Install Odoo 14 on Ubuntu 18.04: Complete 2025 Guide

System Architecture and Component Integration

Odoo 18 Stack Architecture

Odoo 18 operates on a multi-tier architecture that integrates several core components. The system leverages PostgreSQL as its primary database backend, Python 3.6+ for application logic, and a web server interface for client connections. Ubuntu 18.04 provides the underlying operating system foundation with its specific kernel version and package dependencies. This architecture requires careful component version alignment to ensure compatibility across the entire stack.

The application layer consists of Odoo’s Python codebase executing within a dedicated runtime environment. This environment isolates Odoo from system-level Python packages that might cause dependency conflicts. The database layer utilizes PostgreSQL 10 or higher, which aligns with Ubuntu 18.04’s default repository versions. The web access layer typically employs Nginx as a reverse proxy, handling SSL termination and static file serving.

Component communication follows a structured protocol flow. Client requests first reach the Nginx reverse proxy, which forwards them to the Odoo application server. The Odoo server processes these requests through its Python application logic, interacting with the PostgreSQL database for data persistence. Response data flows back through the same pathway to the client browser. This architecture ensures clear separation of concerns between presentation, business logic, and data layers.

Data Flow Patterns

User requests initiate a complex data flow through the Odoo architecture. The Nginx reverse proxy receives incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and applies security filters before routing them to the Odoo application server. Odoo processes each request through its ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) system, which translates database records into Python objects. This translation enables business logic execution while maintaining data integrity.

Database interactions follow ACID principles with explicit transaction management. PostgreSQL handles concurrent user access through its multi-version concurrency control system. The Odoo ORM generates optimized SQL queries that balance performance with data consistency requirements. Regular database maintenance operations, including vacuuming and reindexing, preserve query performance over time.

Static asset delivery follows an optimized path that bypasses application-level processing. Nginx serves CSS, JavaScript, and image files directly from the filesystem, reducing load on the Odoo application server. This separation improves overall system responsiveness and enables effective browser caching. Dynamic content generation remains the responsibility of the Odoo application server, which renders QWeb templates with real-time data.

System Preparation and Dependency Installation

Ubuntu 18.04 Base System Configuration

Begin with a comprehensive system update to ensure all existing packages current. Execute sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y to refresh the package database and install available updates. Reboot the system if the update process installs a new kernel version. This foundation ensures compatibility with subsequent software installations and addresses known security vulnerabilities in the base system.

Create a dedicated system user account for Odoo operation. Run sudo adduser --system --group --home /opt/odoo odoo to establish this user with appropriate system privileges. This user account will own the Odoo application files and manage the service process. The isolated user context enhances security by limiting potential damage from application-level vulnerabilities.

Configure the system firewall to permit necessary network access. Ubuntu 18.04 typically uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) for network security management. Execute sudo ufw allow ssh to maintain remote administration access. Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic with sudo ufw allow 80/tcp and sudo ufw allow 443/tcp. Enable the firewall with sudo ufw enable to activate these rules.

Verify system resource allocation meets Odoo’s requirements. The installation demands minimum 2GB RAM for basic operation, with 4GB recommended for production use. Check available storage with df -h ensuring at least 20GB free space for the application and future data growth. Confirm the system meets these specifications before proceeding with software installation.

PostgreSQL Database Installation

Install PostgreSQL from Ubuntu’s official repositories using sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-client -y. This command installs PostgreSQL 10, the default version available in Ubuntu 18.04 repositories. This version provides necessary features for Odoo 18 while maintaining compatibility with the operating system’s maintenance cycle.

Create a dedicated PostgreSQL user for Odoo database access. Switch to the postgres system account with sudo -u postgres psql to access the database cluster. Execute CREATE USER odoo WITH CREATEDB PASSWORD 'secure_password'; replacing ‘secure_password’ with a strong, unique passphrase. This user will own the Odoo database and manage schema operations.

Configure PostgreSQL connection security to balance accessibility with protection. Modify /etc/postgresql/10/main/pg_hba.conf to restrict database access to local connections only. Set the authentication method to md5 for the odoo user while maintaining peer authentication for system accounts. Restart PostgreSQL with sudo systemctl restart postgresql to apply these security changes.

Verify the database user creation and permissions. Test the odoo user connection with psql -U odoo -h localhost postgres and provide the assigned password. This verification confirms proper user configuration and network connectivity. Exit the PostgreSQL prompt once connection testing completes successfully.

Python Environment and System Dependencies

Install Python development tools and essential build dependencies. Execute sudo apt install python3-pip python3-dev python3-venv build-essential libxslt-dev libzip-dev libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev -y. These packages provide the compilation tools and library headers necessary for building Python packages with native extensions.

