weewx/docs_src/quickstarts/debian.md

Installation on Debian systems

This is a guide to installing WeeWX from a DEB package on systems based on Debian, including Ubuntu, Mint, and Raspberry Pi OS.

WeeWX V5 requires Python 3.7 or greater, which is only available as a Debian package, with required modules, on Debian 10 or later. For older systems, install Python 3.7 then install WeeWX using pip.

Configure apt

The first time you install WeeWX, you must configure apt so that it will trust weewx.com, and know where to find the WeeWX releases.

1. Tell your system to trust weewx.com.

   sudo apt install -y wget gnupg
   wget -qO - https://weewx.com/keys.html | \
       sudo gpg --dearmor --output /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/weewx.gpg
   

2. Tell apt where to find the WeeWX repository.

   echo "deb [arch=all] https://weewx.com/apt/python3 buster main" | \
       sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/weewx.list
   

Install

Use apt to install WeeWX. The installer will prompt for a location, latitude/longitude, altitude, station type, and parameters specific to your station hardware. When you are done, WeeWX will be running in the background.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install weewx

Verify

After about 5 minutes (the exact length of time depends on your archive interval), copy the following and paste into a web browser. You should see your station information and data.

/var/www/html/weewx/index.html

If things are not working as you think they should, check the status:

sudo systemctl status weewx

and check the log file:

tail -50 /var/log/weewx/weewxd.log

See the Troubleshooting section of the User's guide for more help.

Configure

If you chose the simulator as your station type, then at some point you will probably want to switch to using real hardware. This is how to reconfigure.

# Stop the daemon
sudo systemctl stop weewx
# Reconfigure to use your hardware
sudo weectl station reconfigure
# Delete the old database
sudo rm /var/lib/weewx/weewx.sdb
# Start the daemon
sudo systemctl start weewx

Customize

To enable uploads or to customize reports, modify the configuration file. See the Customization Guide for instructions, and the application and skin references for all the options. Use any text editor, such as nano:

sudo nano /etc/weewx/weewx.conf

To install new skins, drivers, or other extensions, use the weectl utility and the URL to the extension.

sudo weectl extension install https://github.com/path/to/extension.zip

WeeWX must be restarted for the changes to take effect.

sudo systemctl restart weewx

Upgrade

The upgrade process will only upgrade the WeeWX software; it does not modify the database, configuration file, extensions, or skins.

Upgrade to the latest version like this:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install weewx

Unmodified files will be upgraded. If modifications have been made to any files, you will be prompted whether you want to keep the existing, modified files, or accept the new files. Either way, a copy of the option you did not choose will be saved.

For example, if /etc/weewx/weewx.conf was modified, you will see a message something like this:

Configuration file `/etc/weewx/weewx.conf'
  ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
  ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
  What would you like to do about it ?  Your options are:
            Y or I  : install the package maintainer's version
            N or O  : keep your currently-installed version
              D     : show the differences between the versions
              Z     : start a shell to examine the situation
         The default action is to keep your current version.
*** weewx.conf (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?

Choosing Y or I (install the new version) will place the old configuration in /etc/weewx/weewx.conf.dpkg-old, where it can be compared with the new version in /etc/weewx/weewx.conf.

Choosing N or O (keep the current version) will place the new configuration in /etc/weewx/weewx.conf.X.Y.Z, where X.Y.Z is the new version number. It can then be compared with your old version which will be in /etc/weewx/weewx.conf.

!!! Note In most cases you should choose N (the default).

Uninstall

To uninstall WeeWX, but retain configuration files and data:

sudo apt remove weewx

To uninstall WeeWX, deleting configuration files but retaining data:

sudo apt purge weewx

When you use apt to uninstall WeeWX, it does not touch WeeWX data, logs, or any changes you might have made to the WeeWX configuration. It also leaves the weewx user, since data and configuration files were owned by that user. To remove the remaining WeeWX bits:

sudo apt remove weewx
sudo rm -r /var/www/html/weewx
sudo rm -r /var/lib/weewx
sudo rm -r /var/log/weewx
sudo rm -r /etc/weewx
sudo userdel weewx