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Learn How to Install and Run Rocket.Chat on Debian VPS! This article describes how to install and run Rocket.Chat on Debian VPS. What is Rocket.Chat? Rocket.Chat is an open-source communication platform designed for team collaboration and messaging, similar to Slack or Microsoft Teams. It offers a flexible, self-hosted alternative for businesses, communities, and developers who want full control over their data and communication infrastructure. Key Features: Real-time chat (channels, private groups, direct messages) Voice and video conferencing (via Jitsi or native integrations) File sharing and screen sharing End-to-end encryption Extensive customization through themes, roles, and permissions Powerful integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Zapier, Jira, etc.) Mobile and desktop apps Federation support (communicate across different Rocket.Chat servers) Use Cases: Team collaboration (remote or on-premise) Customer support chat (via website widget) Community engagement (for open-source or educational platforms) Secure internal messaging (for enterprises and regulated industries) Hosting Options: Self-hosted (on your own VPS server) Cloud-hosted (Rocket.Chat offers managed hosting) It’s ideal for organizations seeking a secure, open-source, and customizable communication solution that doesn’t rely on third-party SaaS providers. ✅ Prerequisites Ensure you have: A Debian 12 VPS (1GB+ RAM minimum; 2GB+ recommended) Root access or sudo privileges A domain/subdomain (optional but recommended) A static IP address 🚀 How to Install and Run Rocket.Chat on Debian VPS To install and Run Rocket.Chat on Debian VPS, follow the steps below: Update System Packages sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y Install Required Dependencies sudo apt-get install gnupg curl build-essential graphicsmagick -y Install Node.js Rocket.Chat supports Node.js v22. We'll use NodeSource: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs Verify installation: node -v npm -v Install Deno Custom Deno install script automates supported version installation: curl -fsSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/radwebhosting/d3b211bd2e2ac6e5f22b6b259e7d4a64/raw/2eb39985ba0b477aad633ef8bbe322d06ee8efa0/install-deno.sh | sh Install MongoDB To import the MongoDB public GPG key, run the following command: curl -fsSL https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-7.0.asc | \ sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg \ --dearmor Create the list file for Debian 12 (Bookworm): echo "deb http://repo.mongodb.org/apt/debian bookworm/mongodb-org/7.0 main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-7.0.list Reload local package database: sudo apt-get update Install the preferred MongoDB version: sudo apt-get install -y \ mongodb-org7.0.22 \ mongodb-org-database7.0.22 \ mongodb-org-server7.0.22 \ mongodb-mongosh \ mongodb-org-shell7.0.22 \ mongodb-org-mongos7.0.22 \ mongodb-org-tools7.0.22 \ mongodb-org-database-tools-extra7.0.22 To prevent unintended breaking updates, it is recommended to pin the package at the currently installed version: echo "mongodb-org hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-database hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-server hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-mongosh hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-mongos hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-cryptd hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-tools hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections echo "mongodb-org-database-tools-extra hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections Configure MongoDB to enable replication and specify the replication set as rs01, so that /etc/mongod.conf resembles the following: # mongod.conf # Where and how to store data. storage: dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb # where to write logging data. systemLog: destination: file logAppend: true path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log # network interfaces net: port: 27017 bindIp: 127.0.0.1 # Replace with your IP address # how the process runs processManagement: timeZoneInfo: /usr/share/zoneinfo # Replication settings replication: replSetName: rs01 Enable and start MongoDB: sudo systemctl enable --now mongod sudo systemctl restart mongod Next, initialize the replica set: mongosh --eval "printjson(rs.initiate())" Verify status: sudo systemctl status mongod Download and Extract Rocket.Chat For stability and compatibility, it is recommended to install a specific version (view Release Document for available versions): sudo curl -L https://releases.rocket.chat/7.9.0/download -o /tmp/rocket.chat.tgz tar -xzf /tmp/rocket.chat.tgz -C /tmp cd /tmp/bundle/programs/server && npm install sudo mv /tmp/bundle /opt/Rocket.Chat Create Rocket.Chat User sudo useradd -M rocketchat && sudo usermod -L rocketchat sudo chown -R rocketchat:rocketchat /opt/Rocket.Chat Depending on how you install NodeJS, the binary path may be different. Save the path to a variable: NODE_PATH$(which node) Configure Environment Variables Create a systemd service file: cat << EOF |sudo tee -a /lib/systemd/system/rocketchat.service DescriptionThe Rocket.Chat server Afternetwork.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target nginx.service mongod.service ExecStart$NODE_PATH /opt/Rocket.Chat/main.js StandardOutputjournal StandardErrorjournal SyslogIdentifierrocketchat Userrocketchat WantedBymulti-user.target EOF Update the Rocket.Chat file by running: sudo systemctl edit rocketchat Update the file with the information below and save it: EnvironmentROOT_URLhttp://localhost:3000 EnvironmentPORT3000 EnvironmentMONGO_URLmongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSetrs01 EnvironmentMONGO_OPLOG_URLmongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSetrs01 # The `MONGO_OPLOG_URL` variable is not required. It has been deprecated and will be removed in the version 8.0.0 Enable and Start Rocket.Chat Start Rocket.Chat: sudo systemctl enable --now rocketchat Check status: sudo systemctl status rocketchat If the Rocket.Chat configuration is edited, reload the daemon and restart Rocket.Chat using the following commands: sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl restart rocketchat Install Nginx Install Nginx: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install nginx -y Reverse Proxy with Nginx Create the config file: sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/rocketchat Paste the following (replace your-domain.com): server { listen 80; server_name your-domain.com; location / { proxy_pass http://localhost:3000/; proxy_http_version 1.1; proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade; proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade"; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forward-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forward-Proto http; proxy_set_header X-Nginx-Proxy true; proxy_redirect off; } } Enable the config: sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/rocketchat /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/rocketchat sudo nginx -t sudo systemctl restart nginx Add SSL Install Certbot and Nginx plugin: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y Install a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate: sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com Certbot will automatically adjust your Nginx config and reload Nginx. Access Rocket.Chat Go to: 📱 https://your-domain.com or 🖥️ http://your-server-ip:3000 (if domain not configured) Rocket.Chat Setup Wizard Complete the web setup wizard. Optional: Enable Auto-start on Boot Make sure Rocket.Chat and MongoDB auto-start: sudo systemctl enable rocketchat sudo systemctl enable mongod 🔧 Troubleshooting Tips Rocket.Chat not starting? Run: journalctl -u rocketchat -f to view logs. MongoDB connection error? Ensure MongoDB is running and accessible. Web UI issues? Make sure you set correct ROOT_URL. 📌 Summary Component Installed Location Rocket.Chat /opt/Rocket.Chat/ Node.js /usr/bin/node MongoDB Localhost port 27017 Nginx Config /etc/nginx/sites-available/rocketchat Conclusion You now know how to install and run Rocket.Chat on Debian VPS. Next step 👉 Integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton Server

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