
Pi-hole is a powerful, network-wide ad blocker that can be installed on your network to block ads, trackers, and other unwanted content. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of installing Pi-hole on AlmaLinux 9.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- A system running AlmaLinux 9.
- Root or sudo access to the system.
- Basic knowledge of the terminal.
Step 1: Update Your System
First, update your AlmaLinux system to ensure all packages are up-to-date.
sudo dnf update -y
Step 2: Install Necessary Dependencies
Install dependencies required for Pi-hole to run smoothly.
sudo dnf install -y epel-release
sudo dnf install -y curl git iproute bind-utils
Step 3: Configure Your Network
Pi-hole needs a static IP address to function correctly. Edit your network configuration file to set a static IP address. This example assumes you are using a typical ifcfg
file for network configuration.
- Find your network interface name:
ip a
Let’s assume the interface name is eth0
.
- Edit the network configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
- Add or modify the following lines to set a static IP address:
BOOTPROTO=none
IPADDR=192.168.1.2
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY=192.168.1.1
DNS1=192.168.1.1
Replace the IP addresses with appropriate values for your network.
- Restart the network service to apply changes:
sudo systemctl restart network
Step 4: Download and Run the Pi-hole Installer
Download the Pi-hole installation script using curl
and then run it.
curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash
Step 5: Configure Pi-hole
The installation script will guide you through the configuration process. Here are the key steps:
- Select Upstream DNS Provider: Choose a DNS provider. Common options include Google, OpenDNS, and Cloudflare.
- Blocklists: Pi-hole will provide a default blocklist. You can add more lists later if needed.
- Network Interface: Choose the network interface (e.g.,
eth0
) that Pi-hole will use. - IP Address Settings: Ensure the IP address matches the static IP you set earlier.
- Web Admin Interface: Enable the web admin interface and log queries if you want to monitor and manage Pi-hole via a web browser.
- Install web server (Lighttpd): Choose to install the web server component if you want to use the web admin interface.
- Privacy Mode: Select the level of privacy for statistics logging.
Step 6: Completing the Installation
Once the configuration is complete, Pi-hole will finalize the installation. You’ll be provided with an admin password for the web interface. Make sure to write this down.
Step 7: Access the Pi-hole Web Interface
Open a web browser and navigate to http://<your_static_IP>/admin
. Log in using the admin password provided during the installation.
Step 8: Configure Your Router
To use Pi-hole as your DNS server, you need to configure your router to point to the Pi-hole’s IP address. This process varies by router model, but generally involves:
- Logging into your router’s admin interface.
- Finding the DNS settings.
- Setting the primary DNS server to the IP address of your Pi-hole.
Step 9: Test Your Setup
Finally, test your setup to ensure Pi-hole is blocking ads. You can visit a website known for ads, or use Pi-hole’s web interface to check query logs and statistics.
Step 10: (Optional) Update Pi-hole
To keep Pi-hole updated, use the following commands:
pihole -up
Conclusion
By following these steps, you have successfully installed Pi-hole on AlmaLinux 9. Enjoy a cleaner, ad-free browsing experience across your entire network. For further customization and management, explore Pi-hole’s web interface and documentation.