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cacti install on CentOS

Overview

The following process outlines the steps needed to follow to install cacti on a CentOS server.  

Downloading and Installing

Downloading: 

Install the base applications required: 
yum install mysql-server mysql php-mysql php-pear php-common php-gd php-devel php php-mbstring php-cli php-snmp php-pear-Net-SMTP php-mysql httpd cacti


Configure the DB: 

Login to DB, set password: 

First time you run mysql, the root password is not defined, so you can start it with this command. (-u root says user is root, and mysql says open the "mysql database")
mysql -u root mysql

If you already have a root password defined, then you will need to add the -p flag to be queried a password after the command is entered
mysql -u root mysql -p

Note that if you can also reset the root password if needed.

Once in, set the root password:

SET PASSWORD FOR root@localhost = PASSWORD('DSxdWXdyCBB7');
quit

Secure DB: 

You want to make sure that the db is setup properly, and that any unneeded initial tables are not included.  In CentOS this is really simple, just run the following command and follow the instructions.  
/usr/bin/mysql_secure_installation

See detailed instructions on using this command if needed. 

Create Cacti DB:

Create the cacti instance: 
mysqladmin -u root -p create cacti
At password prompt, enter in DSxdWXdyCBB7

then provide it a structure: 
mysql -p cacti < /usr/share/doc/cacti-0.8.7g/cacti.sql
At password prompt, enter in DSxdWXdyCBB7

Create a cacti user: 
mysql -u root -p mysql
At password prompt, enter in DSxdWXdyCBB7

then at the mysql prompt, enter in the following: 
GRANT ALL ON cacti.* TO cacti@localhost IDENTIFIED BY '9Bc6Qw4YqXyU';
flush privileges; 
exit

Configure Apache: 

edit the httpd.conf file: 
vim /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

and hard code in the server name to prevent any errors at startup: 
#ServerName www.example.com:80
ServerName cacti.cmed.us:80

modify the cacti.conf file: 
vim /etc/httpd/conf.d/cacti.conf

And allow access to the /cacti server.  You can do this by allowing only specific networks: (10.50.0.0/16 and 10.33.0.0/16)  See in red. 
<Directory /usr/share/cacti/>
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny from all
        Allow from 127.0.0.1 10.50 10.33
</Directory>

Or you can allow access from all IP's
<Directory /usr/share/cacti/>
        Order Deny,Allow
        Allow from all
</Directory>

and restart apache to take changes: 
service httpd restart

Configure IPTables: 


view the current rules setup: 
iptables-save

modify the iptables config
vim /etc/sysconfig/iptables

and allow port 80 access inbound: 
-A RH-Firewall-1-INPUT -m state --state NEW -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT

then restart iptables: 
service iptables restart


Configuring the Cacti Install

Tell Cacti how to get to the db by modifying the following file: 
vim /usr/share/cacti/include/config.php

Update the username and password: 
$database_username = "cacti";
$database_password = "9Bc6Qw4YqXyU";


Create a cacti user on the linux box, and setup a cronjob to run: 
adduser cacti
chown -R cacti /usr/share/cacti/rra
chown -R cacti /usr/share/cacti/log
chown -R cacti /var/lib/cacti/rra/
chown -R cacti /var/log/cacti/ 
(the last two might not be needed, just check the first two to make sure they are/are not symlinked, and make sure the symlinks have their files modified too. )

then create the cronjob: 
vim /etc/cron.d/cacti

and add the following line: 
*/5 * * * * cacti /usr/bin/php /usr/share/cacti/poller.php > /dev/null 2>&1

Connect to the Cacti via the Web: 

from the browser, connect to: 
http://{server}/cacti

and then reference the next document: Configuring Cacti.


References: 

File Locations: 

  • Path for cacti:         /usr/share/cacti/
  • Path for httpd.conf:  /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
  • Path for cacti.conf:  /etc/httpd/conf.d/cacti.conf   

External Reference Material: 

  • Cacti 0.8, Thomas Urban, March, 2011, Print ISBN-13: 978-1-84951-392-0
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