Oct 19, 2023 3 min read

How to Install RethinkDB on Ubuntu

Install RethinkDB on Ubuntu with our step-by-step tutorial. It is a powerful open-source database designed for real-time applications.

Install RethinkDB on Ubuntu
Table of Contents

Introduction

Before we begin talking about how to install RethinkDB on Ubuntu, let’s briefly understand - What is RethinkDB ?

RethinkDB is a powerful open-source database designed for real-time applications. It offers a simple and efficient way to handle real-time data feeds, updates, and queries. With its intuitive JSON-based query language and automatic data syncing across devices, RethinkDB provides developers an easy way to build and scale real-time applications.

Its flexible and scalable architecture ensures fast and reliable performance. Whether you're building chat apps, collaborative tools, or IoT applications, RethinkDB simplifies the development process and improves user experience. Get started with RethinkDB today and unlock the potential of real-time data processing.

In this tutorial, you will install the RethinkDB on Ubuntu. We will also address some FAQs related to the RethinkDB installation.

Advantages of RethinkDB

  1. Real-time updates: RethinkDB enables instant updates to data, ensuring real-time applications deliver live information.
  2. JSON-based query language: Its easy-to-use JSON queries simplify data retrieval and manipulation.
  3. Automatic data syncing: RethinkDB automatically synchronizes data across devices, facilitating seamless collaboration.
  4. Scalability: RethinkDB's architecture allows effortless scaling to handle growing application demands.
  5. Simplified development: RethinkDB streamlines the development process, making it easier to build powerful, real-time applications.

Step 1 - Installing with the Binaries

1) To install the server, you will have to add the RethinkDB repository to your list of repositories. Then, install via apt-get. For this, paste the following lines into your terminal:

source /etc/lsb-release && echo "deb https://download.rethinkdb.com/repository/ubuntu-$DISTRIB_CODENAME $DISTRIB_CODENAME main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rethinkdb.list
wget -qO- https://download.rethinkdb.com/repository/raw/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install rethinkdb

2) After that, if you want to upgrade to a newer version of RethinkDB. You will first need to download the new-key 0742918E5C8DA04A:

wget -qO- https://download.rethinkdb.com/repository/raw/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -v -

Step 2 - Compiling from the Source

1) You will need to get the build dependencies. Therefore, install the dependencies, using the following command:

sudo apt-get install build-essential protobuf-compiler python \
                     libprotobuf-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev \
                     libboost-all-dev libncurses5-dev \
                     libjemalloc-dev wget m4

Step 3 - Getting the Source Code

1) After that, download and extract the archive.

wget https://download.rethinkdb.com/repository/raw/dist/rethinkdb-2.4.1.tgz
tar xf rethinkdb-2.4.1.tgz

Step 4 - Building the Server

1) Now, kick off the build-process, by:

cd rethinkdb-2.4.1
./configure --allow-fetch
make
sudo make install

2) If you want to compile on multicore or a multiprocessor machine. You may be able to use make -j #. So, it will speed up the build process, where # is the total number of CPU cores. Also, on a 4-core machine, you will be able to use make -j 4. Although, a few older versions of make will produce a segmentation fault error. It will be when using -j with RethinkDB. If it happens, just run the make without -j option. Now, the installation of RethinkDB is complete.

FAQs to Install RethinkDB on Ubuntu

Which Ubuntu versions are supported by RethinkDB? 

RethinkDB supports various Ubuntu versions, including 12.04, 14.04, 16.04, and 18.04.

Can I install RethinkDB on a different Linux distribution?

Yes, RethinkDB provides installation packages for multiple Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and Fedora.

Is it necessary to have root access to install RethinkDB on Ubuntu? 

Yes, you need root access or sudo privileges to install packages on Ubuntu using the apt package manager.

How can I start/stop the RethinkDB server? 

To start the RethinkDB server, use the command rethinkdb. To stop it, you can press Ctrl+C or use the command rethinkdb stop.

Where can I find the RethinkDB configuration file on Ubuntu? 

The RethinkDB configuration file can be found at /etc/rethinkdb/default.conf.

Can I access the RethinkDB web interface after installation? 

Yes, you can access the RethinkDB web interface by opening your browser and navigating to http://localhost:8080.

How can I verify if RethinkDB is running correctly on Ubuntu? 

You can visit the RethinkDB web interface or run the command rethinkdb status in your terminal to check the server status.

Conclusion

We hope this detailed tutorial helped you to install RethinkDB on Ubuntu. To learn more about the RethinkDB installation, check out the official RethinkDB installation documentation.

If you have any queries, please leave a comment below, and we’ll be happy to respond to them for sure.

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