Add improved reinstall documentation. (#13047)
Including explaining how to do a clean reinstall, and how to switch install types.
Austin S. Hemmelgarn committed
Jun 6, 2022 at 12:29 UTC
05da6a27a273df5d6f43d16fd5de4f2b26423a6c
1 file changed
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packaging/installer/REINSTALL.md
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@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ Netdata Agent on your node.
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## One-line installer script (`kickstart.sh`)
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+### Reinstalling with the same install type
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+
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Run the one-line installer script with the `--reinstall` parameter to reinstall the Netdata Agent. This will preserve
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-any [user configuration](/docs/configure/nodes.md) in `netdata.conf` or other files.
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+any [user configuration](/docs/configure/nodes.md) in `netdata.conf` or other files, and will keep the same install
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+type that was used for the original install.
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If you used any [optional
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parameters](/packaging/installer/methods/kickstart.md#optional-parameters-to-alter-your-installation) during initial
@@ -24,6 +27,41 @@ optional parameters.
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wget -O /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh https://my-netdata.io/kickstart.sh && sh /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh --reinstall
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```
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+### Performing a clean reinstall
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+
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+Run the one-line installer script with the `--reinstall-clean` parameter to perform a clean reinstall of the
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+Netdata Agent. This will wipe all existing configuration and historical data, but can be useful sometimes for
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+getting a badly broken installation working again. Unlike the regular `--reinstall` parameter, this may use a
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+different install type than the original install used.
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+
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+If you used any [optional
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+parameters](/packaging/installer/methods/kickstart.md#optional-parameters-to-alter-your-installation) during initial
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+installation, you need to pass them to the script again during reinstallation. If you cannot remember which options you
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+used, read the contents of the `.environment` file and look for a `REINSTALL_OPTIONS` line. This line contains a list of
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+optional parameters.
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+
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+```bash
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+wget -O /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh https://my-netdata.io/kickstart.sh && sh /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh --reinstall-clean
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+```
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+
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+### Changing the install type of an existing installation
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+The clean reinstall procedure outlined above can also be used to manually change the install type for an existing
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+installation. Without any extra parameters, it will automatically pick the preferred installation type for your
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+system, even if that has changed since the original install. If you want to force use of a specific install type,
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+you can use the `--native-only`, `--static-only`, or `--build-only` parameter to control which install type gets
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+used, just like with a new install.
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+
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+When using the `--reinstall-clean` option to change the install type, you will need to manually preserve any
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+configuration or historical data you want to keep. The following directories may need to be preserved:
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+
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+- `/etc/netdata` (`/opt/netdata/etc/netdata` for static installs): For agent configuration.
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+- `/var/lib/netdata` (`/opt/netdata/var/lib/netdata` for static installs): For claiming configuration.
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+- `/var/cache/netdata` (`/opt/netdata/var/cache/netdata` for static installs): For historical data.
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+
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+When copying these directories back after the reinstall, you may need to update file ownership by running `chown
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+-R netdata:netdata` on them.
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+
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## Troubleshooting
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If you still experience problems with your Netdata Agent installation after following one of these processes, the next
@@ -32,5 +70,3 @@ installer](/packaging/installer/methods/kickstart.md).
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You can also post to our [community forums](https://community.netdata.cloud/c/support/13) or create a new [bug
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report](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/issues/new?assignees=&labels=bug%2Cneeds+triage&template=BUG_REPORT.yml).
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