1. Setting up the package sources
Checkmk requires a number of software packages from your Linux distribution. Third-party software is not required. In order that all necessary packages can be subsequently installed, a correct configuration of the software sources is necessary.
The setup procedure varies depending on the version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) being used.
1.1. SLES 12
With SLES 12 some software components, e.g. PHP, which is required by OMD, are stored in so-called modules. In order to be able to access SLES 12’s PHP packages, the following steps need to be taken:
1.2. SLES 15
With SLES 15, in addition to the 'Web and Scripting' module, you also have to install the 'Development Tools' and the 'SUSE Package Hub 15' modules:
2. Download the appropriate packages
First choose the Checkmk edition that suits your needs. On the download page you will find the Raw Edition, which is Open Source, and the Cloud Edition, which is free to use for up to 750 services. If you have a subscription, then you will find the installation packages in the customer portal.
We recommend the use of the latest stable Checkmk version. If you need an older version (for example, as the basis for restoring a backup), you can find it in the download archive. Make sure that the package you select exactly matches the installed Linux distribution and its version.
After you have downloaded the package, bring it to the Linux system on which Checkmk is to be installed.
This can be done, for example, via the scp
command line tool, which comes with every modern system — and which is also available in PowerShell on Windows 10.
Additional programs such as WinSCP are usually not required.
The example shows the transfer of a Checkmk Raw Edition package on SLES 15:
root@linux# scp check-mk-raw-2.2.0p1-sles15-38.x86_64.rpm root@mymonitoring.mydomain.org:
3. Signed-package installation
All packages are signed using GnuPG. Through the use of this signature, on the one hand it can be verified whether the package really is from Checkmk, and on the other hand it can be verified that the package is complete.
So that these signed packages can be installed in the usual way, one time only you will need to import our public key so that the signature will be trusted. First, load the key directly from our website:
root@linux# wget https://download.checkmk.com/checkmk/Check_MK-pubkey.gpg
Then import the key to the list of trusted signatures.
For SLES the rpm
tool is required:
root@linux# rpm --import Check_MK-pubkey.gpg
Once the key has been imported, you can verify the package and install it the usual way using zypper install
afterwards:
root@linux# rpm -K check-mk-raw-2.2.0p1-sles15-38.x86_64.rpm
check-mk-raw-2.2.0p1-sles15-38.x86_64.rpm: digests signatures OK
root@linux# zypper install check-mk-raw-2.2.0p1-sles15-38.x86_64.rpm
4. Final test
After the successful installation of Checkmk, and all dependencies, you will have access to the omd
command.
With this command you are able to create and manage monitoring sites.
You can request the installed version to verify your installation:
root@linux# omd version
OMD - Open Monitoring Distribution Version 2.2.0p1.cre