Hey everyone,

If you’re working on improving the performance of your web apps or need a solid caching system, you’ve probably heard of Redis. It’s an open-source, in-memory data structure store that’s lightning-fast and widely used in modern software development. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, backend developer, or just exploring powerful tools to optimize app performance, learning how toinstall Redis on Ubuntu is an essential skill. I recently installed Redis on my Ubuntu 24.04 server, and I wanted to share a clear, beginner-friendly guide based on the excellent documentation available on Vultr’s Redis installation page.

Why Redis?

Before jumping into the technical steps, here’s why Redis is worth installing:

Speed: Redis stores data in memory, resulting in microsecond response times.





Versatile Data Types: Strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets, and more.





Persistence: Offers options to save data to disk periodically.





Use Cases: Caching, message queues, session storage, leaderboard systems, and real-time analytics.





So, if you want to improve your application’s performance or manage state/data quickly and efficiently, Redis is a great tool to start with.

Prerequisites

To get started, ensure you have:

A machine or server running Ubuntu 24.04





A sudo-enabled user account





Basic terminal knowledge





Step-by-Step Guide to Install Redis on Ubuntu

This process closely follows the official instructions provided by Vultr here: Install Redis on Ubuntu 24.04.

Step 1: Update Your System

First, always update your package index and upgrade existing packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y



This ensures your Ubuntu system is up to date and ready for new software installations.

Step 2: Install Redis

Now install Redis from Ubuntu’s default package repository:

sudo apt install redis -y



This installs Redis and its dependencies. The installation is quick and only takes a few seconds.

Step 3: Enable and Start Redis

Enable Redis to start on boot and start it immediately:

sudo systemctl enable redis

sudo systemctl start redis



Verify if Redis is running:

sudo systemctl status redis



You should see it listed as “active (running)”.

Step 4: Test Redis Installation

Let’s check if Redis is functioning:

redis-cli



Inside the Redis CLI, type:

ping



If Redis is working properly, it should return:

PONG



Optional: Secure Your Redis Instance

For security (especially on production servers), follow these steps:

Bind Redis to localhost only. Open the config file:





sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf



Make sure the bind 127.0.0.1 ::1 line is uncommented.

Set a password in the same config file by finding and editing:





requirepass your_secure_password



Then restart Redis:





sudo systemctl restart redis



These steps are also explained in detail in the official Vultr Redis installation guide.



Useful Redis Management Commands

Stop Redis: sudo systemctl stop redis





Restart Redis: sudo systemctl restart redis





Check status: sudo systemctl status redis





Interlinking for Further Reading

If you're interested in a complete walkthrough with visuals and more advanced configurations, I highly recommend checking out the official Vultr tutorial on how to install Redis on Ubuntu. It covers everything from installation to configuration and is kept up to date with the latest Ubuntu 24.04 changes.

Final Thoughts

Installing Redis on Ubuntu 24.04 is a straightforward process and can significantly boost your application's performance. Whether you're building a caching layer, implementing queues, or handling user sessions, Redis is a reliable and efficient tool. With the help of the Vultr installation guide, even beginners can get Redis running in no time.

Hope this helps someone here who’s looking to set up Redis on their Ubuntu system. Feel free to comment if you run into issues or want to share how you’re using Redis in your projects!

Cheers!