Install with kmq

This page adds a license to the server you started in Try KubeMQ. When you finish, kmq license reports that license adoption is accepted and durable and your data is unchanged. Time: about 10 minutes.

Before you start

• A server from the kmq tab of Try KubeMQ.
• A trial key or a license key: see Plans compared.

Steps

{ "email": "YOUR_EMAIL", "name": "YOUR_NAME", "company": "YOUR_COMPANY", "platform": "docker", "consent": true }

kmq trial request --input trial-request.json

HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

kmq trial verify --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID

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kmq trial claim --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID

HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

mkdir -p -m 700 kubemq-private

cd kubemq-private

chmod 600 license.key

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force kubemq-private

Set-Location kubemq-private

icacls . /inheritance:r /grant:r "${env:USERNAME}:(OI)(CI)F"

icacls license.key /inheritance:r /grant:r "${env:USERNAME}:F"

kmq license import --file license.key

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kmq deploy update --installation YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID --credential YOUR_LICENSE_REF --deadline 10m

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kmq license

{
  "server_version": "...",
  "adoption": {
    "configured_input_sha256": "...",
    "accepted_input_sha256": "...",
    "state": "accepted",
    "durable": true
  },
  "plan": "trial",
  "mode": "online",
  "source": "key",
  "license_expires_at": "...",
  "lease_expires_at": "...",
  "run_until": "...",
  "over_cap": false,
  "stop_cause": null
}

Replace the license later

Repeat steps 1 to 3 without the folder commands. If it does not show, rerun step 2 with the previous reference; see Troubleshooting. Never start a second installation to extend a license.

Manage your server

To remove the server and keep kubemq-data:

kmq deploy remove --installation YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID

Replace: YOUR_INSTALLATION_ID — the installation_id value that kmq onboard or kmq deploy apply printed.

You should see:

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Update or remove kmq

kmq update

You should see:

HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

Upgrade KubeMQ then updates your server.

To remove kmq, delete kmq from /usr/local/bin, ~/.local/bin or ~/bin (Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\kmq).

Use kmq from an AI coding agent

kmq skills install

It adds the kmq skill to .claude/skills/kmq and AGENTS.md here; --global installs it for your user (kmq CLI). A starting prompt:

Use kmq to install KubeMQ on this machine. Run `kmq schema -o json` first. Ask me before creating anything. I will type passwords and email codes myself; never ask me to paste them.

If something goes wrong

• Try KubeMQ found no evaluation left. Get a reference in step 1 and run kmq onboard --goal trial --name kubemq --credential YOUR_LICENSE_REF --pull --continue-volume --deadline 10m (first docker rm kubemq if needed); --goal trial runs a Docker server on any saved license, trial or paid. Replace: YOUR_LICENSE_REF — as in step 2. Then do Try KubeMQ steps 3 and 4 (kmq auth login if an administrator exists) and step 3 here.
• No email code, or a lost trial key. Run kmq trial resend-verification --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID or kmq trial resume --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID, or kmq license recover --email YOUR_EMAIL for a lost key, then verify and claim. Replace: YOUR_REQUEST_ID, YOUR_EMAIL — as in step 1.
• credential_storage_unavailable. On Linux with no keyring, add --credential-backend file to every kmq trial, kmq license, kmq deploy, kmq auth and kmq onboard command, and check chmod 600 license.key.
• docker volume rm kubemq-data says the volume is in use. Remove the kubemq-retained-… containers with docker rm.

Next steps