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Working with Netdata on Windows

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Working with Netdata on Windows

This section introduces Windows-specific workflows for working with a local Netdata installation.

First step: open the bundled MSYS2 environment

If Netdata is installed in the default location, you can launch its bundled MSYS2 environment by running:

text
C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe

Option 1: Run it from the Windows Run dialog

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Enter "C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe".
  3. Press Enter.

Option 2: Run it from PowerShell

Open PowerShell and run:

powershell
& "C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe"

Option 3: Run it from Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt and run:

cmd
"C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe"

What to expect

When msys2.exe starts, it opens a shell environment for working with the Netdata files installed on your Windows system.

Writing Windows paths in Netdata config files

When a Netdata setting is consumed from the MSYS side of the Windows installation, write Windows paths in MSYS format instead of native Windows drive-letter format.

For example:

  • Windows path: C:\Program Files\Netdata
  • MSYS-style path: /c/Program Files/Netdata

Use this pattern:

  • Replace the drive letter C: with /c
  • Replace backslashes \ with forward slashes /
  • Keep spaces as they are

This means:

  • C:\Program Files\Netdata\etc\netdata becomes /c/Program Files/Netdata/etc/netdata/
  • C:\Program Files\Netdata\usr\bin\netdata.exe becomes /c/Program Files/Netdata/usr/bin/netdata.exe

Editing config files with edit-config

Inside the Netdata MSYS environment, use the edit-config helper script from /etc/netdata/edit-config when you want to edit Netdata configuration files.

For example:

bash
cd /etc/netdata
./edit-config netdata.conf

For the complete edit-config workflow and the broader explanation of Netdata config directories, see Netdata Agent Configuration.

When edit-config opens the file on Windows, it uses the nano editor.

Basic nano commands for Windows users

  • Edit text: just type, and use the arrow keys to move around the file.
  • Search: press Ctrl + W, type the text you want to find, then press Enter.
  • Save: press Ctrl + O, press Enter to confirm the filename, then wait for nano to write the file.
  • Exit: press Ctrl + X.
  • Exit after editing: press Ctrl + X. If nano asks whether to save modified content, press Y to save your changes or N to discard them.