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bestpractical/rt

Open-source, enterprise-grade issue and ticket tracking system for managing requests, tasks and who is working on what.

Open-source alternative to:ZendeskJira Service Management

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What is it?

Request Tracker (RT) is an issue and ticket tracking system that helps organizations record what needs to get done, who is handling each task, what has already been completed, and when tasks were or were not finished. It is written in Perl and runs as a web application on top of a SQL database.

RT supports MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle and SQLite (testing only), and is served through Apache with mod_fcgid or mod_perl, or through nginx. Incoming email can be piped into the system with an email gateway, so each queue can receive requests by mail. Installation is handled with a configure script, dependency checks via make targets, and a web installer, with separate upgrade paths for prior releases.

RT is distributed under GPL-2.0 and is offered with commercial support, hosting and custom development from Best Practical.

Key features

  • 01Organizes requests into queues with ownership and status tracking.
  • 02Creates tickets from incoming email through a mail gateway.
  • 03Supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and Oracle databases.
  • 04Offers full-text search indexing through the database.
  • 05Includes scheduled jobs for digests, dashboards and automatic ticket actions.

Use cases

  • Running an IT helpdesk or customer support queue fed by email.
  • Tracking internal tasks and assignments across a team.
  • Recording what was done and when for audit or reporting purposes.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Unpack the distribution and change into its directory

    tar xzvf rt.tar.gz
  2. 2

    Run the configure script with the options you want

    ./configure --help
  3. 3

    Check and install missing Perl dependencies

    make testdeps
  4. 4

    Install RT and start the web installer

    make install

Things to know

  • Requires a supported SQL database and a web server with FastCGI or mod_perl, so setup takes real effort.
  • Email gateway, cron jobs and web server configuration must be set up manually for production use.
  • Full-text search is disabled by default and needs extra setup.
  • The default root password is well known and must be changed.

Topics

#ticketing-system#issue-tracking#helpdesk#customer-support#perl#workflow#asset-management#bug-tracker#helpdesk-ticketing#issue-management

FAQ

What is rt?
Open-source, enterprise-grade issue and ticket tracking system for managing requests, tasks and who is working on what. Request Tracker (RT) is an issue and ticket tracking system that helps organizations record what needs to get done, who is handling each task, what has already been completed, and when tasks were or were not finished. It is written in Perl and runs as a web application on top of a SQL database.
Is rt free to use? What license does it have?
rt is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is rt still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to rt was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use rt for?
Running an IT helpdesk or customer support queue fed by email. Tracking internal tasks and assignments across a team. Recording what was done and when for audit or reporting purposes.
How do I install rt?
Unpack the distribution and change into its directory: tar xzvf rt.tar.gz Run the configure script with the options you want: ./configure --help Check and install missing Perl dependencies: make testdeps Install RT and start the web installer: make install
Where can I get rt?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/bestpractical/rt

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