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Learn How to Install Canvas LMS on Ubuntu VPS! This article provides a guide demonstrating how to install Canvas LMS on Ubuntu VPS. What is Canvas LMS? Canvas LMS is a powerful open-source Learning Management System developed by Instructure. It provides course management, assignments, grading, discussions, quizzes, user enrollment, integrations, APIs, and many of the features commonly required by schools, universities, training organizations, and corporate learning environments. Although Instructure offers Canvas as a hosted commercial service, the open-source edition can be installed on your own Ubuntu VPS. This guide walks through deploying a production-ready Canvas LMS server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, including: PostgreSQL Ruby 3.4 Node.js 20 Yarn Redis Canvas LMS Apache Phusion Passenger Background workers HTTPS using Let's Encrypt SMTP configuration Basic production hardening Canvas is considerably more resource-intensive than a typical WordPress or small Rails application. Instructure recommends at least 8 GB of RAM when the web application, database, Redis, and background workers are running on the same machine. For a small production installation, a sensible starting VPS configuration is: Resource Recommended CPU 4 vCPU or more RAM 16 GB minimum Storage 256 GB SSD/NVMe OS Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Database PostgreSQL 14+ Redis Redis 6+ Ruby Ruby 3.4.1+ Node.js Node.js 20+ For larger deployments, PostgreSQL, Redis, Canvas web nodes, background workers, and object storage should eventually be separated. How to Install Canvas LMS on Ubuntu VPS To install Canvas LMS on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps below: 1. Prepare the DNS Records Before installing Canvas, create DNS records pointing to your VPS. For example: canvas.example.com A 192.0.2.10 canvasfiles.example.com A 192.0.2.10 Replace 192.0.2.10 with the public IP address of your VPS. The second hostname is important because Canvas recommends serving user-uploaded content from a hostname separate from the main Canvas application. Instructure specifically notes that files_domain should be a different hostname from the browser's perspective, even if both hostnames ultimately point to the same web server. Throughout this guide, replace: canvas.example.com with your actual Canvas hostname. 2. Connect to the Ubuntu VPS Connect over SSH: ssh root@SERVER_IP Update the server: apt update apt upgrade -y Install some basic utilities: apt install -y \ curl \ wget \ git \ nano \ unzip \ ca-certificates \ gnupg \ software-properties-common \ build-essential Set the hostname if necessary: hostnamectl set-hostname canvas.example.com Confirm: hostnamectl 3. Create an Administrative User Although you can initially configure the server as root, it is better to create a normal sudo-enabled administrator. For example: adduser canvasadmin Add the account to the sudo group: usermod -aG sudo canvasadmin Switch to it: su - canvasadmin For the remainder of the guide, commands requiring elevated privileges use sudo. 4. Configure the Firewall If UFW is enabled, allow SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS: sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 80/tcp sudo ufw allow 443/tcp Enable UFW: sudo ufw enable Check the rules: sudo ufw status You should see ports 22, 80, and 443 allowed. Do not expose PostgreSQL or Redis publicly when they are installed locally. 5. Install PostgreSQL Canvas uses PostgreSQL for its production database and currently requires PostgreSQL 14 or newer. Ubuntu 22.04 provides PostgreSQL 14: sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib libpq-dev Start and enable PostgreSQL: sudo systemctl enable --now postgresql Verify: sudo systemctl status postgresql Check its version: psql --version You should have PostgreSQL 14 or newer. 