How to Install and Configure Zabbix on Debian

Edited 2 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

DebianZabbixMonitoringServer SetupLinuxOpen SourceSystem AdministrationCLIITSoftware

Zabbix is an open-source monitoring software for networks and applications. It can be used to track the status of various services, network hardware, servers, and other IT resources. Here, we will walk you through the detailed procedure to install and configure Zabbix on Debian systems.

Prerequisites

Before you begin the installation, make sure you have the following prerequisites met:

• Debian-based operating system installation.
• Root or sudo access to the Debian server.
• A stable internet connection to download packages and updates.
• A valid IP address assigned to your server.

Step 1: Update your system

The first step in installing any software is to make sure your system is up to date. An updated system ensures that all system packages are the latest, usually the safest option available. Use the following command to update your Debian system:

sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade

This will get the updated package list and upgrade the current outdated packages to the latest available versions.

Step 2: Install Apache, MySQL and PHP

Zabbix requires a web server, a database management system, and PHP. For this tutorial, we will be using Apache, MySQL, and PHP, collectively called the "LAMP stack." Here's how to install them:

Install Apache

To install Apache, execute the command:

sudo apt install apache2

After the installation is complete, you can check whether the Apache service is running or not by using the following:

sudo systemctl status apache2

Install MySQL

MySQL will be used to manage Zabbix data. Install it using the following:

sudo apt install mysql-server

Once installed, secure your MySQL installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen instructions to set your root password and secure your database.

Install PHP

Zabbix requires PHP for its web interface. Let's install PHP and commonly used PHP extensions:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-bcmath php-mbstring php-ldap php-json php-gd

Once PHP is installed, we need to make a little change to the PHP configuration. Open the PHP configuration file in a text editor and make the changes shown below:

sudo nano /etc/php/7.3/apache2/php.ini

Make sure the following configurations are as shown:

max_execution_time = 300 memory_limit = 128M post_max_size = 16M upload_max_filesize = 2M date.timezone = "UTC" (replace UTC with your timezone)

Step 3: Create MySQL Database for Zabbix

To store Zabbix data, set up a MySQL database and user. Log into MySQL:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then execute the SQL command below. You can replace “your_db_password” with the password of your choice:

CREATE DATABASE zabbixdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci; CREATE USER 'zabbixuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_db_password'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbixdb.* TO 'zabbixuser'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT;

Step 4: Install Zabbix Repository

Zabbix is not included in the default repository in Debian. So, we need to add the Zabbix repository. You can download and install the repository using the wget command:

wget https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/5.0/debian/pool/main/z/zabbix-release/zabbix-release_5.0-1+buster_all.deb sudo dpkg -i zabbix-release_5.0-1+buster_all.deb sudo apt update

Step 5: Install Zabbix server, frontend and agent

After successful configuration of your system, it is now time to install the Zabbix server, web frontend, and agent. Use the following installation commands:

sudo apt install zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-agent

Step 6: Configure and import Zabbix database

To import the database schema and initial data into the database, execute the following command. Replace “zabbixuser” and “your_db_password” with your previously set MySQL user credentials.

zcat /usr/share/doc/zabbix-server-mysql/create.sql.gz | mysql -u zabbixuser -p zabbixdb

Step 7: Configure the Zabbix Server

Once the database is set up, configure the server as shown below. Edit the Zabbix server configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf

Find and configure the following parameters:

DBName=zabbixdb DBUser=zabbixuser DBPassword=your_db_password

Step 8: Create Apache Configuration for Zabbix

The Apache configuration file for Zabbix must be adjusted before it can be accessed via the browser. Edit the configuration as shown below:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/apache.conf

Set the PHP timezone according to your needs. For example:

php_value date.timezone Europe/London

Step 9: Start Zabbix Server and Apache

To ensure that Zabbix runs simultaneously with system startup, enable and launch the Zabbix server and agent services:

sudo systemctl start zabbix-server zabbix-agent apache2 sudo systemctl enable zabbix-server zabbix-agent apache2

Step 10: Perform initial Zabbix configuration via web

Open your web browser and visit http://your_server_ip_address/zabbix. Follow the step-by-step guide offered by Zabbix to complete further configuration and connectivity checks.

By default, Zabbix's administration username and password are:

• Username: admin
• Password: zabbix

Conclusion

Congratulations, if you have reached this point, you now have a fully operational Zabbix server running on a Debian system. This tool can now help you monitor both hardware and software systems in your network. With vast customization options and support from its active community, Zabbix is a powerful ally in managing IT infrastructure.

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