How to Install Whoogle Search on Ubuntu 24.04

Whoogle Search is a self-hosted, privacy-focused search front-end for Google. It lets you use Google’s search power without ads, tracking, or profiling. This guide explains how to install and run Whoogle Search on Ubuntu 24.04.

Step 1 – Update the System

Update all existing packages to ensure you’re running the latest versions.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2 – Install Required Packages

Install Python, development tools, and other dependencies.

sudo apt install -y python3-venv python3-pip python3-dev build-essential git

Step 3 – Create a Dedicated User and Directory

Create a system user to run Whoogle securely, and set up its home directory.

sudo useradd -r -m -d /opt/whoogle -s /bin/bash whoogle
sudo mkdir -p /opt/whoogle
sudo chown -R whoogle:whoogle /opt/whoogle

Step 4 – Set Up a Python Virtual Environment

Create and activate a Python virtual environment under the Whoogle user.

sudo -u whoogle python3 -m venv /opt/whoogle/venv
sudo -u whoogle /opt/whoogle/venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip

Step 5 – Install Whoogle Search

Install Whoogle within the virtual environment.

sudo -u whoogle /opt/whoogle/venv/bin/pip install whoogle-search

Step 6 – Create a Systemd Service

Create a service file so Whoogle starts automatically at boot.

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/whoogle.service

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/whoogle.service

[Unit]
Description=Whoogle Search
After=network.target

[Service]
User=whoogle
Group=whoogle
WorkingDirectory=/opt/whoogle
ExecStart=/opt/whoogle/venv/bin/whoogle-search --host 0.0.0.0 --port 5000
Restart=always
Environment=PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Step 7 – Enable and Start Whoogle

Reload systemd, enable Whoogle to start at boot, and start the service.

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now whoogle
sudo systemctl status whoogle

Step 8 – Allow Firewall Access (Optional)

If you are running UFW, allow traffic to Whoogle’s port.

sudo ufw allow 5000/tcp
sudo ufw reload

Step 9 – Access Whoogle

Open your browser and visit:

http://<your-server-ip>:5000 

You should now see the Whoogle Search interface ready to use.

Congratulations! You now have a fully functional, privacy-respecting search engine running on your Ubuntu 24.04 server.