How to Install Odoo 20 on Linux and Windows: Community & Enterprise Setup Guide

This guide shows how to install Odoo 20 on Linux (Ubuntu) and Windows, for both Community and Enterprise editions. You will get the requirements, copy-paste commands, a production-style Linux setup with a service and HTTPS, and the common fixes when something goes wrong.

Which Installation Method Should You Choose?

Odoo 20 System Requirements

• Operating system: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian (production); Windows for testing.
• Python: 3.12 or later.
• PostgreSQL: 16 or later.
• wkhtmltopdf: 0.12.6 patched build (for PDF reports).
• Node.js and rtlcss: only for right-to-left languages such as Arabic or Hebrew.
• Hardware: 2 GB RAM to evaluate; about 4 GB RAM and 2 vCPUs for a small production instance.

Install Odoo 20 on Linux (Ubuntu 24.04)

Step 1: Update the server and install dependencies

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev build-essential \
  libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev libpq-dev libjpeg-dev \
  zlib1g-dev libfreetype6-dev liblcms2-dev libwebp-dev libharfbuzz-dev \
  libfribidi-dev libxcb1-dev node-less npm
python3 --version   # should show 3.12 or later

Step 2: Install PostgreSQL and create a database user

sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-client
sudo systemctl enable --now postgresql
psql --version      # should show 16 or later
sudo -u postgres createuser -s odoo20

Step 3: Create a system user for Odoo

sudo adduser --system --home=/opt/odoo20 --group --shell=/bin/bash odoo20

Step 4: Install wkhtmltopdf (for PDF reports)

Do not use the version from Ubuntu's own repositories — it is not the patched build and can break report headers and footers. Download the 0.12.6.1 package from the wkhtmltopdf packaging releases page (the jammy package works on Ubuntu 24.04):

wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-3/wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-3.jammy_amd64.deb
sudo apt install -y ./wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-3.jammy_amd64.deb
wkhtmltopdf --version

Step 5: Get the Odoo 20 source code

Community edition:

sudo -u odoo20 git clone https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git --depth 1 --branch 20.0 --single-branch /opt/odoo20/odoo

Enterprise edition (additional step): Enterprise is not a separate server — it is extra addons placed on top of Community. Access to the Enterprise repository requires a valid Odoo subscription or partner access.

sudo -u odoo20 git clone https://github.com/odoo/enterprise.git --depth 1 --branch 20.0 --single-branch /opt/odoo20/enterprise

Step 6: Create a virtual environment and install Python packages

cd /opt/odoo20
sudo -u odoo20 python3 -m venv venv
sudo -u odoo20 /opt/odoo20/venv/bin/pip install wheel
sudo -u odoo20 /opt/odoo20/venv/bin/pip install -r /opt/odoo20/odoo/requirements.txt

Step 7: Create the configuration file

sudo mkdir -p /opt/odoo20/custom-addons /var/log/odoo20
sudo chown -R odoo20:odoo20 /opt/odoo20 /var/log/odoo20
sudo nano /etc/odoo20.conf

Community configuration:

[options]
admin_passwd = CHANGE_THIS_MASTER_PASSWORD
db_host = False
db_port = False
db_user = odoo20
db_password = False
addons_path = /opt/odoo20/odoo/addons,/opt/odoo20/custom-addons
logfile = /var/log/odoo20/odoo20.log
http_port = 8069

Enterprise configuration — only the addons_path changes, and the Enterprise folder must come first:

addons_path = /opt/odoo20/enterprise,/opt/odoo20/odoo/addons,/opt/odoo20/custom-addons

sudo chown odoo20: /etc/odoo20.conf
sudo chmod 640 /etc/odoo20.conf

Replace the master password with a strong one. It controls creating, backing up and deleting every database on the server.

Step 8: Test run

sudo -u odoo20 /opt/odoo20/venv/bin/python3 /opt/odoo20/odoo/odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo20.conf

When the log shows that modules loaded, open http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8069. Stop it with Ctrl+C once you have confirmed it starts.

