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How to Install and Configure RethinkDB on an Ubuntu VPS

A practical guide to installing RethinkDB on Ubuntu 20.04+ using the signed repository, configuring instances in /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/, and running them safely with systemd.
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Install RethinkDB from its signed Ubuntu repository, then create one configuration file per instance in /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/ and manage each instance with the systemd template. The current official installation page targets Ubuntu 20.04 and later; it also provides 64-bit binaries for Ubuntu Trusty (14.04) and newer releases. After installation, verify the package with rethinkdb --version rather than assuming a particular release number.

This guide shows the repository workflow, instance layout, commonly changed settings, service commands, validation checks, and the failure modes most likely to appear on an Ubuntu VPS. Repository URLs and signing-key commands change over time, so copy those two values from the current official RethinkDB Ubuntu instructions instead of using old apt-key-based tutorials.

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Before you install

Use a 64-bit Ubuntu VPS with administrative access. The official RethinkDB page says binaries are available for 64-bit Ubuntu Trusty (14.04) and later, while its current repository instructions cover Ubuntu 20.04 and newer. Confirm the release and architecture first:

lsb_release -a
uname -m

For a supported 64-bit machine, uname -m normally reports x86_64. Record the codename printed by lsb_release -cs; the repository stanza must use that exact codename, not a version number copied from another Ubuntu release.

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Take a snapshot or backup before changing a production VPS. Package installation does not create a database cluster or choose a data-retention policy for you. Decide where the instance data should live, which interface should reach the HTTP administration console, and whether the service should start automatically after a reboot.

Install RethinkDB from the signed Ubuntu repository

The supported modern method uses a dearmored signing key in /usr/share/keyrings/ and a deb822 source file. It avoids the deprecated global key handling used by many older tutorials.

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1. Install the tools needed to add the repository

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

If your VPS already has these packages, the command simply confirms that they are present.

2. Install the repository key in a dedicated keyring

Follow the key-download command on the current official RethinkDB Ubuntu page and pipe the downloaded armored key through gpg --dearmor into a file under /usr/share/keyrings/. A typical destination is a file such as /usr/share/keyrings/rethinkdb-archive-keyring.gpg. The important properties are that the key is dearmored, readable by APT, and used only by the RethinkDB source entry. Do not use apt-key add; Ubuntu 22.04 and later emit deprecation warnings for that pattern.

3. Create the deb822 source file

Create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rethinkdb.sources with the repository URI and component shown on the official Ubuntu page. Use the output of lsb_release -cs for Suites, and point Signed-By at the keyring you created. The file is deb822 format, so each setting is written as a field rather than as a one-line deb entry.

Your file must contain the equivalent of these fields:

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Field Value to use Why it matters
Types deb Declares a binary package repository.
URIs The current RethinkDB Ubuntu repository URI from the official page Repository hostnames and paths can change; copy this value exactly.
Suites The output of lsb_release -cs Selects packages built for your Ubuntu codename.
Components The component specified by the official stanza Defines which package section APT searches.
Signed-By The absolute path to your dearmored keyring Restricts signature verification to the intended key.

Keeping this file separate from Ubuntu’s own sources makes it easier to disable or replace the RethinkDB repository later.

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4. Refresh APT and install the package

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y rethinkdb

Read the output from apt-get update. A missing key, an incorrect codename, or a copied repository path will appear before installation starts. Do not continue while APT reports that the repository cannot be authenticated.

5. Verify the installed version

rethinkdb --version

Version availability varies by Ubuntu codename and repository state. A 2026 third-party guide reports 2.4.4 on Ubuntu 24.04 and 2.4.5 for newer codenames, but those figures were not confirmed against a primary package index. Treat the command’s output as authoritative for your VPS and record it with your deployment notes.

Understand the Ubuntu configuration layout

Packaged RethinkDB installations use /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/ for instance configuration. One .conf file represents one server instance. The systemd template passes a matching file to RethinkDB with --config-file /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/%i.conf; therefore, an instance called instance1 uses /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf.

