Grafana Alloy installer script

Automated, rerunnable installer + config generator for Grafana Alloy on Debian/Ubuntu.

Run one script, select “packs” (pre-configured metrics/log collectors), enter your Prometheus and/or Loki endpoints, and it generates /etc/alloy/config.alloy and reloads Alloy.

This project supports both interactive (menu + prompts) and non-interactive / silent installs (CLI flags), which is useful for automation/provisioning.

Quick start

git clone https://github.com/Unknowlars/Grafana-alloy-bootstrap.git
cd Grafana-alloy/alloy-bootstrap
chmod +x setup.sh
sudo ./setup.sh

Interactive mode (default)

Interactive mode shows a menu of packs and prompts you for required settings (Prometheus/Loki endpoints, pack variables, optional UI bind).

Example interactive run

./setup.sh

==> Starting alloy-bootstrap setup (rerunnable) ...
==> Alloy installed version: 1.12.1-1
==> Alloy APT candidate:     1.12.1-1
==> Alloy is up to date (or no candidate available).

Available collection packs:

   1) [x] Host metrics (node_exporter)  [metrics]
   2) [x] Host logs (journald + /var/log)  [logs]
   3) [x] Docker containers (cAdvisor metrics + docker logs)  [metrics,logs]
   4) [ ] Scrape logporter metrics (custom Prometheus scrape)  [metrics]
   5) [ ] Postgres exporter scrape  [metrics]
   6) [ ] Traefik metrics scrape (integrations/traefik)  [metrics]
   7) [ ] Traefik access logs (file) -> GeoIP country label -> Loki  [logs]
   8) [ ] Enable livedebugging (Alloy UI debug stream)  [none]

Previously enabled packs: host-metrics host-logs docker

Select packs by number (space-separated) [1 2 3]: 1 2 3

Prometheus/VictoriaMetrics base (previous: http://192.168.0.123:9090) — enter http(s)://host:port or host:port [http://192.168.0.123:9090]:
==> Using Prometheus/VictoriaMetrics base: http://192.168.0.123:9090

Loki base (previous: http://192.168.0.123:3400) — enter http(s)://host:port or host:port [http://192.168.0.123:3400]:
==> Using Loki base: http://192.168.0.123:3400

==> Pack-specific settings:
Expose Alloy HTTP UI on network (sets --server.http.listen-addr)? [y/N]: y
Listen address (host:port) [127.0.0.1:12345]:
==> Using Alloy UI listen addr: 127.0.0.1:12345
==> Backed up /etc/default/alloy -> /etc/default/alloy.bak.20251220-224151
==> Wrote /etc/default/alloy
==> Backed up /etc/alloy/config.alloy -> /etc/alloy/config.alloy.bak.20251220-224151
==> Installed validated config to /etc/alloy/config.alloy
==> User 'alloy' already in group 'docker'.
==> User 'alloy' already in group 'systemd-journal'.
==> User 'alloy' already in group 'adm'.
==> Reloaded Alloy.
==> Saved state to /var/lib/alloy-bootstrap/state.env
==> Done. Run again anytime after git pull or when adding packs.
  Prom remote_write: http://192.168.0.123:9090/api/v1/write
  Loki push:         http://192.168.0.123:3400/loki/api/v1/push
  Alloy UI listen:   127.0.0.1:12345

Non-interactive / silent mode

Silent mode skips all prompts. You provide everything via CLI flags (or it reuses values from the saved state file).

Example silent run

sudo ./setup.sh --non-interactive \
  --packs host-metrics,host-logs,docker \
  --prom-base-url http://192.168.0.123:8429 \
  --loki-base-url http://192.168.0.238:3400 \
  --ui-listen-addr 127.0.0.1:12345

How silent mode resolves values

Packs:
- Use --packs ... if provided
- Otherwise reuse LAST_SELECTED_PACK_IDS from /var/lib/alloy-bootstrap/state.env (if present)
Prometheus/Loki endpoints:
- Use --prom-base-url / --loki-base-url if provided
- Otherwise reuse LAST_PROM_BASE_URL / LAST_LOKI_BASE_URL from state (if present)
- If you selected a metrics/logs pack but no endpoint can be resolved, the script exits with an error.
Pack variables (vars= in pack.conf):
- Highest priority: existing environment variable (e.g. LOGPORTER_ADDR=...)
- Next: --var NAME=value
- Next: default value from the pack (vars=NAME:Prompt:Default)
- If no value can be resolved and there is no default, the script exits with an error.
Alloy UI listen address:
- Use --ui-listen-addr host:port to enable it
- Use --no-ui to force-disable it

Pack variable examples

sudo ./setup.sh --non-interactive \
  --packs logporter \
  --prom-base-url http://192.168.0.123:8429 \
  --var LOGPORTER_ADDR=192.168.0.50:9999

Or with environment variables:

export LOGPORTER_ADDR="192.168.0.50:9999"
sudo ./setup.sh --non-interactive --packs logporter --prom-base-url http://192.168.0.123:8429

What it changes on your system

On each run it:

Writes (with timestamped backups):
- /etc/alloy/config.alloy
- /etc/default/alloy
Stores your last answers (defaults for next run):
- /var/lib/alloy-bootstrap/state.env
Enables + reloads/restarts:
- alloy.service
Adds the alloy user to groups required by selected packs (e.g. docker, systemd-journal, adm)

Security note: enabling some packs changes what the Alloy service user can access (especially Docker + system logs). Only enable what you need.

