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This guide walks you through setting up an AWS EC2 instance as the host server for your Jenkins CI/CD pipeline.

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Prerequisites

  • AWS account with appropriate permissions
  • Basic understanding of AWS EC2 and security groups
  • SSH client for connecting to the instance

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EC2 Instance Setup

1

Launch EC2 Instance

Create a new EC2 instance with the following specifications:Instance Configuration:
  • AMI: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS
  • Instance Type: t2.medium or larger (minimum 2 GB RAM recommended)
  • Storage: 20 GB or more
  1. Go to AWS EC2 Console
  2. Click “Launch Instance”
  3. Select Ubuntu Server as the AMI
  4. Choose instance type (t2.medium recommended for Jenkins)
  5. Configure instance details (use default VPC settings)
  6. Add storage (minimum 20 GB)
2

Configure Security Group

Set up security group rules to allow necessary traffic:Inbound Rules:
TypeProtocolPort RangeSourceDescription
SSHTCP22Your IPSSH access
Custom TCPTCP80800.0.0.0/0Jenkins Web UI
HTTPTCP800.0.0.0/0Deployed application
For production environments, restrict SSH access to your IP address only. The example above uses 0.0.0.0/0 for demonstration purposes.
3

Create or Select Key Pair

Create a new key pair or select an existing one:
  1. Create a new key pair if you don’t have one
  2. Download the .pem file and store it securely
  3. Set appropriate permissions: 
    chmod 400 your-key-pair.pem
4

Launch and Connect

Launch the instance and connect via SSH:
  1. Note the public IP address of your instance
  2. Connect using SSH: 
    ssh -i your-key-pair.pem ubuntu@<ec2-public-ip>

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Software Installation

After connecting to your EC2 instance, install the required software.
1

Update System Packages

Update the package list and upgrade existing packages:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
2

Install Java

Jenkins requires Java to run. Install OpenJDK:
sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk -y
Verify installation:
java -version
3

Install Jenkins

Add Jenkins repository and install:
# Add Jenkins repository key
curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io-2023.key | sudo tee \
  /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc > /dev/null

# Add Jenkins repository
echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] \
  https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/ | sudo tee \
  /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null

# Update package list and install Jenkins
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jenkins -y
Start and enable Jenkins:
sudo systemctl start jenkins
sudo systemctl enable jenkins
Verify Jenkins is running:
sudo systemctl status jenkins
4

Install Docker

Install Docker for containerizing your application:
# Install Docker dependencies
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common -y

# Add Docker GPG key
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

# Add Docker repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# Install Docker
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io -y
Verify Docker installation:
docker --version
5

Configure Docker Permissions for Jenkins

Add Jenkins user to the Docker group to allow Jenkins to run Docker commands:
sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins
sudo systemctl restart jenkins
This is a critical step. Without these permissions, your Jenkins pipeline will fail when trying to build or run Docker containers.
6

Install Node.js (Optional)

If you plan to run npm tests directly on the host:
# Install Node.js and npm
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y
Verify installation:
node --version
npm --version

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Jenkins Initial Configuration

1

Access Jenkins Web Interface

Open your browser and navigate to:
http://<ec2-public-ip>:8080
2

Unlock Jenkins

Retrieve the initial admin password:
sudo cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword
Copy the password and paste it into the Jenkins unlock screen.
3

Install Suggested Plugins

When prompted, select “Install suggested plugins” and wait for the installation to complete.Additionally, install these required plugins:
  • Docker Pipeline
  • GitHub Integration Plugin
  • Pipeline Plugin (should be included in suggested plugins)
4

Create Admin User

Set up your admin user account:
  • Username
  • Password
  • Full name
  • Email address
Click “Save and Continue”
5

Configure Jenkins URL

Set the Jenkins URL to:
http://<ec2-public-ip>:8080/
Click “Save and Finish” and start using Jenkins.

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Verify Installation

Confirm all services are running correctly: 
# Check Jenkins status
sudo systemctl status jenkins

# Check Docker status
sudo systemctl status docker

# Verify Jenkins can run Docker commands
sudo -u jenkins docker ps
If the last command succeeds without permission errors, your setup is complete!

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Accessing Your Application

Once your pipeline deploys the application, access it at: 
http://<ec2-public-ip>
Replace <ec2-public-ip> with your actual EC2 instance public IP address throughout this guide.

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Security Best Practices

Use Elastic IP

Assign an Elastic IP to your instance to maintain a consistent public IP address.

Regular Updates

Keep your system, Jenkins, and Docker updated with security patches.

Restrict SSH Access

Limit SSH access to specific IP addresses in your security group.

Enable HTTPS

Configure SSL/TLS for Jenkins using a reverse proxy like Nginx.

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Next Steps

With your EC2 instance configured:
  1. Create a new Jenkins pipeline project
  2. Connect your GitHub repository
  3. Configure GitHub webhooks
  4. Run your first pipeline build
Save your EC2 public IP and Jenkins admin credentials in a secure password manager for easy access.

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