How to Completely Uninstall Observium from Ubuntu Whether you are migrating to a different monitoring solution or simply cleaning up your server, uninstalling Observium requires more than just removing a few files. Because Observium relies on a stack of dependencies—including a web server, a database, and several PHP modules—a proper cleanup ensures no orphan processes or security holes are left behind.
This guide will walk you through the process of stopping the services, removing the application files, and dropping the associated databases. Step 1: Stop the Observium Cron Jobs
Observium relies heavily on cron jobs for polling and discovery. If you don't disable these first, the system will continue trying to run scripts that you are about to delete, leading to a flood of local error logs. Open the cron configuration: sudo nano /etc/cron.d/observium Use code with caution.
If the file exists, delete its contents or simply remove the file entirely: sudo rm /etc/cron.d/observium Use code with caution. Step 2: Remove the Web Server Configuration
You likely have an Apache or Nginx virtual host pointing to your Observium directory. You should disable and remove this to prevent the web server from throwing errors. For Apache: Disable the site: sudo a2dissite observium.conf Use code with caution. Restart Apache: sudo systemctl restart apache2 Use code with caution. Delete the configuration file: sudo rm /etc/apache2/sites-available/observium.conf Use code with caution. For Nginx: Remove the symbolic link: sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/observium Use code with caution. Restart Nginx: sudo systemctl restart nginx Use code with caution. Remove the site config: sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-available/observium Use code with caution. Step 3: Drop the MySQL/MariaDB Database
Observium stores all your historical data and device information in a database. To remove it: Log into your database server: sudo mysql -u root -p Use code with caution. Identify the database name (usually observium) and drop it: DROP DATABASE observium; Use code with caution.
(Optional) Remove the specific database user created for Observium: DROP USER 'observium'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT; Use code with caution. Step 4: Delete the Observium Files
Now that the services are disconnected, you can remove the actual application directory. By default, Observium is installed in /opt/observium. sudo rm -rf /opt/observium Use code with caution.
Warning: This command is permanent. Ensure you have backed up any custom templates or configurations if you plan to use them elsewhere. Step 5: Clean Up Dependencies (Optional)
If Observium was the only application on this server using certain packages (like SNMP tools or specific PHP modules), you might want to remove them to save space.
Note: Be careful with this step if you have other websites or tools running on the same Ubuntu instance. uninstall observium ubuntu
sudo apt-get purge snmp snmpd fping ImageMagick sudo apt-get autoremove Use code with caution. Step 6: Verify Removal
Finally, check that no Observium-related processes are still running: ps aux | grep observium Use code with caution.
If the output is empty (aside from your grep command), the uninstallation is successful. Summary Checklist Cron jobs deleted Apache/Nginx virtual host removed MySQL database and user dropped /opt/observium directory deleted Unused packages purged
Are you planning to replace Observium with another monitoring tool like LibreNMS or Zabbix, or are you decommissioning the server entirely?
To uninstall Observium from Ubuntu, you must manually remove its files, database, and scheduled tasks. Observium does not typically have a standard "uninstaller" script because it is often installed manually via a tarball. 1. Stop Web and SNMP Services
Before deleting files, ensure the web interface and background processes are stopped to avoid locked files. Stop Apache/Nginx: sudo systemctl stop apache2 (or nginx). Stop SNMP Daemon: sudo systemctl stop snmpd. 2. Remove Scheduled Cron Jobs
Observium uses cron jobs for discovery and polling. If these aren't removed, they will continue to try (and fail) to run scripts that no longer exist.
Check for the main cron file: sudo rm /etc/cron.d/observium.
Verify your user crontab for any manual entries: crontab -e. Look for lines referencing /opt/observium and delete them. 3. Delete the Database
Removing the software directory does not delete your historical data stored in the database. Log in to MariaDB/MySQL: mysql -u root -p. Drop the database: DROP DATABASE observium;. How to Completely Uninstall Observium from Ubuntu Whether
Remove the dedicated user (usually named 'observium'): DROP USER 'observium'@'localhost';. Exit: exit. 4. Delete the Installation Directory
By default, Observium is installed in /opt/observium. This directory contains the configuration files, logs, and RRD (graph) data. Ubuntu/Debian Install - Observium
Uninstall Observium on Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide
Observium is a popular network monitoring and management platform that provides a comprehensive overview of network infrastructure. While it is a powerful tool, there may be instances where you need to uninstall it from your Ubuntu system. This could be due to various reasons such as upgrading to a newer version, switching to a different monitoring tool, or simply removing unused software.
In this article, we will walk you through the process of uninstalling Observium on Ubuntu. We will cover the steps for both the Community and Enterprise editions of Observium.
Before You Begin
Before you start the uninstallation process, make sure you have the following:
Method 1: Uninstall Observium using the Package Manager
Observium can be installed using the package manager on Ubuntu. To uninstall it, you can use the same package manager.
Use sudo mysql -u root (if no password set) or your actual MySQL root password. Administrative access : You need to have administrative
First, stop all running Observium-related services:
sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl stop mysql
sudo systemctl stop snmpd
sudo systemctl stop fpm
If you have Observium's poller service running:
sudo systemctl stop observium
RRDtool and SNMP tools are heavy dependencies. If you installed them solely for Observium, you can remove them:
sudo apt purge rrdtool snmp snmpd
But verify that no other monitoring system needs them.
Observium usually requires specific Apache configuration changes or a VirtualHost file. You should remove the specific configuration to prevent Apache from trying to load a non-existent site.
If you created a specific site configuration file (e.g., observium.conf in /etc/apache2/sites-available/):
Disable the site:
sudo a2dissite observium.conf
Delete the configuration file:
sudo rm /etc/apache2/sites-available/observium.conf
Restart Apache to apply the changes:
sudo systemctl restart apache2
The default installation location is /opt/observium. Delete it entirely:
sudo rm -rf /opt/observium
Also remove any symlinks or other copies (e.g., if installed in /var/www/html/observium):
sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/observium # only if applicable
sudo rm -f /etc/cron.d/observium
sudo rm -f /etc/logrotate.d/observium