6. Create the Canvas PostgreSQL User and Database Create a dedicated PostgreSQL account: sudo -u postgres createuser canvas \ --no-createdb \ --no-superuser \ --no-createrole \ --pwprompt You will be prompted to create a database password. Use a long random password and save it securely. For example: YOUR_STRONG_DATABASE_PASSWORD Create the Canvas production database: sudo -u postgres createdb canvas_production --ownercanvas Verify: sudo -u postgres psql -c "\l" You should see: canvas_production owned by: canvas Test the database login: psql -h localhost -U canvas -d canvas_production Enter the database password. If successful, quit PostgreSQL with: \q 7. Install Redis Redis is strongly recommended by Canvas and is required by some Canvas functionality, including OAuth-related functionality. The current production documentation specifies Redis 6.x or later. Install Redis: sudo apt install -y redis-server Enable it: sudo systemctl enable --now redis-server Test Redis: redis-cli ping Expected response: PONG Check the version: redis-server --version For a single-server installation, Redis should remain bound to localhost. Check: sudo ss -lntp | grep 6379 You generally want Redis listening only on: 127.0.0.1:6379 or another private/internal address. 8. Install Canvas Ruby Dependencies Current Canvas releases require at least Ruby 3.4.1. Ruby 3.5+ is currently described by the Canvas production documentation as untested. Instructure maintains an Ubuntu Ruby PPA. Add it: sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:instructure/ruby sudo apt update Install Ruby and the required development libraries: sudo apt install -y \ ruby3.4 \ ruby3.4-dev \ zlib1g-dev \ libxml2-dev \ libsqlite3-dev \ libpq-dev \ libxmlsec1-dev \ libyaml-dev \ libidn11-dev \ curl \ make \ g++ These dependencies closely follow Instructure's current production installation recommendations. Check Ruby: ruby --version You want something similar to: ruby 3.4.x If Ubuntu still points ruby at another version, inspect: which ruby ruby --version 9. Install Node.js 20 Canvas currently requires Node.js 20 or newer, and the current source tree specifies Node.js >20.0.0. The repository's .nvmrc currently points to Node 20.9.0. Install Node.js 20 from NodeSource: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash - Install Node: sudo apt install -y nodejs Check it: node --version npm --version You should see Node 20.x or newer. 10. Install Yarn Canvas continues to use Yarn 1.x for its JavaScript dependency tree. The current package configuration specifies Yarn ^1.19.1. Install Yarn: sudo npm install -g yarn Check: yarn --version A Yarn 1.x release should be returned. Do not use Yarn Berry/Yarn 2+ unless the Canvas source branch explicitly changes its package requirements. 11. Create the Canvas Runtime User Create a dedicated system account that will run Canvas: sudo adduser \ --disabled-password \ --gecos "" \ canvasuser Canvas will ultimately run under this account instead of root. 12. Download Canvas LMS Move to a temporary working directory: cd ~ Clone the official repository: git clone https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms.git Enter it: cd canvas-lms For a production installation, use Instructure's production branch: git checkout prod The official Production Start documentation currently recommends the prod branch for production deployments. Confirm: git branch --show-current Expected: prod 13. Move Canvas to /var/canvas Create the production application directory: sudo mkdir -p /var/canvas Give your administrative user temporary ownership: sudo chown -R "$USER":"$USER" /var/canvas Copy the Canvas application: cp -a ~/canvas-lms/. /var/canvas/ Enter the application directory: cd /var/canvas Confirm: ls You should see directories such as: app config db doc gems lib public script ui along with: Gemfile Rakefile package.json 14. Install Bundler Canvas uses Bundler to manage its Ruby dependencies. The current Canvas lock file identifies Bundler 2.6.7, so installing that version avoids unnecessary dependency-resolution differences. Install Bundler: sudo gem install bundler -v 2.6.7 Verify: bundle --version Configure dependencies to install underneath the Canvas tree: bundle config set --local path vendor/bundle Then install the gems: bundle install This can take several minutes and consume substantial CPU and RAM. If compilation fails, review the error carefully. Most gem failures indicate a missing development library rather than a Canvas problem. 