Cacti is a comprehensive network graphing solution that is highly beneficial for network administrators to monitor their network bandwidth. It is user-friendly and offers a variety of features such as Graphs, Data Sources, Data Gathering, Graph Display, and User Management.<\/p>\n
This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Cacti on a CentOS 5.5 server. It is assumed that you have already installed a LAMP (Linux CentOS, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) server.<\/p>\n
Download and install the rpmforge repository. Use the following commands for x86 (32-bit) systems and x64 (64-bit) systems respectively:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# rpm -Uhv http:\/\/apt.sw.be\/redhat\/el5\/en\/i386\/rpmforge\/RPMS\/rpmforge-release-0.5.2-2.el5.rf.i386.rpm\r\n[root@server ~]# rpm -Uhv http:\/\/apt.sw.be\/redhat\/el5\/en\/x86_64\/rpmforge\/RPMS\/rpmforge-release-0.5.2-2.el5.rf.x86_64.rpm\r\n<\/pre>\nInstall Cacti and its dependencies with the command below:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# yum -y --enablerepo=rpmforge install cacti mysql-server mysql php-common php-mysql net-snmp net-snmp-utils php-snmp liberation-fonts\r\n<\/pre>\nThis command will install Cacti along with MySQL server, PHP common files, PHP MySQL, Net-SNMP, Net-SNMP utilities, PHP SNMP, and Liberation fonts.<\/p>\n
Example:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# yum -y --enablerepo=rpmforge install cacti mysql-server mysql php-common php-mysql net-snmp net-snmp-utils php-snmp liberation-fonts\r\nLoaded plugins: fastestmirror\r\nLoading mirror speeds from cached hostfile\r\n* addons: centos.maulvi.net\r\n* base: centos.maulvi.net\r\n* epel: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk\r\n* extras: centos.maulvi.net\r\n* rpmforge: fr2.rpmfind.net\r\n* updates: mirror.yourconnect.com\r\nSetting up Install Process\r\nPackage matching php-mysql-5.1.6-27.el5_5.3.i386 already installed. Checking for update.\r\nPackage liberation-fonts-1.0-1.el5.noarch already installed and latest version\r\nResolving Dependencies\r\n--> Running transaction check\r\n---> Package cacti.noarch 0:0.8.7g-2.el5.rf set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: rrdtool for package: cacti\r\n---> Package mysql.i386 0:5.0.77-4.el5_5.5 set to be updated\r\n---> Package mysql-server.i386 0:5.0.77-4.el5_5.5 set to be updated\r\n---> Package net-snmp.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: net-snmp-libs = 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 for package: net-snmp\r\n---> Package net-snmp-utils.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 set to be updated\r\n---> Package php-common.i386 0:5.1.6-27.el5_5.3 set to be updated\r\n---> Package php-snmp.i386 0:5.1.6-27.el5_5.3 set to be updated\r\n--> Running transaction check\r\n---> Package net-snmp-libs.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 set to be updated\r\n---> Package rrdtool.i386 0:1.4.4-1.el5.rf set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: ruby for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Processing Dependency: lua for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Processing Dependency: xorg-x11-fonts-Type1 for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Processing Dependency: perl(RRDs) for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Processing Dependency: perl(RRDp) for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Processing Dependency: libdbi.so.0 for package: rrdtool\r\n--> Running transaction check\r\n---> Package libdbi.i386 0:0.8.1-2.1 set to be updated\r\n---> Package lua.i386 0:5.1.4-4.el5 set to be updated\r\n---> Package perl-rrdtool.i386 0:1.4.4-1.el5.rf set to be updated\r\n---> Package ruby.i386 0:1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: ruby-libs = 1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 for package: ruby\r\n--> Processing Dependency: libruby.so.1.8 for package: ruby\r\n---> Package xorg-x11-fonts-Type1.noarch 0:7.1-2.1.el5 set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: chkfontpath for package: xorg-x11-fonts-Type1\r\n--> Running transaction check\r\n---> Package chkfontpath.i386 0:1.10.1-1.1 set to be updated\r\n--> Processing Dependency: xfs for package: chkfontpath\r\n---> Package ruby-libs.i386 0:1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 set to be updated\r\n--> Running transaction check\r\n---> Package xorg-x11-xfs.i386 1:1.0.2-5.el5_6.1 set to be updated\r\n--> Finished Dependency Resolution\r\n\r\nDependencies Resolved\r\n\r\n=====================================================================================\r\nPackage Arch Version Repository Size\r\n=====================================================================================\r\nInstalling:\r\ncacti noarch 0.8.7g-2.el5.rf rpmforge 2.2 M\r\nnet-snmp i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 base 697 k\r\nnet-snmp-utils i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 base 186 k\r\nphp-common i386 5.1.6-27.el5_5.3 base 153 k\r\nphp-snmp i386 5.1.6-27.el5_5.3 base 30 k\r\nUpdating:\r\nmysql i386 5.0.77-4.el5_5.5 updates 4.8 M\r\nmysql-server i386 5.0.77-4.el5_5.5 updates 9.8 M\r\nInstalling for dependencies:\r\nchkfontpath i386 1.10.1-1.1 base 15 k\r\nlibdbi i386 0.8.1-2.1 base 35 k\r\nlua i386 5.1.4-4.el5 epel 228 k\r\nperl-rrdtool i386 1.4.4-1.el5.rf rpmforge 52 k\r\nrrdtool i386 1.4.4-1.el5.rf rpmforge 895 k\r\nruby i386 1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 base 274 k\r\nruby-libs i386 1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 base 1.6 M\r\nxorg-x11-fonts-Type1 noarch 7.1-2.1.el5 base 1.5 M\r\nxorg-x11-xfs i386 1:1.0.2-5.el5_6.1 updates 69 k\r\nUpdating for dependencies:\r\nnet-snmp-libs i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 base 1.3 M\r\n\r\nTransaction Summary\r\n=====================================================================================\r\nInstall 14 Package(s)\r\nUpgrade 3 Package(s)\r\n\r\nTotal download size: 24 M\r\nDownloading Packages:\r\n(1\/17): chkfontpath-1.10.1-1.1.i386.rpm | 15 kB 00:00\r\n(2\/17): php-snmp-5.1.6-27.el5_5.3.i386.rpm | 30 kB 00:01\r\n(3\/17): libdbi-0.8.1-2.1.i386.rpm | 35 kB 00:01\r\n(4\/17): perl-rrdtool-1.4.4-1.el5.rf.i386.rpm | 52 kB 00:02\r\n(5\/17): xorg-x11-xfs-1.0.2-5.el5_6.1.i386.rpm | 69 kB 00:02\r\n(6\/17): php-common-5.1.6-27.el5_5.3.i386.rpm | 153 kB 00:12\r\n(7\/17): net-snmp-utils-5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1.i386.rpm | 186 kB 00:12\r\n(8\/17): lua-5.1.4-4.el5.i386.rpm | 228 kB 00:20\r\n(9\/17): ruby-1.8.5-5.el5_4.8.i386.rpm | 274 kB 00:10\r\n(10\/17): net-snmp-5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1.i386.rpm | 697 kB 00:25\r\n(11\/17): rrdtool-1.4.4-1.el5.rf.i386.rpm | 895 kB 01:03\r\n(12\/17): net-snmp-libs-5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1.i386.rpm | 1.3 MB 01:11\r\n(13\/17): xorg-x11-fonts-Type1-7.1-2.1.el5.noarch.rpm | 1.5 MB 01:38\r\n(14\/17): ruby-libs-1.8.5-5.el5_4.8.i386.rpm | 1.6 MB 01:43\r\n(15\/17): cacti-0.8.7g-2.el5.rf.noarch.rpm | 2.2 MB 02:23\r\n(16\/17): mysql-5.0.77-4.el5_5.5.i386.rpm | 4.8 MB 03:32\r\n(17\/17): mysql-server-5.0.77-4.el5_5.5.i386.rpm | 9.8 MB 07:06\r\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\r\nTotal 19 kB\/s | 24 MB 21:11\r\nRunning rpm_check_debug\r\nRunning Transaction Test\r\nFinished Transaction Test\r\nTransaction Test Succeeded\r\nRunning Transaction\r\nUpdating : net-snmp-libs 1\/20\r\nUpdating : mysql 2\/20\r\nInstalling : net-snmp 3\/20\r\nInstalling : net-snmp-utils 4\/20\r\nInstalling : libdbi 5\/20\r\nInstalling : php-common 6\/20\r\nInstalling : php-snmp 7\/20\r\nInstalling : ruby-libs 8\/20\r\nInstalling : ruby 9\/20\r\nInstalling : lua 10\/20\r\nUpdating : mysql-server 11\/20\r\nInstalling : chkfontpath 12\/20\r\nInstalling : xorg-x11-xfs 13\/20\r\nInstalling : xorg-x11-fonts-Type1 14\/20\r\nInstalling : rrdtool 15\/20\r\nInstalling : cacti 16\/20\r\nInstalling : perl-rrdtool 17\/20\r\nCleanup : mysql-server 18\/20\r\nCleanup : mysql 19\/20\r\nCleanup : net-snmp-libs 20\/20\r\n\r\nInstalled:\r\ncacti.noarch 0:0.8.7g-2.el5.rf net-snmp.