Create a dedicated Python virtual environment for Odoo isolation. Navigate to the Odoo user’s home directory with sudo -u odoo bash -c "cd /opt/odoo". Create the virtual environment using python3 -m venv odoo-venv. This environment will contain all Python dependencies specific to Odoo, separate from system-level Python packages.

Activate the virtual environment and upgrade core Python packages. Source the activation script with source odoo-venv/bin/activate. Update pip and setuptools using pip install --upgrade pip setuptools. These updated packages ensure compatibility with modern Python package distribution formats and dependency resolution.

Install Odoo’s Python dependencies using the virtual environment’s pip. Execute pip install -r requirements.txt after obtaining Odoo’s specific requirement file. Alternatively, install common dependencies individually including pip install psycopg2-binary pillow lxml jinja2. These packages provide database connectivity, image processing, XML handling, and template rendering capabilities.

Odoo 18 Application Installation and Configuration

Source Code Deployment and Dependency Resolution

Download the Odoo 18 source code from the official repository. Install Git version control with sudo apt install git -y if not already present. Clone the Odoo source code using sudo -u odoo git clone https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git --depth 1 --branch 18.0 /opt/odoo/odoo-18. This command retrieves only the latest commit from the Odoo 18 branch, conserving bandwidth and storage space.

Install Odoo’s Python dependencies from the requirements file. Activate the virtual environment as the odoo user with sudo -u odoo bash -c "source /opt/odoo/odoo-venv/bin/activate". Install dependencies using pip install -r /opt/odoo/odoo-18/requirements.txt. This comprehensive installation process may take several minutes as it compiles numerous Python packages with native extensions.

Handle common dependency conflicts specific to Ubuntu 18.04’s older package ecosystem. Some Python packages may require newer system libraries than those available in Ubuntu 18.04’s repositories. For these cases, use pip’s --no-binary option to force compilation against available system libraries. Monitor the installation output for compilation errors and address them individually.

Verify the Odoo installation by testing the command-line interface. Execute sudo -u odoo bash -c "source /opt/odoo/odoo-venv/bin/activate && python /opt/odoo/odoo-18/odoo-bin --help". This command should display Odoo’s help information without Python import errors. Successful execution confirms proper dependency resolution and Python path configuration.

Application Configuration and Service Setup

Create Odoo’s configuration file with production-appropriate settings. Establish the configuration directory with sudo mkdir /etc/odoo and set ownership with sudo chown odoo:odoo /etc/odoo. Create /etc/odoo/odoo.conf with the odoo user as owner. This configuration file will control Odoo’s runtime behavior and database connection parameters.

Populate the configuration file with essential settings. The file should specify database connection parameters, including db_host=localhost and db_user=odoo. Set db_password to the PostgreSQL password established earlier. Configure file paths with addons_path = /opt/odoo/odoo-18/addons and specify logfile = /var/log/odoo/odoo.log for centralized logging.

Create a systemd service unit for Odoo process management. Establish /etc/systemd/system/odoo.service with root ownership. This service file should specify the odoo user as the process owner and define the startup command including the virtual environment activation. The service configuration ensures proper process isolation and automatic restarts on failure.

Enable and start the Odoo service with systemd controls. Execute sudo systemctl daemon-reload to load the new service definition. Start Odoo with sudo systemctl start odoo and enable automatic startup on boot with sudo systemctl enable odoo. Verify service operation with sudo systemctl status odoo, which should show an active running state.

Nginx Reverse Proxy Configuration

Install Nginx from Ubuntu’s repositories using sudo apt install nginx -y. This installation provides a robust, high-performance web server capable of handling concurrent Odoo connections. The Nginx reverse proxy will manage SSL termination and static file serving, improving overall system performance.

Configure Nginx as a reverse proxy for Odoo application traffic. Create a new configuration file at /etc/nginx/sites-available/odoo with server block directives. This configuration should proxy requests to Odoo’s listening port (default 8069) while handling static files directly. The proxy setup improves security by isolating the application server from direct internet exposure.

Optimize Nginx for Odoo’s traffic patterns and resource requirements. Set appropriate client_max_body_size for file uploads, typically 64M or higher for business document processing. Configure proxy buffer settings to handle large Odoo pages efficiently. Enable gzip compression for text-based content to reduce bandwidth usage and improve page load times.

Enable the Odoo site configuration and secure Nginx operation. Create a symbolic link with sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/odoo /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/odoo. Remove the default Nginx site with sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default. Test the configuration with sudo nginx -t and restart Nginx with sudo systemctl restart nginx to apply changes.