15. Install Canvas JavaScript Dependencies From /var/canvas: yarn install This downloads a substantial dependency tree. Verify it completes without errors. If Yarn complains about Node compatibility, check: node --version and: cat package.json | grep -A3 '"engines"' Do not bypass engine checks unless you have a very specific reason to do so. 16. Create Canvas Configuration Files Canvas ships example configuration files that must be copied before initialization. Run: cd /var/canvas Then: for config in amazon_s3 database vault_contents delayed_jobs domain file_store outgoing_mail security external_migration; do cp config/${config}.yml.example config/${config}.yml done Also create the dynamic settings file: cp config/dynamic_settings.yml.example config/dynamic_settings.yml 17. Configure the Database Edit: nano config/database.yml Find the production section and configure it similar to: production: adapter: postgresql encoding: utf8 database: canvas_production host: localhost username: canvas password: "YOUR_STRONG_DATABASE_PASSWORD" timeout: 5000 Save the file. Test the credentials independently if needed: PGPASSWORD'YOUR_STRONG_DATABASE_PASSWORD' \ psql -h localhost -U canvas -d canvas_production -c "SELECT version();" If PostgreSQL responds, Canvas should be able to connect as well. 18. Configure the Canvas Domain Edit: nano config/domain.yml Configure the production section: production: domain: "canvas.example.com" ssl: true files_domain: "canvasfiles.example.com" The important values are: domain files_domain ssl Use only hostnames here; do not add: https:// before the domain unless the particular setting explicitly calls for a URL. 19. Configure Canvas Security Secrets Copying the example already created: config/security.yml Edit it: nano config/security.yml Canvas requires randomized secret values. The official documentation requires random strings of at least 20 characters. Generate strong secrets with: openssl rand -hex 64 Run the command separately for each required secret. For example: openssl rand -hex 64 openssl rand -hex 64 openssl rand -hex 64 Place the generated strings into the corresponding production values in security.yml. Never reuse the example secrets in production. Never publish this file. 20. Configure Redis Create the Redis configuration: cp config/redis.yml.example config/redis.yml Edit it: nano config/redis.yml Configure: production: url: - redis://127.0.0.1:6379/0 Now configure Canvas caching: cp config/cache_store.yml.example config/cache_store.yml Edit: nano config/cache_store.yml Use: production: cache_store: redis_cache_store This matches the Redis cache configuration recommended in the current Canvas Production Start documentation. 21. Configure Outgoing Email Canvas relies heavily on email for notifications, invitations, password resets, announcements, and course activity. Edit: nano config/outgoing_mail.yml A typical authenticated SMTP configuration resembles: production: address: "smtp.example.com" port: "587" user_name: "canvas@example.com" password: "YOUR_SMTP_PASSWORD" authentication: "plain" enable_starttls_auto: true domain: "example.com" outgoing_address: "canvas@example.com" default_name: "Canvas LMS" Replace these settings with your SMTP provider's actual information. The domain and outgoing_address fields describe Canvas's outbound identity, while the SMTP address, credentials, and port describe the mail server connection. For production email deliverability, also configure: SPF DKIM DMARC valid PTR/rDNS where applicable 22. Prepare Canvas Runtime Directories Create required directories: cd /var/canvas Run: mkdir -p \ log \ tmp/pids \ public/assets \ app/stylesheets/brandable_css_brands Create required files: touch app/stylesheets/_brandable_variables_defaults_autogenerated.scss touch log/production.log 23. Initialize the Canvas Database Before running initialization, generate the asset revision: yarn gulp rev Now run the initial Canvas database setup: RAILS_ENVproduction bundle exec rake db:initial_setup Canvas will prompt for information including: Admin email Admin password Organization/account name Usage statistics preference For example: Admin email: admin@example.com Account name: Example University Use a strong administrator password. Canvas also supports environment variables for automating these answers: CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_EMAIL CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_PASSWORD CANVAS_LMS_ACCOUNT_NAME CANVAS_LMS_STATS_COLLECTION The official installer supports opt_in, opt_out, or anonymized for statistics collection. After initialization, your Canvas database should contain the required schema and initial administrator account. 