Update Jenkins which is currently running as a Linux service

Question

How do I update jenkins from a existing jenkins install running as a Linux service without loosing any jobs or config?

Answer 1

First, you need to find where your jenkins.war file is installed:

locate jenkins.war

On my Centos machine, it's here: /usr/share/jenkins/jenkins.war

Stop the Jenkins service:

service jenkins stop

Next, you can backup the existing jenkins.war file:

cd /usr/share/jenkins
mv jenkins.war jenkins-1.586.war

And to finish, please copy the new jenkins.war file in the same location:

cp jenkins.war /usr/share/jenkins/jenkins.war

Restart the Jenkins service:

service jenkins start

It should work and you should retrieve your Jenkins configuration (which is stored in your Jenkins home folder).