How it works

Discovers packs from templates/packs/*/pack.conf
Interactive mode: you select packs in a menu
Silent mode: packs/settings come from flags and/or saved state
Renders templates with envsubst
Writes a combined config:
- shared sinks from templates/sinks/
- selected packs from templates/packs/
Formats (best-effort): alloy fmt --write /etc/alloy/config.alloy
Reloads (or restarts) Alloy

Available packs

This table describes the packs currently shipped in this repo. Add/remove packs by editing templates/packs/.

Pack	ID	Signals	Prompts	Notes
Host metrics (node_exporter)	`host-metrics`	metrics	—	Requires Prom/VictoriaMetrics remote_write
Host logs (syslog + messages + auth + journald + /var/log)	`host-logs`	logs	—	Adds `alloy` to `systemd-journal` + `adm`
Docker (cAdvisor metrics + docker logs)	`docker`	metrics,logs	—	Adds `alloy` to `docker` group
Logporter scrape (custom Prometheus scrape)	`logporter`	metrics	`LOGPORTER_ADDR`	Scrapes HTTP promthues endpoint from logporter, check https://github.com/Lifailon/logporter
Postgres exporter scrape	`postgres`	metrics	`POSTGRES_EXPORTER_ADDR`	Scrapes postgres-exporter you provide
Traefik metrics scrape (integrations/traefik)	`traefik-metrics`	metrics	`TRAEFIK_METRICS_ADDR`	Scrapes Traefik metrics endpoint you provide
Live debugging (Alloy UI debug stream)	`livedebugging`	none	—	Debug-only; no Prom/Loki required

Signals:

metrics → you’ll be prompted for Promethues base URL and the script appends /api/v1/write
logs → you’ll be prompted for Loki base URL and the script appends /loki/api/v1/push

Options

General options

sudo ./setup.sh --debug
sudo ./setup.sh --no-install

--debug: shell trace (set -x)
--no-install: skip Alloy APT install/upgrade checks

Silent mode options

sudo ./setup.sh --non-interactive --packs host-metrics --prom-base-url http://192.168.0.123:8429

Flags:

--non-interactive / --silent: no prompts (automation-friendly)
--yes: answer “yes” to yes/no prompts (install/upgrade checks) in silent mode
--packs <id1,id2,...>: comma/space-separated pack IDs
--prom-base-url <http(s)://host:port | host:port>: Prometheus/VictoriaMetrics base
--loki-base-url <http(s)://host:port | host:port>: Loki base
--ui-listen-addr <host:port>: enable Alloy UI listen address
--no-ui: force-disable Alloy UI
--var NAME=value: pack variables (repeatable)

Exposing the Alloy UI

If you enable the UI, the script writes this to /etc/default/alloy:

CUSTOM_ARGS="--server.http.listen-addr=0.0.0.0:12345"

Binding to `0.0.0.0` exposes the UI on the network. Prefer 127.0.0.1:12345

Rollback / undo

Backups are created each run:

/etc/alloy/config.alloy.bak.<timestamp>
/etc/default/alloy.bak.<timestamp>

Restore and restart:

sudo cp -a /etc/alloy/config.alloy.bak.<timestamp> /etc/alloy/config.alloy
sudo cp -a /etc/default/alloy.bak.<timestamp> /etc/default/alloy
sudo systemctl restart alloy

Forget previous selections:

sudo rm -f /var/lib/alloy-bootstrap/state.env

Packs for contributors

Each pack folder contains:

pack.conf (metadata shown in the menu)
config.alloy.tmpl (Alloy snippet rendered via envsubst)

`pack.conf` keys

Required:

id=...
title=...
signals=metrics or logs or metrics,logs or none

Optional:

requires_group=... (script adds user alloy to the group)
vars=VAR:Prompt:Default,VAR2:Prompt:Default (pack-specific prompts)

Templates can use variables like ${PROM_REMOTE_WRITE_URL}, ${LOKI_PUSH_URL}, and any vars from vars=.

Useful commands

systemctl status alloy
journalctl -u alloy -n 200 --no-pager
sudo alloy fmt --check /etc/alloy/config.alloy
sudo systemctl reload alloy
sudo systemctl restart alloy

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 20 Commits
alloy-bootstrap		alloy-bootstrap
README.md		README.md
alloy-bootstrap.zip		alloy-bootstrap.zip

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Grafana Alloy installer script

Quick start

Interactive mode (default)

Example interactive run

Non-interactive / silent mode

Example silent run

How silent mode resolves values

Pack variable examples

What it changes on your system

How it works

Available packs

Options

General options

Silent mode options

Exposing the Alloy UI

Binding to `0.0.0.0` exposes the UI on the network. Prefer 127.0.0.1:12345

Rollback / undo

Packs for contributors

`pack.conf` keys

Useful commands

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Grafana Alloy installer script

Quick start

Interactive mode (default)

Example interactive run

Non-interactive / silent mode

Example silent run

How silent mode resolves values

Pack variable examples

What it changes on your system

How it works

Available packs

Options

General options

Silent mode options

Exposing the Alloy UI

Binding to 0.0.0.0 exposes the UI on the network. Prefer 127.0.0.1:12345

Rollback / undo

Packs for contributors

pack.conf keys

Useful commands

About

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Binding to `0.0.0.0` exposes the UI on the network. Prefer 127.0.0.1:12345

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