How to install Odoo 16 on Ubuntu 20.04

Looking for Odoo 19? Read our updated installation guide.

This guide installs Odoo 16 on Ubuntu 20.04 from source. You will create the Odoo system user, install PostgreSQL and wkhtmltopdf, set up a Python virtual environment, and run Odoo through systemd. If you want Cloudpepper to provision the server instead, start from Cloudpepper and skip the manual setup.

Step 1: Open the Terminal

To begin, you need to access the command line interface in Ubuntu. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal application.

Step 2: Update Your System

First, update your system packages to ensure you’re working with the latest versions. Type the following command and press Enter:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Enter your password when prompted, and wait for the update process to complete.

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Odoo requires certain dependencies to function correctly. Run the following command to install them:

sudo apt install git python3-pip build-essential wget python3-dev python3-venv python3-wheel libfreetype6-dev libxml2-dev libzip-dev libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev python3-setuptools node-less libjpeg-dev zlib1g-dev libpq-dev libxslt1-dev libldb-dev libldap2-dev libtirpc-dev

Step 4: Create an Odoo User

Create a new system user for Odoo and assign it a home directory:

sudo useradd -m -d /opt/odoo -U -r -s /bin/bash odoo

Step 5: Install PostgreSQL

Odoo uses PostgreSQL as its database management system. Install PostgreSQL with this command:

sudo apt install postgresql

After installation, create a new PostgreSQL user for Odoo:

sudo su - postgres -c "createuser -s odoo"

Step 6: Install Wkhtmltopdf

Wkhtmltopdf is a dependency for generating PDF reports in Odoo. Download and install it using these commands:

wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/wkhtmltopdf/releases/download/0.12.5/wkhtmltox_0.12.5-1.bionic_amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./wkhtmltox_0.12.5-1.bionic_amd64.deb

Step 7: Download Odoo 16

Switch to the Odoo user and download the Odoo 16 source code:

sudo su - odoo
git clone https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git --depth 1 --branch 16.0 /opt/odoo/odoo16

Step 8: Create a Virtual Environment

Create a new virtual environment for Odoo and activate it:

python3 -m venv /opt/odoo/odoo16-venv
source /opt/odoo/odoo16-venv/bin/activate

Step 9: Install Python Dependencies

Within the virtual environment, install the required Python packages:

pip install wheel
pip install -r /opt/odoo/odoo16/requirements.txt

Deactivate the virtual environment when finished:

deactivate

Switch back to your sudo user:

exit

Step 10: Configure Odoo

Create a configuration file for Odoo:

sudo mkdir /etc/odoo
sudo touch /etc/odoo/odoo.conf
sudo nano /etc/odoo/odoo.conf

Copy and paste the following configuration settings into the /etc/odoo/odoo.conf file:

[options]
; This is the password that allows database operations:
admin_passwd = your_strong_admin_password
db_host = False
db_port = False
db_user = odoo
db_password = False
addons_path = /opt/odoo/odoo16/addons

Replace your_strong_admin_password with a secure password of your choice. Save the file and exit by pressing Ctrl + X, followed by Y and Enter.

Step 11: Create a Systemd Service File

Create a systemd service file to manage the Odoo service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/odoo.service

Paste the following content into the odoo.service file:

[Unit]
Description=Odoo16
Requires=postgresql.service
After=network.target postgresql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
SyslogIdentifier=odoo16
PermissionsStartOnly=true
User=odoo
Group=odoo
ExecStart=/opt/odoo/odoo16-venv/bin/python3 /opt/odoo/odoo16/odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo/odoo.conf
StandardOutput=journal+console

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and exit by pressing Ctrl + X, followed by Y and Enter.

Step 12: Enable and Start the Odoo Service

Enable the Odoo service to start automatically at boot:

sudo systemctl enable odoo

Start the Odoo service:

sudo systemctl start odoo

Check the status of the Odoo service to ensure it’s running:

sudo systemctl status odoo

If the service is running, you’ll see an “active (running)” status.

Step 13: Access Odoo in Your Web Browser

Open your web browser and navigate http://your\_server\_ip\_or\_domain:8069

Replace your_server_ip_or_domain with your server’s IP address or domain name. You should see the Odoo setup page, where you can create a new database and start using Odoo 16.

Odoo 16 is now running on Ubuntu 20.04. If you do not want to maintain the server yourself, Cloudpepper can provision and manage the same kind of Odoo server for you.