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apache/couchdb

Seamless multi-primary syncing database with an intuitive HTTP/JSON API, designed for reliability

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README.md

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Apache CouchDB README
=====================

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.. |1| image:: https://ci-couchdb.apache.org/buildStatus/icon?job=FullPlatformMatrix%2Fmain&subject=main
    :target: https://ci-couchdb.apache.org/job/FullPlatformMatrix/job/main
.. |2| image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/couchdb/badge/?version=latest
    :target: https://docs.couchdb.org/en/latest/?badge=latest

Installation
------------

For a high-level guide to Unix-like systems, inc. Mac OS X and Ubuntu, see:

INSTALL.Unix

For a high-level guide to Microsoft Windows, see:

INSTALL.Windows

Follow the proper instructions to get CouchDB installed on your system.

If you're having problems, skip to the next section.

Documentation
-------------

We have documentation:

https://docs.couchdb.org/

It includes a changelog:

https://docs.couchdb.org/en/latest/whatsnew/

For troubleshooting or cryptic error messages, see:

https://docs.couchdb.org/en/latest/install/troubleshooting.html

For general help, see:

https://couchdb.apache.org/#mailing-list

We also have an IRC channel:

https://web.libera.chat/#couchdb

The mailing lists provide a wealth of support and knowledge for you to tap into.
Feel free to drop by with your questions or discussion. See the official CouchDB
website for more information about our community resources.

Verifying your Installation
---------------------------

Run a basic test suite for CouchDB by browsing here:

http://127.0.0.1:5984/_utils/#verifyinstall

Getting started with developing
-------------------------------

**Quickstart:**

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=Remote%20-%20Containers&message=Open&color=blue&logo=visualstudiocode
    :target: https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/apache/couchdb

If you already have VS Code and Docker installed, you can click the badge above or
`here <https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/apache/couchdb>`_
to get started. Clicking these links will cause VS Code to automatically install the
Remote - Containers extension if needed, clone the source code into a container volume,
and spin up a dev container for use.

This ``devcontainer`` will automatically run ``./configure && make`` the first time it is created.
While this may take some extra time to spin up, this tradeoff means you will be able to
run things like ``./dev/run``, ``./dev/run --admin=admin:admin``,  ``./dev/run --with-admin-party-please``,
and ``make check`` straight away.  Subsequent startups should be quick.

**Manual Dev Setup:**

For more detail, read the README-DEV.rst file in this directory.

Basically you just have to install the needed dependencies which are
documented in the install docs and then run ``./configure && make``.

You don't need to run ``make install`` after compiling, just use
``./dev/run`` to spin up three nodes. You can add haproxy as a caching
layer in front of this cluster by running ``./dev/run --with-haproxy
--haproxy=/path/to/haproxy`` . You will now have a local cluster
listening on port 5984.

For Fauxton developers fixing the admin-party does not work via the button in
Fauxton. To fix the admin party you have to run ``./dev/run`` with the ``admin``
flag, e.g. ``./dev/run --admin=username:password``. If you want to have an
admin-party, just omit the flag.

Contributing to CouchDB
-----------------------

You can learn more about our contributing process here:

https://github.com/apache/couchdb/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md

Acknowledgments
---------------

This project is proudly supported by:

|3|

`IBM Cloudant <https://www.ibm.com/products/cloudant>`_

|5|

|6|

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.. |3| image:: https://couchdb.apache.org/image/macstadium-logo.png
    :width: 150
    :target: https://www.macstadium.com
.. |5| image:: https://couchdb.apache.org/image/neighbourhoodie-logo-with-n.svg
    :width: 150
    :target: https://neighbourhood.ie/couchdb-support
.. |6| image:: https://opensource.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/attribution/assets/PoweredByDO/DO_Powered_by_Badge_blue.png
    :width: 150
    :target: https://www.digitalocean.com
.. |7| image:: https://couchdb.apache.org/image/netcup_logo_RGB_color.svg
    :width: 150
    :target: https://www.netcup.com

Cryptographic Software Notice
-----------------------------

This distribution includes cryptographic software. The country in which you
currently reside may have restrictions on the import, possession, use, and/or
re-export to another country, of encryption software. BEFORE using any
encryption software, please check your country's laws, regulations and policies
concerning the import, possession, or use, and re-export of encryption software,
to see if this is permitted. See <https://www.wassenaar.org/> for more
information.

The U.S. Government Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security
(BIS), has classified this software as Export Commodity Control Number (ECCN)
5D002.C.1, which includes information security software using or performing
cryptographic functions with asymmetric algorithms. The form and manner of this
Apache Software Foundation distribution makes it eligible for export under the
License Exception ENC Technology Software Unrestricted (TSU) exception (see the
BIS Export Administration Regulations, Section 740.13) for both object code and
source code.

The following provides more details on the included cryptographic software:

CouchDB includes a HTTP client (ibrowse) with SSL functionality.

Repository info

Default branch: main
Latest version: —
Created: 21/05/2009
Last activity: 05/11/2026
License: Apache-2.0
Open issues: 370
Watchers: 216

Topics

big-data cloud content couchdb database erlang http javascript network-client network-server

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