---
title: "'Netdata management and configuration cheatsheet'"
description: "'Connecting an Agent to the Cloud allows a Netdata Agent, running on a distributed node, to securely connect to Netdata Cloud via the encrypted Agent-Cloud link (ACLK).'"
image: "/cheatsheet/cheatsheet-meta.png"
sidebar_label: "Cheatsheet"
custom_edit_url: "https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/cloud/cheatsheet.mdx"
part_of_learn: "True"
learn_status: "Published"
learn_topic_type: "Getting started"
learn_rel_path: "Getting started"
---
import {
OneLineInstallWget,
OneLineInstallCurl,
} from '@site/src/components/OneLineInstall/';
Use our management & configuration cheatsheet to simplify your interactions with Netdata, including configuration,
using charts, managing the daemon, and more.
## Install Netdata
#### Install Netdata
Or, if you have cURL but not wget (such as on macOS):
#### Claim a node to Netdata Cloud
To do so, sign in to Netdata Cloud, click the `Claim Nodes` button, choose the `War Rooms` to add nodes to, then click `Copy` to copy the full script to your clipboard. Paste that into your node’s terminal and run it.
## Metrics collection & retention
You can tweak your settings in the netdata.conf file.
📄 [Find your netdata.conf file](https://learn.netdata.cloud/guides/step-by-step/step-04#find-your-netdataconf-file)
Open a new terminal and navigate to the netdata.conf file. Use the edit-config script to make changes: `sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf`
The most popular settings to change are:
#### Increase metrics retention (4GiB)
```
sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf
```
```
[global]
dbengine multihost disk space = 4096
```
#### Reduce the collection frequency (every 5 seconds)
```
sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf
```
```
[global]
update every = 5
```
#### Enable/disable plugins (groups of collectors)
```
sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf
```
```
[plugins]
go.d = yes # enabled
node.d = no # disabled
```
#### Enable/disable specific collectors
```
sudo ./edit-config go.d.conf
```
> `Or python.d.conf, node.d.conf, edbpf.conf, and so on`.
```
modules:
activemq: no # disabled
bind: no # disabled
cockroachdb: yes # enabled
```
#### Edit a collector's config (example)
```
$ sudo ./edit-config go.d/mysql.conf
$ sudo ./edit-config ebpf.conf
$ sudo ./edit-config python.d/anomalies.conf
```
## Configuration
#### The Netdata config directory: `/etc/netdata`
> If you don't have such a directory:
> 📄 [Find your netdata.conf file](https://learn.netdata.cloud/guides/step-by-step/step-04#find-your-netdataconf-file)
> The cheatsheet assumes you’re running all commands from within the Netdata config directory!
#### Edit Netdata's main config file: `$ sudo ./edit-config netdata.conf`
#### Edit Netdata's other config files (examples):
- `$ sudo ./edit-config apps_groups.conf`
- `$ sudo ./edit-config ebpf.conf`
- `$ sudo ./edit-config health.d/load.conf`
- `$ sudo ./edit-config go.d/prometheus.conf`
#### View the running Netdata configuration: `http://NODE:19999/netdata.conf`
> Replace `NODE` with the IP address or hostname of your node. Often `localhost`.
## Alarms & notifications
#### Add a new alarm
```
sudo touch health.d/example-alarm.conf
sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alarm.conf
```
#### Configure a specific alarm
```
sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alarm.conf
```
#### Silence a specific alarm
```
sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alarm.conf
to: silent
```
#### Disable alarms and notifications
```
[health]
enabled = no
```
> After any change, reload the Netdata health configuration
```
netdatacli reload-health
```
or if that command doesn't work on your installation, use:
```
killall -USR2 netdata
```
## Manage the daemon
| Intent | Action |
| :-------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------: |
| Start Netdata | `$ sudo systemctl start netdata` |
| Stop Netdata | `$ sudo systemctl stop netdata` |
| Restart Netdata | `$ sudo systemctl restart netdata` |
| Reload health configuration | `$ sudo netdatacli reload-health`
`$ killall -USR2 netdata` |
| View error logs | `less /var/log/netdata/error.log` |
## See metrics and dashboards
#### Netdata Cloud: `https://app.netdata.cloud`
#### Local dashboard: `https://NODE:19999`
> Replace `NODE` with the IP address or hostname of your node. Often `localhost`.
#### Access the Netdata API: `http://NODE:19999/api/v1/info`
## Interact with charts
| Intent | Action |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------: |
| Stop a chart from updating | `click` |
| Zoom | **Cloud**
use the `zoom in` and `zoom out` buttons on any chart (upper right corner)
**Agent**
`SHIFT` or `ALT` + `mouse scrollwheel`
`SHIFT` or `ALT` + `two-finger pinch` (touchscreen)
`SHIFT` or `ALT` + `two-finger scroll` (touchscreen) |
| Zoom to a specific timeframe | **Cloud**
use the `select and zoom` button on any chart and then do a `mouse selection`
**Agent**
`SHIFT` + `mouse selection` |
| Pan forward or back in time | `click` & `drag`
`touch` & `drag` (touchpad/touchscreen) |
| Select a certain timeframe | `ALT` + `mouse selection`
WIP need to evaluate this `command?` + `mouse selection` (macOS) |
| Reset to default auto refreshing state | `double click` |
## Dashboards
#### Disable the local dashboard
Use the `edit-config` script to edit the `netdata.conf` file.
```
[web]
mode = none
```
#### Change the port Netdata listens to (port 39999)
```
[web]
default port = 39999
```
#### Opt out from anonymous statistics
```
sudo touch .opt-out-from-anonymous-statistics
```
## Understanding the dashboard
**Charts**: A visualization displaying one or more collected/calculated metrics in a time series. Charts are generated
by collectors.
**Dimensions**: Any value shown on a chart, which can be raw or calculated values, such as percentages, averages,
minimums, maximums, and more.
**Families**: One instance of a monitored hardware or software resource that needs to be monitored and displayed
separately from similar instances. Example, disks named
**sda**, **sdb**, **sdc**, and so on.
**Contexts**: A grouping of charts based on the types of metrics collected and visualized.
**disk.io**, **disk.ops**, and **disk.backlog** are all contexts.