Security Hardening and Access Control

Application-Level Security Measures

Configure Odoo’s built-in security features for production deployment. Set listener = 127.0.0.1 in odoo.conf to restrict network exposure to localhost only. This configuration ensures Odoo only accepts connections through the Nginx reverse proxy, preventing direct external access to the application server.

Implement strong password policies for Odoo user accounts. Modify the auth_password_policy module settings to enforce minimum password complexity requirements. Configure session expiration timeouts with session_timeout_delay to automatically log out inactive users. These measures protect against unauthorized access through credential theft or session hijacking.

Secure database access through PostgreSQL configuration enhancements. Modify pg_hba.conf to require password authentication for all odoo user connections, even from localhost. Set appropriate connection limits for the odoo database user to prevent resource exhaustion attacks. Regular PostgreSQL security updates address newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Implement file system security controls for Odoo’s data storage. Set strict ownership and permissions on the Odoo directory tree with sudo chown -R odoo:odoo /opt/odoo. Restrict access to configuration files containing database credentials with sudo chmod 640 /etc/odoo/odoo.conf. These controls prevent unauthorized reading of sensitive configuration data.

Network Security and SSL Implementation

Install and configure SSL certificates for encrypted web traffic. Use Certbot with Let’s Encrypt to obtain free trusted certificates with sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y. Execute sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com to request and install certificates automatically. This encryption protects user sessions and data transmission from eavesdropping.

Configure Nginx with strong SSL security settings. Implement modern cipher suites that provide forward secrecy while disabling weak encryption protocols. Set appropriate HSTS headers to enforce HTTPS connections browser-side. Regular certificate renewal ensures continuous encryption protection without service interruption.

Implement network-level security controls through UFW configuration. Restrict administrative access to specific source IP ranges where possible. Monitor firewall logs for unauthorized connection attempts. These network controls provide defense in depth beyond application-level security measures.

Performance Optimization and Monitoring

Database Performance Tuning

Optimize PostgreSQL configuration for Odoo’s workload characteristics. Modify /etc/postgresql/10/main/postgresql.conf to allocate appropriate shared_buffers (typically 25% of available RAM). Set effective_cache_size to approximately 75% of total RAM for query planning accuracy. These memory adjustments improve database performance significantly.

Implement database maintenance routines for long-term performance. Schedule regular vacuum and analyze operations during low-usage periods using PostgreSQL’s autovacuum daemon. Monitor table bloat and index usage to identify optimization opportunities. Regular reindexing of frequently updated tables maintains query performance.

Configure Odoo’s database connection pooling to reduce connection overhead. Set db_maxconn in odoo.conf to appropriate values based on available RAM and expected concurrent users. Monitor database connection counts during peak usage to identify necessary adjustments. Proper connection management prevents database resource exhaustion.

Application Server Optimization

Implement Odoo’s built-in caching mechanisms for frequently accessed data. Configure the --cache command-line parameter with appropriate memory limits and timeout values. Enable --workers for multi-process operation, setting the count based on available CPU cores and RAM. These optimizations reduce database load and improve response times.

Monitor system resource utilization to identify performance bottlenecks. Install and configure monitoring tools like htop, iotop, and nethogs for real-time system observation. Track Odoo’s internal metrics through its web interface and log analysis. Proactive monitoring identifies issues before they impact users.

Optimize static file delivery through Nginx configuration. Implement browser caching with appropriate expiration headers for CSS, JavaScript, and image files. Configure Nginx to serve static files directly from the filesystem, bypassing the Odoo application server. These optimizations reduce application server load and improve page load times.

Backup Strategies and Disaster Recovery

Comprehensive Backup Implementation

Implement automated database backup procedures using PostgreSQL’s native tools. Schedule regular pg_dump operations to capture complete database snapshots. Store backups in a secure off-server location to protect against hardware failure. Test backup restoration procedures regularly to ensure data recoverability.

Back up Odoo’s filestore directory containing document attachments and images. Use rsync or similar tools to create synchronized copies of this data. Coordinate filestore backups with database backups to maintain referential integrity. This comprehensive approach ensures complete business data preservation.

Configure Odoo’s built-in backup functionality through the web interface. Schedule automatic backups through Odoo’s database management tools. Download these backups to secure storage for additional protection. Multiple backup methods provide redundancy against failure in any single approach.

System Recovery Procedures

Document complete system restoration procedures for disaster recovery scenarios. Test the restoration process on a regular basis to verify backup integrity and procedure accuracy. Maintain copies of configuration files and installation scripts to accelerate recovery operations. This preparation minimizes downtime during critical recovery situations.

Implement monitoring and alerting for backup process failures. Configure system notifications when scheduled backups do not complete successfully. Regular verification of backup file integrity prevents undetected backup corruption. These safeguards ensure backup reliability when needed for actual recovery.