow:

  1. First, make sure you have a valid SSL certificate and private key for your domain. You can obtain one from a trusted certificate authority or use a self-signed certificate for testing purposes.
  2. In your Docker Compose file or Docker command, you need to expose port 443 for HTTPS traffic. Add the following line to the Mattermost service definition:
ports:
  - 443:443
  1. Mount the SSL certificate and private key files into the Docker container. Add the following lines to the Mattermost service definition:
volumes:
  - /path/to/ssl/certificate:/etc/mattermost/cert/cert.pem
  - /path/to/ssl/private/key:/etc/mattermost/cert/key.pem

Replace /path/to/ssl/certificate and /path/to/ssl/private/key with the actual paths to your SSL certificate and private key files.
4. Set the ServiceSettings.ListenAddress configuration in your config.json file to :443. This will make Mattermost listen on port 443 for HTTPS traffic. You can mount your custom config.json file into the container using a volume.If you don’t have a custom config.json file, you can create one with the following contents:

{
  "ServiceSettings": {
    "ListenAddress": ":443"
  }
}
  1. Restart your Mattermost Docker container for the changes to take effect.

Regarding your second question, it is indeed possible to run Mattermost over HTTPS without a domain. You can use your IP address instead. However, keep in mind that using an IP address might cause issues with SSL certificate validation if the certificate is issued for a domain. Therefore, it’s recommended to use a domain with a valid SSL certificate for production deployments.

I hope this helps you with configuring Mattermost over HTTPS in your Docker setup. Let me know if you have any further questions!

Best regards,
~Matterbot 2.0 :robot:

[Disclaimer: This is a new AI response feature we’re testing powered by ChatGPT. Please note that this suggestion may not always reflect official Mattermost recommendations or support.
Were any of the above suggestions inaccurate? Let us know by replying to this comment!]

3

Hello,

I have encountered an unhealthy Docker container displaying the following error message in its logs: curl: (7) Failed to connect to localhost port 8065 after 0 ms: Connection refused. Based on the discussion found in this comment on the Mattermost forum (Https access problem - #4 by marcokundt), it seems that expose port 443 for HTTPS traffic is not working? (I set UseLetsEncrypt to true, so I didn’t mount the certificate files into the Docker container)

4

Heya Yiru! Sorry to hear about the continued issues. The error message you mentioned, “Failed to connect to localhost port 8065 after 0 ms: Connection refused,” indicates that the container is having trouble establishing a connection on port 8065.

To resolve this issue, there are a few steps you can follow:

  1. Check if the Mattermost container is running: Run the command docker ps to verify that the Mattermost container is up and running. Make sure the container is healthy and running without any issues.
  2. Verify the port mapping: Ensure that the port mapping for the Mattermost service is correctly set in your Docker Compose file or Docker command. Double-check that you have the line ports: - 8065:8065 or ports: - 443:8065 (if using HTTPS) in your Mattermost service definition.
  3. Confirm the container’s network configuration: Check if the container is running in the same network as your other services. If you’re using Docker Compose, ensure that all the services are defined within the same network block.
  4. Verify the Mattermost configuration: Review your Mattermost configuration file (config.json) and make sure the ServiceSettings.ListenAddress is correctly set to :8065 or :443 (if using HTTPS) to ensure the container is listening on the correct port.
  5. Check if any firewall rules are blocking the connection: Ensure that there are no firewall rules on your host machine or network that could be blocking the connection on port 8065 or 443. You may need to allow incoming connections on those ports.
  6. Review the container logs: Check the container logs for any error messages or warnings that could provide more insight into the issue. You can use the command docker logs <container_name> to view the logs of a specific container.

Regarding your comment about setting UseLetsEncrypt to true and not mounting the certificate files into the Docker container, please note that if you’re using Let’s Encrypt, the SSL certificate files should still be mounted into the container. The UseLetsEncrypt configuration option enables automatic SSL certificate retrieval and renewal, but the certificate files still need to be accessible within the container.

I hope these suggestions help you troubleshoot the issue with your Mattermost Docker container. Let me know if you have any further questions or need additional assistance!

Best regards,
~Matterbot 2.0 :robot:

[Disclaimer: This is a new AI response feature we’re testing powered by ChatGPT. Please note that this suggestion may not always reflect official Mattermost recommendations or support.
Were any of the above suggestions inaccurate? Let us know by replying to this comment!]