Installing Grafana

Learn how to install Grafana using Docker, APT, or standalone binaries

Installing Grafana

Grafana is available in two editions: Grafana Enterprise (recommended) and Grafana Open Source. Grafana Enterprise is free and includes all OSS features, with the option to upgrade to the full Enterprise feature set.

This guide covers multiple installation methods to help you get Grafana running quickly.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A supported operating system (Linux, macOS, Windows, or Docker)
• Appropriate system permissions for installation
• Network access to download Grafana packages

Installation Methods

Docker

Run Grafana in a container with persistent storage

Debian/Ubuntu

Install using APT package manager

Standalone Binary

Run Grafana as a standalone application

Docker Compose

Deploy Grafana with docker-compose

Docker Installation

Docker is the fastest way to get Grafana running.

Quick Start

Run the latest Grafana Enterprise version:

docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana grafana/grafana-enterprise

Access Grafana at http://localhost:3000 with default credentials admin/admin.

Docker Run Command Explanation

• docker run - Creates and starts a new container
• -d - Runs container in detached mode (background)
• -p 3000:3000 - Maps container port 3000 to host port 3000
• --name=grafana - Assigns a name to the container for easy reference
• grafana/grafana-enterprise - The Docker image to use

Persistent Storage with Docker Volumes

By default, Grafana data is lost when the container is removed. Use Docker volumes to persist your data:

# Create a persistent volume
docker volume create grafana-storage

# Verify volume creation
docker volume inspect grafana-storage

# Start Grafana with persistent storage
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana \
  --volume grafana-storage:/var/lib/grafana \
  grafana/grafana-enterprise

Using Bind Mounts

For direct access to Grafana data on your host filesystem:

# Create a directory for data
mkdir data

# Start Grafana with bind mount
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana \
  --user "$(id -u)" \
  --volume "$PWD/data:/var/lib/grafana" \
  grafana/grafana-enterprise

Environment Variables

Configure Grafana using environment variables:

docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana \
  -e "GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL=http://my.grafana.server/" \
  -e "GF_LOG_LEVEL=debug" \
  -e "GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=mySecurePassword" \
  grafana/grafana-enterprise

Installing Plugins

Install plugins at container startup:

docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name=grafana \
  -e "GF_PLUGINS_PREINSTALL=grafana-clock-panel,grafana-simple-json-datasource" \
  grafana/grafana-enterprise

To specify a plugin version, use the format: plugin-name@version. Example: grafana-clock-panel@1.0.1

Managing Docker Containers

# View running containers
docker ps

# Stop Grafana
docker stop grafana

# Start existing container
docker start grafana

# View logs
docker logs grafana

# Remove container
docker rm grafana

Docker Compose Installation

Docker Compose simplifies multi-container deployments.

Prerequisites

Verify Docker Compose is installed:

docker compose version

Basic Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yaml file:

docker-compose.yaml

services:
  grafana:
    image: grafana/grafana-enterprise
    container_name: grafana
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '3000:3000'
    volumes:
      - grafana-storage:/var/lib/grafana
    environment:
      - GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL=http://my.grafana.server/
      - GF_PLUGINS_PREINSTALL=grafana-clock-panel

volumes:
  grafana-storage: {}

Start and Manage

# Start Grafana
docker compose up -d

# View logs
docker compose logs -f grafana

# Stop Grafana
docker compose down

# Restart Grafana
docker compose restart grafana

Debian Ubuntu Installation

Install Grafana on Debian or Ubuntu using the APT package manager.

Install from APT Repository

This method provides automatic updates when you run apt-get update.

