Manual Installation#

These instructions describe manually how to install Posit Connect, formerly RStudio Connect, using .rpm or .deb files.

Prerequisites#

Meet the Requirements for Connect
Optionally, install R on the server
Optionally, install Python on the server
- Connect requires explicit configuration settings for Python content to function. If installing Connect for use with Python, please see the Enabling Python Support section of the Connect Admin Guide for more information.
Most installations use multiple versions of R and Python.
When using R, your server will need access to R packages in a repository. If your server is online, you're all set. If your server is not online, you will need to configure an outbound proxy or set up your own package repository. Posit Package Manager is a supported option.

Step 1. Download and install#

Posit End User License Agreement

This page includes instructions for downloading Posit professional products. Download and/or use of these products is governed under the terms of the Posit End User License Agreement. By downloading you agree to the terms posted there.

Run the following to download and install Connect:

RHEL 9RHEL 8RHEL/CentOS 7Amazon Linux 2Ubuntu 22.04Ubuntu 20.04Ubuntu 18.04SUSE 15 SP4 / openSUSE 15.4

$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el9.x86_64.rpm
$ sudo yum install rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el9.x86_64.rpm

$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el8.x86_64.rpm
$ sudo yum install rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el8.x86_64.rpm

$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el7.x86_64.rpm
$ sudo yum install rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el7.x86_64.rpm

$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.amazonlinux2.x86_64.rpm
$ sudo yum install rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.amazonlinux2.x86_64.rpm

$ sudo apt-get install gdebi-core
$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu22_amd64.deb
$ sudo gdebi rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu22_amd64.deb

$ sudo apt-get install gdebi-core
$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu20_amd64.deb
$ sudo gdebi rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu20_amd64.deb

$ sudo apt-get install gdebi-core
$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu18_amd64.deb
$ sudo gdebi rstudio-connect_2023.03.0~ubuntu18_amd64.deb

$ curl -O https://cdn.rstudio.com/connect/2023.03/rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.sles15.x86_64.rpm
$ sudo zypper install rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.sles15.x86_64.rpm

Verify the installation by ensuring that the service is running:
Terminal
```
$ sudo systemctl status rstudio-connect
```

Package validation:

Optionally, you may want to validate package signatures for your distribution:
Red Hat/CentOS/Amazon Linux 2

Package Validation

The Connect installer is signed with a key belonging to Posit, PBC.
- If you wish to verify this signature, you can:
  - Obtain the public key from our website; save it into a file (e.g., rstudio-code-signing.key) OR
  - Obtain it from a GnuPG keyserver using the following command:
    Terminal
    gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 3F32EE77E331692F gpg --armor --export 3F32EE77E331692F > rstudio-code-signing.key
- Once you have obtained the key, you need to import it into the set of keys RPM uses to validate package signatures, after which you can validate the package signature using the rpm command:
Red Hat 9Red Hat 8Red Hat/CentOS 7Amazon Linux 2
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el9.x86_64.rpm
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el8.x86_64.rpm
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.el7.x86_64.rpm
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.amazonlinux2.x86_64.rpm
SLES 12 SP5, 15 SP3

Package Validation

The Connect installer is signed with a key belonging to Posit.
- If you wish to verify this signature, you can:
  - Obtain the public key from our website; save it into a file (e.g., rstudio-code-signing.key) OR
  - Obtain it from a GnuPG keyserver using the following command:
    Terminal
    gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 3F32EE77E331692F gpg --armor --export 3F32EE77E331692F > rstudio-code-signing.key
- Once you have obtained the key, you need to import it into the set of keys RPM uses to validate package signatures, after which you can validate the package signature using the rpm command:
SLES 15SLES 12
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key # Validate SLES 15 installer rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.sles15.x86_64.rpm
rpm --import rstudio-code-signing.key # Validate SLES 12 installer rpm -K rstudio-connect-2023.03.0.sles12.x86_64.rpm
Ubuntu

Package Validation

The Connect installer is signed with a key belonging to Posit, PBC.
- If you wish to verify this signature, you can:
  - Obtain the public key from our website OR
  - Obtain it from a GnuPG keyserver using the following command:
    Terminal
    gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 3F32EE77E331692F
- Once you have obtained the key, you can validate the .deb file as follows:
  Terminal
```
dpkg-sig --verify rstudio-connect_2023.03.0_amd64.deb
```

System dependencies for R packages:

Optionally, you may want to install system dependencies for your distribution:

All distributions

System dependencies

R packages typically rely on a set of system-level dependencies. To that ensure publishers can deploy content without content failures we recommend installing the following system dependencies.

Depending on your user permissions, you may need to add sudo to the installation commands listed below.

If you are using Posit Package Manager, formerly RStudio Package Manager, you can view these install commands per R-package on the setup page for your repository. If you are not using Package Manager, you can access these commands here.

