Searching for how to install SafeLine WAF on CentOS should start with a compatibility check. The supplied SafeLine installation guide lists Linux as its operating system requirement, but it does not identify supported CentOS releases or provide CentOS-specific package instructions. That makes a readiness checklist the useful starting point: establish whether your host meets the documented requirements, then plan how application traffic will reach the WAF. Official installation guide
This guide separates three decisions: whether the server is a suitable candidate, whether you can administer the deployment, and whether you are ready to route an application through it.
1. Establish what the documentation actually supports
SafeLine is a self-hosted web application firewall. Its documentation describes placing it in front of an application as a reverse proxy that filters incoming HTTP/S traffic. That architecture means installation planning includes both the server running SafeLine and the application receiving forwarded requests. SafeLine overview
For a CentOS candidate, record the exact operating system release and your organization's maintenance requirements. Treat those as local infrastructure decisions: the supplied documentation does not establish a CentOS release compatibility matrix.
The documented minimum requirements are Linux, an x86_64 or arm64 architecture, Docker 20.10.14 or later, Docker Compose 2.0.0 or later, one CPU core, 1 GB of memory, and 5 GB of disk space. The requirements table also lists the ssse3 CPU instruction. The same guide states that ARM deployments require a Pro license and that Personal Edition is unsupported on ARM. Check these constraints before choosing a host. Installation requirements
2. Collect evidence before making changes
The installation guide supplies these inspection commands:
uname -m
docker version
docker compose version
cat /proc/cpuinfo| grep "processor"
free -h
df -h
lscpu | grep ssse3
Use their output to compare your candidate server with the documented requirements. If Docker or Compose is missing, that is an unresolved prerequisite; it is not evidence that a particular CentOS package recipe will work. The supplied sources do not provide such a recipe. Documented inspection commands
Also decide where persistent data will live. The manual installation example uses /data/safeline for configuration and data and requires at least 5 GB of disk space. Check available capacity on the filesystem that will actually hold that directory. Manual deployment instructions
3. Prepare administration and application details
Before scheduling a deployment, identify who will perform the installation and who will access the console. SafeLine's documented automatic installer requires root privileges. Its documented console address is https://<safeline-ip>:9443/, and the guide provides this command to obtain administrator credentials:
docker exec safeline-mgt resetadmin
These are deployment details from the official guide, not confirmation of support for a specific CentOS release. Plan administrative access according to your environment's requirements. Installation and console access
Prepare the application settings separately. The official application guide asks for a domain, a listening port, and an upstream address. The listening port is where SafeLine receives requests; the upstream is the original application's address. For an HTTPS application, the guide instructs you to select the SSL option. Application configuration
4. Make traffic routing a deliberate checkpoint
A working console does not establish that application requests are passing through the WAF. The documented application workflow includes adding the application and resolving its domain to the IP address of the SafeLine server. Application routing instructions
As an operational precaution, record your existing DNS values and define a rollback procedure before changing them. Prepare a short acceptance checklist covering ordinary page loads, sign-in, and any important application workflows. These are general deployment practices, rather than SafeLine product guarantees.
For security validation on an application you own or are authorized to test, the official guide supplies example attack requests and explains how to inspect the resulting attack list and details in the console. Use that documented workflow alongside normal application checks. Official validation examples
FAQ
Does the supplied documentation confirm support for my CentOS release?
No. It specifies Linux and other prerequisites without naming CentOS releases. Use it to assess documented requirements, while keeping release-specific compatibility unresolved. Requirements
Can I assume every ARM server can run Personal Edition?
No. The installation guide explicitly says ARM requires a Pro license and that Personal Edition is unsupported on ARM. Architecture restriction
What information should I prepare before adding an application?
Prepare the application's domain, SafeLine listening port, and upstream address. The official workflow also calls for pointing the domain to the SafeLine server after configuration. Application setup
Is successful console login enough to finish deployment?
Console access is one checkpoint. Application configuration, traffic routing, and validation are separate steps in the documented workflow. Verify those before considering your rollout complete. Application guide
Ready to assess your CentOS candidate? Bring your host inventory and application routing checklist, explore the official SafeLine project, and follow the official documentation.
Top comments (0)