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https wget gnupg

Step 2: Add Grafana GPG Key

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.asc https://apt.grafana.com/gpg-full.key
sudo chmod 644 /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.asc

Step 3: Add Grafana Repository

For stable releases:

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.asc] https://apt.grafana.com stable main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grafana.list

For beta releases:

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.asc] https://apt.grafana.com beta main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grafana.list

Step 4: Update Package List

sudo apt-get update

Step 5: Install Grafana

For Grafana Enterprise (recommended):

sudo apt-get install grafana-enterprise

For Grafana OSS:

sudo apt-get install grafana

Step 6: Start Grafana Service

# Start Grafana server
sudo systemctl start grafana-server

# Enable Grafana to start on boot
sudo systemctl enable grafana-server

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status grafana-server

Access Grafana at http://localhost:3000 with default credentials admin/admin.

Install Using DEB Package

For manual installation without automatic updates:

1. Navigate to the Grafana download page
2. Select your desired version and edition
3. Copy and run the installation commands provided

Example:

wget https://dl.grafana.com/enterprise/release/grafana-enterprise_11.0.0_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i grafana-enterprise_11.0.0_amd64.deb

Standalone Binary Installation

Run Grafana as a standalone binary without package managers.

Step 1: Download Binary

Download the appropriate binary from the Grafana download page.

Step 2: Create Grafana User

sudo useradd -r -s /bin/false grafana

Step 3: Extract and Move Binary

# Extract the downloaded archive
tar -zxvf grafana-*.tar.gz

# Move to installation directory
sudo mv grafana-*/ /usr/local/grafana

# Set ownership
sudo chown -R grafana:users /usr/local/grafana

Step 4: Create Systemd Service

Create /etc/systemd/system/grafana-server.service:

/etc/systemd/system/grafana-server.service

[Unit]
Description=Grafana Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=grafana
Group=users
ExecStart=/usr/local/grafana/bin/grafana server --config=/usr/local/grafana/conf/grafana.ini --homepath=/usr/local/grafana
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Step 5: Initialize Data Directory

Start Grafana manually once to create the data directory:

/usr/local/grafana/bin/grafana server --homepath /usr/local/grafana

Press CTRL+C to stop, then set ownership:

sudo chown -R grafana:users /usr/local/grafana

Step 6: Enable and Start Service

# Reload systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Enable service
sudo systemctl enable grafana-server

# Start service
sudo systemctl start grafana-server

# Check status
sudo systemctl status grafana-server

First Login

After installation:

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000
2. Login with default credentials:
   • Username: admin
   • Password: admin
3. You’ll be prompted to change the password on first login

Change the default admin password immediately to secure your Grafana instance.

Configuration

Grafana configuration is stored in grafana.ini. Common configuration locations:

• Docker: Use environment variables prefixed with GF_
• APT install: /etc/grafana/grafana.ini
• Standalone: /usr/local/grafana/conf/grafana.ini

Example environment variable mapping:

# Set server root URL
GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL=http://my.grafana.server/

# Set security admin password
GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=mySecurePassword

# Enable debug logging
GF_LOG_LEVEL=debug

Uninstalling Grafana

Docker

docker stop grafana
docker rm grafana
docker volume rm grafana-storage  # Remove data

Debian/Ubuntu

# Stop service
sudo systemctl stop grafana-server

# Remove package
sudo apt-get remove grafana-enterprise
# OR
sudo apt-get remove grafana

# Remove repository (optional)
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grafana.list

Standalone Binary

# Stop service
sudo systemctl stop grafana-server
sudo systemctl disable grafana-server

# Remove files
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/grafana-server.service
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/grafana

# Reload systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Next Steps

Create Your First Dashboard

Learn how to build visualizations

Add Data Sources

Connect Grafana to your data

Troubleshooting

Port 3000 Already in Use

If port 3000 is already occupied, map to a different port:

docker run -d -p 3001:3000 --name=grafana grafana/grafana-enterprise

Access Grafana at http://localhost:3001

Permission Denied Errors

Ensure the Grafana user has proper permissions:

sudo chown -R grafana:grafana /var/lib/grafana

Service Won't Start

Check service logs:

# Systemd
sudo journalctl -u grafana-server -f

# Docker
docker logs grafana