How to Install Redis® on Ubuntu 22.04

Redis® (Remote Dictionary Server) is an open-source, in-memory key-value store that functions as a database, cache, or message broker. It integrates with modern web applications to improve performance and reduce server load by storing frequent queries in memory.

This article explains how to install Redis® on Ubuntu 22.04 and access the database to integrate it with other applications on your server.s

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

Have an Ubuntu 22.04 server.
Access the server using SSH as a non-root user with sudo privileges.s

Install Redis®

Redis® is available in the default package repositories on Ubuntu 22.04. Follow the steps below to install the latest Redis® package on your server.

Update the server's package index.
console
```
$ sudo apt update
```
Install Redis®.
console
```
$ sudo apt install -y redis-server
```

View the installed Redis® version on your server.

console

$ redis-server --version

Output.

Redis server v=6.0.16 sha=00000000:0 malloc=jemalloc-5.2.1 bits=64 build=a3fdef44459b3ad6

Configure Redis®

Redis® listens for connections on the default localhost port 6379. In the following steps, configure Redis® to increase the database limit and restrict connections to the 127.0.0.1 localhost address.

Open the main Redis® configuration file using a text editor such as nano.
console
```
$ sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf
```
- Find the following bind directive and verify that your localhost IPV4 127.0.0.1 and IPV6 ::1 values are available.
  ini
  bind 127.0.0.1 -::1
- Find the port directive and verify the default Redis® port or modify it to a custom TCP port available on your server.
  ini
  port 6379
- Find the following daemonize directive and verify that it's set to yes to enable the Redis® service on your server.
  ini
  daemonize yes
Save and close the file.
Enable the Redis® server to automatically start at boot time.
console
```
$ sudo systemctl enable redis-server.service
```
Start the Redis® service.
console
```
$ sudo systemctl start redis
```

View the Redis® server status and verify it's running.

                            console
                            
$ sudo systemctl status redis

● redis-server.service - Advanced key-value store
    Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/redis-server.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
    Active: active (running) since Sat 2025-04-05 17:25:36 UTC; 8min ago
    Docs: http://redis.io/documentation,
            man:redis-server(1)
Main PID: 2169 (redis-server)
    Status: "Ready to accept connections"
    Tasks: 5 (limit: 9385)
    Memory: 2.6M
        CPU: 919ms
    CGroup: /system.slice/redis-server.service
            └─2169 "/usr/bin/redis-server 127.0.0.1:6379"

Secure Redis®

By default, Redis® does not require authentication, allowing unrestricted access to its databases. Follow the steps below to enable authentication and secure your Redis® server for authorized user access only.

Open the main Redis® configuration file.
console
```
$ sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf
```
Find the following requirepass directive, uncomment it, and replace foobared with a strong password of your choice.
ini
```
requirepass strong-password
```
Save and close the file.

The above configuration secures your Redis® server by enabling password authentication. To allow multiple users with unique passwords, uncomment the aclfile directive.
Restart the Redis® server to apply your configuration changes.
console
```
$ sudo systemctl restart redis
```

Access the Redis® Server

The Redis® server accepts connections via the redis-cli utility or compatible application modules. Follow the steps below to test access by writing sample data to the default database and verify your server configurations.

Connect to the Redis® server.
console
```
$ redis-cli
```
Test access to the server without authentication.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379> ping
```
Verify that your request fails with the following output:
```
(error) NOAUTH Authentication required.
```
Log in to the Redis® server using a valid password set in your configuration. Replace strong-password with the actual password you set earlier.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379> auth strong-password
```
Output:
```
OK
```
Test access to the database server again.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379> ping
```
Output:
```
PONG
```
Select a database to use on your server. For example 1.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379> SELECT 1
```
Create a new sample key testkey with a value such as Greetings from Vultr!.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379[1]> set testkey "Greetings from Vultr!"
```
Output:
```
OK
```
Query the key value from the database.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379[1]> get testkey
```
Output.
```
"Greetings from Vultr!"
```
Exit the Redis® CLI.
console
```
127.0.0.1:6379[1]> exit
```

Conclusion

In this article, you installed Redis® on your Ubuntu 22.04 server and configured it for secure connections. You can now integrate Redis® with your web applications to serve as a database or cache, enhancing both application and server performance.

Tags:

Ubuntu 22.04

Redis®