How To Install Strapi on Ubuntu 24.04

Strapi is a popular open-source headless CMS built on Node.js that lets you easily manage content for websites, mobile apps, and APIs. This guide explains how to deploy Strapi fully automated on Ubuntu 24.04, including Node.js installation, project setup, service creation, and firewall configuration.

Step 1: Update and Upgrade System Packages

Ensure your system is up-to-date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This step updates your package cache and upgrades installed packages to their latest versions.

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Install all required dependencies for Strapi:

sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential libssl-dev sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev 

• curl and git: for downloading and cloning Strapi projects

• build-essential and libssl-dev: for compiling native Node.js modules

• sqlite3 and libsqlite3-dev: for lightweight database storage

Step 3: Install Node.js LTS

Strapi requires Node.js. This guide uses Node.js 20 LTS:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Step 4: Install Yarn Globally

Strapi uses Yarn for dependency management:

sudo npm install -g yarn

Step 5: Create a Strapi User and Directory

For security, create a dedicated system user for Strapi:

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash strapi
sudo mkdir -p /opt/strapi
sudo chown strapi:strapi /opt/strapi

Step 6: Create a Strapi Project (Non-Interactive)

Run as the Strapi user to create a project quickly:

sudo -u strapi bash -c "
cd /opt/strapi
mkdir -p my-strapi-app
cd my-strapi-app
npx create-strapi@latest . --quickstart --no-run --yes
" 

This creates a ready-to-use Strapi project in /opt/strapi/my-strapi-app.

Step 7: Install Project Dependencies

Install all required Node.js packages: 

sudo -u strapi bash -c "
cd /opt/strapi/my-strapi-app
yarn install --check-files
"

Step 8: Build the Admin Panel

Strapi’s admin panel must be built before running:

sudo -u strapi bash -c "
cd /opt/strapi/my-strapi-app
yarn build
"

Step 9: Start Strapi for the First Time

Run Strapi in the background to generate logs:

sudo -u strapi bash -c "
cd /opt/strapi/my-strapi-app
nohup yarn start > strapi.log 2>&1 &
"

Step 10: Configure Strapi as a Systemd Service

Create /etc/systemd/system/strapi.service:

[Unit]
Description=Strapi Headless CMS
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=strapi
WorkingDirectory=/opt/strapi/my-strapi-app
ExecStart=/usr/bin/yarn start
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
Environment=PORT=1337

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Reload systemd and enable Strapi: 

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now strapi

Step 11: Open Strapi Port in Firewall

Allow the default Strapi port (1337) through UFW:

sudo ufw allow 1337/tcp
sudo ufw status

Step 12: Verify Installation

Check Strapi service status:

sudo systemctl status strapi

Open a browser and visit:

http://<YOUR_SERVER_IP>:1337/admin 

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have a fully automated Strapi deployment on Ubuntu 24.04, complete with:

• Node.js LTS and Yarn installed

• Project setup and dependency installation

• Admin panel build

• Systemd service for background management

• Firewall rules allowing access to Strapi

You can now focus on creating content and building applications on top of your Strapi backend.