24. Compile Canvas Production Assets Canvas must build its CSS, JavaScript, branding, and other static assets before the interface will work correctly. Run: cd /var/canvas Then: RAILS_ENVproduction \ SASS_STYLEcompressed \ bundle exec rake canvas:compile_assets Asset compilation is one of the most resource-intensive stages of the installation. On a smaller VPS, compilation may fail because of memory exhaustion. If necessary, temporarily create swap: sudo fallocate -l 8G /swapfile sudo chmod 600 /swapfile sudo mkswap /swapfile sudo swapon /swapfile Verify: free -h You can also reduce Canvas build concurrency: export CANVAS_BUILD_CONCURRENCY1 Then rerun the asset compilation. Recent Canvas deployment experience confirms that missing or failed asset compilation can leave the Rails application technically accessible while the UI is incomplete, broken, or unstyled. 25. Set Canvas File Ownership Set the Canvas runtime user as the owner of files it must modify: sudo chown -R canvasuser:canvasuser \ /var/canvas/log \ /var/canvas/tmp \ /var/canvas/public/assets \ /var/canvas/public/dist \ /var/canvas/app/stylesheets/brandable_css_brands Also: sudo chown canvasuser:canvasuser \ /var/canvas/config/environment.rb \ /var/canvas/config.ru \ /var/canvas/app/stylesheets/_brandable_variables_defaults_autogenerated.scss Protect sensitive configuration files: sudo chown canvasuser:canvasuser /var/canvas/config/*.yml sudo chmod 400 /var/canvas/config/*.yml Canvas's production documentation specifically recommends restricting these YAML files because they can contain database passwords, SMTP credentials, encryption keys, and other secrets. 26. Install Apache Canvas's official production deployment guide uses Apache + Phusion Passenger. Install Apache: sudo apt install -y apache2 Enable common required modules: sudo a2enmod rewrite sudo a2enmod ssl sudo a2enmod headers 27. Install Phusion Passenger Install the repository prerequisites: sudo apt install -y \ dirmngr \ gnupg \ apt-transport-https \ ca-certificates \ curl Install Phusion's current signing key: curl https://oss-binaries.phusionpassenger.com/auto-software-signing-gpg-key-2025.txt \ | gpg --dearmor \ | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/phusion.gpg >/dev/null Add the Ubuntu 22.04/Jammy Passenger repository: echo "deb https://oss-binaries.phusionpassenger.com/apt/passenger jammy main" \ | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/passenger.list Update: sudo apt update Install Passenger's Apache module: sudo apt install -y libapache2-mod-passenger Enable Passenger: sudo a2enmod passenger Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 These commands use Phusion's current repository/key installation method rather than the older deprecated apt-key workflow. Validate Passenger: sudo passenger-config validate-install All checks should pass. 28. Tell Passenger Which Ruby to Use Determine Ruby's location: which ruby For example: /usr/bin/ruby Inspect Passenger configuration: sudo nano /etc/apache2/mods-available/passenger.conf Ensure Passenger is using the correct Ruby. For example: PassengerRuby /usr/bin/ruby PassengerDefaultUser canvasuser Verify Ruby: /usr/bin/ruby --version Make sure it reports Ruby 3.4.x. Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 29. Create the Canvas Apache VirtualHost Disable the default Apache site: sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf Create: sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/canvas.conf Initially configure HTTP: ServerName canvas.example.com ServerAlias canvasfiles.example.com ServerAdmin admin@example.com DocumentRoot /var/canvas/public SetEnv RAILS_ENV production PassengerAppEnv production PassengerDefaultUser canvasuser Options FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/canvas_error.log CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/canvas_access.log combined Enable it: sudo a2ensite canvas.conf Check the configuration: sudo apachectl configtest Expected: Syntax OK Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 30. Test Canvas Before Adding SSL Check Apache: sudo systemctl status apache2 Check Canvas: curl -I http://canvas.example.com/ Also check: curl -I http://canvas.example.com/health_check If Canvas starts correctly, you should receive an HTTP response rather than a Passenger application error. You can also watch Canvas's production log: sudo tail -f /var/canvas/log/production.log And Apache: sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/canvas_error.log These two logs are extremely useful during initial deployment. 