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First Login

This guide walks you through your first login to the Mailborder V6 web interface and provides an overview of the admin dashboard.

Accessing the Web Interface

Prerequisites

  • Mailborder V6 installed and running
  • Administrator account created during setup
  • Web browser (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, or Edge 90+)
  • Network access to the Mailborder server

Navigate to Login Page

Open your web browser and go to:

https://YOUR-SERVER-IP/

Or if you've configured a hostname:

https://mailborder.example.com/

SSL Certificate Warning

On first access, you'll see a certificate warning:

Certificate Warning

This is normal because Mailborder uses a self-signed SSL certificate by default.

To proceed:

  • Chrome: Click "Advanced" → "Proceed to [site] (unsafe)"
  • Firefox: Click "Advanced" → "Accept the Risk and Continue"
  • Safari: Click "Show Details" → "visit this website"
  • Edge: Click "Advanced" → "Continue to [site] (unsafe)"

Production Deployment

Before going into production, install a proper SSL certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority or use Let's Encrypt. See SSL/TLS Certificates.

Login Screen

You'll see the Mailborder login interface:

Authentication Methods

Mailborder supports multiple authentication methods:

1. Email + Password (Default) - Enter your administrator email - Click Continue - Enter your password - If 2FA is enabled, enter TOTP code - Click Sign In

2. Passkey / WebAuthn (If configured) - Enter your administrator email - Click Continue - Browser prompts for biometric or security key - Touch fingerprint reader, Face ID, or insert security key

3. "Remember Me" Option - Check "Remember me on this device" for convenience - Sets a secure 30-day cookie - Only use on personal, secure devices

First Login Steps

  1. Enter your email address created during setup

  2. Example: admin@example.com

  3. Click Continue

  4. Enter your password

  5. The password you set during mb-setup

  6. Click Sign In

If credentials are correct, you'll be redirected to the dashboard.

Login Issues

Forgot Password?

If you forgot your administrator password, reset it via command line:

sudo mb-admin-reset --email admin@example.com

You'll be prompted to enter a new password.

Account Locked?

After 5 failed login attempts, accounts are temporarily locked (15 minutes by default).

Wait for the lockout period to expire, or unlock via command line:

sudo mb-admin-unlock --email admin@example.com

2FA Code Not Working?

Ensure your device time is synchronized. TOTP codes are time-based and require accurate system time.

timedatectl status

If needed: 

sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

Browser Compatibility Issues?

Mailborder requires a modern browser. Update to the latest version: - Chrome 90+ - Firefox 88+ - Safari 14+ - Edge 90+

JavaScript and cookies must be enabled.

Dashboard Overview

After successful login, you'll land on the Mailborder dashboard.

Dashboard Layout

The dashboard is organized into several key sections:

1. Top Navigation Bar

Left Side: - Menu Icon (☰): Opens main navigation sidebar - Mailborder Logo: Returns to dashboard when clicked

Right Side: - Search Icon: Quick search for emails, users, logs - Notifications Icon (🔔): System alerts and messages - User Profile Menu: Account settings, logout

2. System Health Panel

Shows real-time system status:

Service Status - Green dot (●): Service running normally - Yellow dot (●): Service warning - Red dot (●): Service stopped or error

Services Monitored: - mb-rpcd (RPC Daemon) - mb-filter (Email Scanner) - mb-virtuoso (Queue Processor) - mb-milter (Policy Engine) - MariaDB (Database) - Redis (Cache)

Resource Usage - CPU: Current percentage - Memory: Used / Total - Disk: Used / Total

System Load - 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute load averages

3. Email Statistics (24 Hours)

Large stat cards showing:

Messages Processed - Total emails handled in last 24 hours - Trend indicator (up/down vs. previous 24h)

Spam Blocked - Count and percentage of blocked spam - Color: Orange/red

Viruses Caught - Count of emails with viruses detected - Color: Red

Clean Delivered - Count and percentage of clean email delivered - Color: Green

Click any stat card to view detailed logs for that category.

4. Email Flow Chart

Visual graph showing email volume over time:

  • Green line: Clean email delivered
  • Orange line: Spam quarantined
  • Red line: Viruses blocked
  • Blue line: Total processed

Hover over data points to see exact values.

Time Range Selector: Switch between 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days.

