This guide walks you through getting RethinkDB up and running on Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04, showing both a quick APT install that works only on the older LTS release and a more reliable Docker method that keeps your system clean. It starts with basic prerequisites—updating the package index, installing curl, gnupg and lsb-release—so you avoid chasing bugs in outdated packages while setting up external repositories. The native APT path is straightforward for 20.04 but will hit dependency issues on 22.04 because the repository expects a newer libuv version, whereas the Docker approach sidesteps those quirks by pulling an official image and exposing both API (28015) and web UI (8080) ports with data persisted in a mounted volume. Finally, you can verify the installation with simple commands that confirm the container is running and demonstrate a quick query, then use the included troubleshooting tips to resolve common port or permission problems before diving into your first real‑time database queries.

How to Install RethinkDB on Ubuntu 20.04 & 22.04

You’ll learn how to get the real‑time database running on both LTS releases, whether you want a quick apt install (works only on 20.04) or the more reliable Docker route that keeps your system clean.

Prerequisites: Get Your System Ready

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl gnupg lsb-release -y

Updating first guarantees you’re not chasing bugs in old packages, and those three utilities are the backbone for adding external repositories.

Option 1 – Native APT Install (Ubuntu 20.04 only)

I once tried this on 22.04 and hit a wall of broken dependencies—no good.

# Add RethinkDB’s official repository key
curl -s https://download.rethinkdb.com/keys/rethinkdb.key | sudo apt-key add -

# Create the list file
echo "deb https://download.rethinkdb.com/apt $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rethinkdb.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install rethinkdb

If you’re on 20.04, this pulls a recent enough binary (4.x). On 22.04 the repo points to packages that expect libuv 1.46+, which Ubuntu 22.04 ships with 1.44, so you’ll hit dependency hell.

Option 2 – Docker: The Modern, Safe Path

Docker sidesteps all those quirks and keeps RethinkDB isolated from your OS.

# Install Docker if you don’t have it yet
sudo apt install docker.io -y

# Pull the official image
docker pull rethinkdb

# Run a container, expose ports, and mount data
docker run -d \
  --name rethinkdb \
  -p 28015:28015 \   # API port
  -p 8080:8080 \     # Web UI
  -v $(pwd)/rethink-data:/data \
  rethinkdb

Why expose both ports? 28015 is the driver port your apps talk to; 8080 serves the handy web dashboard.

Verify Everything’s Working

# Check container status
docker ps | grep rethinkdb

# Open a browser: http://localhost:8080/

You should see the “RethinkDB Web UI” with a green “Running” status. Try a quick query:

> r.dbList()
=> ["rethinkdb"]

That means the DB is alive and your driver can connect on 28015.

Troubleshooting Quick‑Fixes

• Port already in use? Change -p 8080:8080 to another host port.
• Container dies immediately: Check logs with docker logs rethinkdb. Most often it’s a data volume permission issue; ensure the directory you mount exists and is writable.
• Want persistent data across restarts: The -v $(pwd)/rethink-data:/data flag already does that. Just keep the host folder alive.

That’s all there is to it—pick your path, run a few commands, and you’ve got a live RethinkDB instance without wrestling with obsolete packages.