RabbitMQ is a robust message broker that is open source, used between two different applications to great advantage in handling asynchronous messaging; it is, in turn, very effective at delivering the reliable routing of messages between services. The following guide will show you how to install and configure RabbitMQ on your Linux server.

Prerequisites

• A Linux server with root or sudo access
• Basic knowledge of Linux terminal commands

Installation

The installation process varies a little depending on your Linux flavor. It is described below for Debian/Ubuntu systems and RPM-based systems such as CentOS, RHEL, Fedora:

Debian/Ubuntu

1. Update your package lists:

    sudo apt-get update

Update packages

2. Install Erlang, a dependency for RabbitMQ:

sudo apt-get install erlang

Install erlang

3. Update package lists again and install RabbitMQ:

sudo apt update

sudo apt-get install rabbitmq-server

Install rabbitmq server

4. Start and Enable RabbitMQ

After installation, start the RabbitMQ service and enable it to start on boot:

sudo systemctl start rabbitmq-server

Verifying Installation

Once all the required installation is complete, then we need to verify that RabbitMQ is running or not:

sudo systemctl status rabbitmq-server

Verification

This command will show that the RabbitMQ service is active and running at this instance.

Securing RabbitMQ (Optional but Recommended)

With default, The RabbitMQ has some minimal security configurations. Here are some basic step that need to secure RabbitMQ :

Set a strong password for the default user “guest”:

Setup login credentials

Enabling Management Plugin

The RabbitMQ Management Plugin provides different web interface for the complete managment of your RabbitMQ instance. To simply enable it:

sudo rabbitmq-plugins enable rabbitmq_management

Enable plugins

Accessing Management Console

By default, the management console is available at port 15672. Open your web browser and type http://localhost:15672. You will be asked for a username and password. Type the user name “guest” and the password you set above.

Management console

Additional Considerations

This document describes a very simplified, basic RabbitMQ setup only. For configuration and features more advanced than what is covered here. There are several issues that you might want to investigate further, including:

• Virtual hosts and user access control levels Exchange types for message routing in more complex patterns
• Setting up cluster nodes for high availability

Conclusion

RabbitMQ is the most powerful tool to implement asynchronous messaging between applications working on your Linux server. Following the steps described in this guide will get you started with a basic setup of RabbitMQ. Refer to official documentation for in-depth configuration and explore features like the Management Plugin for web-based administration. It allows for reliable and scalable communication within your application ecosystem using RabbitMQ.

How to Setup RabbitMQ in Linux Server – FAQs

Do I need an RPM-based system to run RabbitMQ?

No, using an RPM-based system (CentOS, RHEL, Fedora) is not necessary. The commands are targeted to do the same on the RPM-based systems and the Debian/Ubuntu systems coming under different package management tools. You can set up RabbitMQ on either following the appropriate guide.

Does RabbitMQ come secure out of the box?

No, RabbitMQ comes with minimal security out of the box. It is strongly recommended that you set a password for the default user “guest” and make it hard to guess for simple security. Please refer to the guide for details.

What is RabbitMQ Management Plugin?

RabbitMQ Management Plugin is a graphical user interface to manage your RabbitMQ server. You can view queues, exchanges, and users and other different administrative functions directly from your web browser.

How do I learn about configuring RabbitMQ?

The configuration documentation on the RabbitMQ website offers comprehensive guides on various aspects of configuration. Topics like virtual hosts, users, exchange types, clustering etc will be discussed here.