Articles on: ggRock

Advanced: Remove current owner / license from a ggRock server

Use this procedure when you need to dissociate a ggRock server from its current center — for example when the server is being sold or transferred so the buyer can register it to a different center. Read the whole article first, then perform the steps. 🔧



Summary


This removes the employee/license settings and non-ADMIN users from the ggRock database so the server no longer has an active license or employee accounts. After the steps are complete the Web UI will show an unlicensed server and you must enter new employee credentials / license information in the Web UI to allow new PCs to boot.



Prerequisites & safety notes ⚠️


  • Perform this while you have physical/SSH access to the server (console or root SSH).
  • Prefer performing changes in a maintenance window or while no clients are using the system.
  • If you’re unsure about licensing transfer rules, contact ggCircuit / ggRock support before deleting license data — deleting these rows will remove the current license association.
  • You will need root (or an admin user) on the Debian server and psql access to the ggrock database.
  • Recommended: stop ggRock while editing the DB to avoid race conditions (commands shown below).



Step-by-step procedure


  1. Open a console/SSH session to the server (direct console, SSH, or Debian Control Panel).

Log in as root or another admin-capable account.

  1. (Recommended) Stop ggRock to avoid concurrent access:


systemctl stop ggrock


  1. Connect to the ggRock PostgreSQL database:


psql ggrock
If psql ggrock fails because of authentication, you may need to run it as the postgres user:


sudo -u postgres psql ggrock


  1. Verify what will be removed (preview) — always preview before deleting:


-- Check license & configuration rows
SELECT \* FROM tb\_setting WHERE setting\_id IN ('GgLeapConfiguration', 'License');
-- See all non-ADMIN users that will be deleted
SELECT user\_id, username, email FROM tb\_user WHERE user\_id <> 'ADMIN';


  1. Delete license & employee settings:


DELETE FROM tb\_setting WHERE setting\_id IN ('GgLeapConfiguration', 'License');


  1. Delete all employees except ADMIN:


DELETE FROM tb\_user WHERE user\_id <> 'ADMIN';


  1. Exit psql:


\q


  1. Restart ggRock:


systemctl start ggrock
# Optional: check status
systemctl status ggrock --no-pager



What to expect after this


  • The ggRock Web UI will no longer show a valid license / owner.
  • New PCs will not boot until the Web UI is refreshed and new employee credentials / license details are entered at the login/registration screen.
  • Existing client images remain on disk, but certain center-specific settings will be gone.



Verification


After restart, verify the delete took effect:


Open ggRock Web UI and confirm it requests license/employee setup (login screen). Try to add a new employee account and confirm clients can be registered/boot once new license/credentials are applied.



Troubleshooting


  • psql: could not connect — ensure PostgreSQL is running and you have proper permissions. Try sudo -u postgres psql ggrock.
  • Service won’t start after restart — check logs: journalctl -u ggrock -b --no-pager | tail -n 200 and journalctl -u postgresql -b --no-pager (if applicable).
  • Clients still won’t boot after adding new credentials — clear browser cache and login with new employee account, then in Web UI reassign images / confirm license status.


Updated on: 10/12/2025

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