How to Install Cacti on Ubuntu 18.04

Cacti is a complete network graphing solution that uses the RRDtool (Round-Robin Database tool) to store time-series data for creating graphs, providing a fast and easy way to monitor your network resources, devices, and services.

To install Cacti on Ubuntu 18.04, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Update System

First, update your Ubuntu system to ensure you have the latest package versions:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

Cacti requires a web server to function. Install the Apache web server using the following command:

sudo apt install apache2

Step 3: Install PHP and Extensions

Cacti also relies on PHP and certain PHP extensions. Install PHP and the required extensions:

sudo apt install php php-curl php-xml php-xmlrpc php-mbstring php-snmp php-gd

Step 4: Install MySQL and Create Database

Cacti requires a MySQL or MariaDB database to store its data. Install MySQL and create a new database for Cacti:

sudo apt install mysql-server
sudo mysql_secure_installation
sudo mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE cacti;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cacti.* TO 'cactiuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 5: Install Cacti

Now, we can proceed with installing Cacti itself:

sudo apt install cacti

Step 6: Configure Cacti

After installation, we need to configure Cacti to connect to the MySQL database:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure cacti

Step 7: Configure Apache

We need to configure Apache to allow access to Cacti and enable the necessary Apache modules:

sudo ln -s /etc/cacti/apache.conf /etc/apache2/conf-available/cacti.conf
sudo a2enconf cacti.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 8: Configure Cron Job

Set up a cron job to automate data collection and graph generation:

sudo crontab -e

Add the following lines at the end of the file:

# Cacti Poller
*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/php /usr/share/cacti/site/poller.php > /dev/null 2>&1

Step 9: Access Cacti Web Interface

Finally, you can access the Cacti web interface using a web browser by entering your server's IP address or domain name followed by /cacti:

http://your_server_ip/cacti

Login with the default username and password:

Username: admin
Password: admin

You should change the default admin password immediately after logging in for security purposes.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Cacti on Ubuntu 18.04. You can now start monitoring your network resources using the Cacti web interface.