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The official startup documentation says that configuration files should have mode 644. It also recommends adding a configuration file in this directory when you want RethinkDB to start automatically with the operating system. Some Ubuntu or Debian packages leave instances.d empty by default, so an empty directory immediately after installation is not necessarily an error.

Create the first instance file

Many packages install a sample at /etc/rethinkdb/default.conf.sample. If it exists, copy it and edit the copy:

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d
sudo cp /etc/rethinkdb/default.conf.sample /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf
sudo chmod 0644 /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf

The sample may be absent on some installations. In that case, obtain the sample configuration from the RethinkDB project documentation or package contents, then save it as instance1.conf. Do not invent option names: use the configuration reference that matches the installed release.

Edit and inspect the file

sudo editor /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf
sudo sed -n '1,240p' /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf

Keep the file readable by the service and avoid placing passwords or unrelated shell syntax in it. Configuration syntax is option-oriented; an option is normally written as a name followed by a value. Preserve comments from the sample while you are learning which settings your package expects.

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Configure the settings you are most likely to change

The following options are frequently shown in Ubuntu VPS examples. The option names and broad purposes are useful, but the available defaults and accepted values should be checked against the configuration reference for your installed version.

Option Purpose Practical guidance Evidence qualification
http-port Port for the web administration interface Third-party Ubuntu examples commonly use 8080. Choose an unused port and document it. The 8080 figure is a commonly reported example, not a verified universal default.
bind Controls which network addresses the server listens on Bind to a private address or localhost when remote access is unnecessary. Examples using 0.0.0.0 expose all interfaces and require strict network controls. Examples differ between tutorials; verify accepted syntax in your installed sample.
server-name Human-readable instance identifier Use a unique name for each instance on the VPS and in cluster administration. Commonly documented by third-party guides.
directory Location of database files Choose persistent storage with sufficient capacity and backups. One third-party guide reports /var/lib/rethinkdb as a default, but that default is not confirmed here. Default path is low-confidence and package-dependent.

Changing directory is a data-management operation, not merely a cosmetic setting. Create the target path before starting the service, ensure the RethinkDB service account can write to it, and confirm that the path is on storage that survives VPS reboots and provider maintenance.

Choose the HTTP bind address deliberately

The administration UI is useful for checking servers and tables, but binding it to every interface makes it reachable from any network path allowed by the VPS firewall or provider security group. If the UI is needed only from the VPS itself, use a loopback bind. If operators connect over a private network, bind to that private address. If you must listen on all interfaces, restrict the port at the firewall and upstream network layer and avoid exposing it directly to the public internet.

This installation procedure does not establish authentication, TLS, or firewall rules. Treat those as separate hardening tasks, especially before changing bind from a local or private address to an all-interface value.

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Enable and start an instance with systemd

After saving the file, reload systemd’s unit metadata and start the instance whose name matches the file:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable rethinkdb@instance1
sudo systemctl start rethinkdb@instance1

On packages that install the standard template unit, the combined form is:

sudo systemctl enable --now rethinkdb@instance1

If your package uses a different unit name, list available units and select the template supplied by the package:

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systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i rethink
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Check the result immediately:

sudo systemctl status rethinkdb@instance1 --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u rethinkdb@instance1 -b --no-pager

enable creates the boot-time relationship; start launches the process now. If you edit the configuration later, restart the same instance:

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sudo systemctl restart rethinkdb@instance1

For a planned shutdown without disabling boot startup, use sudo systemctl stop rethinkdb@instance1. To prevent the instance from starting at boot, run sudo systemctl disable rethinkdb@instance1.

