How to install Redis on Debian 13

Redis is an in-memory data store used for caching, sessions, queues, and real-time workloads. Debian 13 includes Redis in its official repositories, so installation is straightforward and stable.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Always start with an updated system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Redis Server

Install Redis directly from Debian repositories:

sudo apt install -y redis-server

This installs both the Redis server and the redis-cli tool.

Step 3: Enable and Start Redis Service

Make sure Redis starts on boot and is running now:

sudo systemctl enable --now redis-server

Verify status:

systemctl status redis-server

You should see active (running).

Step 4: Test Redis Installation

Confirm Redis is responding correctly:

redis-cli ping

Expected output:

PONG

Step 5: Configure Redis for systemd Supervision

Debian uses systemd, so Redis should be supervised correctly.

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/redis/redis.conf

Find and set:

supervised systemd

Restart Redis:

sudo systemctl restart redis-server

Step 6: Secure Redis (Local Access Only)

Redis should not be exposed publicly.

Check bind address:

grep ^bind /etc/redis/redis.conf

It should be:

bind 127.0.0.1 ::1

Also ensure:

protected-mode yes

Restart Redis after changes:

sudo systemctl restart redis-server

Redis is fast, lightweight, and extremely reliable when used for the right purpose. On Debian 13, installation is simple and stable thanks to official packages and systemd integration. As long as Redis is kept local, secured properly, and used for caching, sessions, queues, or real-time state — it will perform exactly as expected. If you try to use it as a permanent database, the problem isn’t Redis — it’s the architecture.