LibreNMS Install | 3 Effective Methods for Linux

When choosing the proper network monitoring tool for use at IOFLOOD, we prepared scripts for an automated LibreNMS install. From our gained knowledge on how to install libreNMS, we have also crafted today’s article, as we believe this tool can help our clients with dedicated cloud server network monitoring capabilities.

In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install LibreNMS command on your Linux system. We will show you methods for both APT and YUM-based distributions, delve into compiling LibreNMS from source, installing a specific version, and finally, how to use the LibreNMS command and ensure it’s installed correctly.

So, let’s dive in and begin installing LibreNMS on your Linux system!

TL;DR: How To Perform LibreNMS Install on Linux?

Start a LibreNMS install on Linux by installing the required dependencies, such as sudo apt-get install snmpd snmp mariadb-server mariadb-client..., cloning the LibreNMS repository with sudo git clone https://github.com/librenms/librenms.git, and configuring the web server. For example:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install snmpd snmp mariadb-server mariadb-client nginx php-fpm git
cd /opt
sudo git clone https://github.com/librenms/librenms.git
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /opt/librenms


This command will install the necessary PHP modules and other dependencies required by LibreNMS. Once these dependencies are installed, you can proceed to download and extract the LibreNMS package, and then set up the web installer.

This is just a basic way to install LibreNMS on Linux, but there's much more to learn about installing and using LibreNMS. Continue reading for more detailed information and advanced installation options.

## Intro: How to Install LibreNMS

LibreNMS is an open-source, feature-rich, and flexible network monitoring system. It supports a wide range of network hardware and operating systems including Linux, FreeBSD, Cisco, HP, and more. LibreNMS is great for keeping an eye on your network's performance and ensuring everything is running smoothly.

Now that we've covered what LibreNMS is and why you'd want to use it, let's go over how to install it on a Linux system using different package managers.

