couchdb
Start the CouchDB NoSQL database server
TLDR
Start CouchDB
Start CouchDB interactive shell
Start CouchDB as a background process
Kill the background process (Note: It will respawn if needed)
Shutdown the background process
SYNOPSIS
couchdb [options]
PARAMETERS
-h, --help
Show help message and exit.
-d, --daemon
Run as background daemon process.
-i INI, --ini INI
Load configuration from specified INI file (default: /opt/couchdb/etc/local.ini).
-n, --noinit
Skip multi-node cluster initialization.
-p PIDFILE, --pid PIDFILE
PID file path (default: /opt/couchdb/var/run/couchdb.pid).
-o LOGFILE, --logfile LOGFILE
Log file path (default: /opt/couchdb/var/log/couchdb.log).
-s, --stdout
Output logs to stdout instead of file.
-H HOST, --host HOST
Bind to specific host address (default: ::).
-P PORT, --port PORT
Bind to specific TCP port (default: 5984).
-V, --version
Display CouchDB version and exit.
-v, --verbose
Increase logging verbosity (repeatable).
DESCRIPTION
The couchdb command launches the Apache CouchDB server, an open-source document-oriented NoSQL database designed for reliability and simplicity. CouchDB stores data as JSON documents with schema-free design, supports HTTP/JSON API for seamless web integration, and offers incremental MapReduce indexing and replication.
Use couchdb to start the server in foreground (default) or daemon mode. It binds to a TCP port (default 5984) and host (default :: for IPv6), serving the Fauxton admin interface at http://127.0.0.1:5984/_utils/. Ideal for single-node setups or clusters via replication. Configuration loads from INI files like local.ini. Logs and PID files default to standard locations like /opt/couchdb/var. Supports verbose output and custom binds for production. Essential for developers building distributed, fault-tolerant apps with eventual consistency.
CAVEATS
Paths vary by installation (e.g., /opt/couchdb on source builds, /usr/lib on distros). Requires Erlang/OTP runtime. Default daemon user may need sudo. IPv6 binding (::) falls back to IPv4. Not for Windows.
DEFAULT ACCESS
Admin UI at http://localhost:5984/_utils/. Create admin via config or Futon.
SERVICE MANAGEMENT
On systemd: use systemctl start couchdb. Paths configurable in local.ini.
SECURITY NOTE
Bind to localhost for security; enable HTTPS via config. Setup admin user post-start.
HISTORY
Originated 2005 by Damien Katz as CouchDB; donated to Apache 2008 (incubating 2008-2010). Major versions: 1.0 (2010), 2.0 (2017) with clustering, 3.0+ (2020) with Mango queries. Evolved for scalability in BigCouch fork influences.
SEE ALSO
couchdb-dump(1), couchjs(1), erl(1)
