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Installing JIRA applications on Linux

Installing JIRA applications

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In this guide we'll run you through installing a JIRA application in a production environment, with an external database, using the Linux installer.

This is the most straightforward way to get your production site up and running on a Linux server.



Other ways to install JIRA: 

  • Evaluation - get your free trial up and running in no time.
  • TAR.GZ – install JIRA manually from an archive file. 
  • Windows – install JIRA on a Windows server.

On this page:

Before you begin

Before you install JIRA, there are a few questions you need to answer. 


Are you using a supported operating system?
Tell me more...

Check the Supported Platforms page for the version of JIRA you are installing. This will give you info on supported operating systems, databases and browsers.

Good to know:

  • We don't support installing JIRA on OSX or mac OS for production sites.
  • The JIRA installer includes Java (JRE) and Tomcat, so you don't need to install these separately.
  • JIRA can't run on OpenJDK.
Do you want to run JIRA as a service?
Tell me more...

Running JIRA as a service means that JIRA will automatically start up when Linux is started.

If you choose to run JIRA as a service:

  • You must use sudo to run the installer to be able to install JIRA as a service. 
  • The installer will create a dedicated user account, jira, that will run the service.

If you choose not to run JIRA as a service:

  • You will start and stop JIRA by running the start-jira.sh file in your JIRA installation directory.
  • JIRA will be run as the user account that was used to install JIRA, or you can choose to run as a dedicated user.
  • JIRA will need to be restarted manually if your server is restarted.
Is your database set up and ready to use?
Tell me more...

To run JIRA in production you'll need an external database. Check the Supported platforms page for the version you're installing for the list of databases we currently support. If you don't already have a database, PostgreSQL is free, easy to set up and has been extensively tested with JIRA.

Good to know:

  • Set up your database before you begin. Step-by-step guides are available for PostgreSQL, Oracle, MySQL, and SQL Server.
  • Use UTF-8 character encoding.
  • If you're using Oracle or MySQL you'll need to download the driver for your database.
  • The embedded H2 database can be used for evaluating JIRA, but you'll need to migrate to another database before running in production. You may find it easier to use external database from the start.

Do you have a JIRA license?

Tell me more...

You'll need a valid JIRA Software Server, JIRA Core Server or JIRA Service Desk Server license to use JIRA.

Good to know:

  • If you have not yet purchased a JIRA application license you'll be able to create an evaluation license during setup.
  • If you already have a license key you'll be prompted to log in to my.atlassian.com to retrieve it, or you can enter the key manually during setup.
  • If you're migrating from JIRA Cloud, you'll need a new license.

Check some known issues
Tell me more...

For Linux installations, we've noticed some problems when displaying certain system text in the application (CAPTCHA and gadgets). Instead of showing regular alphanumeric letters, the text will appear to be garbled and look like symbols. To avoid this problem, you should install several fonts that are required by JIRA. For more info, see JIRA UI shows unreadable text.


Install a JIRA application

1. Download JIRA

Download the installer for your operating system:

2. Run the installer

  1. Make the installer executable.

    Show me how to do this...

    Change to the directory where you downloaded JIRA then execute this command:

    JIRA Core 
    $ chmod a+x atlassian-jira-core-X.X.X-x64.bin
    JIRA Software 
    $ chmod a+x atlassian-jira-software-X.X.X-x64.bin
    JIRA Service Desk 
    $ chmod a+x atlassian-servicedesk-X.X.X-x64.bin

    Where -X.X.X is is the JIRA version you downloaded.

  2. Run the installer, we recommend using sudo to run the installer as this will create a dedicated account to run JIRA and allow you to run JIRA as a service.

    Show me how to do this...

    To use sudo to run the installer execute this command:

    JIRA Core 
    $ sudo ./atlassian-jira-core-X.X.X-x64.bin
    JIRA Software 
    $ sudo ./atlassian-jira-software-X.X.X-x64.bin
    JIRA Service Desk 
    $ sudo ./atlassian-servicedesk-X.X.X-x64.bin

    Where -X.X.X is is the JIRA version you downloaded.

    You can also choose to run the installer as with root user privileges.

  3. Follow the prompts to install JIRA. You'll be asked for the following info:
     
    • Install type – choose option 2 (custom) for the most control. 
    • Destination directory – this is where JIRA will be installed.
    • Home directory – this is where JIRA data like logs, search indexes and files will be stored.
    • TCP ports – these are the HTTP connector port and control port JIRA will run on. Stick with the default unless you're running another application on the same port.
    • Install as service – this option is only available if you ran the installer as sudo. 
  4. Once installation is complete head to http://localhost:8080 in your browser to begin the setup process. 
    (Replace 8080 if you chose a different port during installation) . 

Set up your JIRA application

3. Choose set up method

Choose I'll set it up myself.

4. Connect to your database

  1. If you've not already done so, it's time to create your database. See the 'Before you begin' section of this page for details. 
  2. Choose My own database. 

  3. Choose your database type then enter the details for your database. 
      

    Show me how to do this...

    JIRA connects to your database using a standard JDBC database connection. Connection pooling is handled within JIRA, you can change this using JIRA configuration tool later.

    If you're using Oracle or MySQL there's an extra step: 

    • Download and extract the appropriate database JDBC drivers. See Supported platforms to get the right version.
    • Drop the JAR file into your <jira-installation>/lib folder before continuing with the setup wizard.

    In the setup wizard:

    • Driver Class Name – the Java class name for your database driver. If you're not sure, check the documentation for your database.
    • Database URL – the JDBC URL for your database. If you're not sure, check the documentation for your database.
    • Username and Password – A valid username and password that JIRA can use to access your database.

5. Set application properties

  1. Give your JIRA site a name.
  2. Choose wether your site should is private or if anyone can sign up. You can change this later. 
  3. Enter your base URL - this is the address people will use to access your JIRA site. 

5. Enter your license

Follow the prompts to log in to my.atlassian.com to retrieve your license, or enter a license key.

6. Create your administrator account

Enter details for the administrator account.  You can add more administrators after set up is complete.

7. Set up email notifications

Enter details of your mail server.  This will allow JIRA to send notifications when issues change.

8. Start using JIRA

That's it! Your JIRA site is accessible from your base URL or a URL like this: http://<computer_name_or_IP_address>:<port>

Here's a few things that will help you get your team up and running:

Troubleshooting

Running into problems installing JIRA?
  • Some anti-virus or other Internet security tools may interfere with the JIRA installation process and prevent the process from completing successfully. If you experience or anticipate experiencing such an issue with your anti-virus/Internet security tool, disable this tool first before proceeding with the JIRA installation.
  • The Linux OOM Killer can sometimes kill JIRA processes when memory on the server becomes too low. See How to Configure the Linux Out-of-Memory Killer.

 Head to Installation Troubleshooting in our Knowledge Base for more help.  

Last modified on Oct 8, 2018

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