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.

1. Update the server's package index.

   console Copy

   $ sudo apt update
   

2. Install Redis®.

   console Copy

   $ sudo apt install -y redis-server
   

3. View the installed Redis® version on your server.

   console Copy

   $ 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.

1. Open the main Redis® configuration file using a text editor such as nano.

   console Copy

   $ 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 Copy

     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 Copy

     port 6379
     

   • Find the following daemonize directive and verify that it's set to yes to enable the Redis® service on your server.

     ini Copy

     daemonize yes
     

   Save and close the file.

2. Enable the Redis® server to automatically start at boot time.

   console Copy

   $ sudo systemctl enable redis-server.service
   

3. Start the Redis® service.

   console Copy

   $ sudo systemctl start redis
   

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

   console Copy

   $ 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.

1. Open the main Redis® configuration file.

   console Copy

   $ sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf
   

2. Find the following requirepass directive, uncomment it, and replace foobared with a strong password of your choice.

   ini Copy

   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.

3. Restart the Redis® server to apply your configuration changes.

   console Copy

   $ 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.

1. Connect to the Redis® server.

   console Copy

   $ redis-cli
   

2. Test access to the server without authentication.

   console Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379> ping
   

   Verify that your request fails with the following output:

   (error) NOAUTH Authentication required.

3. 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 Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379> auth strong-password
   

   Output:

   OK

4. Test access to the database server again.

   console Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379> ping
   

   Output:

   PONG

5. Select a database to use on your server. For example 1.

   console Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379> SELECT 1
   

6. Create a new sample key testkey with a value such as Greetings from Vultr!.

   console Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379[1]> set testkey "Greetings from Vultr!"
   

   Output:

   OK

7. Query the key value from the database.

   console Copy

   127.0.0.1:6379[1]> get testkey
   

   Output.

   "Greetings from Vultr!"

8. Exit the Redis® CLI.

   console Copy

   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.