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Valkey on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS — Support & Quick Start

Valkey 8.1 (open-source, Redis-compatible in-memory datastore) on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, production-tuned.

Email support Product page Azure Marketplace listing

Fixed on image version 2026.916.1326 (published 2026-09-16)

The image now creates the data directory /var/lib/valkey that valkey.conf points at (the `valkey` service account is created with `useradd -r`, which does not make its home, so the server used to crash-loop with `'dir /var/lib/valkey' No such file or directory`). valkey-server starts, and first boot proves it by PINGing the running service before it marks itself complete.

If you deployed this VM before 2026-09-16, it came from the older image and is not changed by the new publication — redeploy from the current Marketplace version, or apply the one-time repair below:

  1. On a VM from an earlier image the service crash-loops. The repair is the one line the fixed image ships: create the data directory with the right owner and mode, restart the server, then `valkey-cli ping` should answer PONG.
  2. No credential is involved either way — Valkey ships with no password and protected-mode on; set `requirepass` in /etc/valkey/valkey.conf before you open 6379 to anything.
sudo install -d -o valkey -g valkey -m 0750 /var/lib/valkey
sudo systemctl restart valkey-server
valkey-cli ping

Image change: see the pull request.

Source: the Marketplace live version set for this offer, read from Partner Center on 2026-09-16. New deployments take the newest version by default.

At a glance

Application ports6379 (Valkey) — binds 0.0.0.0 with protected-mode on (remote clients refused until requirepass is set)
Service(s)valkey-server
Configuration/etc/valkey/valkey.conf (bind, protected-mode, requirepass)
Logs/var/log/valkey/valkey-server.log; journalctl -u valkey-server -f
VersionValkey 8.1.1
PlatformUbuntu 24.04 LTS

Quick start

  1. SSH into the VM with the username and key you chose at deploy.
  2. Valkey runs as the `valkey-server` systemd service on 6379. It binds 0.0.0.0 with protected-mode on, so non-loopback clients are refused until you set a password; the in-image ufw allows 6379 and the NSG keeps it closed until you open it.
  3. Connect with `valkey-cli`, set a strong `requirepass` in /etc/valkey/valkey.conf (and TLS if crossing networks), `sudo systemctl restart valkey-server`, then open 6379 in the NSG to your app tier only.

First login

  1. No password is set: locally `valkey-cli ping` answers PONG. Remote clients are refused by protected-mode until you set `requirepass` in /etc/valkey/valkey.conf and `sudo systemctl restart valkey-server`.

Still stuck?

Email support@dcassociatesgroup.com (response within 1 business day) or send a message via the contact form. Include the offer name, VM size, region, and any log output — sudo journalctl -u <service> -n 100 usually tells the story.