How to update zabbix agent and how to set up active monitoring?

[jnoas123]

Hi,

I'm trying to enable active monitoring on some linux devices (they are running on ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS).
The agent that is currently on there is quiet old (too old i think for active monitoring) so how do i update this one or remove it so i can install a new one?
For the agent configuration which options should be present to allow it to use active monitoring?

Thank you so much if you can help with this question.

[kyus]

Hey!

You can go to https://www.zabbix.com/download?zabb...gent_2&db=&ws= choose the version of the agent that you need and follow the installation instructions.

For the active agent you need to setup the ServerActive and Hostname parameters in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf or /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agent2.conf (accordingly to the agent you installed).
In the frontend you need to create a host with the same hostname you setup in the agent config.

[kyus]

Hey!

You can go to https://www.zabbix.com/download?zabb...gent_2&db=&ws= choose the version of the agent that you need and follow the installation instructions.

For the active agent you need to setup the ServerActive and Hostname parameters in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf or /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agent2.conf (accordingly to the agent you installed).
In the frontend you need to create a host with the same hostname you setup in the agent config.

[troffasky]

In the frontend you need to create a host with the same hostname you setup in the agent config.

I don't know why a hard-coded hostname is the default in the Zabbix agent config. Literally no device I ever installed the agent on is called "Zabbix server", so it's guaranteed to be wrong. I always comment out Hostname= and then the hostname is just the hostname!

[troffasky]

There is exactly one time this works - when you install Zabbix server, a host is added called "This Zabbix server" and has a hostname of "Zabbix server".

[cyber]

I have not installed any clean agents for ages (corporate env and automated installs), but docs indicate that hostname is by deafult set by "HostnameItem" and HostnameItem defaults to "system.hostname"

https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/current/en/manual/appendix/config/zabbix_agentd#hostname

Is it really "Zabbix server" there if you install a clean agent by hand

[troffasky]

In zabbix_agentd.conf shipped with Zabbix packages from Zabbix repos, HostnameItem is commented out and Hostname is "Zabbix server". Amusingly, it also says:

# Default:
# Hostname=

but if config file shipped in vendor packages doesn't do what is "default", then what does "default" even mean?

I cannot be the only person who finds this a bit odd.
If you use packages from Debian repos, both are commented out by default.