Be sure to select the correct operating system for your installation of Connect.

Step 2. Verify and activate your license#

Verify the status of your license and that your evaluation license is active by running the following command:

Terminal

$ sudo /opt/rstudio-connect/bin/license-manager status

If you already have a license key, then follow the License activation procedures:
License activation procedures

There are several options for activating your license:

Online activation

If your server is in an online environment and you already have the license key, then activate the license using the following command (the <LICENSE-KEY> is the license key that was provided to you):
Terminal
```
$ sudo /opt/rstudio-connect/bin/license-manager activate <LICENSE-KEY>
```
For additional information about online activation, refer to the Product Activation section of the Admin Guide.

Offline activation

If you are working in an offline environment, then refer to the License Server Offline Activation section of the Admin Guide.

Floating license

If your server is up and running and you need to configure Connect to use a floating license, then the Using Floating Licensing section of the Admin Guide provides additional information.

Step 3. Initial configuration#

It is important to configure the following before logging into Connect for the first time:

Server email address
Server address
Authentication

Server email address and server address#

Property	Description
`Server.SenderEmail`	The email address from which Connect sends emails.
`Sever.Address`	The server address/public URL of your server.
`Server.EmailProvider`	Determines how Connect sends emails.
`SMTP`	Sends email using an SMTP endpoint.

Caution

If you don't properly configure the Server.Address, then you will not be able to add a user to the server because the account confirmation link requires the Server.Address to be configured. Additionally, some other Connect features will not be available without this property defined.

Make changes in the /etc/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.gcfg file using the examples below:

File: /etc/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.gcfg

[Server]
Address = "https://rstudio-connect.company.com"
EmailProvider = "SMTP"
SenderEmail = "account@company.com"

[SMTP]
Host = "smtp.example.com"
Port = 587
User = "service-user"
Password = "service-password"

Important

By default, Connect's email functionality is disabled until it is properly configured. We strongly recommend configuring it now so all of Connect's features are available right away.

Save your changes and restart Connect:
Terminal
```
sudo systemctl restart rstudio-connect
```

For more information about configuring these properties, see the Editing the Configuration File in the Admin Guide.

Authentication#

Connect can be configured with the following authentication methods by customizing the Authentication.Provider property in the /etc/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.gcfg file.

Warning

Failure to configure authentication before logging in for the first time may cause serious problems for you in the future. Although it is possible to change the authentication method at a later date, it is cumbersome and may result in a loss of user content subscriptions, and other assets. However, if you plan on using Connect on a trial basis using Password authentication, which is not recommended, then you are now able to log into Connect.

Configure Connect's Authentication Properties:

The Connect Admin Guide provides detailed explanations and additional information about configuring authentication in Connect.

Single Sign-On (SSO) options

SAML Configuration

SAML

Before you begin:

RStudio Connect is the service provider (SP) and supports SAML 2.0 for authentication and group membership.
SAML requires that RStudio Connect version 1.7.6, or later, is installed.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for the following supported single-sign on SAML options:

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

OpenID Connect Configuration

OpenID Connect

Before you begin:

OpenID/OAuth2 requires that you have a client ID and client secret.
By default, RStudio Connect comes pre-configured to use Google as the identity provider for OpenID Connect.
For backwards compatibility, Google is the default configuration, so no action is necessary for existing installations.

OpenID Connect is an authentication scheme based on OAuth2 and may be used to authenticate against various vendors such as Google, Microsoft (Azure), Okta, OneLogin, Auth0, PingIdentity, and many others that implement this standard.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for the following single sign-on OpenID options:

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

On-premise options

Active Directory & LDAP Configuration

Active Directory & LDAP

Before you begin:

This authentication method integrates with your company’s LDAP or AD infrastructure.
User authentication and user search requests will be directed to the LDAP/AD server.

Support for LDAP and AD has the following constraints:

Constraint	Description
LDAP/AD user objects	User objects must contain a user’s first name, last name, email address, and username.
Changes to a user	When changes are made to a user's name, email address, or username that are in your LDAP/AD system, the changes do not automatically propagate to RStudio Connect. However, the user information updates the next time that the user logs into RStudio Connect after the LDAP/AD update is made.
Single bind	When using single bind, the DN of a user must contain their username (i.e., it must utilize the `UsernameAttribute`). Using a different attribute for username, such as CN only to match the DN, may cause users to have to type their full name to log in. For example, it is not supported if the DN for a user is `cn=SueJacobs`, `ou=People`, `dc=company`, `dc=com` but their actual username is stored in the `uid` or `SAMAccountName` LDAP attribute. You must use double bind when the DN does not contain the username. If the DN doesn't contain a username, then use double bind.
Single-bind searches	When using single-bind configuration, the searches only include users who have previously logged in to RStudio Connect.
Single-bind groups	When using single-bind configuration, groups are not available.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for the following supported on-premise Active Directory and LDAP options:

