How to Install Jira Agile Project Management Tool on Debian 11

Author: Łukasz Bodziony

Email: lukasz@bodziony.net.pl

DevOps Services: bodziony.net.pl

Published: June 2025

Introduction

Jira Agile is a powerful project and issue tracking tool used by teams around the world. In this guide, Łukasz Bodziony walks you through installing and configuring Jira Agile on a Debian 11 server.

Prerequisites

• Debian 11 server with sudo/root access
• At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB+ recommended)
• Static IP or DNS name pointing to your server
• Open port 8080 (Jira default) or Nginx proxy configured

💡 For best performance, consider a Linux VPS from NetCloud24.

Step 1: Update System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Java 11

sudo apt install -y openjdk-11-jdk  
java -version

Step 3: Create Jira User & Directories

sudo useradd --system --create-home --shell /bin/bash jira  
sudo mkdir -p /opt/jira /var/atlassian/jira-home  
sudo chown jira:jira /opt/jira /var/atlassian/jira-home

Step 4: Download & Install Jira

cd /opt/jira  
wget https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/downloads/binary/atlassian-jira-software-8.20.1-x64.bin  
sudo chmod +x atlassian-jira-software-8.20.1-x64.bin  
sudo ./atlassian-jira-software-8.20.1-x64.bin <

Step 5: Configure Jira Service

The installer creates a systemd service. Check and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload  
sudo systemctl enable jira.service  
sudo systemctl start jira.service  
sudo systemctl status jira.service

Step 6: (Optional) Nginx Reverse Proxy

sudo apt install -y nginx

sudo tee /etc/nginx/sites-available/jira << 'EOF'
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name jira.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    }
}
EOF

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/jira /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
    

Step 7: Access Jira

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://jira.example.com (or http://your-server-ip:8080)

Complete the setup wizard to connect to a database and create your admin user.

Conclusion

You now have Jira Agile up and running on Debian 11, ready for your team’s agile workflows.

🚀 Host Jira on a high-performance Linux VPS: netcloud24.com/servers/vps-linux/

© 2025 Written by Łukasz Bodziony – All rights reserved.