Introduction

Nmap is a powerful network discovery and security auditing utility that is free, open-source, and easy to install. Nmap scans for vulnerabilities on your network, performs inventory checks, and monitors host or service uptime, alongside many other useful features.

This tuturial shows you how to install Nmap on Ubuntu 18.04.

guide to installing nmap on ubuntu 18.04

Prerequisites

  • Access to a terminal
  • The apt package manager
  • A user with sudo privileges

Step 1: Update Ubuntu Package List

Make sure the software packages on your Ubuntu system are up-to-date with the command:

sudo apt-get update

The system updates your package lists and confirms that the action is complete.

updating the ubuntu repository using apt-get update

Step 2: Install Nmap

To install NMAP on Ubuntu, run the command:

sudo apt-get install nmap

The system prompts you to confirm and continue by typing y and pressing Enter.

example of installing nmap on Ubuntu command

After confirming, the installation runs its course.

Step 3: Verify Nmap Version Installed

To verify the installation was successful and to determine the current version of Nmap:

nmap --version

The output provides detailed information about Nmap. In this example, the version installed on Ubuntu is 7.60.

checking version of nmap installed

NOTE: Nmap has many options available for scanning scan remote systems. The most common Nmap commands are outlined in this article.

Conclusion

You now know how to install and use Nmap on Ubuntu 18.04. Nmap is a versatile and powerful scanning tool.

Explore the options it has to offer and use it to discover network vulnerabilities and improve your system’s security settings.

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