---
title: "Deploy Mattermost on Ubuntu or Debian"
sidebar_label: "Ubuntu / Debian"
---

<EditionAvailability tiers="free,professional,enterprise,enterprise-advanced" />
<DeploymentAvailability modes="self-hosted" />

Install Mattermost Server on Ubuntu or Debian from the signed Mattermost APT repository. The same `.deb` packages cover single-host installs and clustered deployments via tools like Packer.

:::info[Minimum requirements]
- **Operating system**: Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04 LTS, or Debian (current stable). Other Debian-family distributions usually work but aren't tested by Mattermost.
- **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

Mattermost requires PostgreSQL. Choose one of:

- **Install PostgreSQL locally** on the same host. Follow the [PostgreSQL installation documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/download/).
- **Use an external PostgreSQL server**. Collect the connection credentials (hostname, port, database, username, password) before starting 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: Add the Mattermost APT repository

:::important[GPG key change]
The GPG public key has changed. Either [import the new public key](https://deb.packages.mattermost.com/pubkey.gpg) or run the repository setup script in the next step (recommended). Existing installations should remove the old key before adding the new one:

For Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS:

```sh
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/mattermost-archive-keyring.gpg
curl -sL -o- https://deb.packages.mattermost.com/pubkey.gpg \
  | gpg --dearmor \
  | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/mattermost-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null
```
:::

Run the repository setup script:

```sh
curl -o- https://deb.packages.mattermost.com/repo-setup.sh | sudo bash -s mattermost
```

This configures the Mattermost APT repository, a PostgreSQL repository, an NGINX web server (used as a reverse proxy), and certbot for issuing and renewing SSL certificates.

## Step 4: Install Mattermost Server

Update your APT cache and any pending system packages:

```sh
sudo apt update
```

Install the latest Mattermost Server:

```sh
sudo apt install mattermost -y
```

Mattermost installs to `/opt/mattermost`. The package creates a `mattermost` user and group and a systemd unit file. The service is **not** enabled or started at this point.

:::note[systemd dependencies]
The Mattermost package doesn't declare a database dependency in its systemd unit (the package is used for both single-host and external-database installs). If you installed PostgreSQL on the same host, add the following to the `[Unit]` section of `/lib/systemd/system/mattermost.service`:

```ini
After=postgresql.service
BindsTo=postgresql.service
```
:::

## Step 5: Configure the server

Copy the default configuration to the active config file with the right ownership and permissions:

```sh
sudo install -C -m 600 -o mattermost -g mattermost \
  /opt/mattermost/config/config.defaults.json \
  /opt/mattermost/config/config.json
```

Edit `/opt/mattermost/config/config.json` and set:

- `SqlSettings.DriverName`: `"postgres"`
- `SqlSettings.DataSource`: `"postgres://mmuser:<mmuser-password>@<host>: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.

:::note[TLS mode for `DataSource`]
The `sslmode` value depends on your database environment. The two relevant options are `disable` and `require`. Managed services such as AWS Lightsail require `sslmode=require`. Check your provider's documentation.
:::

Start the server:

```sh
sudo systemctl start mattermost
```

Verify it's running:

```sh
curl http://localhost:8065
```

You should see the Mattermost HTML response. Enable the service on boot:

```sh
sudo systemctl enable mattermost.service
```

## Step 6: Update Mattermost

When a new release is published, update through APT:

```sh
sudo systemctl stop mattermost
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo systemctl start mattermost
```

:::important[Stop the server before upgrading]
`apt upgrade` will replace the Mattermost binary while it's running. Stop the systemd service first to avoid corrupt state.
:::

## Remove Mattermost

```sh
sudo systemctl stop mattermost
sudo apt remove --purge mattermost
```

This removes the package but leaves `/opt/mattermost/data`, `/opt/mattermost/logs`, `/opt/mattermost/plugins`, and `/opt/mattermost/config` in place. Back these up before deleting 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)
- [Configure Mattermost](/administration-guide/configure/configure-index) and [onboard your users](/administration-guide/onboard/onboard-index)