Installing n8n.io on Ubuntu

· astrid

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Installing n8n.io on a Linux Machine with Ubuntu

In today’s fast-paced digital world, automation has become an essential component of business operations. Automating repetitive tasks can save time and reduce the risk of human errors. One tool that has gained popularity for workflow automation is n8n.io. In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of installing n8n.io on a Linux machine with Ubuntu.

What is n8n.io?

nodes

N8n.io is an open-source, extensible workflow automation tool that allows you to connect various services, APIs, and databases to create automated workflows without writing a single line of code. With n8n.io, you can automate tasks such as sending emails, updating spreadsheets, and even integrating with third-party applications.

Prerequisites

Before we begin with the installation, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

  1. A Linux machine running Ubuntu (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later is recommended).
  2. sudo access to execute commands as a superuser.

Step 1: Update and Upgrade

Start by updating the package list to ensure you have the latest information about available packages. Open your terminal and run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Node.js and npm

N8n.io is built on Node.js, so you’ll need to have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your system. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt install nodejs
sudo apt install npm

Step 3: Install n8n.io

Now, let’s install n8n.io using npm. You can install n8n globally on your system with the following command:

sudo npm install -g n8n

This command will install n8n globally, making it available as a command-line tool.

Step 4: Configure n8n

Before you can start using n8n, you need to configure it. Initialize the configuration by running the following command:

n8n init

You’ll be prompted to specify the base URL for n8n. The default should work for most cases, but you can customize it if needed.

Step 5: Start n8n

Now that n8n is installed and configured, you can start it with the following command:

n8n start

This command will launch n8n and start the web interface. You can access n8n by opening a web browser and navigating to http://localhost:5678.

Step 6: Set Up Authentication

By default, n8n is not password-protected, which is not suitable for production use. To secure your n8n instance, you should set up authentication. Follow these steps:

  1. In the n8n web interface, click on your user icon in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Access Management.”
  3. Click on “Add User.”
  4. Follow the prompts to create a new user with a username and password.

Conclusion

Congratulations! 🎉 You have successfully installed n8n.io on your Ubuntu Linux machine. With n8n.io, you can now create and automate workflows to streamline your business processes. Explore the various integrations and possibilities that n8n.io offers to make your automation tasks even more powerful.

Remember to keep your n8n instance up to date and secure by regularly checking for updates and implementing proper authentication measures. Automation is a valuable tool, and with n8n.io, you can unlock its full potential.

Happy automating!

Install n8n.io with a bash script

This script will download and install nodejs from source. Then use downloaded script and execute it with bash -> ... | sudo -E bash -

Alternative is to use package manager, just comment out or delete lines:

E.g:

# sudo apt install -y curl
# curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -
  1. Add script to install_n8n.sh file
#!/bin/bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
sudo npm install n8n -g

mkdir -p ~/.n8n

cat <<EOL > ~/.n8n/n8n.service
[Unit]
Description=n8n.io - Workflow Automation Tool
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/env n8n
WorkingDirectory=~/.n8n
Restart=always
User=$(whoami)
Group=$(whoami)
Environment=PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
KillSignal=SIGINT

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOL

sudo mv ~/.n8n/n8n.service /etc/systemd/system/n8n.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable n8n
sudo systemctl start n8n
sudo systemctl status n8n

echo "n8n.io is now installed and running as a systemd service."
echo "You can access the n8n interface by navigating to http://localhost:5678 in your web browser."
  1. Make install_n8n.sh executable
chmod +x install_n8n.sh
  1. Run script install_n8n.sh
bash install_n8n.sh