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Installing Redis

Let’s set up your environment so you can start experimenting.

Option 1: Installing on Linux/macOS​

sudo apt-get install lsb-release curl gpg
curl -fsSL https://packages.redis.io/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/redis-archive-keyring.gpg
sudo chmod 644 /usr/share/keyrings/redis-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/redis-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packages.redis.io/deb $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/redis.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install redis

Option 2: Installing on Windows​

Windows support

The official Redis project does not support Windows, but you can use one of the below options for development purposes if you have no other choice.

Using Docker:

docker run --name redis-test -p 6379:6379 -d redis

Loggin into Docker Interactively

docker exec -it redis-test /bin/sh

Option 3: Installing Redis on a Docker Container​

Command to run docker container with persistent volume.

docker run --name redis-test -p 6379:6379 -v redis-data:/data -d redis redis-server --appendonly yes

To mount a custom Redis config file into the container and enable persistence, you can use this one-liner:

docker run --name redis-test -p 6379:6379 -v /path/to/redis.conf:/usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf -v redis-data:/data -d redis redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf

Option 4: Using Redis Cloud​

If you don't want to install Redis locally, use a free Redis instance in the cloud:

Checking and managing status of Redis​

  • Checking current status of Redis service
sudo systemctl status redis-server
  • Stopping Redis Service
sudo systemctl stop redis-server
  • Starting Redis Service
sudo systemctl start redis-server

Checking Redis Server's configuration file​

cat /etc/redis/redis.conf

Connecting to Redis using redis-cli​

redis-cli

You should see a prompt like

127.0.0.1>

You can also stop Redis gracefully from CLI with:

127.0.0.1> SHUTDOWN

Your First Redis Commands​

Let's try some basic commands using the Redis CLI:

127.0.0.1:6379> SET name "Redis"
OK
127.0.0.1:6379> GET name
"Redis"
127.0.0.1:6379> DEL name
(integer) 1
127.0.0.1:6379> GET name
(nil)

Using Redis from Python​

Install the redis-py client:

pip install redis

Sample Python code:

import redis

# Connect to Redis (default localhost:6379)
r = redis.Redis(host='localhost', port=6379, db=0)

# Set a key
r.set('name', 'Redis')

# Get the key
print(r.get('name'))  # Output: b'Redis'

# Delete the key
r.delete('name')

Common Troubleshooting for Beginners​

  • Not running the Redis server: The CLI and clients need the server running.
  • Port conflicts: The default port is 6379; ensure no other service is using it.
  • Data loss on restart: By default, Redis stores data in memory—unless persistence is enabled, you may lose data between restarts.
  • Firewall/network issues: Ensure your firewall allows connections to Redis if using remote clients.

Recap​

In this lesson, you learned:

  • What Redis is and why it’s popular.
  • Common use cases for Redis.
  • How to install and start Redis on your machine or in the cloud.
  • How to run basic commands via the CLI and Python.
  • Common setup mistakes to avoid.

You’re now ready to start exploring Redis in depth!

Quiz​

Redis Installation Basics

What is the default port Redis runs on?

Question 1/5

You’re all set! In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Redis core concepts and data structures.