Uninstalling a dynamic module

You may need to uninstall a dynamic module in NGINX Plus in several scenarios:

• The module is being replaced with a newer or alternative version. For example, the OpenTracing module has been replaced by the OpenTelemetry module. The Cookie-Flag dynamic module has been superseded by natively supported proxy_cookie_flags directive.

• The module is no longer supported, for example, the NGINX ModSecurity WAF module.

• The operating system is not supported by the module. See the the Dynamic Modules section of the NGINX Plus Technical Specifications.

• The module it is no longer required, uninstalling it helps optimize resource usage and reduce maintenance overhead.

• The module is causing runtime errors or configuration conflicts that affect stability or performance.

• Security or compliance policies require removal, particularly in regulated environments where only approved or certified modules are allowed.

Instructions

To uninstall a dynamic module, run the appropriate command for your operating system in a terminal, replacing <MODULE-NAME> with the actual package name, for example, nginx-plus-module-cookie-flag.

• For Amazon Linux 2, CentOS, Oracle Linux, and RHEL:

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  sudo yum remove <MODULE-NAME>

• For Amazon Linux 2023, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux:

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  sudo dnf remove <MODULE-NAME>

• For Debian and Ubuntu:

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  sudo apt remove <MODULE-NAME>

• For SLES:

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  sudo zypper remove <MODULE-NAME>

• For FreeBSD:

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  sudo pkg delete <MODULE-NAME>

Configuration

After uninstalling the package, you will need to disable the module in the NGINX configuration file.

1. In a text editor, open the NGINX Plus configuration file:

   • /etc/nginx/nginx.conf for Linux
   • /usr/local/etc/nginx/nginx.conf for FreeBSD

2. Disable dynamic loading of the module by removing the corresponding load_module directive.

3. Remove all directives related to the dynamic module.

4. Save the configuration.

5. Test the NGINX Plus configuration. In a terminal, type-in the command:

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   nginx -t

   Expected output of the command:

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   nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
   nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf is successful

6. Reload the NGINX Plus configuration:

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   nginx -s reload

More info

• NGINX modules reference

• NGINX dynamic modules

• NGINX Plus technical specifications