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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2026.1

# Linux non-package installation: quick example

The quickest way to get started:

1. Make a directory for your installation:

   mkdir newinstall

2. Navigate to the newly-created directory:

   cd newinstall

3. Go to P4 Server Downloads
   1. Under Family, click Linux
   2. Under Platform, click Linux
   3. Click Download
4. Copy the p4d file in your newly-created directory.
5. Give the OS user execution permission for the p4d file:

   chmod 755 p4d

6. Configure the OS environment to have a Perforce user:

   export P4USER=perforce

7. Configure the OS environment to have a P4 Server port:

   export P4PORT=localhost:1666

8. Invoke the server executable, p4d, while specifying the current directory with `pwd` enclosed in backticks and the port as -p 1666:

   ./p4d -r `pwd` -p 1666 -J journal -L log -d

   The output is:

   Perforce db files in '/home/bruno/newinstall' will be created if missing...
   Perforce Server starting...

9. Go to Download P4 CLI
   1. Under Family, click Linux
   2. Under Platform, click Linux (x64)
   3. Click Download

10. Copy the p4 file to the same directory where you copied the p4d file.

11. Give the OS user execution permission for the p4 file:

    chmod 755 p4

12. Issue the p4 info command as follows, with ./ before p4 info:

    ./p4 info

13. From the output, write down for future use value of the Server address (line 8):
    Copy

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        User name: perforce
        Client name: linux-bruno
        Client host: linux-bruno
        Client unknown.
        Current directory: /home/bruno/newinstall
        Peer address: 127.0.0.1:12345
        Client address: 127.0.0.1
        Server address: localhost:1666
        Server root: /home/bruno/newinstall
        Server date: 2018/11/14 15:18:55 -0800 PST
        Server uptime: 00:00:09
        Server version: P4D/LINUX26X86_64/2018.2/1234567 (2018/11/02)
        Server license: none
        Case Handling: sensitive

14. Download the P4 Visual Client (P4V) application that has a graphical user interface, P4V, from P4V Download. Depending on your flavor of Linux, the steps might be similar to:
    1. Extract p4v.tgz
    2. Install the application.

    3. Invoke the executable: ./p4v

15. As shown in the Connecting with P4V video, connect the client to the "remote" server by using the Server address from Step 13.
16. Watch the videos on How to Create a Workspace in P4V and Version Control Basic Concepts and Basic Operations in P4V.

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