How To Install Neo4j on openSUSE

Neo4j is a powerful, highly scalable graph database management system designed to handle connected data efficiently. Whether you are working on social networks, recommendation engines, or fraud detection systems, Neo4j provides a robust platform for managing and querying complex relationships between data points. If you are using openSUSE, a popular Linux distribution known for its stability and enterprise support, you can easily install and configure Neo4j to leverage the power of graph databases.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of installing Neo4j on openSUSE. By following these steps, you’ll have a fully functional instance of Neo4j running on your system in no time.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

Before diving into the installation process, it’s essential to ensure that your system meets the necessary requirements for running Neo4j smoothly.

System Requirements for Neo4j

To run Neo4j efficiently on openSUSE, you should meet the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

• RAM: At least 2GB of RAM (4GB or more is recommended for production environments).
• Disk Space: A minimum of 10GB of free disk space.
• CPU: A modern multi-core processor.

Java Installation Requirement

Neo4j requires a Java Development Kit (JDK) version 17 or later to run. If Java is not installed on your system yet, don’t worry—we’ll cover how to install it in the next section.

Root or Sudo Access

You will need root or sudo privileges to install software packages and configure services on your openSUSE system.

Step 1: Update Your openSUSE System

The first step before installing any new software is to ensure that your system is up-to-date. This helps avoid compatibility issues during the installation process.

Update Packages

Open a terminal and run the following command to refresh the package repository and update all installed packages:

sudo zypper refresh && sudo zypper update

This command ensures that all system libraries and dependencies are current before proceeding with the installation of Neo4j.

Step 2: Install Java on openSUSE

If Java is not already installed on your system, you can easily install it using the Zypper package manager. First, check whether Java is installed by running:

java -version

If Java is installed, you’ll see the version number displayed. If not, follow these steps to install OpenJDK 17:

Install OpenJDK 17

sudo zypper install java-17-openjdk

This command installs OpenJDK 17, which is required by Neo4j.

Verify Java Installation

After installation, verify that Java has been correctly installed by running:

java -version

You should see output similar to this:

openjdk version "17.x.x"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 17.x.x)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.x.x)

Step 3: Add the Neo4j Repository to openSUSE

The next step is to add the official Neo4j repository to your system. This ensures that you can install the latest stable version of Neo4j directly from the repository.

Add the Repository Using Zypper

sudo zypper addrepo --refresh https://yum.neo4j.com/stable/5 neo4j-repository

This command adds the official Neo4j repository for version 5.x.x to your package manager.

Import the GPG Key

The GPG key is necessary for verifying the authenticity of packages from the repository. Import it using this command:

rpm --import https://debian.neo4j.com/neotechnology.gpg.key

This step ensures that all packages from the repository are signed and verified during installation.

Step 4: Install Neo4j on openSUSE

You are now ready to install Neo4j. Depending on your needs, you can choose between two editions: Community Edition (free) or Enterprise Edition (paid). Both versions offer powerful graph database capabilities; however, Enterprise Edition includes additional features like clustering and advanced monitoring tools.

Install Community Edition

sudo zypper install neo4j-5.x.x

This command installs the latest stable version of Neo4j Community Edition from the repository.

Install Enterprise Edition (Optional)

sudo zypper install neo4j-enterprise-5.x.x
NEO4J_ACCEPT_LICENSE_AGREEMENT=yes zypper install neo4j-enterprise-5.x.x

If you prefer to use Enterprise Edition, run this command instead. The second line allows you to accept the license agreement non-interactively during installation.

Step 5: Start and Enable Neo4j Service

Once Neo4j is installed, you’ll need to start its service manually and enable it to start automatically when your system boots up.

Start Neo4j Service Manually

sudo systemctl start neo4j

This command starts the Neo4j service immediately.

Enable Automatic Startup at Boot

sudo systemctl enable neo4j

This ensures that Neo4j will start automatically whenever your system reboots.

Step 6: Configure Firewall Settings (Optional)

If your firewall is enabled on openSUSE, you’ll need to allow traffic through specific ports used by Neo4j. By default, these ports are:

• HTTP Port (7474): Used for accessing the web interface.
• Bolt Protocol Port (7687): Used for database communication via Cypher Shell or other clients.

You can allow traffic through these ports by running the following commands:

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=7474/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=7687/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

This will ensure that external clients can access your Neo4j instance if needed.

Step 7: Accessing the Neo4j Web Interface

You can now access your newly installed Neo4j instance via its web interface. Open a browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:7474

The default login credentials are:

• User: neo4j
• Password: neo4j (you will be prompted to change this upon first login).

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Neo4j. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Neo4j graph database management on openSUSE system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Neo4j website.