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What Node Exporter does—and what Ubuntu provides
Node Exporter exposes hardware- and kernel-related machine metrics for Prometheus to collect; it is not the Prometheus server itself. Ubuntu’s Resolute package index lists prometheus-node-exporter for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS in the Universe repository. The package index listed version 1.10.2-1 when checked on October 4, 2026; package versions can change, so check the index for the version currently available to your system.
The Ubuntu package file listing includes /usr/bin/prometheus-node-exporter, /etc/default/prometheus-node-exporter, and /usr/lib/systemd/system/prometheus-node-exporter.service. Using the Ubuntu package gives you Ubuntu’s packaged executable and systemd service integration.
Install and start the Ubuntu package
On the Ubuntu 26.04 machine whose metrics you want to collect, install the package from the configured Ubuntu repositories:
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install prometheus-node-exporterCheck the packaged service with systemd:
systemctl status prometheus-node-exporterIf it is not running, start it and enable it to start at boot:
sudo systemctl enable --now prometheus-node-exporterReview the service status again after starting it. If startup fails, inspect the service journal for the specific error rather than assuming the network or scrape configuration is responsible:
sudo journalctl -u prometheus-node-exporterCheck the exporter endpoint from Prometheus
Prometheus’s Node Exporter example serves metrics at /metrics on port 9100. From the Prometheus server, request the exporter using the Ubuntu host’s actual private IP address or a private DNS name that resolves there:
curl http://PRIVATE_HOST:9100/metricsReplace PRIVATE_HOST with the real address or name; it is not a literal value to copy. A successful response contains text-formatted metrics. If the request cannot connect, check that the Prometheus server can route to the host, that firewall policy permits the connection, and that the exporter is listening on an address reachable from that server. A working request from the exporter host itself does not prove remote reachability.
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Configure Prometheus to scrape the private host
In the Prometheus server’s configuration, use a static target for a small, stable set of machines. Replace the example address below with the Ubuntu host’s assigned private address or resolvable private name:
global:
scrape_interval: 15s
scrape_configs:
- job_name: node
static_configs:
- targets: ['10.0.0.25:9100']The 15s interval and 10.0.0.25 target are illustrative: the interval is the value in Prometheus’s guide example, not a universal recommendation, and the address works only if it is actually assigned and reachable in your network. The guide’s local example uses localhost:9100; that address refers to the Prometheus machine itself, so it is not the right target for a separate Ubuntu host.
For a host set whose membership is managed separately from the main Prometheus configuration, Prometheus also documents file-based service discovery. Use the approach that matches how often your target list changes and how your team manages inventory.
After editing the configuration, apply it using the method appropriate to your Prometheus installation. The exact service name and reload mechanism depend on how Prometheus was installed and configured.
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Restrict access to the exporter
Make the exporter reachable from the Prometheus server without exposing port 9100 broadly. Configure the host and network firewalls to allow the Prometheus server’s address, or the smallest appropriate monitoring subnet, to connect to the exporter. The correct rule depends on your network topology and firewall; there is no single private address or firewall command that applies to every deployment.
A private address limits where the endpoint is reachable, but it does not encrypt traffic. Prometheus and most exporters support TLS. If you configure basic authentication, use TLS when credentials cross the network: Prometheus documents that basic authentication without TLS exposes usernames and passwords in cleartext. Configure the corresponding TLS and authentication options on the Prometheus side and the exporter side as required by your setup. Do not use certificate-verification bypasses as a routine way to address certificate errors.
Verify the scrape in Prometheus
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From the Prometheus server, request
http://PRIVATE_HOST:9100/metrics, substituting the actual private address or name. Confirm that the endpoint responds with metrics. -
Check the Prometheus target status for the
nodejob. Confirm that the target is healthy and that Prometheus is successfully scraping it.What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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If the endpoint responds from the Prometheus server but the target is unhealthy, check that the target in the scrape configuration matches the reachable host and port, then review Prometheus’s target status for the scrape error. If the endpoint does not respond remotely, investigate routing, firewall scope, name resolution, and exporter binding before changing the scrape interval.
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