Deploy with CentOS

Preparation Steps

Depending on the version of Rocket.Chat you want to install, check the release notes to see the supported engine versions for MongoDB and NodeJs, and install as recommended.

• MongoDB

  Please refer to the official MongoDB documentation on installing MongoDB on CentOS.

• NodeJS

  Follow the official guide to install NodeJS on CentOS. You can also use third-party tools like nvm or n.

When deploying MongoDB, it is crucial to secure MongoDB instances and close all MongoDB ports from public access. Unsecured instances can lead to significant security vulnerabilities. Your vigilance in these practices is essential for maintaining the integrity and safety of your systems.

Install Rocket.Chat on CentOS

• Install the required dependency packages.

sudo yum install -y GraphicsMagick

• Download and extract the latest release of Rocket.Chat.

curl -L https://releases.rocket.chat/latest/download -o /tmp/rocket.chat.tgz

• Extract the Rocket.Chat server files.

tar -xzf /tmp/rocket.chat.tgz -C /tmp

cd /tmp/bundle/programs/server && npm install

When executing npm install, it is recommended to operate using a non-root account. Alternatively, you can utilize the npm install --unsafe-perm command. This approach eliminates the necessity for building libc or upgrading the host system.

• Move the extracted files to the /opt directory.

sudo mv /tmp/bundle /opt/Rocket.Chat

This guide uses the /opt directory. However, you can choose your preferred directory.

Configure the Rocket.Chat service

• Add the Rocket.Chat user and set the proper permissions on the Rocket.Chat folder.

sudo useradd -M rocketchat && sudo usermod -L rocketchat

sudo chown -R rocketchat:rocketchat /opt/Rocket.Chat

• Create the Rocket.Chat service file.

cat << EOF |sudo tee -a /lib/systemd/system/rocketchat.service
[Unit]
Description=The Rocket.Chat server
After=network.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target nginx.service mongod.service
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/node /opt/Rocket.Chat/main.js
StandardOutput=syslog
StandardError=syslog
SyslogIdentifier=rocketchat
User=rocketchat
Environment=MONGO_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSet=rs01 MONGO_OPLOG_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSet=rs01 ROOT_URL=http://localhost:3000/ PORT=3000
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOFash

• Using sudo and your preferred text editor, open the Rocket.Chat service file just created (/usr/lib/systemd/system/rocketchat.service). Change the ROOT_URL environmental variable to reflect the URL you want to access the server with. Optionally, you can change the MONGO_URL, MONGO_OPLOG_URL and PORT variables.

MONGO_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSet=rs01
MONGO_OPLOG_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSet=rs01
ROOT_URL=http://your-host-name.com-as-accessed-from-internet:3000
PORT=3000

• Set up the storage engine and replication for MongoDB.

sudo sed -i "s/^#  engine:/  engine: mmapv1/"  /etc/mongod.conf

sudo sed -i "s/^#replication:/replication:\n  replSetName: rs01/" /etc/mongod.conf

The MongoDB replica set is mandatory for Rocket.Chat > 1.0.0.

• Enable and start MongoDB with this command:

sudo systemctl enable mongod && sudo systemctl start mongod

mongo --eval "printjson(rs.initiate())"

• Enable and start Rocket.Chat using this command:

sudo systemctl enable rocketchat && sudo systemctl start rocketchat

Configure your Rocket.Chat server

To access your Rocket.Chat workspace, open a web browser and navigate to the specified ROOT URL (http://your-host-name.com-as-accessed-from-internet:3000). Follow the configuration prompts to configure your workspace.