How to Install Apache CouchDB on Ubuntu & Debian

Apache CouchDB is a database management system that seamlessly takes the data to the edge and then back again. It’s known for its ease of replication and setup. If you want to install Apache CouchDB on your Ubuntu or Debian system, you’re at the right place. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the steps to install Apache CouchDB on your machine.

Note: The instructions given below are for CouchDB version 3.x, and the system we are using is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Debian 11. You may need to adapt slightly if you are using a different version of either.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before we get started, it’s essential to ensure your system is up-to-date. Open a Terminal and execute the following commands:

sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get upgrade 

These commands will update the list of packages and their versions, and then upgrade any out-of-date packages on your system.

Step 2: Enable CouchDB Repository

CouchDB is not available in the default Ubuntu or Debian repositories, so we have to add its repository manually.

First, we need to install some dependencies to add a new repository over HTTPS:

sudo apt install -y curl apt-transport-https gnupg 

Now we add the CouchDB GPG key:

curl https://couchdb.apache.org/repo/keys.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/couchdb-archive-keyring.gpg >/dev/null 2>&1 

After adding the GPG key, you need to add the CouchDB repository:

source /etc/os-release 
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/couchdb-archive-keyring.gpg] https://apache.jfrog.io/artifactory/couchdb-deb/ ${VERSION_CODENAME} main" \
    | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/couchdb.list >/dev/null 

Now, update the system again:

sudo apt-get update 

Step 3: Install CouchDB

After adding the repository, it’s time to install CouchDB:

sudo apt-get install -y couchdb 

During the installation, you’ll be asked a series of questions. First, it will ask you to choose the type of CouchDB installation. You can select either “standalone” or “clustered”. For a basic, single-server setup, you’ll choose “standalone”.

Next, you’ll be asked to confirm the network interface for CouchDB to bind on. If you’re just using this server for development and not making it available to the network, enter 127.0.0.1. If you are making it available to the network, enter 0.0.0.0.

Then, you’ll need to set up the admin username and password. Make sure to pick a secure password.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

Once CouchDB is installed, you can check if it’s running with the following command:

curl http://127.0.0.1:5984/ 

If CouchDB is running correctly, you’ll see a response like this:

Step 5: CouchDB web Interface

You can access the CouchDB web interface by opening a web browser and visiting http://127.0.0.1:5984/_utils/.

To secure CouchDB, go to the Configuration section and change the require_valid_user option from false to true in the couch_httpd_auth section.

Conclusion

This guide provides an easy, step-by-step procedure for installing Apache CouchDB on Ubuntu and Debian. Once you’ve completed these steps, you should have a running instance of CouchDB that you can start using for your projects. Make sure to refer to the CouchDB documentation for more advanced configuration options and usage instructions.