Step 9: Run Odoo as a service (starts on boot)

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/odoo20.service

[Unit]
Description=Odoo 20
Requires=postgresql.service
After=network.target postgresql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
User=odoo20
Group=odoo20
ExecStart=/opt/odoo20/venv/bin/python3 /opt/odoo20/odoo/odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo20.conf
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now odoo20
sudo systemctl status odoo20
sudo journalctl -u odoo20 -f       # live logs

Step 10: Add Nginx and HTTPS (recommended for production)

Do not expose port 8069 to the internet. Put Nginx in front, use a domain name and a free Let's Encrypt certificate.

sudo apt install -y nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/odoo20

map $http_upgrade $connection_upgrade {
    default upgrade;
    ''      close;
}

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name erp.yourdomain.com;
    client_max_body_size 200m;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8069;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_read_timeout 720s;
    }

    location /websocket {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8072;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
    }
}

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/odoo20 /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d erp.yourdomain.com

Then add these lines to /etc/odoo20.conf and restart Odoo. Workers improve performance for several users; with workers enabled, live chat and websocket use port 8072:

proxy_mode = True
workers = 2
gevent_port = 8072

sudo systemctl restart odoo20

Step 11: Create your first database

Open your site, click Create Database, and enter the master password, a database name, your administrator email and password, language and country. Untick "Demo data" for a real company. For Enterprise, register the database with your subscription code when asked (or later from Settings).

Install Odoo 20 on Windows

Option A: Windows installer (testing and learning)

1. Download the installer. Get the Odoo 20 Windows installer (.exe) from Odoo's download page. Community is free; Enterprise needs a subscription login.
2. Run the installer. If Windows shows a "protected your PC" notice, choose More info → Run anyway, then accept the admin prompt.
3. Choose components. Keep "Odoo Server" and the bundled PostgreSQL. The installer includes Python, so you do not install it separately.
4. Finish and open Odoo. Open http://localhost:8069 and create your first database.

Option B: From source on Windows (developers)

For custom module development, the easiest path is WSL2 with Ubuntu 24.04 — then follow the Linux steps above. If you prefer native Windows:

1. Install prerequisites. Python 3.12+, PostgreSQL 16+, Git, Microsoft C++ Build Tools, and wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6.
2. Clone Odoo 20. Use branch 20.0 (and the enterprise repository too if you have access).
3. Create a virtual environment and install packages. See commands below.
4. Create a PostgreSQL user and config file, then run Odoo. Point addons_path to your folders.

git clone https://github.com/odoo/odoo.git --depth 1 --branch 20.0 --single-branch C:\odoo20\odoo
cd C:\odoo20\odoo
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate
pip install wheel
pip install -r requirements.txt

; C:\odoo20\odoo.conf
[options]
admin_passwd = CHANGE_THIS_MASTER_PASSWORD
db_host = localhost
db_port = 5432
db_user = odoo20
db_password = YOUR_DB_PASSWORD
; Enterprise folder first, if you use Enterprise:
addons_path = C:\odoo20\enterprise,C:\odoo20\odoo\addons,C:\odoo20\custom-addons

python odoo-bin -c C:\odoo20\odoo.conf

Community vs Enterprise: Setup Differences

After Installation: Production Checklist

• Change the master password and never leave defaults.
• Disable the database manager on public servers by setting list_db = False in the config.
• Automate backups of the database and filestore, and test restoring them.
• Use HTTPS and a firewall (open only 22, 80 and 443).
• Set up email (outgoing SMTP) and test sending an invoice.
• Monitor disk space, memory and the Odoo log.
• Test on a copy before every update or module installation.

# Simple nightly database backup (example)
sudo -u postgres pg_dump -Fc mydb > /backups/mydb_$(date +%F).dump
# Also copy the filestore: /opt/odoo20/.local/share/Odoo/filestore/mydb

Common Problems and Fixes

Need Help or Planning an Upgrade?

If you are moving from Odoo 19, read our Odoo 19 to Odoo 20 upgrade guide. For setup on your own server, Odoo.sh or a managed cloud — including backups, HTTPS and security — see our Odoo ERP page or send us a quotation request.

Frequently Asked Questions