How to Install Jenkins on an AWS EC2 Server and Access It Securely

Jenkins is a powerful open-source automation server that helps developers automate parts of the software development process. In this guide, I'll walk you through installing Jenkins on an AWS EC2 Linux server and accessing it securely from your browser.

Prerequisites

• An AWS EC2 instance (Ubuntu recommended)

• SSH access to your EC2 instance

• Basic familiarity with Linux commands

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Step 1: Install Java (Jenkins Dependency)

Jenkins requires Java to run. Execute the following commands to install OpenJDK 17:

sudo apt update  
sudo apt install fontconfig openjdk-17-jre -y

Verify the installation:

java --version

You should see output confirming the installed Java version.

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Step 2: Install Jenkins

1. Add Jenkins Repository Key

Run the following commands to add Jenkins’ official repository:

sudo wget -O /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc \
  https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian/jenkins.io-2023.key
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

2. Update and Install Jenkins

sudo apt-get update  
sudo apt-get install jenkins -y

3. Verify Jenkins Installation

Check if Jenkins is running:

sudo systemctl status jenkins

You should see active (running) in the output.

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Step 3: Access Jenkins from Your Browser

1. Open Port 8080 in AWS Security Group

Jenkins runs on port 8080 by default. To access it:

1. Go to the AWS Management Console → EC2 Dashboard.

2. Select your instance and click on the Security Group linked to it.

3. Click Edit inbound rules and add:

   • Type: Custom TCP

   • Port range: 8080

   • Source: 0.0.0.0/0 (for testing) or restrict it to your IP for better security.

2. Get Your EC2 Public IP

Find your instance’s Public IPv4 address in the EC2 dashboard.

3. Access Jenkins in Browser

Open your browser and enter:

http://<EC2_PUBLIC_IP>:8080

Replace <EC2_PUBLIC_IP> with your instance’s public IP.

4. Unlock Jenkins

The first time you access Jenkins, it will ask for an initial admin password. Retrieve it using:

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

Paste the password into the Jenkins setup page and proceed with the installation.

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Optional: Secure Jenkins Further

• Use HTTPS: Set up an SSL certificate with Nginx/Apache as a reverse proxy.

• Restrict IP Access: Instead of 0.0.0.0/0, allow only your IP in the security group.

• Enable Authentication: Configure Jenkins user roles for better security.

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Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed Jenkins on an AWS EC2 server and accessed it via a web browser. Jenkins is now ready to automate your CI/CD pipelines!

If you run into issues, check:

• sudo systemctl status jenkins (for service status)

• /var/log/jenkins/jenkins.log (for logs)

Let me know in the comments if you need help! 🚀

Further

Go to official Jenkins Page: https://www.jenkins.io/doc/book/installing/linux/#debianubuntu