Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Express Edition on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS by cloudimg. Free for commercial use within edition limits (1 socket/4 cores, 1.4 GB RAM, 10 GB per database), per-VM credential rotation, and systemd managed service.
## SQL Server 2022 Express on Ubuntu 22.04 by cloudimg
Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Express Edition on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), purpose built for Microsoft Azure and maintained by cloudimg. Express Edition is free for commercial use and provides the full T-SQL engine within defined resource limits.
Why Choose cloudimg?
* 24/7 Expert Support with guaranteed 24 hour response for all requests and one hour average for critical issues. Contact support@cloudimg.co.uk
* Production Ready from Launch Pre configured, security patched, and validated before publication
* Azure Native Integration Built with Azure Linux Agent, cloud init, and Gen2 Hyper V support
* Per VM Credential Generation Unique SA and cloudimg passwords generated at first boot and written to /stage/scripts/mssql-credentials.log. No shared credentials baked into the image
What is Included
* Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Express Edition installed from the official Microsoft APT repository pinned to Ubuntu 22.04 jammy for timely security patches
* mssql-tools18 command line utilities including sqlcmd and bcp for database administration
* mssql-firstboot.service systemd oneshot that rotates the SA password, creates the cloudimg default database, provisions a cloudimg SQL login, and removes the build time memory cap on first customer boot
* mssql-server.service systemd unit started automatically on boot after firstboot completes
* Ubuntu 22.04 LTS base with latest security patches applied at build time
* Azure Linux Agent for seamless cloud integration and SSH key injection
Express Edition Limits
* 1 CPU socket maximum (up to 4 cores used)
* 1.4 GB maximum RAM for the SQL Server process
* 10 GB maximum database size per database
* No SQL Server Agent (use cron for scheduled jobs)
* No database mirroring or log shipping
These limits make Express ideal for small applications, departmental tools, developer workstations, and learning SQL Server without licensing costs. Applications that outgrow Express can be migrated to Standard or Enterprise Edition without changing the schema.
Free for Commercial Use
SQL Server 2022 Express Edition is free Microsoft software with no license key, SPLA agreement, or per-core cost. Deploy as many instances as needed within the edition resource limits. The PAYG marketplace price covers cloudimg support and infrastructure only.
SQL Server 2022 Highlights
* Azure Arc enabled by default with built in connectivity to Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Monitor, and Azure Purview
* Query store on by default for automatic plan correction
* Intelligent query processing enhancements
* Ledger tables for tamper evident audit trails
* Accelerated database recovery for fast crash recovery
* JSON improvements and built-in time series capabilities
Use Cases
* Small web applications with modest data volumes
* Departmental tools and internal line-of-business apps
* Development and testing of applications targeting SQL Server
* Learning SQL Server, T-SQL, and database administration
* Edge and IoT workloads where a lightweight SQL engine is needed
* Proof-of-concept projects before committing to a paid edition
Technical Specifications
* Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
* SQL Server Version: 2022 Express Edition (official packages.microsoft.com APT repo)
* Default Database: cloudimg
* SQL Port: 1433
* Default User: azureuser (sudo enabled)
* Service Management: systemd (mssql-server.service, mssql-firstboot.service)
* Recommended Size: Standard_D2s_v3
* VM Generation: Hyper V Gen2 with UEFI boot
Support
cloudimg provides 24/7/365 expert technical support. Guaranteed response within 24 hours, one hour average for critical issues. Contact support@cloudimg.co.uk or visit www.cloudimg.co.uk for the latest documentation and deployment guides.