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1\r\nnet-snmp-utils.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1 php-common.i386 0:5.1.6-27.el5_5.3\r\nphp-snmp.i386 0:5.1.6-27.el5_5.3\r\n\r\nDependency Installed:\r\nchkfontpath.i386 0:1.10.1-1.1 libdbi.i386 0:0.8.1-2.1\r\nlua.i386 0:5.1.4-4.el5 perl-rrdtool.i386 0:1.4.4-1.el5.rf\r\nrrdtool.i386 0:1.4.4-1.el5.rf ruby.i386 0:1.8.5-5.el5_4.8\r\nruby-libs.i386 0:1.8.5-5.el5_4.8 xorg-x11-fonts-Type1.noarch 0:7.1-2.1.el5\r\nxorg-x11-xfs.i386 1:1.0.2-5.el5_6.1\r\n\r\nUpdated:\r\nmysql.i386 0:5.0.77-4.el5_5.5 mysql-server.i386 0:5.0.77-4.el5_5.5\r\n\r\nDependency Updated:\r\nnet-snmp-libs.i386 1:5.3.2.2-9.el5_5.1\r\n\r\nComplete!\r\n<\/pre>\nCreating the Database and User for Cacti<\/h2>\n
Create the database and user for Cacti using the following MySQL commands:<\/p>\n
\r\nmysql> CREATE DATABASE cactidb;\r\nmysql> CREATE USER 'cactiuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'cactipassword';\r\nmysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cactidb.* to cactiuser@localhost;\r\nmysql> SHOW GRANTS FOR 'cactiuser'@'localhost';\r\n<\/pre>\nThese commands will create a new database named ‘cactidb’, a new user ‘cactiuser’ with the password ‘cactipassword’, and grant all privileges on the ‘cactidb’ database to ‘cactiuser’.<\/p>\n
Populating the Cacti Database<\/h2>\n
Populate the cacti database with the following command:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# \/usr\/bin\/mysql cactidb -u cactiuser -p < \/var\/www\/cacti\/cacti.sql\r\n<\/pre>\nYou will need to enter the password you created for 'cactiuser' when prompted.<\/p>\n
Open the Cacti configuration file with the following command:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# vi \/var\/www\/cacti\/include\/config.php\r\n<\/pre>\nEnsure that the following valuesreflect your actual database\/host\/user\/password:<\/p>\n
\r\n$database_type = \"mysql\";\r\n$database_default = \"cactidb\";\r\n$database_hostname = \"localhost\";\r\n$database_username = \"cactiuser\";\r\n$database_password = \"cactipassword\"; \r\n$database_port = \"3306\";\r\n<\/pre>\nSetting Up the Crontab<\/h2>\n
Set up the crontab to update Cacti every 5 minutes with the following command:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# crontab -e\r\n# Used to update Cacti\r\n*\/5 * * * * \/usr\/bin\/php \/var\/www\/cacti\/poller.php >> \/var\/log\/cacti 2>&1\r\n<\/pre>\nConfiguring cacti.conf<\/h2>\n
Configure cacti.conf as shown below:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# vi \/etc\/httpd\/conf.d\/cacti.conf\r\nAlias \/cacti\/ \/var\/www\/cacti\/\r\n<Directory \/var\/www\/cacti\/>\r\nDirectoryIndex index.php\r\nOptions -Indexes\r\nAllowOverride all\r\norder deny,allow\r\nallow from all\r\nAddType application\/x-httpd-php .php\r\nphp_flag magic_quotes_gpc on\r\nphp_flag track_vars on\r\n<\/Directory>\r\n<\/pre>\nThis configuration sets up an alias for Cacti, specifies the directory index, sets various options, and adds the PHP type for .php files.<\/p>\n
Restarting Apache<\/h2>\n
Restart Apache to apply the changes with the following command:<\/p>\n
\r\n[root@server ~]# \/etc\/init.d\/httpd restart\r\n\r\n....\r\n\r\nStopping httpd: [ OK ]\r\nStarting httpd: [ OK ]\r\n[root@server ~]#\r\n<\/pre>\nAccessing Cacti<\/h2>\n
Navigate your browser to http:\/\/servername\/cacti to access your new Cacti installation.<\/p>\n
Log in to your new Cacti installation at http:\/\/servername\/cacti\/ with the default user (admin) and the default password (admin).<\/p>\n
Commands Mentioned<\/h2>\n
\n
- rpm -Uhv [URL]<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to install a package from a specified URL.<\/li>\n
- yum -y --enablerepo=rpmforge install [packages]<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to install specified packages from the rpmforge repository.<\/li>\n
- CREATE DATABASE [database];<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to create a new database in MySQL.<\/li>\n
