Installing a Plugin

Warning

The instructions below detail the general process for installing and configuring a NetBox plugin. However, each plugin is different and may require additional tasks or modifications to the steps below. Always consult the documentation for a specific plugin before attempting to install it.

Install the Python Package

Download and install the plugin's Python package per its installation instructions. Plugins published via PyPI are typically installed using the pip command line utility. Be sure to install the plugin within NetBox's virtual environment.

$ source /opt/netbox/venv/bin/activate
(venv) $ pip install <package>

Alternatively, you may wish to install the plugin manually by running python setup.py install. If you are developing a plugin and want to install it only temporarily, run python setup.py develop instead.

Enable the Plugin

In configuration.py, add the plugin's name to the PLUGINS list:

PLUGINS = [
    # ...
    'plugin_name',
]

Configure the Plugin

If the plugin requires any configuration, define it in configuration.py under the PLUGINS_CONFIG parameter. The available configuration parameters should be detailed in the plugin's README file or other documentation.

PLUGINS_CONFIG = {
    'plugin_name': {
        'foo': 'bar',
        'buzz': 'bazz'
    }
}

Run Database Migrations

If the plugin introduces new database models, run the provided schema migrations:

(venv) $ cd /opt/netbox/netbox/
(venv) $ python3 manage.py migrate

Tip

It's okay to run the migrate management command even if the plugin does not include any migration files.

Collect Static Files

Plugins may package static resources like images or scripts to be served directly by the HTTP front end. Ensure that these are copied to the static root directory with the collectstatic management command:

(venv) $ cd /opt/netbox/netbox/
(venv) $ python3 manage.py collectstatic

Restart WSGI Service

Finally, restart the WSGI service and RQ workers to load the new plugin:

# sudo systemctl restart netbox netbox-rq