How to Install Bitwarden on Ubuntu Linux

This article explains how to install a password manager on your Ubuntu Linux system. Keeping your passwords safe is vital for your digital security.

Introduction

Bitwarden is an open-source tool that stores your passwords in a secure, encrypted vault. You can use it on your computer, phone, and tablet.

Why use a self-hosted password manager? It keeps your private data under your control on your own hardware rather than relying on a third-party cloud service.

What happens when done? You will have a private, secure password vault that you can access from any device.

Bitwarden vs. Vaultwarden

You have two main choices for hosting:

• Official Bitwarden: This is the enterprise-grade version. It is very powerful but requires more system resources to run.
• Vaultwarden: This is an unofficial, lightweight version written in Rust. It is highly recommended for home-lab users because it uses very little memory and CPU power.

Install Bitwarden on Ubuntu Linux

We will use Docker to run this service. If you do not have Docker yet, follow this guide to set it up: How to install Docker on Ubuntu Linux

First, we create a dedicated user for security. We only give it permission to use Docker, following the principle of least privilege.

sudo useradd -G docker -s /bin/bash -m -d /opt/bitwarden bitwarden
sudo passwd bitwarden
sudo chown -R bitwarden: /opt/bitwarden

Next, get your installation key here: Bitwarden installation key

Now, switch to your new user and download the official installation script:

su - bitwarden
curl -Lso bitwarden.sh https://go.btwrdn.co/bw-sh
chmod +x bitwarden.sh

Start the installation:

./bitwarden.sh install

During the setup, the script will ask for your domain name and database settings. For a secure setup, we highly recommend using a valid SSL/TLS certificate. You can obtain one easily using Let’s Encrypt with Certbot or by placing your server behind a reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager.

Running the Service

Once the installation finishes, start the services using the Docker Compose V2 plugin command:

docker compose up -d

What happens when done? The containers will initialize, and your vault will be accessible through your web browser. You can then create your admin account and start saving your passwords.

Conclusion

By hosting your own password manager, you gain full control over your credentials. Whether you choose the official Bitwarden or the lightweight Vaultwarden, you have taken a major step toward better online privacy.