- CREATE USER '[user]'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '[password]';<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to create a new user in MySQL.<\/li>\n
- GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON [database].* to [user]@localhost;<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to grant all privileges on a specified database to a specified user in MySQL.<\/li>\n
- SHOW GRANTS FOR '[user]'@'localhost';<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to display all grants for a specified user in MySQL.<\/li>\n
- \/usr\/bin\/mysql [database] -u [user] -p < [file]<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to populate a specified database with data from a specified file.<\/li>\n
- vi [file]<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to open a specified file in the vi text editor.<\/li>\n
- crontab -e<\/span> \u2013 This command isused to edit the crontab file.<\/li>\n
- \/etc\/init.d\/httpd restart<\/span> \u2013 This command is used to restart the Apache server.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
In this tutorial, we have walked through the process of installing Cacti on a CentOS 5.5 server. We have covered the preparation of Yum repositories, the creation of a database and userfor Cacti, populating the Cacti database, setting up the crontab, configuring cacti.conf, and finally accessing Cacti.<\/p>\n
Cacti is a powerful tool for network monitoring and graphing, and its installation and configuration can be a valuable addition to any network administrator's toolkit. It's important to note that while this guide is specific to CentOS 5.5, the general principles can be applied to other Linux distributions as well.<\/p>\n
For more information on various server types, you can visit our pages on dedicated servers<\/a>, VPS servers<\/a>, cloud hosting<\/a>, and shared hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n
For more in-depth guides on other web server technologies such as Apache<\/a>, Nginx<\/a>, and LiteSpeed<\/a>, be sure to check out our other articles.<\/p>\n
Remember, the key to mastering any technology is consistent practice and experimentation. Don't be afraid to explore and try new things.<\/p>\n
Happy networking!<\/p>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n
\n
- \n
What is Cacti and why is it useful?<\/p>\n
\n Cacti is a comprehensive network graphing solution that is highly beneficial for network administrators to monitor their network bandwidth. It offers a variety of features such as Graphs, Data Sources, Data Gathering, Graph Display, and User Management.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
What is the purpose of the rpm -Uhv command?<\/p>\n
\n The rpm -Uhv command is used to install a package from a specified URL. It's a part of the RPM Package Manager (RPM), which is a powerful command line driven package management system capable of installing, uninstalling, verifying, querying, and updating software packages.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
What does the yum -y --enablerepo=rpmforge install command do?<\/p>\n
\n The yum -y --enablerepo=rpmforge install command is used to install specified packages from the rpmforge repository. The -y option answers 'yes' to any prompts that come up during the installation process, and --enablerepo=rpmforge specifies the repository to use.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
How do you create a new user in MySQL?<\/p>\n
\n To create a new user in MySQL, you can use the CREATE USER command followed by the username and host, along with the IDENTIFIED BY clause to specify the password. For example: CREATE USER 'newuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
What is the purpose of the \/etc\/init.d\/httpd restart command?<\/p>\n
\n The \/etc\/init.d\/httpd restart command is used to restart the Apache server. This is often necessary when changes have been made to the Apache configuration file. Restarting the server allows it to read the new configuration.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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