Talking to customers · Independent · 24 Oct 2026

bestpractical/rt

Request Tracker, an enterprise-grade issue tracking system

← Talking to customers

In simple English

This program helps teams track support requests and customer problems. Every email becomes a ticket that people can answer and close. You run it on your own server and own all your data. It requires a lot of setup work and some server knowledge to run.

What it is

Request Tracker is an open-source issue tracking and customer support system written in Perl. It lets organizations manage support queues, sort incoming email, and assign tasks to staff members.

What it is good for

Solo builders who need a heavy-duty help desk to handle customer support emails on their own server without paying monthly software fees.

Stars1.2k
LicenceGPL-2.0
Latestrt-6.0.3 (2026-05-20)checked 24 Oct 2026
Last code change2026-10-23
Written inPerl
Setup effort
4 / 5
Payoff
4 / 5
Good
  • Free to use under an open-source licence with no user limits.
  • Turns incoming emails into trackable support tickets automatically.
  • Runs on your own hardware so your support data stays private.
Watch for
  • Difficult setup process requiring Perl modules, a web server, and a database.
  • Requires regular maintenance, cron jobs, and manual upgrades.
  • Written in Perl, which is harder to customise for modern web developers.
Replaces

Zendesk

Works well with

Postfix

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Install
tar xzvf rt.tar.gz
cd rt-*
./configure
make testdeps
make install

Independent: reviewed for Repo Radar outside the daily editions. Every independent repository

On Stack Radar: Productivity & Collaboration › Email & Team Communication › Shared Inboxes.

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