🚀 How to Deploy Open edX on Ubuntu VPS (1 Hour Quick-Start Guide)

This article provides a start-to-finish, production-ready guide demonstrating how to deploy Open edX on Ubuntu VPS. This follows the official Tutor-based deployment, which is the recommended, supported, and upgrade-safe method.

Overview

Open edX is a large, microservice-based learning management system (LMS). The only sane way to deploy it in 2026 is with Tutor, which wraps Docker, Kubernetes-style configuration, upgrades, and plugins into a single workflow.

SEE ALSO: How to Install Sakai LMS on AlmaLinux VPS

This guide covers:

• VPS requirements
• Ubuntu preparation
• Docker & Tutor installation
• Open edX initialization
• HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt
• Admin + Studio access
• Production hardening
• Upgrade strategy

How to Deploy Open edX on Ubuntu VPS

To deploy Open edX on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps provided below:

1. VPS Requirements (Minimum & Recommended)

   Minimum (testing / small schools)

   • OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS/Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
   • CPU: 2 vCPU
   • RAM: 8 GB
   • Disk: 50 GB SSD
   • IPv4: Required
   • Swap: Required

   Recommended (production)

   • CPU: 4 vCPU+
   • RAM: 16 GB+
   • Disk: 100 GB NVMe
   • Bandwidth: 1 TB+
   • Reverse DNS: Optional but recommended

2. Prepare Ubuntu

   Update system

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   sudo reboot
   

   Install base dependencies

   sudo apt install -y \
     ca-certificates \
     curl \
     gnupg \
     lsb-release \
     unzip \
     software-properties-common
   

3. Install Docker (Required)

   Add Docker repository

   curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo bash
   

   Enable Docker

   sudo systemctl enable docker
   sudo systemctl start docker
   

   Allow your user to run Docker

   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   newgrp docker
   

   Verify:

   docker version
   

4. Install Docker Compose Plugin

   mkdir -p ~/.docker/cli-plugins
   curl -SL https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.30.3/docker-compose-linux-x86_64 \
     -o ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
   chmod +x ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
   

   Verify:

   docker compose version
   

5. Install Tutor (Open edX Launcher)

   Tutor manages images, settings, plugins, upgrades, and backups.

   curl -L https://github.com/overhangio/tutor/releases/latest/download/tutor-Linux_x86_64 \
     -o tutor
   chmod +x tutor
   sudo mv tutor /usr/local/bin/tutor
   

   Verify:

   tutor --version
   

6. Choose Your Open edX Version

   List available releases:

   tutor images list
   

   Example (recommended stable):

   tutor images pull olive
   tutor config save --set OPENEDX_RELEASE=olive
   

7. Initial Tutor Configuration

   Run interactive setup

   tutor local launch
   

   You’ll be prompted for:

   • LMS domain (e.g. learn.example.com)
   • Studio domain (e.g. studio.example.com)
   • Platform name
   • Admin email
   • Enable HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt)
   • MySQL & Redis credentials (auto-generated)

   This step:

   • Builds images
   • Generates secrets
   • Starts services
   • Configures Nginx
   • Enables HTTPS

   ⏳ This can take 10–25 minutes.

8. Access Your Platform

   LMS (students)

   https://learn.example.com
   

   

   Studio (course authors)

   https://studio.example.com
   

   Default admin user

   Tutor creates an admin automatically.
   If needed, create another:

   tutor local createuser \
     --username admin2 \
     --email admin2@example.com \
     --staff --superuser
   

9. Open Required Firewall Ports

   If using UFW:

   sudo ufw allow 22
   sudo ufw allow 80
   sudo ufw allow 443
   sudo ufw enable
   

10. Enable HTTPS (If Skipped)

    If HTTPS was skipped during setup:

    tutor config save --set ENABLE_HTTPS=true
    tutor local restart
    

    Certificates auto-renew via Let’s Encrypt.

11. Persistent Data Locations

    Tutor stores data safely outside containers:

    Component	Path
    MySQL	~/.local/share/tutor/data/mysql
    MongoDB	~/.local/share/tutor/data/mongodb
    Media uploads	~/.local/share/tutor/data/media
    Config	~/.local/share/tutor/config.yml

    Back these up regularly.

12. Performance & Production Hardening

    Enable swap (critical)

    sudo fallocate -l 8G /swapfile
    sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
    sudo mkswap /swapfile
    sudo swapon /swapfile
    echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
    

    Tune Docker memory

    echo 'vm.overcommit_memory=1' | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/99-openedx.conf
    sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/99-openedx.conf
    

13. Plugins (Optional but Common)

    Enable MFE (Micro-Frontend UI)

    tutor plugins enable mfe
    tutor local restart
    

    Enable ecommerce

    tutor plugins enable ecommerce
    tutor local restart
    

    List plugins:

    tutor plugins list
    

14. Upgrading Open edX Safely

    Pull new release

    tutor images pull
    

    Apply upgrade

    tutor local upgrade
    

    Zero data loss if volumes are intact.

15. Common Management Commands

    Action	Command
    Start platform	tutor local start
    Stop platform	tutor local stop
    Restart	tutor local restart
    Logs	tutor local logs -f
    Django shell	tutor local run lms ./manage.py shell
    DB backup	tutor local exec mysql mysqldump

16. Troubleshooting

    Containers not starting

    docker ps -a
    tutor local logs --tail=200
    

    Rebuild images

    tutor images build openedx
    tutor local restart
    

    Reset config (last resort)

    tutor config save
    tutor local restart
    

Final Notes

• Tutor is mandatory for real deployments
• Never edit containers directly
• Always back up ~/.local/share/tutor
• Avoid manual Docker Compose changes
• Use subdomains, not paths

Conclusion

You now know how to deploy Open edX on Ubuntu VPS.