Complete source installation guide for a beginner? (lenghty)

[tzzui]

Hello,

(I just started an apprenticeship (system integration) and my long-term task is to learn how to setup and use zabbix. I have no prior experience with Linux/Networking/Coding etc.
I managed to install it (using VMs) through packages and get it to run properly. I was able to create working templates, items, triggers, actions. Now I'm supposed to try to monitor web services on our website. This is where the trouble starts)

Reading up i learned that i need to install zabbix from sources. I've followed 3 different guides including the official documentation, but nothing leads to a successful install.
It seems like none of the guides/documentation are actually complete and i run into myriads of errors at every single step. I was able to troubleshoot most of them with the help of google, but in the end i never get to a successful install.

Is there any guide that assumes a clean "empty" install of ubuntu (20.04) and actually goes through all the necessary steps?

Thank you very much

tzzui

[Alex.S]

Hi there!

Would be nice to know what errors you've faced and what guides exactly you've used, but this should provide you with a step-by-step procedure: https://www.zabbix.com/download?zabb...ysql&ws=apache (just make sure to pick the versions, db etc of your choice).

Cheers,

Alex.S

[tzzui]

You just linked me the basic download page. I already successfully used a package to install. My problems stem from having to use the sources. Like i said, i followed the official documentation (https://www.zabbix.com/documentation...lation/install), but it is very incomplete. I looked for other guides that actually explain everything step by step and the last one i tried was: https://techexpert.tips/zabbix/zabbi...-ubuntu-linux/

Along the way there were MANY problems and errors (e.g. not telling you which packages you need to download to actually get the damn thing to compile or simply ), but i thought that i had solved everything. Remember that I'm a bloody noob.

In the end i tried to "Start the Zabbix server" by "/usr/local/sbin/zabbix_server", but it turns out that "zabbix_server" doesnt exist. Nowhere to be found. That broke my neck following that guide. I did everything EXACTLY (by copying every single command) like they did in the guide.

[Alex.S]

Hold on, if you have already installed from packages, why are you also trying to install from sources? I'm just trying to understand what's the actual issue.

[tzzui]

Hi there!

Would be nice to know what errors you've faced and what guides exactly you've used, but this should provide you with a step-by-step procedure: https://www.zabbix.com/download?zabb...ysql&ws=apache (just make sure to pick the versions, db etc of your choice).

Cheers,

Alex.S

Accidentally commented instead of using quotes.
Right now i went back to the offical documentation again. It tells you to install a database and I'm already failing to install mysql... Previously it worked without any problems, but now i cant even get past the first step here: https://www.zabbix.com/documentation...all/db_scripts

First off it doesnt even tell you how to install mysql (that's what i meant by "uncomplete documentation"), but thats an easy one to figure out. Now everytime im trying "mysql -uroot -p<password>" i get this error: "Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)".

I already followed 4 different troubleshooting approaches i found on google, but nothing has worked yet.

[tzzui]

Hold on, if you have already installed from packages, why are you also trying to install from sources? I'm just trying to understand what's the actual issue.

My tutor told me to try and monitor our website/web applications. Apparently you need to compile Zabbix with libcurl to be able to do that. And the only way to do that is by using the sources. Right?

The package install went smoothly. I already managed to use/create templates, items, triggers, actions, graphs etc. I'm supposed to monitor all our systems in the company when I'm done with my apprenticeship and right now we don't have anyone whos actually familiar with zabbix, so i can't just ask my tutor or other people in the company. Google is my teacher right now.

Also I'm sorry if i appeared a bit rude. I'm a little worked up by now.

[lakeland]

Apparently you need to compile Zabbix with libcurl to be able to do that. And the only way to do that is by using the sources. Right?

NO，the binary file is compiled with these options：

COMMON_CONFIG = --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) \
--build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) \
--prefix=/usr \
--sysconfdir=/etc/zabbix \
--libdir=/usr/lib/zabbix \
--enable-agent \
--enable-agent2 \
--enable-ipv6 \
--enable-proxy \
--enable-java \
--with-ldap \
--with-net-snmp \
--with-openipmi \
--with-ssh2 \
--with-libcurl \
--with-unixodbc \
--with-libxml2 \
--with-openssl \
--with-libevent \
--with-libpcre

see？ it has --with-libcurl option

[tim.mooney]

(I just started an apprenticeship (system integration) and my long-term task is to learn how to setup and use zabbix. I have no prior experience with Linux/Networking/Coding etc.
I managed to install it (using VMs) through packages and get it to run properly. I was able to create working templates, items, triggers, actions. Now I'm supposed to try to monitor web services on our website. This is where the trouble starts)

Reading up i learned that i need to install zabbix from sources

The last sentence is incorrect.

You only need to compile from source if one or both of these are true

1. the pre-built binaries didn't enable one of the features you need. At least with the Zabbix binaries in the official packages from zabbix.com, they seem to always be compiled with "maximal features", in other words they enable all of the optional stuff. libcurl is one of the more important "optional" packages, as several things wouldn't work without it, so it's definitely enabled already
2. the other time you might need the source is if you actually need to make changes to the source code. You don't need to do that, so it doesn't apply

[tzzui]

The last sentence is incorrect.

You only need to compile from source if one or both of these are true

1. the pre-built binaries didn't enable one of the features you need. At least with the Zabbix binaries in the official packages from zabbix.com, they seem to always be compiled with "maximal features", in other words they enable all of the optional stuff. libcurl is one of the more important "optional" packages, as several things wouldn't work without it, so it's definitely enabled already
2. the other time you might need the source is if you actually need to make changes to the source code. You don't need to do that, so it doesn't apply

Damn, shouldve done more research. I'm gonna try to use my regular package install then. Thanks