How to Install Prometheus on Ubuntu Server

Prometheus is an open-source monitoring system that helps you collect and analyze metrics from various sources. In this tutorial, we will learn how to install Prometheus on Ubuntu Server with step-by-step instructions.

Prerequisites

Before you proceed with the installation, you must have the following prerequisites in place:

• A server running Ubuntu 20.04 (or any latest version) with a minimum of 2GB RAM
• A non-root user with sudo privileges

Step 1: Update the System

Before installing Prometheus, it is recommended to update your server's software packages to the latest versions using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Download Prometheus

The first step to installing Prometheus on Ubuntu Server is to download the latest stable version from the Prometheus website at https://prometheus.io/download/.

cd /tmp
curl -O https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v2.28.1/prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Step 3: Extract the downloaded file

Use the following command to extract the downloaded Prometheus file:

tar xvfz prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Step 4: Configure Prometheus

Next, you need to create a configuration file for Prometheus. You can use the default configuration file provided in the extracted folder or create a new one.

sudo nano /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml

Use the following configuration as a base and update it as per your needs:

global:
  scrape_interval: 10s
  evaluation_interval: 10s

scrape_configs:
  - job_name: 'prometheus'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:9090']

Step 5: Run Prometheus

Use the following commands to create a user and group for Prometheus and move the extracted directory to the /opt folder.

sudo useradd --no-create-home --shell /bin/false prometheus
sudo mkdir /etc/prometheus
sudo mkdir /var/lib/prometheus

sudo cp /tmp/prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64/prometheus /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp /tmp/prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64/promtool /usr/local/bin/
sudo chown prometheus:prometheus /usr/local/bin/prometheus
sudo chown prometheus:prometheus /usr/local/bin/promtool

sudo cp -r /tmp/prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64/consoles /etc/prometheus/
sudo cp -r /tmp/prometheus-2.28.1.linux-amd64/console_libraries /etc/prometheus/

sudo chown -R prometheus:prometheus /etc/prometheus
sudo chown -R prometheus:prometheus /var/lib/prometheus

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

Add the following contents to the file:

[Unit]
Description=Prometheus
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=prometheus
Group=prometheus
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/prometheus \
  --config.file /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml \
  --storage.tsdb.path /var/lib/prometheus/ \
  --web.console.templates=/etc/prometheus/consoles \
  --web.console.libraries=/etc/prometheus/console_libraries

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Use the following commands to start and enable the Prometheus service.

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start prometheus
sudo systemctl enable prometheus

Step 6: Access Prometheus

Once Prometheus is running, you can access its web interface by entering the following URL in your web browser:

http://your_server_ip:9090

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Prometheus on an Ubuntu server. You can now use it to monitor various metrics for your applications and systems.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!