How To Install Siege Benchmarking Tool on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Siege Benchmarking Tool on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Siege is an open-source regression testing and benchmarking utility designed to help web developers measure the performance of their HTTP servers under stress. Created by Joe Dog Software, Siege simulates multiple users accessing a web server simultaneously, allowing developers to gauge how their applications perform under various load conditions.
This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Siege Benchmarking Tool on Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 22.04 and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Pop!_OS, and more as well.
Prerequisites
- A server running one of the following operating systems: Ubuntu and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.
- It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
- Basic familiarity with the command line interface.
- SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
- An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies.
- An Ubuntu 24.04 system with root access or a user with sudo privileges.
Install Siege Benchmarking Tool on Ubuntu 24.04
Step 1. Updating the Package Repository.
Keeping your Ubuntu system up-to-date is crucial for security and performance. Before installing Siege, update your system packages:
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
These commands refresh the package lists and upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts, streamlining the upgrade process.
Step 2. Installing Dependencies.
Siege requires several libraries and development tools to compile and run correctly. Install these dependencies using the following command:
sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev
Step 3. Installing Siege Benchmarking Tool.
There are two primary methods to install Siege on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: using the apt package manager or compiling from source. We’ll cover both approaches to give you flexibility in your installation process.
- Method 1: Using apt Package Manager
The simplest way to install Siege is through Ubuntu’s package manager:
sudo apt install siege
To verify the installation, run:
siege --version
- Method 2: Compiling from Source
For those who prefer the latest version or need specific features, compiling Siege from source is the way to go:
Download the latest Siege source code:
wget http://download.joedog.org/siege/siege-latest.tar.gz
Extract the downloaded archive:
tar -xvf siege-latest.tar.gz
Navigate to the extracted directory:
cd siege-*/
Configure the build:
./configure
Compile Siege:
make
Install the compiled program:
sudo make install
After installation, verify by running:
siege --version
This method ensures you have the most recent version of Siege with all the latest features and bug fixes.
Step 4. Configuring Siege.
Proper configuration is key to getting the most out of Siege. The main configuration file is located at /etc/siege/siegerc. To create a personal configuration file, run:
siege.config
This command creates a .siegerc file in your home directory. Edit this file to customize Siege behavior:
nano ~/.siegerc
Important configuration options include:
- verbose: Controls the level of output detail
- concurrent: Sets the default number of simulated users
- time: Defines the default duration of a test
- delay: Adds a delay between requests to simulate real user behavior
Customize these settings based on your testing needs and server capabilities.
Step 5. Basic Usage of Siege.
With Siege installed and configured, you’re ready to start benchmarking. Here’s the basic syntax for running a Siege test:
siege [options] [URL]
Common options include:
- -c: Set the number of concurrent users
- -t: Specify the duration of the test
- -d: Add a delay between requests
- -f: Use a URL file for testing multiple endpoints
Example of a simple Siege test:
siege -c 25 -t 30S https://idroot.us
This command simulates 25 concurrent users accessing https://idroot.us for 30 seconds.
Testing multiple URLs:
siege -c 50 -t 1M -f urls.txt
Simulating POST requests:
siege -c 10 -t 20S "https://idroot.us/api POST param1=value1¶m2=value2"
Setting custom headers:
siege -H "Content-Type: application/json" -c 20 -t 1M https://api.idroot.us
Using basic authentication:
siege -c 15 -t 30S https://username:password@secure.example.com
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Siege. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Siege Benchmarking Tool on the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Siege website.
