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Set an Attachment Size Limit for Horde on a Plesk Server

This guide shows how to change the biggest file Horde webmail lets you attach. It needs root access, so it is for VPS and dedicated server owners.

Email2 min read17 steps

What is this about?

Horde is a webmail program. An attachment is a file you add to an email. Horde has a size limit for attachments. The limit comes from PHP settings and the mail server settings. PHP is the programming language Horde runs on.

Plesk is a control panel for managing a server. This guide needs root access. Root is the all-powerful admin user.

Warning: Take a copy of any file before you edit it. A wrong setting can break webmail. Also note that big attachments may be refused by the receiver's mail server, so very large limits do not always help.

Step 1: Change the mail server limit in Plesk

  1. Log in to Plesk as admin.
  2. Go to Tools & Settings.
  3. Open Mail Server Settings.
  4. Find Maximum message size.
  5. Type a new number in KB, or leave it at zero for no limit if your version allows it.
  6. Click OK.

Step 2: Change the PHP limits

Webmail runs with its own PHP settings. Two values matter. upload_max_filesize is the biggest single file. post_max_size is the biggest total upload. Make post_max_size a little bigger than upload_max_filesize.

  1. Connect to the server using SSH as root. SSH lets you type commands on the server.
  2. Find the Horde PHP file. On many Plesk servers it is under /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/ or in the PHP-FPM settings for webmail. Paths differ by version.
  3. Search for the setting.
grep -rn "upload_max_filesize" /etc/php* /usr/local/psa 2>/dev/null

This lists the files that contain the setting, so you can find the right one.

  1. Open that file with an editor such as nano.
  2. Set the values you want.
upload_max_filesize = 25M
post_max_size = 30M

These lines set the limits to 25 and 30 megabytes. Pick your own numbers.

  1. Save the file.
  2. Restart the web server so the change applies.
plesk bin service --restart apache

This restarts the Apache web server through Plesk.

Step 3: Check Horde

  1. Log in to webmail.
  2. Start a new message.
  3. Attach a file near your new limit.
  4. Send it to yourself.
Tip: Paths and menus vary between Plesk versions. If you cannot find the file, ask Hostvento support.

Quick recap

  • Attachment limits come from the mail server and from PHP.
  • Set the message size in Plesk Mail Server Settings.
  • Raise upload_max_filesize and post_max_size in PHP.
  • Restart Apache and test.