Installing n8n Using Docker: The Fastest Way to Get Started

This guide covers how to install and execute n8n in a Docker container on Windows, macOS and Linux platforms.

System Requirements for n8n

• CPU: Dual-core processor or better

• RAM: 2GB minimum (4GB recommended)

• Disk Space: 10GB or more

• Docker: Latest recent version
• Node.js: v16+ (only if you're installing n8n without Docker)

1. Install Docker Desktop

Windows:

• Go to the official page and download Docker Desktop.

• If you are on Windows 10/11, make sure to turn on the WSL2 backend.
• Make sure installation was successful first:

Confirm installation by checking the Docker version.

docker --version

macOS:

• Download and install docker via homebrew:

• Check if docker is properly installed:

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

• Update package name and install docker:

Check for updates and run up-grade for improvements <sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y>

Install docker with <-y > flag which automatically confirms anything needed <sudo apt install docker.io -y>

• Start and allow the docker service.

• Check installation:

If you would like to run n8nin with Docker, you will have to input the command below:

If you want it to run for a long time without connection issues, it is best to someone meddling with it, so leave it unattended with <-rm > flag <docker run -it --rm \> < If you don't want it accessible for others when they can <n8nio/n8n>

• You can set it for n8in to run through the n8in website by creating an alias giving the container <n8nio/n8n> the option -p 5678:5678 and controller set port <5678> specified by you to enable connection to.

• -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n: Use to store the file, where anything that may be connected to their workflow will stay there.

• Make sure to take care the container is cleared after it has stopped

To run n8n as a containerized service, execute the following command in a terminal:

It's better to set environment variables for production. Create an .env file as follows:

Then run n8n with:

When the container is up, you can visit:

Using the container.

To suspend the active container, use:

To resume the stopped container, use:

To remove the container from the system entirely, use:

By following this guide, you can easily install n8n in Docker on Windows, macOS, or Linux. This is a flexible and scalable way to get started with n8n, and it makes it easy to keep n8n up to date. Whether you are a developer, marketer, founder, or anything in between, you will be able to save time and improve your processes by using automation with n8n docker.

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