Jenkins Installation

Posted on by Admin

Jenkins is an open-source automation server widely used for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). It supports building, testing, and deploying code using pipelines and integrates with various tools.

This guide covers step-by-step Jenkins installation instructions on:

  • Ubuntu (Linux)
  • Windows
  • macOS

Jenkins Installation on Ubuntu (Debian-based Linux)

Prerequisites
  • Ubuntu 18.04+ (or Debian-based distro)
  • Java 11 or newer
  • Root or sudo access

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Update System

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install Java (OpenJDK 17 recommended)

sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk -y
java -version

3. Add Jenkins Repository Key

curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian/jenkins.io-2023.key | sudo tee \
  /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc > /dev/null

4. Add Jenkins Source List

echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] \
  https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian binary/ | sudo tee \
  /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null

5. Install Jenkins

sudo apt update
sudo apt install jenkins -y

6. Start and Enable Jenkins

sudo systemctl start jenkins
sudo systemctl enable jenkins

7. Adjust Firewall (if using UFW)

sudo ufw allow 8080
sudo ufw reload

8. Access Jenkins Web Interface

Open in browser:

http://localhost:8080

9. Get the Administrator Password

sudo cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword

Copy the password into the Jenkins setup screen and continue setup.

Jenkins Installation on Windows

Prerequisites
  • Windows 10 or 11
  • Java JDK 11 or newer installed and added to PATH

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Download Jenkins Windows Installer

Go to:
👉 https://www.jenkins.io/download/

Choose Windows → download the .msi installer.

2. Run Installer

  • Double-click .msi file
  • Follow the installation wizard
  • Jenkins will install as a Windows service
  • Default port: 8080

3. Find Initial Admin Password

Navigate to:

C:\Program Files\Jenkins\secrets\initialAdminPassword

Copy the password and paste it into the web setup wizard.

4. Access Jenkins

Open browser:

http://localhost:8080

Complete the setup (install suggested plugins and create admin user).

Jenkins Installation on macOS

Prerequisites
  • macOS 11+ (Big Sur or newer)
  • Homebrew installed
  • Java 11 or newer

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Install Java (if not already installed)

brew install openjdk@17

Add Java to your shell:

echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zprofile
source ~/.zprofile

2. Install Jenkins

brew install jenkins-lts

3. Start Jenkins

brew services start jenkins-lts

Jenkins runs by default on port 8080.

4. Access Jenkins Web Interface

Open:

http://localhost:8080

5. Get the Admin Password

cat /Users/$(whoami)/.jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword

Paste this password into the Jenkins setup wizard.

Post-Installation Tips (All Platforms)

  1. Install Suggested Plugins (default in setup wizard)
  2. Create Admin User

  3. Configure Tools:

    • JDK
    • Maven
    • Git
    • Docker

  4. Install Additional Plugins:

    • GitHub Integration
    • Pipeline
    • Blue Ocean UI
    • Docker, Kubernetes plugins (if needed)
  5. Secure Jenkins with HTTPS or reverse proxy (optional)
  6. Create a sample pipeline or freestyle job

Uninstallation

Ubuntu

sudo apt remove --purge jenkins
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/jenkins

Windows

  • Use “Add or Remove Programs”
  • Delete C:\Program Files\Jenkins folder

macOS

brew services stop jenkins-lts
brew uninstall jenkins-lts
rm -rf ~/.jenkins

Troubleshooting

Issue Fix
Jenkins not starting Check logs: sudo journalctl -u jenkins (Ubuntu)
Port 8080 in use Change port in /etc/default/jenkins or jenkins.xml
Java version errors Ensure JAVA_HOME is correctly set
Firewall blocks Jenkins Allow port 8080 in OS firewall settings
Conclusion

Setting up Jenkins on Ubuntu, Windows, or macOS is straightforward using either package managers or official installers. Once installed, Jenkins provides a powerful platform for automating builds, tests, and deployments in modern DevOps environments.

 

Jenkins Installation

You May Also Like