Setup n8n with PostgreSQL on Ubuntu Linux

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Setup n8n with PostgreSQL on Ubuntu Linux | AI Prompt Generator Blog

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1. Install Dependencies for n8n on Ubuntu

Before installing n8n locally with PostgreSQL, ensure your Ubuntu system is up-to-date and has the necessary dependencies for self-hosted n8n setup.

Steps:

Update your system:
```
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

Install Node.js (required for n8n workflow automation tool):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify Node.js and npm installation:
```
node -v
npm -v
```

2. Install and Configure PostgreSQL for n8n

Install PostgreSQL as n8n database backend for better scalability compared to SQLite.

Steps:

Install PostgreSQL:

sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib -y

Start and enable PostgreSQL:

sudo systemctl start postgresql
sudo systemctl enable postgresql

Verify PostgreSQL status:
```
sudo systemctl status postgresql
```
Switch to the postgres user and access PostgreSQL shell:
```
sudo -i -u postgres
psql
```

Create n8n database and user:

CREATE DATABASE n8n_db;
CREATE USER n8n_user WITH PASSWORD 'your_secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE n8n_db TO n8n_user;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA public TO n8n_user;
\q
exit

3. Install n8n Locally Using npm

Install n8n automation tool globally for local development.

Steps:

Install n8n:
```
npm install -g n8n
```
Verify installation:
```
n8n --version
```

4. Configure n8n to Use PostgreSQL Database

Set up n8n configuration with PostgreSQL via environment variables or a config file.

Option 1: Set Environment Variables

export DB_TYPE=postgresdb
export DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n_db
export DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost
export DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
export DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user
export DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
export DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA=public

Option 2: Configuration File

Edit ~/.n8n/config:

{
  "encryptionKey": "your_encryption_key",
  "DB_TYPE": "postgresdb",
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE": "n8n_db",
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST": "localhost",
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT": 5432,
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_USER": "n8n_user",
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD": "your_secure_password",
  "DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA": "public"
}

5. Start n8n on Localhost

Run n8n locally and verify the PostgreSQL connection.

Steps:

Start n8n:
```
n8n start
```
Debug logs:
```
DEBUG=* n8n start
```
Access n8n UI:
```
http://localhost:5678
```

6. Troubleshoot n8n PostgreSQL Setup

Common errors during n8n local installation with PostgreSQL:

SQLite Fallback Issue

Check PostgreSQL variables are set correctly.

Schema Permissions Error

Grant privileges:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA public TO n8n_user;

Database Migration Fails

Reset database and reconfigure:

DROP DATABASE n8n_db;
CREATE DATABASE n8n_db;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE n8n_db TO n8n_user;

7. Secure PostgreSQL for Production

Enable SSL/TLS.
Restrict access with firewall.
Use strong password for n8n_user.

8. Make Environment Variables Persistent

echo 'export DB_TYPE=postgresdb' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n_db' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your_secure_password' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA=public' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Conclusion

You’ve successfully completed the n8n self-hosted installation with PostgreSQL on Ubuntu. This setup supports scalable workflow automation and stable local development