31. Install Let's Encrypt SSL Install Certbot: sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache Request certificates for both Canvas hostnames: sudo certbot --apache \ -d canvas.example.com \ -d canvasfiles.example.com Certbot will: Validate the DNS records. Request the certificates. Modify the Apache VirtualHost. Configure HTTPS. Optionally redirect HTTP to HTTPS. Verify renewal: sudo certbot renew --dry-run Check the timer: systemctl status certbot.timer 32. Verify HTTPS Test: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/ Then: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/health_check Open: https://canvas.example.com in your browser. You should reach the Canvas login interface. Log in using the administrator credentials created during: RAILS_ENVproduction bundle exec rake db:initial_setup 33. Configure Canvas Background Jobs Canvas relies heavily on background jobs for: email notifications reports statistics course operations file processing scheduled tasks imports and exports other asynchronous actions Canvas will not function correctly without the background job worker. The Canvas source includes: /var/canvas/script/canvas_init Create the service link: sudo ln -s /var/canvas/script/canvas_init /etc/init.d/canvas_init Register it: sudo update-rc.d canvas_init defaults Start it: sudo /etc/init.d/canvas_init start Check processes: ps aux | grep delayed_job You should see Canvas delayed job workers. The current Canvas source still contains the canvas_init script, and its purpose is specifically to start and stop Canvas background jobs under RAILS_ENVproduction. For a larger installation, you can dedicate one or more separate Canvas application nodes exclusively to processing these background jobs. 34. Verify Canvas Services Check PostgreSQL: sudo systemctl status postgresql Check Redis: sudo systemctl status redis-server Check Apache: sudo systemctl status apache2 Check Passenger: sudo passenger-memory-stats Check workers: ps aux | grep delayed_job Check HTTP: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/ Check health endpoint: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/health_check 35. Test Redis from Canvas You can verify that Rails boots in production mode: cd /var/canvas Run: sudo -u canvasuser \ RAILS_ENVproduction \ bundle exec rails runner 'puts Rails.env' Expected: production You can also check Redis directly: redis-cli ping Expected: PONG 36. Test Outgoing Email After logging into Canvas, configure an account with a valid email address and trigger a notification or password reset. Watch: sudo tail -f /var/canvas/log/production.log If delivery fails, common causes include: incorrect SMTP password blocked SMTP port wrong TLS mode invalid sender address provider requiring SMTP AUTH SPF/DKIM misconfiguration VPS provider blocking outbound port 25 Where possible, use authenticated SMTP submission over: 587 rather than sending directly over port 25. 37. Optional: Enable X-Sendfile If Canvas stores uploaded files locally, Apache's X-Sendfile support can improve file download performance by allowing Apache to serve file content directly instead of passing it through Rails. Install: sudo apt install -y libapache2-mod-xsendfile Verify: sudo apachectl -M | grep xsendfile You should see: xsendfile_module Add to the Canvas VirtualHost: XSendFile On XSendFilePath /var/canvas Canvas's production documentation recommends this optimization for installations using local file storage. Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 38. Understand the Canvas Files Domain Canvas should ideally use: canvas.example.com for the application and: canvasfiles.example.com for uploaded content. This provides a security boundary between the Canvas application and user-controlled files. Both DNS records can point to the same VPS: canvas.example.com -> VPS IP canvasfiles.example.com -> VPS IP and both can be handled by the same Apache configuration. What matters is that browsers see them as separate origins. 