Deploy with Ubuntu

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 how to install MongoDB on Ubuntu.

• NodeJS

  Follow the official guide to install NodeJS on Ubuntu. 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 Ubuntu

• Install the required packages/dependencies.

sudo apt install -y curl build-essential 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 using these commands:

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

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

When executing npm install, it is recommended to operate using a non-root account. Alternatively, you can utilize the npm install --unsafe-perm --production 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 re/opt directory. However, you can choose your preferred directory.

Configure the Rocket.Chat service

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

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

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

• Depending on how you install NodeJS, the binary path may be different. Save the path to a variable.

NODE_PATH=$(which node)

• Now, save the systemd 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=$NODE_PATH /opt/Rocket.Chat/main.js
StandardOutput=syslog
StandardError=syslog
SyslogIdentifier=rocketchat
User=rocketchat
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

The command above will create a barebone service file; this service file is what systemd will use to start your Rocket.Chat daemon/process.

Passing environment variables

• Pass some environment variables to the running process. See Rocket.Chat environmental variables for more details. To update the Rocket.Chat file, run the following command :

sudo systemctl edit rocketchat

• Update the text editor with the information below and save.

[Service]
Environment=ROOT_URL=http://localhost:3000
Environment=PORT=3000
Environment=MONGO_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSet=rs01
Environment=MONGO_OPLOG_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSet=rs01

Additional steps for installing 6.10 release

If you’re installing version 6.10, run these additional commands:

mkdir -p /home/rocketchat/.cache

cd PATH_TO_ROCKETCHAT_INSTALLATION/programs/server/npm/node_modules/@rocket.chat/apps-engine

export DENO_DIR=/home/rocketchat/.cache/deno

npm install --production

npm run postinstall

chown -R rocketchat:rocketchat /home/rocketchat

MongoDB configuration

• Open the MongoDB config file (/etc/mongod.conf) in your preferred text editor.

nano /etc/mongod.conf

• Set the storage engine to wiredTiger.

storage:
  engine: wiredTiger

• Enable replication, and name the replicaset rs01.

replication:
  replSetName: rs01

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

Your MongoDB config file should look something like the following:

storage:
  dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
  journal:
    enabled: true
  engine: wiredTiger

systemLog:
  destination: file
  logAppend: true
  path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log

net:
  port: 27017
  bindIp: 127.0.0.1

processManagement:
  fork: true
  timeZoneInfo: /usr/share/zoneinfo

replication:
  replSetName: rs01

Read the official documentation for a complete list of available MongoDB config options.

• Start MongoDB with the following command:

sudo systemctl enable --now mongod

• Then, initiate replica set with this command:

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

• You can start your Rocket.Chat workspace now using this command:

sudo systemctl enable --now 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.

Optional configurations

• Configure firewall rule

• Configure an HTTP reverse proxy to access Rocket.Chat server