---
title: "Deploy Mattermost manually from the tarball"
sidebar_label: "Manual (tarball)"
---
Install Mattermost Server on any 64-bit Linux distribution directly from the release tarball. This is the most flexible install method and usually the choice for:
- Distributions Mattermost doesn't package directly (Arch, SUSE, Gentoo, Alpine, …)
- Air-gapped environments where tarballs are staged on an internal mirror
- Custom paths, users, or systemd unit configurations
- Environments where you control every version pin and don't want a package manager auto-upgrade
If you're on **Ubuntu / Debian**, use the [APT-based install](./deploy-ubuntu) for automatic security updates. If you're on **RHEL / Rocky / Alma / Oracle**, use the [RHEL install](./deploy-rhel) — it covers SELinux, firewalld, and fapolicyd configuration too.
- **Operating system**: any 64-bit Linux distribution with `systemd` (or a comparable service manager).
- **Hardware**: 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM (supports up to ~1,000 users).
- **Database**: [PostgreSQL 14+](/administration-guide/manage/admin/postgres-migration).
- **Network**: TCP 80/443 inbound (TLS), 8065 inbound (System Console), 10025 outbound (SMTP relay if used).
## Step 1: Get a PostgreSQL database
Choose one of:
- **Install PostgreSQL locally** on the same host. See the [PostgreSQL installation documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/download/).
- **Use an external PostgreSQL server** and collect connection credentials before Step 2.
- **Use a managed database service** (AWS RDS, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, etc.).
## Step 2: Prepare the database
Follow the [database preparation](/deployment-guide/server/prepare-database) instructions to create the Mattermost database, user, and grants.
## Step 3: Download the Mattermost Server tarball
SSH onto the target host and download the release. Replace `amd64` with `arm64` for ARM-based hardware.
```sh
wget https://releases.mattermost.com/11.10.2/mattermost-11.10.2-linux-amd64.tar.gz
```
```sh
wget https://releases.mattermost.com/11.7.11/mattermost-11.7.11-linux-amd64.tar.gz
```
Enterprise and Team Edition releases are listed in the [version archive](/product-overview/version-archive).
In an air-gapped environment, stage the tarball on your operator workstation, verify the SHA-256 and PGP signature, then transfer it across the boundary. See the [air-gapped deployment runbook](/deployment-guide/air-gapped-operations/quick-start-runbook) for the full procedure.
## Step 4: Install Mattermost Server
Extract the tarball, move it into place, and set ownership.
```sh
tar -xvzf mattermost*.gz
sudo mv mattermost /opt
sudo mkdir /opt/mattermost/data
sudo useradd --system --user-group mattermost
sudo chown -R mattermost:mattermost /opt/mattermost
sudo chmod -R g+w /opt/mattermost
```
If you use a path other than `/opt/mattermost` or a user/group name other than `mattermost`, use that name in every step that follows.
Create the systemd unit file at `/etc/systemd/system/mattermost.service`:
Earlier versions of this guide had you create the unit file under `/lib/systemd/system/`, which is reserved for unit files installed and owned by a package manager.
```ini
[Unit]
Description=Mattermost
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=notify
ExecStart=/opt/mattermost/bin/mattermost
TimeoutStartSec=3600
KillMode=mixed
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
WorkingDirectory=/opt/mattermost
User=mattermost
Group=mattermost
LimitNOFILE=49152
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
If PostgreSQL is on the same host, add to the `[Unit]` section so Mattermost won't start before the database is ready:
```ini
After=postgresql.service
BindsTo=postgresql.service
```
Reload systemd:
```sh
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```
## Step 5: Configure and start the server
Back up the default config before editing:
```sh
sudo cp /opt/mattermost/config/config.json /opt/mattermost/config/config.defaults.json
```
Edit `/opt/mattermost/config/config.json` and set:
- `SqlSettings.DriverName`: `"postgres"`
- `SqlSettings.DataSource`: `"postgres://mmuser:@:5432/mattermost?sslmode=disable&connect_timeout=10"` — replace each placeholder.
- `ServiceSettings.SiteURL`: the public URL of your deployment (e.g., `https://mattermost.example.com`).
- (Recommended) [`SupportSettings.SupportEmail`](/administration-guide/configure/site-configuration-settings#support-email-address): the email address users contact for help.
Start the server:
```sh
sudo systemctl start mattermost
curl http://localhost:8065
```
You should see the Mattermost HTML response. Enable on boot:
```sh
sudo systemctl enable mattermost.service
```
## Step 6: Update the server
Tarball installs are upgraded manually — there's no package manager to pull the new version. See [Upgrading Mattermost Server](/administration-guide/upgrade/upgrading-mattermost-server) for the step-by-step procedure. The summary:
1. Stop the running server (`sudo systemctl stop mattermost`).
2. Back up `config/`, `data/`, `plugins/`, and your PostgreSQL database.
3. Download the new tarball.
4. Extract over the install directory (preserving `config/`, `data/`, `plugins/`).
5. Reset ownership and permissions.
6. Start the server.
## Remove Mattermost
Stop the server, back up data you need to keep, then remove the install:
```sh
sudo systemctl stop mattermost
sudo rm -rf /opt/mattermost
sudo rm /lib/systemd/system/mattermost.service
sudo userdel mattermost
```
`/opt/mattermost` contains `config/`, `logs/`, `plugins/`, `client/plugins/`, and `data/`. Back these up before running `rm -rf` if you may need to restore.
## Next steps
- [Set up an NGINX reverse proxy](/deployment-guide/server/setup-nginx-proxy)
- [Set up TLS](/deployment-guide/server/setup-tls)
- For air-gapped deployments: [Air-gapped deployment runbook](/deployment-guide/air-gapped-operations/quick-start-runbook), [Configure for Air-Gapped Operation](/deployment-guide/air-gapped-operations/disable-phone-home-features)