Zabbix installation issues

[wvw]

Hello All

I have been asked to help a colleague set up Zabbix on the latest Debian distro. However, what I perceived to be an afternoon job has now turned into a complete nightmare.

For a start, I got the server to update all the packages: apt-get install mysql-server, apt-get install mysql-client, apt-get install apache-frontend, apt-get intall php-front-end. (These commands are not exactly what I typed in as I am trying to recall from memory what I did and I am also not a Debian user). The point I am trying to get to is that during the installation of the php package it bombs out saying the package can not be found from the ftp server and it might be obsoleted or path not found!!!

Then I have the problem of searching the web for Zabbix install on Debian and different pages give me different steps on Debian, where I thought the different pages will all give me the same steps to follow to get zabbix installed on Debian?

I am also not sure how to go about installing the actual app on zabbix. I have the zabbix 1.4.5 folder with the tar file untarred. However, not being that good with Linux, I am not sure which files to edit and what commands to use to get zabbix installed.

So can someone please be kind enough to give me a complete idiot's guide with step by step instructions how to go about getting zabbix on a freshly installed Debian server?

I would also like to know if it will be much easier to install zabbix on an ubuntu server comapred to Debian server?

Your help will be much appreciated.

wvw

[Niels]

I'm using Debian 4.0 with Zabbix.

If apt-get can't find a package, you've got "other problems". Try doing an apt-get update, look in the apt-get man page for how to reset its cache or something like that.

I usually compile Zabbix myself, and it's not very hard. If this is what you're trying to do, I can try to walk you through it.

Ubuntu and Debian are very similar. Maybe one of them has a more up-to-date version of Zabbix in its repositories, but that's minor. I'd stay with Debian for server type machines.

[cstackpole]

First: If you want to install from apt, there is information on the Zabbix Wiki for installing on Debian. You might want to give that a try:
http://www.zabbix.com/wiki/doku.php?id=howto:debian

Second, the apt repositories are usually a few versions behind and slow to update. I /highly/ recommend building from source. This is the method I always use:
http://www.zabbix.com/wiki/doku.php?...ch_from_source

Lastly, you never mentioned which version of Debian you are using. Is it Etch (Stable), Lenny (Testing), or Sid (Unstable)? This make a BIG difference simply because Lenny has been under serious updates recently. Packages have been removed, updated, broken, fixed, and then re-added re-broken and re-fixed. The last couple of weeks has been a wild ride for us Lenny users. I would not be surprised at all if they had issues with PHP recently. Of course you could always check the Debian development logs on it.

Right now, I recommend that you stick with Etch (stable) unless you really need something in Lenny (testing) and that you compile Zabbix from source from the Wiki guide.

Should you have problems, let us know.

Have fun!

[Niels]

Your answer is to wvw, but I'll comment as well.

I'm not really a Debian guy, I've just decided to use it for servers in my company. I know I'm using 4.0, but what's its name? And what's the point of these names anyway?

Do you know a good source for keeping up with what's going on in Debian?

[wvw]

Hi Niels

Thank you fo all the help I would love to have a walkthrouh on how to compile Zabbix on Debian. I know my colleague is pushing to move over to Ubuntu, but I am sceptical. I prefer to stick with Debian.

Thanks
wvw

[wvw]

Hi cstackpole

Thanks for the links. I am using Etch.

One peculiar thing I need to point out though is that before I joined the forum I tried to follow some of the help from websites. They show I can type in apt-get install mysql-server mysql-client. However when I do that I get an error on my box. Yet when I type the lines in seperately (ie apt-get install mysql-server and then apt-get install mysql-client) suddenly it works. As I said before, I am not very familiar with Debian and this is the first time I am using it so I do not know if this is a standard way of typing in the command and Debian users know be default the command must be typed in seperately or whether one can type the command apt-get command in one line. If one can actually do the latter then I would tend to agree with Niels, there's "other problems" I am facing with my distro of Debian. So that means I might have to d/l another Etch distro. Another thing was when my colleague was trying to show me Debian, it booted to a point and said waiting to mount file system. And that's where it stopped. So he had to re-install the OS.

Thanks
wvw

[bbrendon]

This is a much better guide for installing zabbix on Debian Etch:
http://www.zabbix.com/wiki/doku.php?...on_debian_etch

The guide mentioned above (http://www.zabbix.com/wiki/doku.php?id=howto:debian) doesn't make any sense. It will install an old version of zabbix (1.1.x)

Also, do not install from source. In my opinion, its bad practice and should only be done when absolutely necessary.

Good luck.

[wvw]

Hi Guys

Thanks to all for your assistance with my problems.

I have finally decided to put Debian in my bit bucket and switch over to Ubuntu 8 server. I am getting better success although there are some points where I get stuck. Will mail a new posting to ask for help.

Cheers
wvw