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Customizing environment file path

Overview​

The Connhex Edge Agent uses an environment file to load configuration variables at startup. By default, this file is located at /opt/connhex/configs/agent.env. This guide explains how to customize the path to this environment file.

Service file location​

The Connhex Edge Agent runs as a systemd service. The service configuration file is located at:

/etc/systemd/system/connhex-edge-agent.service

Default environment file path​

The default environment file path is:

/opt/connhex/configs/agent.env

This path is specified in the service file using the EnvironmentFile directive.

Customizing the environment file path​

To change the location of the environment file, follow these steps:

Step 1: edit the service file​

Open the service file with your preferred text editor (requires root privileges):

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/connhex-edge-agent.service

Or using vi:

sudo vi /etc/systemd/system/connhex-edge-agent.service

Step 2: modify the EnvironmentFile path​

Locate the EnvironmentFile line in the [Service] section:

EnvironmentFile=/opt/connhex/configs/agent.env

Change this to your desired path. For example:

EnvironmentFile=/home/myuser/connhex/custom-config.env

Step 3: reload systemd​

After editing the service file, reload the systemd daemon to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Step 4: restart the service​

Restart the Connhex Edge Agent service to use the new environment file path:

sudo systemctl restart connhex-edge-agent.service

Step 5: verify the service​

Check that the service started successfully:

sudo systemctl status connhex-edge-agent.service

Important notes​

  • Ensure the new environment file exists at the specified path before restarting the service
  • The user running the service must have read permissions for the environment file
  • If using a custom path, make sure it's accessible and won't be accidentally deleted

Troubleshooting​

If the service fails to start after changing the environment file path:

  1. Check the service logs:

    sudo journalctl -u connhex-edge-agent.service -n 50

  2. Verify the file exists and has correct permissions:

    ls -la /path/to/your/agent.env

  3. Ensure the systemd configuration was reloaded after editing

  4. Double-check the syntax in the service file