Installation and Deployment
EMQX Neuron runs on Linux, supporting 32/64-bit ARM and 64-bit x86 architectures, and deploys in containers through Docker, Kubernetes, and KubeEdge.
Quick install
curl -fsSL emqx.sh/neuron | bash
The script chooses between .deb, .rpm, tar.gz, and Docker, and verifies the SHA256 checksum when one is published. With tar.gz, it installs to /opt/neuronex and symlinks neuronex into /usr/local/bin, so you can start it straight from the command line.
Controlling what the script does
Environment variables steer the script, so there is no need to download a package by hand:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
INSTALL_METHOD | auto | Force an install method: deb, rpm, targz, or docker |
NEURONEX_VERSION | latest | Install a specific version |
ROOT | /opt | Install root; the product goes to $ROOT/neuronex |
BIN_LINK_DIR | /usr/local/bin | Where the executable is symlinked |
DOCKER_IMAGE | emqx/neuronex:latest | Used only with INSTALL_METHOD=docker |
DOCKER_PORT | 8085 | Docker only — host port to publish |
DOCKER_NAME | neuronex | Docker only — container name |
For example, to force a Docker install of a specific version:
curl -fsSL emqx.sh/neuron -o install_neuronex.sh
INSTALL_METHOD=docker NEURONEX_VERSION=3.9.2 bash install_neuronex.shChoosing an install method
If you need a specific method, or the script does not fit your environment:
Method | When to use it | Details |
|---|---|---|
| .deb | Debian-based distributions such as Debian, Ubuntu, and Kylin — preferred | Installing from a Package |
| .rpm | RPM-based distributions such as RedHat, CentOS, and openEuler | Installing from a Package |
| .tar.gz | Any Linux distribution, no package manager required | Installing from a Package |
| Docker | Quick evaluation, container deployments, CI environments | Docker |
Packages are available from the download page. File names look like neuronex-x.y.z-linux-amd64.rpm, where x.y.z is the version and amd64 / arm / arm64 is the architecture.
Operating system requirements
| Category | Supported systems | Install method |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream distributions | CentOS 8.0+, Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+ | The matching rpm / deb / tar.gz package |
| Chinese domestic systems | openEuler (ARM64) | RPM package |
| Kylin (ARM64) | DEB package | |
| UOS | Either package |
Windows
There is no native Windows build. On Windows, run EMQX Neuron with Docker Desktop, or install a Linux environment through WSL or VirtualBox.
Hardware requirements
EMQX Neuron runs on industrial PCs, gateway hardware, and servers. It sustains a 100 ms polling interval even on constrained devices, and uses multiple CPU cores to poll large tag counts when resources allow.
Minimum memory for data collection (enabling data processing consumes more):
| Tags | Minimum memory | Architecture | Reference hardware |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 128 MB | 64-bit ARM / x86 | Raspberry Pi 3 |
| 1,000 | 256 MB | 64-bit ARM / x86 | Raspberry Pi 4 |
| 10,000 | 512 MB | 64-bit ARM / x86 | Industrial PC |
| More than 10,000 | 1 GB and up | 64-bit x86 | High-end industrial PC, server |
There is no hard limit on tag count — it depends on the CPU and memory you allocate. For measured figures per driver, see Performance Testing.
Recommended size per instance
With adequate hardware, keep a single instance under 100,000 tags and 100 southbound drivers. Beyond that, split the workload across multiple EMQX Neuron instances.
Version numbers
Versions are written as x.y.z:
- x — major version: introduces architectural changes and is not guaranteed to be backward compatible.
- y — minor version: introduces features while staying compatible within the same major version.
- z — patch version: bug fixes only.
Next steps
- Try it end to end — Quick Start walks collection through forwarding in five steps.
- Set up a license — 30 tags are included free by default; beyond that you need a license. See Licensing.
- Production high availability — see Master-Backup Mode.