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Run more than one RethinkDB instance

Use a separate configuration file and instance name for each process:

sudo cp /etc/rethinkdb/default.conf.sample /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance2.conf
sudo chmod 0644 /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance2.conf
sudo editor /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance2.conf

Give the second process its own data directory, server name, and listening ports. Two instances cannot share the same database directory or bind the same port. Start it with the matching template name:

sudo systemctl enable --now rethinkdb@instance2
sudo systemctl status rethinkdb@instance2 --no-pager

The init script is also reported to support several instances, each defined by a separate .conf file in instances.d. Prefer the systemd template on current Ubuntu systems, because its instance name makes the configuration-to-process mapping explicit.

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Validate the installation from the VPS

Confirm the process and listening sockets

systemctl is-active rethinkdb@instance1
sudo ss -ltnp | grep -E 'rethink|:8080'

Use the actual http-port you configured rather than assuming 8080. A listening socket proves that a process opened the port; it does not prove that the address is reachable from your workstation or that the UI is adequately protected.

Check the administration interface locally

If the HTTP interface is bound to localhost, test it from the VPS with a loopback request to the configured port. If it is bound to a private address, test that address from an allowed private-network host. A connection refused error usually means the service failed to start or the port is wrong; a timeout usually points to binding, firewall, or routing.

Read logs after every configuration change

sudo journalctl -u rethinkdb@instance1 -n 100 --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u rethinkdb@instance1 -f

Look for an invalid option, a permission error on the data directory, an address already in use, or a malformed configuration line. Fix one error at a time, restart the instance, and confirm its status before making another change.

Troubleshoot common failures

APT reports a missing key or an unsigned repository

Check that the key was dearmored into the path named by Signed-By, that the file is readable, and that the deb822 stanza has no spelling errors. Re-run sudo apt-get update. Do not work around the error by adding the key globally with apt-key; that is the legacy method the modern instructions are intended to replace.

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APT cannot find a release for your codename

Print lsb_release -cs and compare it with Suites in rethinkdb.sources. A repository entry copied from a different Ubuntu release may not exist for your codename. Use the official page’s currently listed support information rather than substituting a neighboring release’s name.

The sample configuration file is missing

Some packages do not install default.conf.sample. Check the package’s installed documentation and the project’s current configuration example, then create the instance file manually. The systemd template still expects the resulting file at /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/<instance-name>.conf.

The service exits immediately

Inspect the journal first. Typical causes are a typo in an option, an invalid value, an unwritable data directory, or a port conflict. Verify the file mode is 0644, confirm that the data path exists, and check listening sockets with ss. If the error mentions an option that the sample does not contain, consult the configuration reference for the installed version instead of copying a setting from an older tutorial.

The web UI is unreachable remotely

Confirm the service is active, the configured port is the one you are testing, and the process is bound to an address reachable from your client. A localhost bind intentionally prevents remote connections. A private-address bind requires a route and an allowed firewall or security-group rule. An all-interface bind can make the UI reachable but increases exposure; do not use it as a substitute for access control.

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The version is different from an online tutorial

Package versions vary by Ubuntu codename and repository publication. Record the value returned by rethinkdb --version, then use documentation that matches that release. Do not pin an unverified version merely to reproduce a tutorial’s output.

Operational checklist

  • Confirm the VPS is 64-bit and record the Ubuntu codename.
  • Use the current official signing-key and repository values in a deb822 source file.
  • Keep the key in /usr/share/keyrings/; avoid deprecated apt-key instructions.
  • Install with APT and verify using rethinkdb --version.
  • Create one 0644 configuration file per instance in /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/.
  • Give every instance a unique data directory, server name, and set of ports.
  • Bind the HTTP interface only where operators need it, and apply firewall and network restrictions.
  • Enable the matching systemd template and inspect its journal after starting.
  • Back up the configured data directory and test restoration separately from this installation procedure.

What a correct result looks like

A successful setup has an authenticated RethinkDB package source, a version printed by rethinkdb --version, an instance file at /etc/rethinkdb/instances.d/instance1.conf, and an active rethinkdb@instance1 service (or the equivalent unit supplied by your package). The journal shows a clean startup, the configured ports are listening on the intended addresses, and the administration interface is reachable only from the networks you deliberately allowed.

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