Install Dolibarr via apt (.deb package)
This guide explains how to install Dolibarr ERP/CRM on an Ubuntu or Debian server using apt and the official .deb package (DoliDeb). This method lets apt automatically resolve the dependencies (Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP) and provides a setup wizard during installation.
Since Ubuntu 18.04, the dolibarr package is no longer shipped in the official Ubuntu/Debian repositories. Running apt install dolibarr will therefore return a "package not found" error on recent versions. The recommended method today is to fetch the official .deb package published by the Dolibarr project and install it with apt, which handles the dependencies.
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Prerequisites
- SSH access as root or user with sudo
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 12 64-bit system
- x64 processor
- Minimum 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended for Dolibarr + database)
- About 5 GB free disk space (SSD recommended)
- Port 80 (and 443 for HTTPS) accessible
Required Configuration
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 1 GB | 2-4 GB |
| CPU | 1 core | 2 cores |
| Storage | 5 GB SSD | 20 GB SSD |
| Network | 100 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
Dolibarr relies on a LAMP stack: a web server (Apache recommended), a database (MySQL / MariaDB) and PHP. The .deb package installs and configures these components for you via apt.
Connect to the Server
Make sure you are connected to your server before starting. Depending on your environment:
Connect with username and IP (default port)
If the server uses the standard SSH port (22):
ssh user@server_ip_address
- user: server login name
- server_ip_address: IP address assigned to your server
Connect with a custom port
If the server uses a different SSH port than 22:
ssh -p port_number user@server_ip_address
Connect with a PEM key
If PEM key authentication is required:
ssh -i /path/to/your/key.pem user@server_ip_address
Choose the method that matches your setup. Once connected, you can continue the installation.
System Update
Update your server before installing Dolibarr:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
Download the Official .deb Package
Fetch the Debian/Ubuntu package from the official Dolibarr repository. At the time of writing, the latest stable version is Dolibarr 23.0.3.
cd /tmp
wget https://www.dolibarr.org/files/stable/package_debian-ubuntu/dolibarr_23.0.3-4_all.deb
Browse the stable package index to find the most recent version and adjust the filename in the commands.
Install via apt
Install the package with apt install, prefixing the path with ./. Unlike dpkg -i, apt automatically resolves and installs the dependencies (Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, PHP and extensions):
sudo apt install ./dolibarr_23.0.3-4_all.deb
The ./ prefix (or an absolute path such as /tmp/dolibarr_23.0.3-4_all.deb) is mandatory: without it, apt looks for a package named "dolibarr" in the repositories and fails.
Setup Wizard
During installation, a debconf wizard appears and asks several questions. Use the arrow keys, the space bar to tick options and Tab/Enter to confirm.
| Question | Recommended answer |
|---|---|
| Web server to reconfigure automatically | Tick apache2 |
| Configure database with dbconfig-common? | Yes |
| Database administrative user password (MySQL/MariaDB root) | Enter / confirm a strong password |
Application password for the dolibarr database | Enter a password dedicated to Dolibarr |
Keep the database root password and the dolibarr database application password safe: you will need them for maintenance or troubleshooting.
If the installation stops on a missing dependency, fix it then restart the configuration:
sudo apt-get install -f -y
sudo dpkg-reconfigure dolibarr
Access the Web Interface
Once the installation is complete, open a browser and go to:
http://server_ip_or_domain/dolibarr/
On first access, Dolibarr launches a browser-based installation wizard:
- Environment check (PHP, extensions, write permissions)
- Database connection settings (pre-filled by dbconfig-common)
- Creation of the Dolibarr administrator account (login and password)
- End of installation and access to the dashboard
At the end of the wizard, Dolibarr creates an install.lock lock file to prevent it from running again. Check that it exists to secure access:
ls -l /var/lib/dolibarr/documents/install.lock
Firewall Configuration
If UFW is active, open the web ports:
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw reload
Secure Access with HTTPS
In production, protect access to Dolibarr with an SSL certificate. The simplest method under Apache is Certbot / Let's Encrypt:
sudo apt-get install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache
sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.com
Certbot automatically configures the Apache virtual host and the HTTP → HTTPS redirection.
A Let's Encrypt certificate requires a domain name pointing to your server's IP. See our guide to create an A record pointing to your server's IP.
Useful Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
sudo systemctl restart apache2 | Restart the web server |
sudo systemctl status apache2 | Apache status |
sudo systemctl status mariadb | Database status |
sudo dpkg-reconfigure dolibarr | Restart the setup wizard |
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log | Follow Apache/PHP errors |
File Structure
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
/usr/share/dolibarr/htdocs/ | Application source code |
/etc/dolibarr/conf.php | Main configuration file |
/etc/dolibarr/install.forced.php | Settings forced during installation |
/var/lib/dolibarr/documents/ | Documents, generated PDFs, backups and the install.lock file |
/var/log/apache2/error.log | Web server error log |
Updating Dolibarr
To move to a newer version, download the new .deb package then install it over the existing one — apt handles the migration:
cd /tmp
wget https://www.dolibarr.org/files/stable/package_debian-ubuntu/dolibarr_NEW_VERSION_all.deb
sudo apt install ./dolibarr_NEW_VERSION_all.deb
On the first login after an update, Dolibarr may ask you to run a database migration wizard. Follow the suggested steps.
Back up your database and the /var/lib/dolibarr/documents/ folder before any update:
sudo mysqldump -u root -p dolibarr > /root/dolibarr_backup.sql
sudo tar czf /root/dolibarr_documents.tar.gz /var/lib/dolibarr/documents
Troubleshooting
"Package not found" when running apt install dolibarr
- The package no longer exists in the repositories: use the official .deb file as described above.
- Make sure you prefix the name with
./or an absolute path.
Dependency errors during installation
- Fix the dependencies:
sudo apt-get install -f -y - Then restart the configuration:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure dolibarr
Cannot access /dolibarr/
- Check that Apache is running:
sudo systemctl status apache2 - Check that the PHP module is active:
sudo apachectl -M | grep php - Consult the log:
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log
Database connection error
- Check that MariaDB/MySQL is running:
sudo systemctl status mariadb - Verify the credentials in
/etc/dolibarr/conf.php - Test the connection:
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"
The installation wizard no longer appears
- If the
install.lockfile exists, the wizard is locked (normal behavior). To deliberately run it again:sudo rm /var/lib/dolibarr/documents/install.lock(only remove it knowingly).