How to Install Odoo 18 Community Edition on Ubuntu Server

Odoo is a powerful open‑source ERP suite used by thousands of businesses worldwide. This guide walks you through installing Odoo 18 CE on an Ubuntu server—from system preparation to your first Odoo startup.

---

Prerequisites

• A clean Ubuntu 22.04+ server (root or sudo user access)

• At least 2 GB RAM (4 GB+ recommended)

• Domain name or static IP (for remote database connections)

• Basic familiarity with Linux command line

---

1. Update & Install Core Dependencies

First, update your package lists and install the essential tools, libraries, and security services:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  openssh-server \
  fail2ban \
  python3-pip python3-dev python3-venv \
  libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev zlib1g-dev \
  libsasl2-dev libldap2-dev \
  build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev \
  libmysqlclient-dev libpq-dev \
  libjpeg8-dev liblcms2-dev \
  libblas-dev libatlas-base-dev \
  git curl fontconfig \
  libxrender1 xfonts-75dpi xfonts-base

• openssh-server: secure remote access

• fail2ban: intrusion prevention

• python3‑dev / venv: compile and isolate Odoo’s Python environment

• lib…-dev: database, XML, image, math libraries

---

2. Install OpenSSL 1.1

Odoo 18 may require OpenSSL 1.1 for certain Python modules. Replace $LIBSSL_URL with the proper download link from your mirror:

wget "http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/o/openssl/libssl1.1_1.1.1f-1ubuntu2.24_amd64.deb" -O libssl1.1.deb
sudo apt install -y ./libssl1.1.deb
rm libssl1.1.deb

---

3. Install wkhtmltopdf for PDF Reports

wkhtmltopdf generates Odoo’s PDF exports (invoices, reports). Download the matching .deb for Ubuntu 22.04/20.04 and install:

wget "https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6-1/wkhtmltox_0.12.6-1.focal_amd64.deb" -O wkhtmltox.deb
sudo apt install -y ./wkhtmltox.deb
rm wkhtmltox.deb

---

4. Clone the Odoo Repository

Fetch the Odoo 18 community branch and install its Python dependencies:

git clone -b "18.0" --single-branch --depth 1 https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git odoo_ce
cd odoo_ce
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

• --depth 1: keeps the clone lightweight

• requirements.txt: installs necessary Python packages

---

5. Generate Default Configuration & Database

Use Odoo’s built‑in initializer to create a basic database and config file:

./odoo-bin --save --config /etc/odoo/odoo.conf --stop-after-init

This writes /etc/odoo/odoo.conf (you can move or edit it later).

---

6. Configure PostgreSQL

Create a PostgreSQL user and database, then allow remote connections if needed:

sudo -u postgres createuser --interactive
sudo -u postgres createdb <your_db_name> --owner=<db_user>

Edit /etc/postgresql/16/main/postgresql.conf:

listen_addresses = '*'

Restart and open access in /etc/postgresql/16/main/pg_hba.conf:

host  all  all  0.0.0.0/0  md5

sudo systemctl restart postgresql

Secure the postgres account (optional):

ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'mySecurePassword';

---

7. Start Odoo

Finally, launch Odoo pointing to your config:

/srv/odoo_ce/odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo/odoo.conf -i base,web

• -i base,web: installs the core and web modules

• By default, Odoo listens on port 8069

Visit http://<your-server-ip>:8069 in your browser and complete the on‑screen setup.

---

Conclusion

You now have a running Odoo 18 CE instance! From here you can:

• Configure additional modules via the Apps menu

• Harden your server (firewall, SSL certificates)

• Automate Odoo startup with systemd

Feel free to adapt paths, database names, and security measures to your environment.