39. Consider Object Storage for Production Local disk storage works for a small Canvas installation, but it becomes a limitation as course uploads grow. For a more scalable deployment, consider S3-compatible object storage. That allows Canvas web servers to remain relatively disposable while uploaded content lives independently. A more scalable architecture might look like: +-------------------+ | Load Balancer | +---------+---------+ | +---------+---------+ | | +------v------+ +------v------+ | Canvas Web 1 | | Canvas Web 2 | +------+------+ +------+-------+ | | +---------+---------+ | +--------------------+--------------------+ | | | +------v------+ +------v------+ +------v------+ | PostgreSQL | | Redis | | Object/S3 | +-------------+ +-------------+ +-------------+ | +------v------+ | Canvas Jobs | +-------------+ For a small VPS, however, running everything on one host is a reasonable starting point. 40. Configure Automatic Security Updates Install: sudo apt install -y unattended-upgrades Enable: sudo dpkg-reconfigure --prioritylow unattended-upgrades Remember that Canvas itself is not updated through Ubuntu's package manager because it was installed from Git. 41. Back Up Canvas At minimum, back up: PostgreSQL sudo -u postgres pg_dump \ -Fc \ canvas_production \ > /root/canvas_production.dump Canvas configuration sudo tar czf /root/canvas-config.tar.gz \ /var/canvas/config Uploaded files If using local file storage, back up the Canvas file store as well. SSL certificates Certbot certificates live under: /etc/letsencrypt A proper backup strategy should therefore protect: PostgreSQL database Canvas uploaded files /var/canvas/config /etc/letsencrypt custom branding/themes external integration credentials Do not rely only on a VPS snapshot as your sole backup. 42. Updating Canvas LMS Before every update: Back up PostgreSQL. Back up configuration. Take a VPS snapshot if available. Review Canvas changes before deploying. Schedule maintenance if necessary. Enter Canvas: cd /var/canvas Confirm the branch: git status git branch --show-current Retrieve updates: git fetch origin Update the production branch: git checkout prod git pull Install Ruby dependencies: bundle install Install JavaScript dependencies: yarn install Run database migrations: RAILS_ENVproduction bundle exec rake db:migrate Recompile assets: RAILS_ENVproduction \ SASS_STYLEcompressed \ bundle exec rake canvas:compile_assets Canvas's production documentation also recommends regenerating existing themes after subsequent updates: RAILS_ENVproduction \ bundle exec rake brand_configs:generate_and_upload_all Restore ownership: sudo chown -R canvasuser:canvasuser \ /var/canvas/log \ /var/canvas/tmp \ /var/canvas/public/assets \ /var/canvas/public/dist Restart workers: sudo /etc/init.d/canvas_init restart Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 Then test: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/health_check 43. Useful Troubleshooting Commands Check Canvas sudo tail -100 /var/canvas/log/production.log Or follow live: sudo tail -f /var/canvas/log/production.log Check Apache sudo tail -100 /var/log/apache2/canvas_error.log Check Apache syntax sudo apachectl configtest Expected: Syntax OK Check Passenger sudo passenger-config validate-install And: sudo passenger-memory-stats Check PostgreSQL sudo systemctl status postgresql Test the database: psql -h localhost \ -U canvas \ -d canvas_production Check Redis redis-cli ping Expected: PONG Check Canvas workers ps aux | grep delayed_job Verify the installed versions ruby --version node --version yarn --version psql --version redis-server --version apache2 -v 44. Canvas Returns HTTP 500 Start with: sudo tail -100 /var/canvas/log/production.log Then: sudo tail -100 /var/log/apache2/canvas_error.log Common causes are: database credentials are incorrect security.yml is incomplete Canvas cannot read configuration files Passenger is using the wrong Ruby database initialization was not completed pending database migrations Redis configuration is invalid Canvas runtime directories are not writable Check database state: cd /var/canvas RAILS_ENVproduction bundle exec rake db:migrate:status 45. Canvas Loads but Has No CSS This almost always indicates a problem with compiled assets or static asset delivery. Recompile: cd /var/canvas Then: RAILS_ENVproduction \ SASS_STYLEcompressed \ bundle exec rake canvas:compile_assets Check: ls -lah public/dist And: ls -lah public/assets Repair ownership: sudo chown -R canvasuser:canvasuser \ public/dist \ public/assets Then restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 Asset compilation is mandatory; Canvas may otherwise answer requests while presenting a broken interface. 