How to Install Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS (10 Minute Quick-Start Guide)

This article provides a guide for how to install Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS.

What is Microsoft SQL Server?

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It is used to store, retrieve, manage, and analyze data in a structured way using SQL (Structured Query Language).

🔑 Key Features:

• SQL Engine: Handles querying and data manipulation using T-SQL (Transact-SQL).
• SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio): A GUI tool to manage databases.
• Security: Supports encryption, role-based access, and auditing.
• High Availability: Offers features like Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering, and replication.
• Integration Services: ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) operations via SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).
• Reporting Services (SSRS): Tools to create and deliver reports.
• Machine Learning Services: Allows R and Python integration for advanced analytics.
• Support for JSON, XML, Spatial Data, and Graph Databases.

🖥️ Common Use Cases:

• Enterprise Applications (e.g., ERP, CRM)
• Business Intelligence and Reporting
• Data Warehousing
• E-commerce Platforms
• Web Applications

📦 Editions Available:

🧩 Platforms Supported:

• Windows Server (primary OS)
• Linux (available since SQL Server 2017)
• Docker containers

Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on How to Install Microsoft SQL Server on an Ubuntu VPS. This guide is applicable to Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and newer LTS versions.

🧰 Prerequisites

• Ubuntu VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or newer)
• SSH access with root or sudo privileges
• Minimum 2 GB RAM (Microsoft SQL Server requires at least 2 GB)
• Internet connection

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How to Install Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS

To install Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps below:

1. 📦 Import Microsoft GPG Key and Add SQL Server Repository

   1. Open an SSH terminal and log in to your Ubuntu VPS.
   2. Import the Microsoft GPG key:

      wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -
      

   3. Add the Microsoft SQL Server repository:

      sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/mssql-server-2022.list)"
      

   4. Update package lists:

      sudo apt update
      

2. 🛠 Install Microsoft SQL Server

   1. Install SQL Server:

      sudo apt install -y mssql-server
      

   2. Run the configuration script:

      sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup
      

   3. During setup, you will:
      • Choose the edition (e.g., Developer, Express)
      • Accept the license terms
      • Set a strong SA (System Administrator) password
   4. Enable and start SQL Server:

      sudo systemctl enable --now mssql-server
      

3. ✅ Verify SQL Server Installation

   Check if SQL Server is running:

   systemctl status mssql-server
   

   You should see active (running) in green.

4. 🔧 Install Microsoft SQL Server Command-Line Tools (Optional but Recommended)

   1. Import the Microsoft GPG key and repository for tools:

      curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -
      sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/prod.list)"
      sudo apt update
      

   2. Install SQL tools:

      sudo apt install -y mssql-tools unixodbc-dev
      

   3. Add tools to your path:

      echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/mssql-tools/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
      source ~/.bashrc
      

5. 🧪 Connect to SQL Server

   Use sqlcmd to connect:

   sqlcmd -S localhost -U SA -P 'YourPasswordHere'
   

   If successful, you’ll get a 1> prompt. Try a simple query:

   SELECT @@VERSION;
   GO
   

6. 🔐 Configure Firewall (If UFW is Enabled)

   If your server uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), open port 1433:

   sudo ufw allow 1433/tcp
   

7. 📤 Enable Remote Access (Optional)

   To allow external clients to connect:

   1. Edit the Microsoft SQL Server config:

      sudo nano /opt/mssql/mssql.conf
      

   2. Add (or edit) under [network]:

      [tcp]
      tcpport=1433
      

   3. Restart the service:

      sudo systemctl restart mssql-server
      

      Make sure your VPS provider allows traffic on port 1433.

8. 🧼 Troubleshooting Tips

   Issue	Solution
   Cannot connect with sqlcmd	Ensure SQL tools are installed and SQL Server is running
   Login failed for user ‘SA’	Double-check password and ensure SA is enabled
   Port 1433 not accessible	Check UFW, provider firewall, and SQL Server config

📚 Bonus: Create a Sample Database

Once connected:

CREATE DATABASE TestDB;
GO
USE TestDB;
GO
CREATE TABLE Inventory (id INT, name NVARCHAR(50));
GO
INSERT INTO Inventory VALUES (1, 'Screwdriver'), (2, 'Hammer');
GO
SELECT * FROM Inventory;
GO

After we install Microsoft SQL server on Ubuntu VPS, let’s install Adminer on Ubuntu VPS so we can manage Microsoft SQL Server from a web-based GUI.

🌐 What is Adminer?

Adminer is a lightweight, single-file PHP web app that lets you manage databases from a browser—like a simpler, more secure alternative to phpMyAdmin.

✅ Works with: SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, and others
✅ No database client needed
✅ Simple installation (just one PHP file)

📦 Prerequisites

• Ubuntu VPS with Microsoft SQL Server installed
• Apache or Nginx web server
• PHP installed (7.4+ recommended)

⚙️ Step-by-Step: Install Adminer for Microsoft SQL Server

To install Adminer for Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps below:

1. Install Web Server + PHP

   For Apache:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y apache2 php php-sybase
   

   php-sybase enables PHP to connect to Microsoft SQL Server via FreeTDS.

2. Download Adminer

   sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html/adminer
   cd /var/www/html/adminer
   sudo wget -O index.php https://github.com/vrana/adminer/releases/latest/download/adminer.php
   

3. Secure Permissions

   sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/adminer
   sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/adminer
   

4. Enable the Adminer Site (Apache only)

   If you’re using Apache:

   sudo systemctl restart apache2
   

   You can now access Adminer at:

   http://your-server-ip/adminer
   

5. Login to Microsoft SQL Server via Adminer

   Use the following settings:

   • System: Microsoft SQL Server
   • Server: localhost (or your IP)
   • Username: SA (or your configured SQL user)
   • Password: (your password)
   • Database: (optional: specify or leave blank to list all)

   If connecting remotely, use the public IP or hostname and ensure port 1433 is open.

6. Secure Adminer (Highly Recommended)

   • Option 1: Restrict IP Access via .htaccess (Apache)

     sudo nano /var/www/html/adminer/.htaccess
     

     Order Deny,Allow
     Deny from all
     Allow from YOUR_IP_ADDRESS
     

   • Option 2: Password-protect with Basic Auth

     sudo apt install apache2-utils
     sudo htpasswd -c /etc/apache2/.htpasswd youradminuser
     

     Edit your site config or .htaccess to include:

     AuthType Basic
     AuthName "Restricted Access"
     AuthUserFile /etc/apache2/.htpasswd
     Require valid-user
     

     Then reload:

     sudo systemctl reload apache2
     

✅ Adminer is Ready!

You can now:

• Run SQL queries
• Browse tables
• Create/modify users and databases
• Export/import data

All from your web browser.

🛠 Optional: Use Adminer Theme (for better UI)

wget -O adminer.css https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vrana/adminer/master/designs/pepa-linha/adminer.css

Adminer will auto-load adminer.css if placed in the same directory.

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Conclusion

You now know how to install Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu VPS! This setup enables you to use SQL Server for development, testing, or production purposes with full command-line access.