IronOCR Linux Compatibility & Setup Guide
IronOCR supports Linux for .NET 8 LTS / .NET 10, .NET Framework 4.6.2+, and .NET Standard 2.0 applications, as well as Docker, Azure, macOS and (naturally) Windows.
We recommend using .NET Core 3.1 and any other runtimes marked as LTS by Microsoft because they have guaranteed long-term support and are generally well tested on Linux.
No code changes are required to run on IronOCR Linux. Generally, IronOCR works out of the box thanks to hundreds of hours of testing and configuration by our engineers.
Linux support is important because many cloud services such as Azure Web Apps, Azure Functions, AWS EC2, AWS Lambda, Azure DevOps Docker rely heavily on Linux. At Iron Software we use these cloud tools regularly and understand that many of our Enterprise and SAAS customers do too.
Officially Supported Linux Distros
We officially support and recommend the latest 64-bit Linux OS's below for "zero configuration" setup of IronOCR.
- Ubuntu 20
- Ubuntu 18
- Debian 11
- Debian 10 [Currently the Microsoft Azure Default Linux Distro]
Please read "Other Linux Distros" below for advice on installing IronOCR on a version of Linux which is not officially supported.
IronOCR NuGet Packages
Ubuntu Compatibility
Ubuntu is our most tested Linux operating system. This is because it is used heavily in the Azure infrastructure we use for continuous testing and deployment. This platform also has official Microsoft .NET support and official Docker Images.
Ubuntu 20
Manual Ubuntu 20 Setup: If you wish to manually install or your app cannot be run with sudo admin privileges.
# Update the package list
sudo apt update
# Install necessary packages
sudo apt install -y apt-utils libgdiplus libc6-devUbuntu 18
Manual Ubuntu 18 Setup: If you wish to manually install or your app cannot be run with sudo admin privileges.
# Update the package list
sudo apt update
# Install necessary packages
sudo apt install -y apt-utils libgdiplus libc6-devDebian 11
Debian 10 is the default Linux distribution used by Microsoft when adding Docker support to a .NET project in Visual Studio.
Manual Debian 11 Setup: If you wish to manually install or your app cannot be run with sudo admin privileges.
# Update the package list
sudo apt update
# Install necessary packages
sudo apt install -y apt-utils libgdiplus libc6-devDebian 10
Debian 10 is the default Linux distribution used by Microsoft when adding Docker support to a .NET project in Visual Studio.
Manual Debian 10 Setup: If you wish to manually install or your app cannot be run with sudo admin privileges.
# Update the package list
sudo apt update
# Install necessary packages
sudo apt install -y apt-utils libgdiplus libc6-devOther Linux Distros
Regardless of whether you use HFS, yum, apt, or apt-get as your package manager, the requirements remain pretty much constant.
# Update the package list
sudo apt update
# Install necessary packages
sudo apt install -y apt-utils libgdiplus libc6-devFrequently Asked Questions
What is required to set up IronOCR on Ubuntu?
To set up IronOCR on Ubuntu, you need to update the package list and install necessary packages such as apt-utils, libgdiplus, and libc6-dev using sudo privileges. This applies to both Ubuntu 18 and 20.
Is IronOCR compatible with Debian 10 and 11?
Yes, IronOCR is compatible with both Debian 10 and 11. The manual setup involves updating the package list and installing necessary packages like apt-utils, libgdiplus, and libc6-dev.
Which Linux distributions are officially supported by IronOCR?
IronOCR officially supports Ubuntu 18, Ubuntu 20, Debian 10, and Debian 11. These allow for 'zero configuration' setup of IronOCR.
Can IronOCR run on cloud services such as AWS and Azure?
Yes, IronOCR is optimized for Linux, which is commonly used in cloud services including AWS and Azure. It works seamlessly in environments like Azure Web Apps and AWS EC2.
Do I need to modify my code to use IronOCR on Linux?
No code changes are required to run IronOCR on Linux. IronOCR is designed to work out of the box thanks to extensive testing and configuration.
What .NET versions are supported by IronOCR on Linux?
IronOCR supports .NET 8 LTS, .NET 10, .NET Framework 4.6.2+, and .NET Standard 2.0 on Linux.
Is Docker supported for IronOCR deployment on Linux?
Yes, Docker is supported for deploying IronOCR on Linux, making it easy to containerize your OCR applications.
Why is Ubuntu a recommended OS for IronOCR?
Ubuntu is heavily tested and used in the Azure infrastructure, making it a reliable option for IronOCR. It also has official Microsoft .NET support and Docker Images.
What package manager is recommended for installing IronOCR dependencies?
You can use any package manager like apt, apt-get, yum, or HFS to install IronOCR dependencies, although apt is commonly used.
Why is Linux support important for IronOCR?
Linux support is important because many cloud services rely heavily on Linux, and IronOCR is used by enterprise and SAAS customers who utilize these services.
Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.
