KubeMQ
DeployInstall

Install with kmq

Keep the KubeMQ server you started with kmq: add a trial or license key, check the license, manage the server and keep kmq up to date.

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

Before you start

Steps

Add your license

--accept-terms records that you accept the trial terms and the privacy notice; an AI agent must ask you first.

kmq trial request --email YOUR_EMAIL --name "YOUR_NAME" --company "YOUR_COMPANY" --platform docker --accept-terms

Replace: YOUR_EMAIL, YOUR_NAME, YOUR_COMPANY — your work email, full name and company.

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

Type the emailed code yourself, never in chat.

kmq trial verify --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID

Replace: YOUR_REQUEST_ID — the request_id printed above.

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING
kmq trial claim --request YOUR_REQUEST_ID

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

credential is YOUR_LICENSE_REF.

Create a private folder, readable only by you, and work inside it:

mkdir -p -m 700 kubemq-private
cd kubemq-private

Save the license key as license.key in this folder. The file holds only the key, on one line, with no quotes and no KUBEMQ_LICENSE_KEY= prefix. Then make it readable by you alone:

chmod 600 license.key

This file is a secret. Do not commit it, paste it into chat, or attach it to a support ticket.

On Windows, in PowerShell:

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"

Save license.key before the last command. Use a non-administrator window.

In any shell:

kmq license import --file license.key

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

reference is YOUR_LICENSE_REF.

Apply it to your server

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

Replace: YOUR_LICENSE_REF — the reference from step 1.

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

Data stays; the old container is kept, stopped, as kubemq-retained-….

Check the license

Check that STATE is active, PLAN is trial or your plan, and EXPIRES is the date you expect.

kmq license

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

Other states: How licensing works.

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 kubemq

You should see:

Output
HARNESS_OUTPUT_PENDING

Update or remove kmq

kmq update

You should see:

Output
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:

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

Upgrade KubeMQ

Move this server to the latest release and keep its data and license.

Install on Kubernetes

Run a three-server cluster for production.

Client SDKs

Connect your application to KubeMQ.

kmq CLI

Every kmq command, its flags and exit codes.

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Requirements and supported setups

Supported KubeMQ setups, Kubernetes and platform requirements, sizing, network access, artifact names and the latest-release version policy.

Install with Docker

Keep the KubeMQ server you started with Docker: add a license key with docker run, Compose or Podman, check the license and remove it safely.

On this page

Before you startStepsAdd your licenseApply it to your serverCheck the licenseReplace the license laterManage your serverUpdate or remove kmqUse kmq from an AI coding agentIf something goes wrongNext steps