5. Recent Activity Feed

Shows the latest email transactions:

Columns: - Timestamp: When email was processed - From: Sender address - To: Recipient address - Subject: Email subject line (truncated) - Score: Spam score - Status: Delivered, Quarantined, Rejected - Actions: View details, view headers, release (if quarantined)

Status Colors: - Green: Delivered (clean) - Orange: Quarantined (spam) - Red: Rejected (virus or policy block) - Blue: In Progress

Click any row to view full email details.

6. Quarantine Summary

Quick view of quarantined emails:

Counts: - Today's quarantine - Last 7 days - Total in quarantine

Actions: - View Quarantine: See all held emails - Release Selected: Deliver to recipients - Delete Selected: Remove permanently

7. Top Senders/Recipients

Lists:

Top Senders (24h) - Email addresses sending most volume - Useful for identifying bulk senders

Top Recipients (24h) - Users receiving most email - Helps identify targeted users

Top Spam Sources (24h) - IPs or domains sending most spam - Consider adding to blacklist

8. Quick Actions Panel

Shortcut buttons for common tasks:

  • View Email Logs: Jump to detailed logs
  • Manage Quarantine: Review held email
  • Adjust Spam Settings: Tune thresholds
  • Add Whitelist/Blacklist: Manage lists
  • System Settings: Configure Mailborder
  • User Management: Add/edit admin accounts
  • Run Reports: Generate compliance reports

Alerts and Notifications

If there are system alerts, they appear prominently:

Alert Types:

Info (Blue) - Updates available - Non-critical information

Warning (Yellow) - Service degraded - Resource usage high (>80%) - Signature updates overdue

Error (Red) - Service failed - Disk space critical (<10%) - License expired

Click an alert to view details and recommended actions.

Click the menu icon (☰) to open the main navigation sidebar.

Dashboard - Return to main overview

Email Security - Quarantine Management - Whitelist/Blacklist - Spam Filtering Settings - Antivirus Settings - GeoIP Filtering - Policy Rules

Monitoring - Email Logs - System Logs - Authentication Logs - Performance Metrics - Live Email Feed

System - System Settings - Service Management - Update Manager - Backup & Restore - License Management

Users - Administrator Accounts - User Permissions - 2FA Settings - Passkey Management - Session Management

Reports - Email Volume Reports - Spam/Virus Statistics - Compliance Reports - Custom Report Builder - Scheduled Reports

Support - Documentation - System Information - Support Ticket - About Mailborder

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up navigation with keyboard shortcuts:

  • Ctrl+K or Cmd+K: Quick search
  • Ctrl+/ or Cmd+/: Show keyboard shortcuts
  • Esc: Close modals/dialogs
  • ?: Help

User Profile Menu

Click your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner:

My Account - Change password - Update email address - Set language preference - Configure 2FA - Manage passkeys - Trusted devices

Preferences - Theme: Light, Dark, Auto - Date/time format - Email notifications - Dashboard layout

Logout - End current session - Clears authentication cookies

Customizing Your Dashboard

Make the dashboard work for you:

Reorder Panels

Drag and drop dashboard panels to rearrange:

  1. Click and hold panel header
  2. Drag to desired position
  3. Release to drop

Your layout preference is saved per-user.

Show/Hide Panels

Click Customize Dashboard (gear icon) to:

  • Hide panels you don't need
  • Show additional panels
  • Reset to default layout

Set Default Time Range

For charts and statistics:

  1. Click time range selector (e.g., "24 hours")
  2. Choose preferred default
  3. Click Set as Default

Dashboard Themes

Switch between light and dark modes:

Auto: Matches system preference Light: White background Dark: Dark background (easier on eyes)

Change in Profile Menu → Preferences → Theme

Next Steps

Now that you're familiar with the interface:

  1. Complete Configuration
  2. Initial Configuration
  3. Configure relay host
  4. Set spam thresholds

  5. Test email flow

  6. Learn Admin Interface Details

  7. Dashboard Deep Dive
  8. System Settings

  9. User Management

  10. Set Up Security

  11. Enable 2FA
  12. Configure Passkeys

  13. Review password policy

  14. Go Live

  15. Quick Start Guide
  16. Update MX records
  17. Monitor email flow

Getting Help

  • Documentation Search: Use search in top navigation
  • Context Help: Look for (?) icons throughout the interface
  • Support: See Getting Support