Active Directory
- With service credentials
- Without service credentials
Other LDAP Vendors
- With service credentials
- Without service credentials

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

Kerberos

Before you begin:

A Kerberos system can be used to log into RStudio Connect by configuring RStudio Connect to use Linux PAM and configuring PAM on your server to use Kerberos.
RStudio Connect does not support Kerberos SSO (Windows Integrated Auth/SPNEGO), though support for Kerberos authentication may be served via SAML or OIDC/OAuth2 Identity Providers, which are supported with SAML or OpenID Connect integrations.
Using this integration, user authentication will be handled by Kerberos via PAM.
- However, the group functionality is provided by RStudio Connect, and the groups will have no relation with Linux groups that may be provided by PAM.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for Kerberos here.

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

Linux PAM

Before you begin:

RStudio Connect provides a PAM Authentication provider for those who want to integrate their user authentication with Linux PAM.
Using this integration, user authentication will be handled by the authentication mechanism integrated with PAM.
- However, the group functionality is provided by RStudio Connect, and the groups will have no relation with Linux groups that may be provided by PAM.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for Linux PAM here.

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

Proxied Auth Configuration

Proxied

Before you begin:

Proxied authentication is only used in rare cases when you are not able to use one of the other authentication methods that RStudio Connect supports.
Proxied authentication allows an external system to intercept requests and handle the authentication of:
- Users visiting the RStudio Connect dashboard or
- Applications that RStudio Connect is hosting

Proxied authentication is only used in rare cases when you are not able to use one of the other authentication methods that RStudio Connect supports.

If you fall into this unique category and require Proxied authentication, the Proxied Authentication section in the Admin Guide has a full description for configuring Proxied authentication, including additional headers that can be configured.

Password Configuration

Password Built-in (default)

Important

For most customers, use of the Password Authentication provider is not recommended. Integrating with your organization's existing authentication provider is recommended.

Before you begin:

RStudio Connect provides a simple Password Authentication provider which is usable without external integration.
It uses user accounts backed by the RStudio Connect database and is not integrated with any external, third-party authentication services.
It is the only authentication provider which allows users to change their passwords from within RStudio Connect.

Password Authentication makes it easy to get RStudio Connect up and running quickly but is really only appropriate when using RStudio Connect in one of these situations:

A demonstration or proof-of-concept in which RStudio Connect is being evaluated or explored.
Training users to use RStudio Connect.
Using RStudio Connect to do small-scale testing.
A small group of users without, or isolated from, a centralized IT system.

The RStudio Connect Admin Guide provides configuration information and examples for Password authentication here.

Additionally, the full list of external authentication options that are available are provided in the RStudio Connect Authentication Overview.

Step 4. Log in and verify configuration#

Administrative privileges

By default, the first user to log into Connect is assigned administrative privileges. Additionally, other users can be promoted to administrators after the configuration is complete.

Log in:
- Open a web browser and navigate to the public URL that you defined for your Connect server. The default location is: http://your-connect-server-address:3939/ page displays.
- Click Sign Up.
- Populate the fields with the information that is required to create an account and click Sign Up. You log into Connect and the Jump Start Examples window displays.
- Close the Jump Start Examples window.
  Jump Start Example window
  
  The Jump Start Example window displays each time a user logs into Connect. However, if you close the window but decide that you want to launch one of the Jump Start Examples, then:
  - From the upper right-hand corner click the Publish drop-down button.
  - Select Jump Start Examples.
Verify email:
- From the Menu bar, click Admin.
- Click Mail Settings.
- Click Send Test Email.
- Wait a few moments and then verify that the test email was successfully delivered.
Verify configuration:
- To verify the initial configuration that you applied during the installation, we recommend that you do one of the following:
  - Have an Posit user log into Connect and publish one of the Jump Start Examples that display when they log into Connect.
  - Publish content to Connect using one of the Publish to Posit Connect How To Guides.
- If a user can publish content to Connect, then you successfully configured Connect.
  
  Python Requirement
  
  Some of the Jump Start Examples require that you have Python installed on the server for you to publish the example. Now would be a good time to verify with your user as to whether Python is a requirement and if you need to integrate Posit Connect with Python.

Step 5. Start using Connect#

Congratulations! You have verified that users can log in, deploy content, and view content on the server.

There are several additional features and configuration options that you may wish to enable.

Continue to the next section of the documentation or view the Admin Guide, or both, for more information.

Additional information#

Previous versions#

We understand that older configurations may be incompatible with newer versions of our products. If you require a previous version, we have several supported versions available on our Previous Versions page.

Please consider:

Posit is limited on the support that we can provide for older versions
If you are using an older version and run into any issues, you may be asked to upgrade to receive support

Please review our Support Agreement for more detail on our product support policy.