n8n Installation & Configuration on Ubuntu 22.04

VM Configuration for n8n (Ubuntu 22.04)

Component	Configuration (as per official standards)
OS	Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS (64-bit)
CPU	Minimum 2 vCPU (Recommended: 2–4 cores)
RAM	Minimum 4 GB (Recommended: 4–8 GB)
Storage	Minimum 20 GB (Recommended: 40–50 GB SSD)
Network	Static/Private IP (Example: 172.83.83.77)
Required Ports	5678 (n8n UI), 22 (SSH), 80/443 (Optional for HTTPS)
Timezone	Asia/Kolkata (via system or environment)

Required Software

Software	Requirement
Docker Engine	Latest stable (≥20.x)
Docker Compose	Version 2.x or above
Git & Curl	Installed for basic system and Docker setup

Security & Firewall (if you want to enable ufw, optional):

sudo ufw allow 22       # SSH
sudo ufw allow 5678     # n8n Web Interface
sudo ufw allow 80,443   # Only if using HTTPS/Reverse Proxy
sudo ufw enable

Steps for n8n Installation & Configuration:

1. Prepare Your Ubuntu 22.04 VM

• Update your system:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

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2. Install Docker and Docker Compose Install Docker Engine:

sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Install Docker Compose:

sudo apt install -y docker-compose

Verify Docker & Docker Compose Installation

2.1: Check if Docker Service is Running

sudo systemctl status docker

Expected Result:

• Docker service should show active (running)

• If it’s not running, start it using:

sudo systemctl start docker

2.2: Verify Docker Version

docker --version

Expected Result:

• Displays the installed Docker version (e.g., Docker version 28.x.x)

2.3: Verify Docker Compose Version

For standalone Docker Compose:

docker-compose --version

Expected Result:

• Shows the installed Docker Compose version.

2.4: Check Running Containers (Optional but Useful)

docker ps

Expected Result:

• Lists all currently running Docker containers .

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Allow your user to run Docker without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
exec sg docker newgrp

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3. Configure n8n with Docker Compose

Create a directory for n8n:

mkdir ~/n8n-compose
cd ~/n8n-compose

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

sudo nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following configuration inside the file:

version: "3.1"
services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/Berlin      # Set your timezone
      - TZ=Europe/Berlin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true          # Optional: enable basic auth
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin           # Optional: set username
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=hello@123   # Optional: set password
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
      - DB_TYPE=sqlite
      - N8N_HOST=0.0.0.0
      - N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS=true
      - N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
volumes:
  n8n_data:

save the file in nano.

• Press CTRL + O → then press Enter to save

• Press CTRL + X to exit nano

Start n8n: This command starts n8n in the background using Docker Compose.

docker-compose up -d

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4. Optional (Only if UFW is active): Allow Port 5678

Before allowing the port, first check if UFW (firewall) is active:

sudo ufw status

• If the status is active, then allow port 5678 for n8n:

sudo ufw allow 5678

• If UFW is inactive, you can skip this step.

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5. Access n8n:

Open your browser and go to http://<your_vm_ip>:5678 you will see one of the following screens, depending on settings:

Case 1: Basic Authentication Enabled (Your YAML file has this )

You will first see a popup like this:

🔐 Authentication Required
Username:
Password:

Here you have to enter the credentials you added in the docker-compose.yml:

• Username: admin

• Password: hello@123

Case 2: n8n Setup Page (Owner Account Creation)

After entering Basic Auth credentials, you will see a screen asking:

Email Address                         #Your email (e.g., your_company_email)
First Name                            #Your name
Last Name                             #Your surname
Password (set for n8n Admin Account)  # A new secure password for your admin login

Click "Next". This creates your n8n Owner Account.

After Account Creation You’ll land on the n8n Main Dashboard (Workflow Editor).

From here, you can:

• Create workflows

• Add triggers (like Webhook, Cron, Gmail, Slack, etc.)

• Automate tasks visually.