Completely Uninstalling NGINX from Ubuntu

Learn how to completely uninstall NGINX from Ubuntu, including removing configuration files and dependencies. …

Learn how to completely uninstall NGINX from Ubuntu, including removing configuration files and dependencies.

NGINX is a popular web server that can be installed on various Linux distributions, including Ubuntu. However, there may come a time when you need to completely remove NGINX from your system. This could be due to a variety of reasons such as switching to a different web server or troubleshooting issues.

In this article, we will walk you through the process of completely uninstalling NGINX from Ubuntu. We will cover the importance of removing configuration files and dependencies, as well as provide a step-by-step guide on how to do it safely.

Why Completely Uninstall NGINX?

Before we dive into the process of uninstalling NGINX, let’s first discuss why completely removing it is important. When you install NGINX, several files and directories are created on your system, including configuration files, log files, and dependencies. If you simply stop the NGINX service or remove the package without deleting these files, they can still occupy disk space and potentially cause issues with future installations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Uninstalling NGINX

Step 1: Stop the NGINX Service

Before uninstalling NGINX, it’s essential to stop the service to prevent any data loss or corruption. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo service nginx stop

Alternatively, you can use the systemctl command if your Ubuntu version supports it:

sudo systemctl stop nginx

Step 2: Remove the NGINX Package

To remove the NGINX package, run the following command:

sudo apt-get purge nginx

This will remove the NGINX package and its dependencies.

Step 3: Remove Configuration Files

NGINX configuration files are stored in the /etc/nginx directory. To completely uninstall NGINX, you need to delete these files. Run the following command:

sudo rm -rf /etc/nginx

This will remove all NGINX configuration files.

Step 4: Remove Log Files

NGINX log files are stored in the /var/log/nginx directory. To completely uninstall NGINX, you need to delete these files. Run the following command:

sudo rm -rf /var/log/nginx

This will remove all NGINX log files.

Step 5: Remove Dependencies

NGINX depends on several packages, including nginx-common, nginx-core, and others. To completely uninstall NGINX, you need to remove these dependencies. Run the following command:

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge nginx

This will remove all NGINX dependencies.

Step 6: Verify Uninstallation

To verify that NGINX has been completely uninstalled, run the following commands:

nginx -v

This should return an error message indicating that NGINX is not installed.

Conclusion

Completely uninstalling NGINX from Ubuntu involves several steps, including stopping the service, removing the package and its dependencies, deleting configuration files and log files, and verifying the uninstallation. By following these steps, you can ensure that NGINX is completely removed from your system, freeing up disk space and preventing any potential issues with future installations.

Summary

• Stop the NGINX service using sudo service nginx stop or sudo systemctl stop nginx.
• Remove the NGINX package using sudo apt-get purge nginx.
• Delete configuration files using sudo rm -rf /etc/nginx.
• Delete log files using sudo rm -rf /var/log/nginx.
• Remove dependencies using sudo apt-get autoremove --purge nginx.
• Verify uninstallation by running nginx -v.

By following these steps, you can completely uninstall NGINX from Ubuntu and free up disk space.