Configuring SNMP on Linux

Tutorial aimed at enabling a basic configuration of SNMP services on Linux operating systems.

Note

There are many Linux distributions, each with its own particularities. The following information may not work on your distribution.

Installation

Systems using yum

While logged in as root, in the Linux terminal type:

yum install net-snmp

Systems using apt-get

While logged in as root, in the Linux terminal type:

apt-get install snmpd

Configuring the snmpd.conf file

Generally, the snmpd.conf file is located at /etc/snmp/. Back up the original file:

mv /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf.old

Edit the new file (example with vim: vim /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf) as the lines below:

rocommunity public
sysLocation “Localização deste servidor”
sysContact seu@email.com.br

Restart and enable the SNMP service

Systems with Systemd

In the terminal, type:

systemctl restart snmpd
systemctl enable snmpd

Systems with System V

In the terminal, type:

service snmpd restart

Allow the SNMP service through the Linux firewall

If the Linux server or workstation you want to monitor has a firewall enabled, to access the SNMP service add the example below to the firewall rules of that device. If your distribution manages the firewall differently, open the incoming UDP/161 port.

firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=161/udp
systemctl restart firewalld

Attention

This firewall allowance will permit SNMP queries from any IP address. Consult your network administrator to restrict access only to the necessary hosts.