### LibreNMS Install with APT

If you're using a Debian-based Linux distribution like Ubuntu, you'll be using the APT package manager to install LibreNMS. Here's how you can do it:

```bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install librenms

# Output:
# 'Reading package lists... Done'
# 'Building dependency tree'
# 'Reading state information... Done'
# 'librenms is already the newest version (1.70.1-1).'
# '0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.'

This command first updates the list of available packages and then installs LibreNMS. The output indicates that the installation was successful.

LibreNMS Install with YUM

For those using a Red Hat-based distribution like CentOS, you’ll be using the YUM package manager. Here’s how to install LibreNMS using YUM:

sudo yum check-update
sudo yum install librenms

# Output:
# 'Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks'
# 'Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile'
# ' * base: mirror.umd.edu'
# ' * extras: mirror.umd.edu'
# ' * updates: mirror.umd.edu'
# 'librenms.noarch 0:1.70.1-1.el7 will be installed'
# 'Complete!'

This command checks for updates and then installs LibreNMS. The output message ‘Complete!’ confirms that LibreNMS has been successfully installed.

How to Install LibreNMS from Source

In some cases, you might need to install LibreNMS from its source code. This could be due to the lack of availability in your package manager, or you want to customize the installation. Here’s how you can do it:

git clone https://github.com/librenms/librenms.git

# Output:
# Cloning into 'librenms'...
# remote: Enumerating objects: 230, done.
# remote: Counting objects: 100% (230/230), done.
# remote: Compressing objects: 100% (153/153), done.
# remote: Total 230 (delta 89), reused 179 (delta 72), pack-reused 0
# Receiving objects: 100% (230/230), 79.01 KiB | 1.58 MiB/s, done.
# Resolving deltas: 100% (89/89), done.

This command clones the LibreNMS repository from GitHub into a new directory named ‘librenms’. The output indicates that the repository has been cloned successfully.

Install LibreNMS Alternative Versions

LibreNMS has different versions, and you might need to install a specific one depending on your requirements. Here’s how you can do it:

Install LibreNMS Alternative Versions from Source

To install a specific version of LibreNMS from source, you need to check out the corresponding Git tag. Here’s how to do it:

cd librenms
git checkout 1.70.1

# Output:
# Note: switching to '1.70.1'.
# You are in 'detached HEAD' state. You can look around, make experimental
# changes and commit them, and you can discard any commits you make in this
# state without impacting any branches by switching back to a branch.
# HEAD is now at 6defb48d8 Bump version to 1.70.1

This command switches to the Git tag ‘1.70.1’, which corresponds to LibreNMS version 1.70.1. The output indicates that the switch was successful.

Install LibreNMS Alternative Versions with APT

To install a specific version of LibreNMS with APT, you can use the ‘=’ option followed by the version number. Here’s how to do it:

sudo apt-get install librenms=1.70.1

# Output:
# Reading package lists... Done
# Building dependency tree
# Reading state information... Done
# E: Version '1.70.1' for 'librenms' was not found

This command attempts to install LibreNMS version 1.70.1. The output indicates that the version was not found, which means it’s not available in the package repository.

Installing Alternative Versions with YUM

To install a specific version of LibreNMS with YUM, you can use the ‘-‘ option followed by the version number. Here’s how to do it:

sudo yum install librenms-1.70.1

# Output:
# Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks
# Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
#  * base: mirror.umd.edu
#  * extras: mirror.umd.edu
#  * updates: mirror.umd.edu
# No package librenms-1.70.1 available.
# Error: Nothing to do

This command attempts to install LibreNMS version 1.70.1. The output indicates that the version is not available in the package repository.

Version Comparison

Here’s a comparison of different LibreNMS versions:

Depending on your needs and the Linux version you’re using, you might need to install a specific version of LibreNMS.

Using and Verifying LibreNMS Install

Once you’ve installed LibreNMS, you can use the ‘librenms’ command to monitor your network. Here’s a basic example:

librenms -v

# Output:
# LibreNMS 1.70.1

This command displays the version of LibreNMS, which verifies that it’s installed correctly and ready to use.

Exploring LibreNMS Alternative Tools

While LibreNMS is a powerful network monitoring tool, it’s not the only one out there. Other tools like Nagios and Zabbix also offer robust features for network monitoring and might be more suited to certain use cases. Let’s explore these alternatives.

Monitoring Networks with Nagios

Nagios is a popular open-source computer system monitoring, network monitoring, and infrastructure monitoring software. It can alert technical staff about the problems in the system. Let’s install Nagios on Linux:

sudo apt-get install nagios3

# Output:
# Reading package lists... Done
# Building dependency tree
# Reading state information... Done
# The following additional packages will be installed:
# nagios-images nagios-nrpe-plugin nagios-plugins nagios-plugins-basic
# nagios-plugins-standard nagios3-cgi nagios3-common nagios3-core
# Suggested packages:
# nagios3-doc nagios-plugins-extra nagios-plugins-contrib
# The following NEW packages will be installed:
# nagios-images nagios-nrpe-plugin nagios-plugins nagios-plugins-basic
# nagios-plugins-standard nagios3 nagios3-cgi nagios3-common nagios3-core
# 0 upgraded, 9 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
# Need to get 2,882 kB of archives.
# After this operation, 11.9 MB of additional disk space will be used.
# Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

This command installs Nagios 3 along with some necessary plugins. The output indicates that the installation was successful.

Network Monitoring with Zabbix

Zabbix is an enterprise-class open-source distributed monitoring solution designed to monitor and track performance and availability of network servers, devices, and other IT resources. Here’s how to install Zabbix on Linux:

sudo apt-get install zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-nginx-conf zabbix-sql-scripts

# Output:
# Reading package lists... Done
# Building dependency tree
# Reading state information... Done
# The following additional packages will be installed:
# fping libevent-2.1-6 libiksemel3 libopenipmi0 libssh2-1
# Suggested packages:
# php-imagick php7.2-imagick php7.2-gd2 php7.2-sqlite3 php-ssh2
# The following NEW packages will be installed:
# fping libevent-2.1-6 libiksemel3 libopenipmi0 libssh2-1 zabbix-server-mysql
# zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-nginx-conf zabbix-sql-scripts
# 0 upgraded, 9 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
# Need to get 6,882 kB of archives.
# After this operation, 21.9 MB of additional disk space will be used.
# Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

This command installs the Zabbix server along with its frontend PHP interface and some necessary scripts. The output indicates that the installation was successful.

Comparing LibreNMS, Nagios, and Zabbix

Each of these network monitoring tools has its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a comparison:

Depending on your needs and the complexity of your network, you might prefer one tool over the others. For small to medium-sized networks, LibreNMS is often sufficient. For larger networks or networks that require more customization, Nagios or Zabbix might be a better fit.

Troubleshooting LibreNMS Install

Even with the best instructions, you may encounter issues during the installation of LibreNMS on your Linux system. Here are some common problems and their solutions.

Dependency Issues

Sometimes, the LibreNMS installation might fail due to missing dependencies. Here’s an example of a failed installation due to a missing PHP module:

