---
title: Prepare to install
description: Make sure that your installation meets the requirements in Requirements.
component: pinggateway
version: 7.2
page_id: pinggateway:installation-guide:prepare
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/2026/installation-guide/prepare.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: 2022-04-20T15:23:46Z
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/2026/installation-guide/prepare.html
section_ids:
  requirements: Requirements
  run-from-service-account: Create an IG service account
  configure-network: Prepare the network
---

# Prepare to install

## Requirements

Make sure that your installation meets the requirements in [Requirements](../release-notes/before-you-install.html).

## Create an IG service account

To limit the impact of a security breach, install and run IG from a dedicated service account. This is optional when you are evaluating IG, but essential in production installations.

A hacker is constrained by the rights granted to the user account where IG runs; therefore, never run IG as root user.

1. In a terminal window, use a command similar to the following to create a service account:

   * Linux

   * Windows

   ```
   $ sudo /usr/sbin/useradd \
   --create-home \
   --comment "Account for running IG" \
   --shell /bin/bash IG
   ```

   ```
   > net user username password /add /comment:"Account for running IG"
   ```

2. Apply the principle of least privilege to the account, for example:

   * Read/write permissions on the installation directory, `/path/to/identity-gateway-7.2.0`.

   * Execute permissions on the scripts in the installation `bin` directory, `/path/to/identity-gateway-7.2.0/bin`.

## Prepare the network

Configure the network to include the hosts.

1. Add the following additional entry to your host file:

   * Linux

   * Windows

   ```
   /etc/hosts
   ```

   ```
   %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
   ```

   ```bash
   127.0.0.1  localhost ig.example.com app.example.com am.example.com
   ```

   For more information about host files, see the Wikipedia entry, [Hosts (file)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_\(file\)).