Install CockroachDB on Linux

Download the binary

The CockroachDB binary for Linux requires glibc, libncurses, and tzdata, which are found by default on nearly all Linux distributions, with Alpine as the notable exception.

1. Download the CockroachDB archive for Linux and the supporting libraries that are used to provide spatial features, and copy the binary into your PATH so you can execute cockroach commands from any shell:

   $ curl https://binaries.cockroachdb.com/cockroach-v21.2.17.linux-amd64.tgz | tar -xz && sudo cp -i cockroach-v21.2.17.linux-amd64/cockroach /usr/local/bin/

   If you get a permissions error, prefix the command with sudo.

Note:

If you plan to use CockroachDB's spatial features, you must complete the following steps. Otherwise, your installation is now complete.

2. CockroachDB uses custom-built versions of the GEOS libraries. Copy these libraries to one of the locations where CockroachDB expects to find them.

   By default, CockroachDB looks for external libraries in /usr/local/lib/cockroach or a lib subdirectory of the CockroachDB binary's current directory. If you place these libraries in another location, you must pass the location in the --spatial-libs flag to cockroach start. The instructions below assume the /usr/local/lib/cockroach location.

   1. Create the directory where the external libraries will be stored:

      mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/cockroach

   2. Copy the library files to the directory:

      cp -i cockroach-v21.2.17.linux-amd64/lib/libgeos.so /usr/local/lib/cockroach/

      cp -i cockroach-v21.2.17.linux-amd64/lib/libgeos_c.so /usr/local/lib/cockroach/

      If you get a permissions error, prefix the command with sudo.

3. Verify that CockroachDB can execute spatial queries.

   1. Make sure the cockroach binary you just installed is the one that runs when you type cockroach in your shell:

      which cockroach

      /usr/local/bin/cockroach

   2. Start a temporary, in-memory cluster using cockroach demo:

      cockroach demo

   3. In the demo cluster's interactive SQL shell, run the following command to test that the spatial libraries have loaded properly:

      > SELECT ST_IsValid(ST_MakePoint(1,2));

      You should see the following output:

        st_isvalid
      --------------
      true
      (1 row)

      If your cockroach binary is not properly accessing the dynamically linked C libraries in /usr/local/lib/cockroach, it will output an error message like the one below.

      ERROR: st_isvalid(): geos: error during GEOS init: geos: cannot load GEOS from dir "/usr/local/lib/cockroach": failed to execute dlopen
                Failed running "sql"

4. Keep up-to-date with CockroachDB releases and best practices:

   Thanks!

Use Kubernetes

To orchestrate CockroachDB using Kubernetes, either with configuration files or the Helm package manager, use the following tutorials:

• Orchestrate CockroachDB Locally with Minikube
• Orchestrate CockroachDB in a Single Kubernetes Cluster
• Orchestrate CockroachDB Across Multiple Kubernetes Clusters

Use Docker

1. Install Docker for Linux. Please carefully check that you meet all prerequisites.

2. Confirm that the Docker daemon is running in the background:

   $ docker version

   If you do not see the server listed, start the Docker daemon.

   Note:

   On Linux, Docker needs sudo privileges.

3. Pull the image for the v21.2.17 release of CockroachDB from Docker Hub:

   $ sudo docker pull cockroachdb/cockroach:v21.2.17

4. Keep up-to-date with CockroachDB releases and best practices:

   Thanks!

Build from Source

See the public wiki for guidance.