sudo apt-get install librenms

# Output:
# Reading package lists... Done
# Building dependency tree
# Reading state information... Done
# Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
# requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
# distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
# or been moved out of Incoming.
# The following information may help to resolve the situation:
# The following packages have unmet dependencies:
# librenms : Depends: php7.2-snmp but it is not installable
# E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

In this case, the php7.2-snmp module is missing. To solve this, install the missing module and then retry the LibreNMS installation:

sudo apt-get install php7.2-snmp
sudo apt-get install librenms

Incorrect LibreNMS Version

Another common issue is installing an incorrect version of LibreNMS. If you’re trying to install a specific version that’s not available in your package manager, you’ll get an error. Here’s an example:

sudo apt-get install librenms=1.70.1

# Output:
# Reading package lists... Done
# Building dependency tree
# Reading state information... Done
# E: Version '1.70.1' for 'librenms' was not found

In this case, the solution is to check the available versions in your package manager, or consider installing LibreNMS from source.

Configuration Issues

Once LibreNMS is installed, you might encounter issues with its configuration. These could be due to incorrect permissions, network settings, or other factors. In such cases, refer to the LibreNMS documentation or seek help from the LibreNMS community.

Remember, troubleshooting is a normal part of the installation process. Don’t get discouraged if you encounter issues. Instead, use them as learning opportunities to deepen your understanding of Linux and network monitoring.

The Importance of Network Monitoring

In today’s digital age, networks form the backbone of countless businesses and organizations. From small startups to large corporations, networks facilitate communication, data transfer, and various other essential operations. Therefore, monitoring these networks becomes a crucial task.

What is Network Monitoring?

Network monitoring is the practice of consistently overseeing a computer network for any failures or deficiencies to ensure network performance and availability. It involves tracking hosts and network infrastructure devices to evaluate their performance, operation, and resource utilization.

# Example of a network monitoring command
ping -c 4 google.com

# Output:
# PING google.com (172.217.14.206) 56(84) bytes of data.
# 64 bytes from mia07s25-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.14.206): icmp_seq=1 ttl=115 time=29.3 ms
# 64 bytes from mia07s25-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.14.206): icmp_seq=2 ttl=115 time=28.9 ms
# 64 bytes from mia07s25-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.14.206): icmp_seq=3 ttl=115 time=28.8 ms
# 64 bytes from mia07s25-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.14.206): icmp_seq=4 ttl=115 time=28.8 ms

# --- google.com ping statistics ---
# 4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3005ms
# rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 28.809/28.955/29.341/0.234 ms

This command checks the network connectivity to google.com by sending four network request packets. The output shows the round-trip time for each packet, indicating that the network connection to google.com is stable.

Why is Network Monitoring Important?

Network monitoring is critical for several reasons:

• Detecting Outages: Network monitoring tools can alert administrators about any network outages or failures, allowing them to address the issue promptly.

• Performance Tracking: These tools can track network performance, providing insights into bandwidth utilization, packet loss rate, latency, and other key metrics.

• Security: Network monitoring can help in identifying unusual traffic patterns or activities, indicating potential security threats like DDoS attacks or data breaches.

• Planning and Optimization: By providing data on network usage and performance, network monitoring tools can aid in network planning and optimization.

Why Use LibreNMS Network Monitor?

LibreNMS is a popular network monitoring tool for various reasons:

• Wide Support: LibreNMS supports a wide range of network devices and hardware, making it a versatile choice for diverse network environments.

• User-Friendly: It offers a user-friendly web interface for network monitoring, making it accessible even to beginners.

• Alerting System: LibreNMS features a flexible alerting system that can notify administrators about any network issues via email, IRC, Slack, and more.

• Open-Source: As an open-source tool, LibreNMS allows for community-driven development and improvement.

In summary, network monitoring is a vital aspect of system administration, and tools like LibreNMS make the task more manageable and efficient.

Real-World Usage of LibreNMS

Network monitoring plays a pivotal role in both system administration and security. As a system administrator, network monitoring tools like LibreNMS provide you with crucial insights into your network’s performance, helping you identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and optimize network operations.

In the realm of security, network monitoring is no less important. Unusual network activity can often be a sign of a security breach or attack. By keeping a constant watch on your network, you can detect these threats early and take necessary action.

Exploring Network Topology and Network Protocols

Understanding network topology and network protocols is crucial for effective network monitoring. Network topology refers to the arrangement of different elements (links, nodes, etc.) in a communication network. It can significantly influence the performance and security of your network. Network protocols, on the other hand, are the rules that govern the end-to-end processes of timely, secure and managed data or network communication.

Further Resources for Network Monitoring Mastery

To deepen your understanding of network monitoring and related concepts, consider exploring the following resources:

1. Network Monitoring Basics: Covers the basics of network monitoring, including its importance, how it works, and the different types of network monitoring.

2. The TCP/IP Guide: This comprehensive guide to TCP/IP covers a wide range of topics, including network protocols, addressing, routing, and security.

3. Introduction to Network Topology: This article provides a detailed introduction to network topology, including its types and their advantages.

By leveraging these resources and tools like LibreNMS, you can effectively monitor your network, ensuring its performance and security.

Wrapping Up: Linux LibreNMS Install

Throughout this comprehensive guide, we’ve taken a deep dive into the process of installing LibreNMS on Linux, a powerful tool for network monitoring. We’ve explored its benefits, installation methods, and even looked at alternative tools for network monitoring.

We embarked on our journey with the basics, learning how to install LibreNMS on Linux using APT and YUM package managers. We then delved into more advanced topics, such as installing LibreNMS from source and dealing with different versions of the tool.

Along the way, we addressed common challenges you might encounter during the installation process, such as missing dependencies and version issues, providing you with practical solutions for each problem. We also compared LibreNMS with other network monitoring tools, like Nagios and Zabbix, giving you a broader perspective on the available options.

Whether you’re just starting out with LibreNMS or looking to level up your network monitoring skills, we hope this guide has given you a deeper understanding of LibreNMS and its installation process on Linux.

By mastering LibreNMS installation, you’re equipping yourself with a valuable tool for network monitoring. This will not only help you ensure the smooth operation of your network but also enhance its security. Happy networking!