How to install and configure Ludolph

Installation

1. Get pip

   • RHEL/CentOS/Scientific/Fedora - make sure you have enabled the epel repository

     yum install python-pip
     

   • Debian/Ubuntu

     apt-get install python-pip
     

2. Install Ludolph

   • RHEL/CentOS/Scientific/Fedora

     python-pip install ludolph
     

   • Debian/Ubuntu

     pip install ludolph
     

3. Download the init script

   • RHEL/CentOS/Scientific/Fedora

     curl -o /etc/init.d/ludolph https://raw.github.com/erigones/Ludolph/master/init.d/ludolph.redhat
     chmod +x /etc/init.d/ludolph
     

   • Debian/Ubuntu

     wget -O /etc/init.d/ludolph https://raw.github.com/erigones/Ludolph/master/init.d/ludolph.debian
     chmod +x /etc/init.d/ludolph
     

4. Edit the init script /etc/init.d/ludolph, mainly the following variables:
   • USER - run ludolph under this user
   • PIDDIR and PIDFILE - path to pid file. Make sure that USER has proper write permissions
   • DAEMON - path to the ludolph executable script

Configuration

1. Download the configuration file

   • RHEL/CentOS/Scientific/Fedora

     curl -o /etc/ludolph.cfg https://raw.github.com/erigones/Ludolph/master/ludolph/ludolph.cfg.example
     

   • Debian/Ubuntu

     wget -O /etc/ludolph.cfg https://raw.github.com/erigones/Ludolph/master/ludolph/ludolph.cfg.example
     

2. Edit the configuration file /etc/ludolph.cfg

   [global]
   

We are going to run Ludolph in daemon mode

daemon = true

Uncomment, add path to pid file

Make sure that USER has proper write permissions

pidfile = /tmp/ludolph.pid

Use a dedicated jabber account for Ludolph

username = ludolph@example.com
password = ludolphpassword
```
* You probably want to fill in your jabber ID into the `users` and `admins` configuration variables so nobody (except you) will be able to talk to Ludolph

3. Adjust the configuration file ownership and permissions. Nobody except the user under which Ludolph runs should be able to read it

   chown USER:USERgroup /etc/ludolph.cfg
   chmod 0600 /etc/ludolph.cfg
   

4. Start Ludolph

   /etc/init.d/ludolph start
   

   • In case of problems, check the logfile

---

Check out the [Zabbix integration howto](How to configure Zabbix to work with Ludolph) if you wish to setup zabbix alerting and control zabbix via Ludolph