46. Passenger Reports a Ruby Error Check what Canvas itself sees: cd /var/canvas ruby --version bundle exec ruby --version Then inspect Passenger: sudo passenger-config about ruby-command If Passenger is using the wrong Ruby, explicitly configure: PassengerRuby /usr/bin/ruby then: sudo systemctl restart apache2 47. Background Tasks Are Not Running Check: ps aux | grep delayed_job Restart: sudo /etc/init.d/canvas_init restart Then examine: sudo tail -f /var/canvas/log/delayed_job.log and: sudo tail -f /var/canvas/log/production.log Pay particular attention to file permissions on: /var/canvas/config /var/canvas/log /var/canvas/tmp Canvas workers need to read the protected configuration files and write to their runtime directories. 48. Production Security Checklist Before opening the LMS to users, verify all of the following: HTTPS is enabled. HTTP redirects to HTTPS. PostgreSQL is not exposed publicly. Redis is not exposed publicly. Canvas runs as canvasuser, not root. Configuration files are protected. SSH root authentication is restricted where practical. Password authentication is disabled if SSH keys are used. UFW or another firewall is configured. Automatic operating-system security updates are enabled. SMTP credentials are protected. PostgreSQL backups are automated. User-uploaded files are backed up. Off-server backups exist. DNS has been configured correctly. SPF/DKIM/DMARC are configured for outgoing mail. Canvas background workers are running. /health_check responds normally. PostgreSQL, Redis, Apache, and Canvas logs are monitored. 49. Recommended Production Architecture For a small organization: Ubuntu VPS | +-- Apache + Passenger | +-- Canvas LMS | +-- Canvas delayed jobs | +-- PostgreSQL | +-- Redis | +-- Local or S3-compatible file storage For modest production usage, start with roughly: 4-8 vCPU 8-16 GB RAM 100+ GB NVMe For heavier usage, separate components: 2+ Canvas web servers 1+ Canvas jobs server Dedicated PostgreSQL Dedicated Redis S3-compatible object storage Load balancer Central backups Monitoring Canvas's own production documentation explicitly notes that the web application, database, and job processing can be separated and that busy environments benefit from moving job processing onto dedicated nodes. 50. Final Verification Run: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/ Then: curl -I https://canvas.example.com/health_check Check all major services: sudo systemctl status apache2 sudo systemctl status postgresql sudo systemctl status redis-server Check Passenger: sudo passenger-memory-stats Check jobs: ps aux | grep delayed_job Finally visit: https://canvas.example.com and log in with the administrator account created during db:initial_setup. You now have a self-hosted Canvas LMS installation running on an Ubuntu VPS with PostgreSQL, Redis, Apache, Passenger, HTTPS, and Canvas background processing. Important Version Note Canvas LMS is under active development, so dependency requirements can change relatively quickly. As of the current Canvas source and production documentation: Ubuntu reference platform: 22.04 LTS Ruby: 3.4.1+ Node.js: 20+ PostgreSQL: 14+ Redis: 6+ Yarn: 1.x / ^1.19.1 Web server: Apache + Passenger Production branch: prod Instructure's Production Start documentation was most recently updated in May 2026, and the source tree currently pins Ruby 3.4.1 in Gemfile.lock while requiring Node.js 20 or later in package.json. Before installing a future Canvas release or performing a major upgrade, always compare these values with the current prod branch instead of assuming an older Canvas installation guide remains accurate. Conclusion You now know how to install Canvas LMS on Ubuntu VPS.

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