How To Install Cacti on Fedora 40

In today’s interconnected world, network monitoring is crucial for maintaining the health and performance of IT infrastructure. Cacti, an open-source network graphing solution, stands out as a powerful tool for this purpose. By leveraging the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Cacti provides detailed insights into network traffic and device performance through visually appealing graphs.

Fedora 40, known for its stability and cutting-edge features, serves as an excellent platform for hosting Cacti. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Cacti on Fedora 40, ensuring you have a robust monitoring solution up and running in no time.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the installation process, ensure you meet the following requirements:

• A Fedora 40 server with at least 2GB RAM and 20GB storage
• Root or sudo access to the server
• A stable internet connection
• Basic familiarity with Linux command-line operations

First, update your Fedora 40 system to ensure you have the latest packages:

sudo dnf update -y

Installing Dependencies

Cacti relies on several components to function properly. Let’s install them one by one.

Apache Web Server

Install Apache with the following command:

sudo dnf install httpd -y

Start and enable Apache to run at boot:

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

PHP and Necessary Modules

Cacti requires PHP and several PHP modules. Install them using:

sudo dnf install php php-mysqlnd php-snmp php-xml php-gd php-gmp php-zip php-mbstring php-json php-ldap php-posix -y

MariaDB Database Server

Install MariaDB with this command:

sudo dnf install mariadb-server -y

Start and enable MariaDB:

sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

SNMP and RRDtool

Install SNMP and RRDtool, which are essential for Cacti’s functionality:

sudo dnf install net-snmp net-snmp-utils rrdtool -y

Configuring MariaDB

Now that MariaDB is installed, let’s secure it and set up the Cacti database.

Securing MariaDB Installation

Run the MySQL secure installation script:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts, answering ‘Y’ to all questions to enhance security.

Creating Cacti Database

Log into MariaDB as root:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create the Cacti database and user:

CREATE DATABASE cacti;
CREATE USER 'cactiuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cacti.* TO 'cactiuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace ‘your_strong_password‘ with a secure password of your choice.

Installing Cacti

Adding Cacti Repository

Fedora’s default repositories may not have the latest version of Cacti. Add the EPEL repository to ensure you get the most recent release:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y

Installing Cacti Package

Now, install Cacti using dnf:

sudo dnf install cacti -y

Configuring Cacti Database Settings

Edit the Cacti configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/cacti/db.php

Update the database settings to match your configuration:

$database_type = 'mysql';
$database_default = 'cacti';
$database_hostname = 'localhost';
$database_username = 'cactiuser';
$database_password = 'your_strong_password';
$database_port = '3306';
$database_ssl = false;

Configuring Apache for Cacti

Creating Virtual Host for Cacti

Create a new Apache configuration file for Cacti:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/cacti.conf

Add the following content:

Alias /cacti /usr/share/cacti


    Options +FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    Require all granted

Restart Apache to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Setting up SSL/TLS (Optional)

For enhanced security, consider setting up SSL/TLS for your Cacti installation. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain a free SSL certificate:

sudo dnf install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y
sudo certbot --apache -d your_domain.com

Follow the prompts to complete the SSL setup.

Initial Cacti Setup

Accessing Cacti Web Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to:

http://your_server_ip/cacti

or if you’ve set up SSL:

https://your_domain.com/cacti

Running Installation Wizard

You’ll be greeted by the Cacti installation wizard. Follow these steps:

1. Click “New Install” on the first screen.
2. Review the system checks and ensure all requirements are met.
3. On the database connection settings page, enter the details you configured earlier.
4. Choose your preferred template package.
5. Complete the installation by clicking “Finish”.

Configuring Basic Settings

After installation, log in with the default credentials (admin/admin). You’ll be prompted to change the password immediately. Set a strong password to secure your Cacti installation.

Post-Installation Tasks

Setting up Cron Job for Data Collection

Cacti needs to run a script periodically to collect data. Set up a cron job by editing the crontab:

sudo crontab -e

Add the following line:

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/php /usr/share/cacti/poller.php > /dev/null 2>&1

This will run the Cacti poller every 5 minutes.

Configuring SNMP on Monitored Devices

To monitor remote devices, you’ll need to configure SNMP on those devices. The exact process varies depending on the device and operating system. Generally, you’ll need to:

1. Install an SNMP agent on the device
2. Configure the SNMP community string
3. Open UDP port 161 for SNMP traffic

Adding Devices to Cacti

Adding Local Host

Cacti should automatically add the local host during installation. To verify:

1. Go to “Console” > “Management” > “Devices”
2. You should see an entry for “Localhost”

Adding Remote Devices

To add a remote device:

1. Go to “Console” > “Management” > “Devices”
2. Click “Add”
3. Enter the device’s details, including its IP address and SNMP community string
4. Choose appropriate templates for the device
5. Click “Create”

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Database Connection Problems

If Cacti can’t connect to the database:

• Verify the database credentials in /etc/cacti/db.php
• Ensure MariaDB is running: sudo systemctl status mariadb
• Check MariaDB logs: sudo journalctl -u mariadb

SNMP Issues

If you’re having trouble collecting data via SNMP:

• Verify SNMP is configured correctly on the monitored device
• Check firewall settings to ensure SNMP traffic is allowed
• Use snmpwalk to test SNMP connectivity: snmpwalk -v2c -c public device_ip

Graph Generation Errors

If graphs aren’t generating:

• Check Cacti’s log file: /var/log/cacti/cacti.log
• Ensure RRDtool is installed and functioning
• Verify PHP has write permissions to Cacti’s RRA directory

Best Practices and Tips

Regular Backups

Regularly backup your Cacti database and configuration files. You can use mysqldump for database backups:

mysqldump -u root -p cacti > cacti_backup.sql

Keeping Cacti Updated

Regularly update Cacti to benefit from new features and security patches:

sudo dnf update cacti

Performance Optimization

For large installations:

• Adjust PHP memory limit in /etc/php.ini
• Optimize MariaDB settings for better performance
• Consider using Spine poller instead of cmd.php for faster data collection

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Cacti. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Cacti on your Fedora 40 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Cacti website.