How to Deploy Passbolt - An Opensource Password Management Tool

Updated on 07 May, 2025
How to Deploy Passbolt - An Opensource Password Management Tool header image

Passbolt is an open-source password manager that allows users to store and manage their passwords and other sensitive information using end-to-end encryption. It works primarily as a browser extension that integrates with web browsers like Chrome and Firefox. The extension handles all encryption and decryption operations locally in the browser, using OpenPGP, which increases security. It also enables login, password autofill, role-based access control, and team-oriented features such as sharing credentials within groups.

This article explains how to deploy Passbolt on Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, Rocky Linux, and Alma Linux 9. You will install Passbolt, configure it, and use it to create and manage passwords.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to:

Install Passbolt

You can install Passbolt on various Linux-based distributions. This section includes steps to deploy Passbolt on Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, Rocky Linux, and Alma Linux 9.

Configure Passbolt

Passbolt requires a web-based configuration to complete its setup. While the server-side installation and initial setup get the core application running, the browser-based configuration configures the database, creates the OpenPGP key, sets up the administrator account, sets a passphrase, and installs the Passbolt extension on your browser. In this section, you will complete the Passbolt configuration through its web-portal.

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to your domain name, for example, https://passbolt.example.com. You should see the Passbolt setup screen, as shown in the image below. Click Get Started.

    Passbolt Get Started

  2. Click Start configuration.

    Passbolt Start Configuration

  3. Enter the database connection details. In the database connection URL field, type localhost. Enter your username, password, and database name. Ensure these details are the same as the ones you used during Passbolt installation, and click Next.

    Passbolt Database Configuration

  4. Configure the server key. Enter your server name and email address. Leave the key type and key length as RSA DSA, and 3072. Click Next.

    Passbolt Server Key Configuration

  5. In the full base URL field, type your domain name, for example, https://passbolt.example.com. Select Yes in the Force SSL field and click Next.

    Passbolt Base URL Configuration

  6. Configure your SMTP server details to receive email alerts and notifications. Type your name in the Sender name field and your email address in the Sender email. Enter your SMTP host, such as smtp.gmail.com, and click Next.

    Passbolt email Configuration

  7. To create the Passbolt administrator account, enter the administrator's first name, last name, and username in the respective fields. Click Next.

    Passbolt Administrator Account Creation

    After this step, you are redirected to a new page to set the passphrase for your Passbolt account.

  8. Enter a strong passphrase and click Next. Note this Passphrase. You will need it to log in, access your stored passwords, and perform other sensitive operations within Passbolt.

    Passbolt Set Passphrase

    After this, a password recovery kit containing a private GPG key for your account is downloaded and saved on your device.

  9. Check the box labeled I safely stored my recovery kit. to confirm the download, and click Next.

    Passbolt Recovery Kit Confirmation

  10. Select a color from the options and click Next. Note the security token and the background color. They are displayed anytime you request a passphrase, ensuring that the form is from Passbolt and avoiding phishing attacks.

    Security Token

  11. Click the Download extension button to download the Passbolt browser extension.

    Download Passbolt Extension

  12. After installing the extension, the page shown in the image below opens. Click Next to navigate to the Passbolt dashboard.

    Passbolt Extension Installed

Access and Use Passbolt

This section explains how to create and use passwords on Passbolt. You will create a password and use Passbolt's autofill feature to fill it in.

  1. Navigate to your Passbolt dashboard. To create a new entry, click Create.

    Passbolt Create Entry

  2. Select Folder to create a new folder.

    Passbolt Create Folder Option

  3. Enter a name for your folder, for example, Sample. Click Save.

    Passbolt Name Folder

  4. In the dashboard, navigate to the created folder and click Create to create a resource within the folder.

    Passbolt Create Resource in Folder

  5. Select Password.

    Passbolt Create Password

  6. Enter a name for the password, the URI of the site, the username, and the password. Click Create.

    Passbolt Create Password Details

  7. Enter your passphrase to complete the password creation process when prompted. Click OK.

    Passbolt Password Created

  8. You can now view, copy, and edit the password from the dashboard.

    Passbolt Password

  9. The Passbolt extension enables password autofill. To use this feature, open a new browser tab and enter the URL associated with the created password, for example, vultr.com. The page should resemble the image below. Notice the Passbolt icon in the input field. Click it to reveal the saved password and other Passbolt options.

    Passbolt Browser Integration

  10. Click the created password, Password1, to autofill the details.

    Passbolt Autofill Details

  11. Enter your passphrase when prompted. Your login details will be auto-filled as shown below. You can then proceed to log in.

    Passbolt Autofill Login

Conclusion

You have installed, configured, and used Passbolt to create passwords. You can now use it to manage your passwords and other sensitive information securely. For more information on Passbolt and its usage, visit the Passbolt official documentation.

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