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Dive into the prerequisites, installation methods, and configuration details to get Jenkins up and running quickly. Whether you’re a small team or an enterprise, this guide covers everything from hardware sizing to backing up your Jenkins data.

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System Requirements

Determine the right hardware based on your pipeline complexity and concurrent job count.
Requirement TypeMinimumRecommended (Small Teams)
CPU2 cores4 cores
RAM256 MB4 GB
Disk Space1 GB50 GB
You also need:
  • Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run Jenkins
  • Java Development Kit (JDK) for plugin development and troubleshooting
  • A modern web browser for the Jenkins UI
Installing the JDK in production enables advanced plugin development, debugging, and better compatibility.
The image outlines hardware and software requirements, with minimum and recommended hardware specifications, and necessary software including a web browser and JRE or JDK.

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Installation Methods

Choose the approach that best fits your environment and team skills:
  1. Generic WAR File
    Download the standalone jenkins.war and launch:     
    java -jar jenkins.war
    Works on any OS with a supported Java version.
  2. OS-Specific Packages
    Use native packages for Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat, and others.     
    # Example for Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jenkins
    Packages manage dependencies and integrate with system services.
  3. Graphical Installer
    Available on Windows and macOS. Follows a simple wizard to set up Jenkins without command-line steps.
  4. Cloud Templates
    Leverage preconfigured templates or managed services for rapid provisioning:
  5. Docker Container
    Run Jenkins in a container for isolated, reproducible environments:     
    docker run -d -p 8080:8080 -p 50000:50000 \
  --name jenkins lts jenkins/jenkins:lts
The image lists various installation options for software, including WAR files, OS-specific packages, user-friendly installers, cloud templates, and containerized Docker images, alongside supported platforms like Docker, Kubernetes, Windows, and several Linux distributions.

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Locating and Managing JENKINS_HOME

All jobs, plugins, configurations, build logs, artifacts, and metadata reside in JENKINS_HOME.
Installation MethodDefault JENKINS_HOME
WAR File~/.jenkins
Linux Package (DEB/RPM)/var/lib/jenkins
Inspect the directory on Linux: 
tree /var/lib/jenkins
To customize the location, export the JENKINS_HOME environment variable before starting Jenkins: 
export JENKINS_HOME=/custom/path/to/jenkins_home
java -jar jenkins.war
Backing up JENKINS_HOME is critical. Losing this directory will result in loss of all Jenkins configurations, plugins, and build history.

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