How to Install Odoo: Step-by-Step Guide (Docker, Ubuntu, Windows)

How to Install Odoo: Step-by-Step Guide (Docker, Ubuntu, Windows)

Want to install Odoo yourself? Here are three methods - from quick Docker setup to production-ready server installation.

Table of Contents

1. Which Installation Method?
2. Option 1: Docker (Recommended for Beginners)
3. Option 2: Ubuntu Server (Production)
4. Option 3: Windows (Development)
5. After Installation
6. Common Problems

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Which Installation Method?

Method	Time	For Whom?	Production?
Docker	10 min	Beginners, testing	⚠️ Possible
Ubuntu	30-60 min	Admins	✅ Yes
Windows	15 min	Developers	❌ No
Odoo.sh	5 min	Businesses	✅ Yes

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Option 1: Docker Installation (Fastest Way)

Prerequisites

• Docker installed (docker.com)
• Docker Compose installed
• 4 GB RAM minimum

Step 1: Create Docker Compose File

Create a file docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'
services:
  odoo:
    image: odoo:17.0
    depends_on:
      - db
    ports:
      - "8069:8069"
    volumes:
      - odoo-web-data:/var/lib/odoo
      - ./config:/etc/odoo
      - ./addons:/mnt/extra-addons
    environment:
      - HOST=db
      - USER=odoo
      - PASSWORD=odoo

  db:
    image: postgres:15
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=postgres
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=odoo
      - POSTGRES_USER=odoo
    volumes:
      - odoo-db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  odoo-web-data:
  odoo-db-data:

Step 2: Start

docker-compose up -d

Step 3: Access

Open in browser: http://localhost:8069

You'll see the Odoo setup wizard. Create your first database.

Docker Commands for Daily Use

# Stop
docker-compose down

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f odoo

# Restart
docker-compose restart odoo

# Update to new version
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

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Option 2: Ubuntu Server Installation (Production)

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server
• Root access or sudo
• Domain (optional, for SSL)

Step 1: Prepare System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git python3-pip build-essential wget \
    python3-dev python3-venv python3-wheel libxslt-dev \
    libzip-dev libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev python3-setuptools \
    node-less libjpeg-dev gdebi libpq-dev

Step 2: Install PostgreSQL

sudo apt install -y postgresql

# Create Odoo user
sudo -u postgres createuser -s odoo

Step 3: Install wkhtmltopdf (for PDF reports)

sudo wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-2/wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-2.jammy_amd64.deb
sudo apt install -y ./wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-2.jammy_amd64.deb

Step 4: Create Odoo User

sudo useradd -m -d /opt/odoo -U -r -s /bin/bash odoo

Step 5: Download Odoo

sudo -u odoo git clone https://www.github.com/odoo/odoo --depth 1 --branch 17.0 /opt/odoo/odoo

Step 6: Set Up Python Environment

sudo -u odoo python3 -m venv /opt/odoo/venv
sudo -u odoo /opt/odoo/venv/bin/pip install wheel
sudo -u odoo /opt/odoo/venv/bin/pip install -r /opt/odoo/odoo/requirements.txt

Step 7: Create Configuration File

sudo nano /etc/odoo.conf

Content:

[options]
admin_passwd = YOUR_MASTER_PASSWORD
db_host = False
db_port = False
db_user = odoo
db_password = False
addons_path = /opt/odoo/odoo/addons
logfile = /var/log/odoo/odoo.log

Step 8: Create Systemd Service

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/odoo.service

Content:

[Unit]
Description=Odoo
After=network.target postgresql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
SyslogIdentifier=odoo
PermissionsStartOnly=true
User=odoo
Group=odoo
ExecStart=/opt/odoo/venv/bin/python3 /opt/odoo/odoo/odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo.conf
StandardOutput=journal+console

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Step 9: Start

sudo mkdir /var/log/odoo
sudo chown odoo:odoo /var/log/odoo
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable odoo
sudo systemctl start odoo

Step 10: Access

Open: http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8069

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Option 3: Windows Installation (Development)

Step 1: Download Installer

Download the official Windows installer: https://nightly.odoo.com/17.0/nightly/exe/

Step 2: Install

• Double-click the .exe
• PostgreSQL will be installed automatically
• Choose installation path (default: C:\Program Files\Odoo)

Step 3: Start

After installation you'll find:

• Odoo Service in Windows Services
• http://localhost:8069 for access

Note

Windows installation is only suitable for development - not for production!

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After Installation

Create First Database

1. Open http://localhost:8069 (or your server IP)
2. Click "Manage Databases"
3. Set master password
4. Create new database with:
   • Database name
   • Email
   • Password
   • Language
   • Country

Install Important Apps

After login:

1. Go to Apps
2. Install as needed:
   • CRM
   • Sales
   • Purchase
   • Inventory
   • Accounting
   • HR

Set Up Backup

# Manual backup (PostgreSQL)
pg_dump -U odoo DATABASENAME > backup.sql

# Automatic backup (cron)
0 2 * * * pg_dump -U odoo DATABASENAME > /backup/odoo_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql

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Common Problems

Problem: Port 8069 Not Reachable

Solution:

# Check firewall
sudo ufw allow 8069/tcp

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status odoo

Problem: PostgreSQL Connection Failed

Solution:

# Restart PostgreSQL
sudo systemctl restart postgresql

# Check user
sudo -u postgres psql -c "\du"

Problem: Python Dependencies Missing

Solution:

# Reinstall requirements
/opt/odoo/venv/bin/pip install -r /opt/odoo/odoo/requirements.txt

Problem: wkhtmltopdf PDF Error

Solution:

# Check correct version
wkhtmltopdf --version
# Should be 0.12.6 (with patched qt)

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Next Steps

You've installed Odoo - what now?

1. Activate modules - Start with CRM or Sales
2. Create users - Assign roles and permissions
3. Import data - Customers, products, etc.
4. Customize - Fields, workflows, reports

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Need Help?

Installation is the easy part - configuration determines success.

At Balane Tech, we implement Odoo for mid-size businesses: From strategy to go-live. Free consultation