How to Set Up ClickHouse on Linux

How do I install and configure ClickHouse on Linux?

Install and configure ClickHouse server and client on any modern Linux distribution for high-performance analytics.

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Description

How do I add the official ClickHouse repository?

Add the Altinity-signed repository to guarantee the latest stable builds.On Debian/Ubuntu, import the key with wget -qO - https://packages.clickhouse.com/CLICKHOUSE-KEY.GPG | sudo apt-key add -, then add the repo line to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/clickhouse.list.

Why update package lists before installing?

Running sudo apt update (or sudo yum makecache) refreshes metadata so the package manager finds the newly added ClickHouse packages instead of stale indexes.

Which packages must I install?

Install both server and client to run queries locally: sudo apt install clickhouse-server clickhouse-client.On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora use sudo yum install clickhouse-server clickhouse-client.

How do I start the ClickHouse service?

Systemd units are installed automatically. Enable auto-start and run immediately: sudo systemctl enable --now clickhouse-server.

How do I verify the installation?

Use clickhouse-client --query "SELECT version();". A version string confirms the server answers locally via TCP port 9000.

Where is the main configuration file?

/etc/clickhouse-server/config.xml controls network, users, and storage paths. Any edit requires sudo systemctl restart clickhouse-server.

How do I create e-commerce tables?

Run DDL inside the client.Example: CREATE TABLE Customers (id UInt64, name String, email String, created_at DateTime) ENGINE = MergeTree() ORDER BY id;

Can I load CSV data quickly?

Pipe files directly: clickhouse-client --query "INSERT INTO Customers FORMAT CSV" < customers.csv.ClickHouse parallelizes ingestion for millions of rows per second.

Best practices for production?

Mount the /var/lib/clickhouse data directory on fast NVMe or RAID-10, tune <max_memory_usage>, and separate ZooKeeper if using ReplicatedMergeTree engines.

How do I secure the instance?

Create users with strong passwords in users.xml, restrict <listen_host> to private IPs, and allow TLS by enabling <https_port> and providing certs.

What common mistakes should I avoid?

Do not leave the default "default" user without a password, and never expose port 8123 to the internet without HTTPS and authentication.

Why How to Set Up ClickHouse on Linux is important

How to Set Up ClickHouse on Linux Example Usage


-- Total revenue per month
SELECT toStartOfMonth(order_date) AS month,
       sum(total_amount)             AS revenue
FROM Orders
GROUP BY month
ORDER BY month;

How to Set Up ClickHouse on Linux Syntax


# Debian/Ubuntu installation
wget -qO - https://packages.clickhouse.com/CLICKHOUSE-KEY.GPG | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://packages.clickhouse.com/deb stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/clickhouse.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install clickhouse-server clickhouse-client

# Start service
sudo systemctl enable --now clickhouse-server

# Example e-commerce DDL
clickhouse-client --multiline <<'SQL'
CREATE TABLE Customers (
  id UInt64,
  name String,
  email String,
  created_at DateTime
) ENGINE = MergeTree() ORDER BY id;

CREATE TABLE Orders (
  id UInt64,
  customer_id UInt64,
  order_date Date,
  total_amount Decimal(10,2)
) ENGINE = MergeTree() ORDER BY id;
SQL

Common Mistakes

Leaving the default "default" user without a password exposes your database. Fix by editing /etc/clickhouse-server/users.xml and setting a strong <password_sha256_hex>.
Opening TCP port 8123 publicly without HTTPS allows credential sniffing. Always enable TLS in config.xml or restrict the port to a VPN/VPC.