How to Install Prometheus on Ubuntu

Installing Prometheus on Ubuntu is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide:


Step 1: Update the System

Ensure your system is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Create a Prometheus User

For better security, create a dedicated user for Prometheus:

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

Step 3: Download Prometheus

Visit the Prometheus releases page to check the latest version. Replace <VERSION> with the latest version number in the following commands:

wget https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v<VERSION>/prometheus-<VERSION>.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Example:

wget https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v2.47.0/prometheus-2.47.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded file:

tar xvf prometheus-<VERSION>.linux-amd64.tar.gz
cd prometheus-<VERSION>.linux-amd64

Step 4: Move Prometheus Binaries

Move the Prometheus and Promtool binaries to /usr/local/bin:

sudo mv prometheus /usr/local/bin/
sudo mv promtool /usr/local/bin/

Move the configuration files and set the correct ownership:

sudo mv consoles /etc/prometheus/
sudo mv console_libraries /etc/prometheus/
sudo mv prometheus.yml /etc/prometheus/
sudo chown -R prometheus:prometheus /etc/prometheus /var/lib/prometheus

Step 5: Create a Systemd Service File

Create a new service file for Prometheus:

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

Add the following content:

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

[Service]
User=prometheus
Group=prometheus
Type=simple
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

Save and exit the file.


Step 6: Reload Systemd and Start Prometheus

Reload systemd to apply changes:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Start and enable the Prometheus service:

sudo systemctl start prometheus
sudo systemctl enable prometheus

Step 7: Verify Installation

Check if Prometheus is running:

sudo systemctl status prometheus

Prometheus should now be accessible at:

http://<server-ip>:9090

Optional: Configure Firewall

If you use a firewall, allow access to port 9090:

sudo ufw allow 9090

Now Prometheus is installed and ready to use on your Ubuntu system!

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