# Useful management and configuration actions Below you will find some of the most common actions that one can take while using Netdata. You can use this page as a quick reference for installing Netdata, connecting a node to the Cloud, properly editing the configuration, accessing Netdata's API, and more! ### Install Netdata ```bash wget -O /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh https://get.netdata.cloud/kickstart.sh && sh /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh # Or, if you have cURL but not wget (such as on macOS): curl https://get.netdata.cloud/kickstart.sh > /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh && sh /tmp/netdata-kickstart.sh ``` #### Connect a node to Netdata Cloud To do so, sign in to Netdata Cloud, on your Space under the Nodes tab, click `Add Nodes` and paste the provided command into your node’s terminal and run it. You can also copy the Claim token and pass it to the installation script with `--claim-token` and re-run it. ### Configuration **Netdata's config directory** is `/etc/netdata/` but in some operating systems it might be `/opt/netdata/etc/netdata/`. Look for the `# config directory =` line over at `http://NODE_IP:19999/netdata.conf` to find your config directory. From within that directory you can run `sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf` **to edit Netdata's configuration.** You can edit other config files too, by specifying their filename after `./edit-config`. You are expected to use this method in all following configuration changes. <!-- #### Edit Netdata's other config files (examples): - `$ sudo ./edit-config apps_groups.conf` - `$ sudo ./edit-config ebpf.conf` - `$ sudo ./edit-config health.d/load.conf` - `$ sudo ./edit-config go.d/prometheus.conf` #### View the running Netdata configuration: `http://NODE:19999/netdata.conf` > Replace `NODE` with the IP address or hostname of your node. Often `localhost`. ## Metrics collection & retention You can tweak your settings in the netdata.conf file. 📄 [Find your netdata.conf file](/src/daemon/config/README.md) Open a new terminal and navigate to the netdata.conf file. Use the edit-config script to make changes: `sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf` The most popular settings to change are: #### Increase metrics retention (4GiB) ``` sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf ``` ``` [global] dbengine multihost disk space = 4096 ``` #### Reduce the collection frequency (every 5 seconds) ``` sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf ``` ``` [global] update every = 5 ``` --> --- #### Enable/disable plugins (groups of collectors) ```bash sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf ``` ```conf [plugins] go.d = yes # enabled node.d = no # disabled ``` #### Enable/disable specific collectors ```bash sudo ./edit-config go.d.conf # edit a plugin's config ``` ```yaml modules: activemq: no # disabled cockroachdb: yes # enabled ``` #### Edit a collector's config ```bash sudo ./edit-config go.d/mysql.conf ``` ### Alerts & notifications <!-- #### Add a new alert ``` sudo touch health.d/example-alert.conf sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alert.conf ``` --> After any change, reload the Netdata health configuration: ```bash netdatacli reload-health #or if that command doesn't work on your installation, use: killall -USR2 netdata ``` #### Configure a specific alert ```bash sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alert.conf ``` #### Silence a specific alert ```bash sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alert.conf ``` ``` to: silent ``` <!-- #### Disable alerts and notifications ```conf [health] enabled = no ``` --> --- ### Manage the daemon | Intent | Action | |:----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------:| | Start Netdata | `$ sudo service netdata start` | | Stop Netdata | `$ sudo service netdata stop` | | Restart Netdata | `$ sudo service netdata restart` | | Reload health configuration | `$ sudo netdatacli reload-health` `$ killall -USR2 netdata` | | View error logs | `less /var/log/netdata/error.log` | | View collectors logs | `less /var/log/netdata/collector.log` | #### Change the port Netdata listens to (example, set it to port 39999) ```conf [web] default port = 39999 ``` ### See metrics and dashboards #### Netdata Cloud: `https://app.netdata.cloud` #### Local dashboard: `https://NODE:19999` > Replace `NODE` with the IP address or hostname of your node. Often `localhost`. ### Access the Netdata API You can access the API like this: `http://NODE:19999/api/VERSION/REQUEST`. If you want to take a look at all the API requests, check our API page at <https://learn.netdata.cloud/api> <!-- ## Interact with charts | Intent | Action | | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | | Stop a chart from updating | `click` | | Zoom | **Cloud** <br/> use the `zoom in` and `zoom out` buttons on any chart (upper right corner) <br/><br/> **Agent**<br/>`SHIFT` or `ALT` + `mouse scrollwheel` <br/> `SHIFT` or `ALT` + `two-finger pinch` (touchscreen) <br/> `SHIFT` or `ALT` + `two-finger scroll` (touchscreen) | | Zoom to a specific timeframe | **Cloud**<br/>use the `select and zoom` button on any chart and then do a `mouse selection` <br/><br/> **Agent**<br/>`SHIFT` + `mouse selection` | | Pan forward or back in time | `click` & `drag` <br/> `touch` & `drag` (touchpad/touchscreen) | | Select a certain timeframe | `ALT` + `mouse selection` <br/> WIP need to evaluate this `command?` + `mouse selection` (macOS) | | Reset to default auto refreshing state | `double click` | --> <!-- ## Dashboards #### Disable the local dashboard Use the `edit-config` script to edit the `netdata.conf` file. ``` [web] mode = none ``` --> <!-- #### Opt out from anonymous statistics ``` sudo touch .opt-out-from-anonymous-statistics ``` --> <!-- ## Understanding the dashboard **Charts**: A visualization displaying one or more collected/calculated metrics in a time series. Charts are generated by collectors. **Dimensions**: Any value shown on a chart, which can be raw or calculated values, such as percentages, averages, minimums, maximums, and more. **Families**: One instance of a monitored hardware or software resource that needs to be monitored and displayed separately from similar instances. Example, disks named **sda**, **sdb**, **sdc**, and so on. **Contexts**: A grouping of charts based on the types of metrics collected and visualized. **disk.io**, **disk.ops**, and **disk.backlog** are all contexts. -->