How to Change Jenkins Home Directory?

Introduction

Jenkins is a popular automation server that helps automate tasks in the software development process. The Jenkins Home Directory, also known as JENKINS_HOME, is the location where all of the configuration files, plugins, and other essential files are stored.

This directory plays a significant role in maintaining the stability and performance of the Jenkins environment. But there may be situations where you need to change the Jenkins Home Directory location.

Preparing to Change Jenkins Home Directory

Understanding the Current Jenkins Home Directory Location

Before changing the Jenkins Home Directory, it is important to understand where it is currently located. This can be found in the Jenkins configuration file.

To locate this file, navigate to your current home directory and look for a folder named ".jenkins". The configuration file can be found within this folder and is named "config.xml".

Open the file with a text editor and search for the line that reads " ". The path after this line shows you where your current Jenkins Home Directory is located.

Creating a New Directory for the New Jenkins Home Directory Location

Once you have determined where your current Jenkins Home Directory is located, it's time to create a new directory for the new location. This directory should be created in a location that has enough storage space available to hold all of your data.

It's recommended to create this directory outside of any user-specific directories, such as /home/username/ or /Users/username/, as these may cause issues with permissions later on. To create a new directory, open up your terminal or command prompt and navigate to where you want to create it.

Then use the mkdir command followed by the desired name of your new directory. For example, if you wanted to name your new directory "jenkins_home_v2", you would use the following command −

mkdir jenkins_home_v2  

Now that you have created a new directory, it's time to move all of your data from your current Jenkins Home Directory into this new location.

Changing the Jenkins Home Directory Location

Stopping the Jenkins Service

The first step in changing the Jenkins Home Directory location is to stop the Jenkins service. This is important because you cannot move files while they are being used by a running application. To stop the service, navigate to your terminal or command prompt and enter: "sudo systemctl stop jenkins.service" for Linux systems or "net stop jenkins" for Windows systems.

sudo systemctl stop jenkins.service

Moving the Contents of the Current Jenkins Home Directory to the new Directory

After stopping the Jenkins service, you can now move all of its contents to a new directory. This includes jobs, builds, plugins, and other configuration files.

The easiest way to do this is by using a file manager such as "FileZilla" or "WinSCP" for Windows systems or using "rsync" command on Linux systems. Make sure that all files have been moved completely before proceeding to next step.

Updating the Configuration File With new Location Information

The final step in changing your Jenkins Home Directory location is updating its configuration file with new location information. The configuration file can be found at /etc/default/jenkins on Linux systems and C:\Program Files (x86)\Jenkins\jenkins.xml on Windows systems.

$ sudo vim /etc/default/jenkins

Open it using a text editor such as Notepad++ or Vim and locate JENKINS_HOME variable which points to old home directory. Replace it with absolute path of your new home directory like "/var/lib/jenkins/new_home_directory".

JENKINS_HOME /var/lib/jenkins/new_home_directory

Save and close configuration. By following these steps carefully, you can successfully change your Jenkins Home Directory Location in no time!

Verifying and Restarting Jenkins Service

After changing the Jenkins Home Directory location, it is essential to verify that all files have been moved successfully to the new directory. The first step in doing so is to stop the Jenkins service.

This can be done by navigating to the command line interface and entering the command "sudo systemctl stop jenkins." Once the service has been stopped, navigate to the new Jenkins Home Directory location and verify that all files have been moved successfully. This can be done by checking for specific files such as config.xml or jobs directories.

sudo systemctl stop jenkins

Checking That All Files Have Been Moved Successfully To New Directory

One of the most critical steps in changing Jenkins Home Directory is ensuring that all files have been moved successfully to the new directory. It's important to double-check that any custom plugins or configurations are in their correct locations within the new directory. Additionally, make sure that any jobs or projects previously created under the old directory are now accessible under their new file paths.

Starting Up The Jenkins Service With Updated Configuration File

Once you've verified that all files have been moved correctly, it's time to start up your Jenkins service with an updated configuration file referencing its new Home Directory location. Navigate back to your command line interface window and enter "sudo systemctl start jenkins" when ready to kick off this final step. Your updated configuration file should ensure no issues arise during startup, but if you do encounter issues at this point, it may be necessary to check logs and/or configuration settings again for errors in path references and other potential complications.

With these final steps completed successfully, congratulations! Your newly changed Jenkins Home Directory should now be fully functional with access restored for all sustainable components of your product pipeline or workflow system!

Troubleshooting Common Issues After Changing Jenkins Home Directory Location

Unsuccessful Startup of Jenkins Service

One common issue that users experience after moving their Jenkins Home Directory is the unsuccessful startup of the Jenkins service. This issue may be caused by incorrect configuration or permission settings.

To fix this issue, first, check that all file permissions have been set correctly in the new directory location. Ensure that all files and directories are owned by the user running the Jenkins service.

Additionally, validate that the path to Java in your new home directory is correct. If all settings are correct, try restarting your computer and starting up the Jenkins service again.

Jobs Not Showing Up or Running

Another typical problem users face after relocating their Jenkins Home Directory is jobs not showing up or running correctly on the dashboard. This may be due to issues with file permissions as well as configuration errors. Ensure that each job's configuration points to its correct workspace location within the new home directory; you can do this by checking each job's configuration page under "Advanced Project Options." If job workspaces have not been updated to reflect their new location, they may fail to run properly or show up on your dashboard.

Invalid Plugin Installation

When plugins are not installed correctly in a newly relocated home directory location, users may get an invalid plugin installation error message on their dashboard while trying to install new plugins or update already-installed ones. One way to resolve this issue is by deleting all existing plugin files and folders from your old directory before moving them into a newly created folder within your new home directory: /new/home/directory/plugins/. Once you move all plugins into this folder, restart Jenkins to allow it to detect and install all valid plugins again from scratch.

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered the importance of changing the Jenkins Home Directory. As your organization grows and your requirements change, you may need to change the location of your Jenkins Home Directory.

You may also want to move your Jenkins installation to another server or upgrade it to a new version. Whatever the reason, it's essential to have a plan in place to ensure that the process goes smoothly.