Installing SNMPD (with remote access) on Debian 5/Lenny

Today we’re installing snmpd so that we can query our debian server from another remote server that will use snmp in alert scripts and pretty graphing software.

Snmpd installation is a little obtuse so here is how to do the installation on Debian Lenny.

• Install snmpd with: sudo apt-get install snmpd

• You should be using RCS/git/etc when editing system files at work. So use the appropriate techniques for checking in and out all config files. If you’re a home user don’t worry about this step; or, maybe you should. Muhahahaha! Eh, *cough*.

• Open /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf and change to the following:# sec.name source community
#com2sec paranoid default public
#com2sec local localhost public
com2sec local localhost mysecretcommunity
com2sec readonly 192.168.XXX.XXX mysecretcommunity
#com2sec readwrite default private

  Here mysecretcommunity is the uber secret name of your community. Change this to something other than public or mycommunity — let common sense prevail. 192.168.XXX.XXX is the IP address of your remote server that will query snmpd.

• Change /etc/default/snmpd so that it contains the following line:

  SNMPDOPTS=’-Lsd -Lf /dev/null -u snmp -I -smux -p /var/run/snmpd.pid’

  Notice the lack of 127.0.0.1?

• Save the file!

• Restart snmpd with sudo /etc/init.d/snmpd restart.

• Test snmpd locally:

  snmpwalk -Os -c mysecretcommunity -v 1 localhost system

• Test snmpd remotely from 192.168.XXX.XXX:

  snmpwalk -Os -c mysecretcommunity -v 1 192.168.YYY.YYY system

  Here 192.168.YYY.YYY is the IP address of the debian server hosting snmpd.

• Verify test outputs look like:
  ...
sysObjectID.0 = OID: netSnmpAgentOIDs.10
sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (1201) 0:00:12.01
sysContact.0 = STRING: root
sysName.0 = STRING: irsplsemos01
sysLocation.0 = STRING: Unknown
sysORLastChange.0 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
sysORID.1 = OID: snmpFrameworkMIBCompliance
sysORID.2 = OID: snmpMPDCompliance
sysORID.3 = OID: usmMIBCompliance
sysORID.4 = OID: snmpMIB
sysORID.5 = OID: tcpMIB
sysORID.6 = OID: ip
sysORID.7 = OID: udpMIB
sysORID.8 = OID: vacmBasicGroup
... 

Thats all folks!