How to Install Apache Cassandra on Ubuntu Linux

Install JAVA

Apache Cassandra needs Java to run, so the first step to install Apache Cassandra on Ubuntu is to get Java installed. We’ll use OpenJDK 8, which is the free version of Oracle Java that works well with Cassandra.

The open-source version of Oracle JAVA works great with Cassandra, so for this tutorial, we will be using OpenJDK 8.

To install OpenJDK 8, run the commands below:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-8-jdk

To verify if OpenJDK is installed and running, run the commands below:

java -version

It should print out the lines similar to the ones below:

openjdk version "1.8.0_191"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_191-8u191-b12-2ubuntu0.18.04.1-b12)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.191-b12, mixed mode)

Now that Java is installed, let’s move on to installing Apache Cassandra.

Installing Apache Cassandra

With Java ready to go, it’s time to install Apache Cassandra on Ubuntu. You can install it manually using a .DEB file, but adding Cassandra’s official package repository makes installing and updating much simpler.

If you don’t want to install Cassandra from its .DEB file manually, then add Cassandra’s official package repository to make installing and updating it easier.

To add the Apache Cassandra repository and its key, run the commands below. The first line imports the repository’s GPG key. The second adds the Apache Cassandra repository into a new file called cassandra.sources.list.

wget -q -O - https://www.apache.org/dist/cassandra/KEYS | sudo apt-key add -
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://www.apache.org/dist/cassandra/debian 311x main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cassandra.sources.list'

After the steps above, run the commands below to install them.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install cassandra

That should do it!

To verify if Cassandra is correctly installed, run the commands below:

nodetool status

You should see a similar screen print as the one below:

Status=Up/Down
|/ State=Normal/Leaving/Joining/Moving
--  Address    Load       Tokens       Owns (effective)  Host ID                               Rack
UN  127.0.0.1  103.68 KiB  256          100.0%            bbdd9509-523a-45ac-a03f-64c478515de9  rack1

That’s how you know Cassandra is installed and running.

To interact with Cassandra through CQL (the Cassandra Query Language), you can use a command line utility named cqlsh

cqlsh

You should log on to the CQL terminal screen.

Connected to Test Cluster at 127.0.0.1:9042.

Use HELP for help. cqlsh>

Conclusion:

• Apache Cassandra offers a powerful, scalable NoSQL database solution suitable for handling vast amounts of data.
• The installation process on Ubuntu 20.04 or 18.04 is straightforward, requiring only a few command-line entries.
• By utilizing OpenJDK 8, you can effectively support Cassandra’s operations with minimal setup hassle.
• Once installed, Apache Cassandra provides high availability and eliminates single points of failure.
• Users can easily manage and interact with the database using CQL through the cqlsh utility.
• As a free and open-source system, Apache Cassandra is a cost-effective choice for businesses looking to implement a robust database without incurring licensing fees.
• For further exploration and resources, the Apache Cassandra homepage is a valuable reference.