Install Nexus Repository Manager on Ubuntu

Install Java

Nexus Repository Manager needs Java to run, and installing OpenJDK 21 on your Ubuntu system is the first step. This version is reliable and works well with Nexus, ensuring a smooth setup process for your Nexus Repository Manager on Ubuntu.

Run these commands to update your system and install OpenJDK 21:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-21-jdk

You can find more details on managing Java versions at How to install and use OpenJDK on Ubuntu Linux.

Install Nexus Repository Manager

To install Nexus Repository Manager on Ubuntu, you’ll download the latest version and place its files into the /opt directory. This process involves getting the necessary files and setting them up in a standard location for your Nexus Repository Manager Ubuntu installation.

Run these commands to download and extract the files:

cd /tmp
wget https://download.sonatype.com/nexus/3/nexus-3.77.0-02-unix.tar.gz
tar xzf nexus-3.77.0-02-unix.tar.gz
sudo mv nexus-3.77.0-02 /opt/nexus
sudo mv sonatype-work /opt/

Next, we create a dedicated user account to run Nexus safely. This account will not be used to log in to the system.

sudo useradd -m -d /opt/nexus -U -r -s /bin/bash nexus
sudo chown -R nexus:nexus /opt/nexus /opt/sonatype-work

Configure Nexus to run on Ubuntu

Configuring Nexus to run on Ubuntu involves setting it up to operate as a specific user and ensuring it starts automatically when your server boots. This step is crucial for the proper functioning and management of your Nexus Repository Manager on Ubuntu.

Edit the configuration file to set the user:

sudo nano /opt/nexus/bin/nexus.rc

Uncomment the line and set it to: run_as_user="nexus".

Now, create a system service file to manage the application:

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

Paste these lines into the file:

[Unit]
Description=nexus service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
LimitNOFILE=65536
ExecStart=/opt/nexus/bin/nexus start
ExecStop=/opt/nexus/bin/nexus stop
User=nexus
Restart=on-abort

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Start the service with these commands:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start nexus.service
sudo systemctl enable nexus.service

To access the web interface, open your browser and go to http://your-server-ip:8081.

The Nexus Repository Manager initial admin password is required for your first login. You can retrieve this password by running the command `sudo cat /opt/sonatype/nexus/etc/nexus-default.properties | grep -oP 'password\K.*'`. This command will display the password directly in your terminal.

sudo cat /opt/sonatype-work/nexus3/admin.password

⚠️Warning

Enter this password in the browser. You will be prompted to create a new, secure password.

Run Nexus behind a proxy

Running Nexus Repository Manager behind a web server like Nginx or Apache on Ubuntu improves security and performance.

How to set up a reverse proxy with Nginx

How to set up a reverse proxy with Apache

For more official documentation, visit https://help.sonatype.com/docs.

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