Step 2: Download and install Helix Core Server on Linux | Admin

Complete the following steps to set up Helix Core Server on Linux. After installation, the following components are available on the computer:

  • Helix Core Command-Line Client (p4)
  • Helix Core Server (p4d)
  • Tool for managing the Perforce service (p4dctl)
  • Operating system user, perforce, used to run the Perforce service.

These steps are for the Ubuntu package manager for Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat), a popular version of Linux. If you need steps for a different package manager, see the Install the server in the Helix Core Server Administrator Guide.

If you need steps for Windows, see Download and install Helix Core Server on Windows.

  1. Make sure you have sudo access on the computer where you are installing Helix Core Server.

  2. Download the Perforce public key:

    $ wget https://package.perforce.com/perforce.pubkey

  3. Get the fingerprint of the public key:

    $ gpg -n --import --import-options import-show perforce.pubkey

  4. Verify the downloaded key matches the authentic Perforce fingerprint:

    $ gpg -n --import --import-options import-show perforce.pubkey | grep -q "E58131C0AEA7B082C6DC4C937123CB760FF18869" && echo "true"
    If the output is true, the key is valid.

  5. Add the public key to your keyring:

    $ wget -qO - https://package.perforce.com/perforce.pubkey | sudo apt-key add -

  6. Create a file for the Perforce repository:

    $ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/perforce.list

  7. To add the new repository to the package manager, add the following line to the file you created:

    deb http://package.perforce.com/apt/ubuntu noble release

  8. Save the file.

Update the computer for the new Perforce repository

  1. Refresh local packages:

    $ sudo apt-get update

  2. Install Helix Core Server using the built-in Ubuntu package manager:

    $ sudo apt-get install helix-p4d

  3. Enter Y to confirm and wait for installation to complete.

Configure the Perforce service

To complete Helix Core Server installation, configure the Perforce service.

  1. Run the configuration in interactive mode:

    $ sudo /opt/perforce/sbin/configure-helix-p4d.sh

    The configuration script displays a summary of default settings and any settings optionally set with a command-line argument.

  2. Provide information prompted by the configuration script:

    • Service Name: Used when starting and stopping the service.

    • Server Root: P4ROOT where versioned files and metadata are stored.

    • Unicode Mode Off by default. If you are planning to install Helix Swarm after setting up Helix Core, enable Unicode mode. Swarm requires Unicode mode to ensure that all characters are displayed and handled correctly.

      Warning

      If you turn Unicode mode on, you will not be able to turn it off. Be sure you are familiar with Unicode functionality when selecting this mode. See Unicode mode in Helix Core Server Administrator Guide for information.

    • Case Sensitivity: On by default. In most cases, setting up a case sensitive server with a case-check trigger to avoid case collisions is the best option. If your organization is developing only with and for Windows, you might want to set up a case insensitive server instead.

    • Server Address: P4PORT, which is the host and port the Helix Core Server listens on, and whether to communicate in plain text or over SSL.

    • Superuser login: userid for a new user with super level privileges. To learn more about super users, see Access levels in Helix Core Server Administrator Guide.

    • Superuser password: Password for the new super user. This user has unlimited privileges, so a strong password is required.

When configuration is complete, a summary displays details about what changed and where settings are stored.

You can now connect to the Helix Core Server service, or you can manage the service using the p4dctl utility. For example:
sudo -u perforce p4dctl start -t p4d p4dmaster <server_name>

To learn more about configure-helix-p4d.sh script, see Post-installation configuration in Helix Core Server Administrator Guide .

What's next

Next, download and install Helix Core Visual Client (P4V), which allows you to work with versioned files. Installing P4V also installs the Helix Core Visual Admin Client (P4Admin) by default. You will use these tools to configure security and add users in later steps. You will also install other tools that you might use when working with Helix Core.

Go to Step 3: Download and install P4V and other client applications.