Introduction:

The Raspberry Pi isn’t just a hobbyist gadget – it’s powerful enough to run servers, monitor networks, and support real IT operations. One of the best tools for monitoring infrastructure is Zabbix, an open-source monitoring solution used by enterprises worldwide.

Prerequisites:

Before starting the installation, make sure you have the following:

Hardware:

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB RAM minimum) or Raspberry Pi 5 (recommended)
  • 16GB or larger microSD card (Class 10 or better)
  • MicroSD card reader for your PC/laptop
  • Power supply (official Raspberry Pi adapter recommended)
  • HDMI cable + monitor (optional if using headless SSH setup)
  • USB keyboard & mouse (optional if using headless setup)
  • Internet connection (Ethernet preferred, Wi-Fi also works)

Software (on your PC/laptop):

  • Raspberry Pi Imager to flash OS
  • Ubuntu Server image (64-bit, preferably Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS)
  • SSH client (e.g., PuTTY on Windows or built-in ssh command on Linux/macOS)

Part 1: Install Ubuntu Server on Raspberry Pi:

Requirements:

  • Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5 (2GB+ RAM recommended)
  • 16GB+ microSD card
  • Card reader for flashing the OS
  • Power supply
  • Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi
  • A laptop/PC (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
Step 1: Download Ubuntu Server:

This is the lightweight OS that will power your Raspberry Pi as a server.

  1. Visit Ubuntu Raspberry Pi Downloads.
  2. Download Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (64-bit).
Step 2: Flash the OS to microSD Card:

This process installs Ubuntu Server onto your SD card so the Pi can boot from it.

  1. Install Raspberry Pi Imager.
  2. Open Imager → Choose OS → Other general-purpose OS → Ubuntu → Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (64-bit).
  3. Select your microSD card under Choose Storage.
  4. Click Write.
Step 3: Boot the Raspberry Pi:

The Raspberry Pi will automatically boot into Ubuntu Server for the first time.

  1. Insert the microSD card into the Pi.
  2. Connect monitor, keyboard, and network.
  3. Power on the Pi – it will boot into Ubuntu Server.
Step 4: First Login:

On first login, Ubuntu forces you to set a new password for security.

  1. Default username: ubuntu
  2. Default password: ubuntu
  3. You’ll be asked to change the password after first login.
Step 5: Update System:

This ensures you have the latest security patches and updated software before installing Zabbix.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

At this point, your Raspberry Pi is running Ubuntu Server.

Part 2: Install Zabbix on Ubuntu Server (Raspberry Pi)

Step 1: Install Required Packages;

These are necessary tools to download and manage the Zabbix repository.

sudo apt install -y wget gnupg2 software-properties-common
Step 2: Add Zabbix Repository:

This registers the official Zabbix repository so you can install the latest version.

wget https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/7.0/ubuntu/pool/main/z/zabbix-release/zabbix-release_7.0-2+ubuntu24.04_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i zabbix-release_7.0-2+ubuntu24.04_all.deb
sudo apt update
Step 3: Install Zabbix Server, Frontend, and Agent:

This installs the Zabbix components along with MySQL, which is required for storing monitoring data.

sudo apt install -y zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-apache-conf zabbix-sql-scripts zabbix-agent mysql-server
Step 4: Configure Database:

This creates a database and user account where Zabbix will store all monitoring data.

1.Secure MySQL:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

2.Create Zabbix database:

sudo mysql -uroot -p
CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_bin;
CREATE USER 'zabbix'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO 'zabbix'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

3.Import initial schema:

zcat /usr/share/zabbix-sql-scripts/mysql/server.sql.gz | mysql -uzabbix -p zabbix
Step 5: Configure Zabbix Server:

This tells Zabbix how to connect to the database you created.

Edit the Zabbix server config:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf

Set the database password:

DBPassword=StrongPassword
Step 6: Start and Enable Services:

This starts Zabbix services and ensures they run automatically after reboot.

sudo systemctl restart zabbix-server zabbix-agent apache2 mysql
sudo systemctl enable zabbix-server zabbix-agent apache2 mysql
Step 7: Access Zabbix Frontend:

Complete the web setup wizard using your database details.

  • Open your browser → http://<RaspberryPi-IP>/zabbix
  • Follow the web installer wizard:
    • Database → use zabbix / StrongPassword
    • Default login → Admin / zabbix

Zabbix running on Raspberry Pi with Ubuntu Server!

Conclusion:

By installing Ubuntu Server and Zabbix on your Raspberry Pi, you’ve turned a tiny device into a powerful monitoring solution. You can now monitor your websites, servers, IoT devices, and applications in real time – all from a Pi!

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