--- title: "Install and upgrade the Honeycomb data source plugin | Grafana Enterprise Plugins documentation" description: "Install and upgrade the Honeycomb data source plugin for Grafana." --- > For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt). # Install and upgrade the Honeycomb data source plugin This document covers how to install, upgrade, and verify the Honeycomb data source plugin across different Grafana deployment environments. After the plugin is installed, refer to [Configure the Honeycomb data source](/docs/plugins/grafana-honeycomb-datasource/latest/configure/) to set up a connection. ## Before you begin Verify the following requirements before installing: Expand table | Requirement | Details | |----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **License** | Grafana Cloud Pro or Advanced plan, or a self-managed Grafana Enterprise license that includes `grafana-honeycomb-datasource`. Free and Starter plans don’t include Enterprise plugins. | | **Grafana version** | 11.6.7 or later. | | **Network access** | Grafana Cloud instances require internet access to download the plugin from the catalog. Self-managed installs need access to [https://grafana.com/](/) or a local plugin ZIP. | | **Honeycomb access** | An active Honeycomb Enterprise team and an API key with **Manage Queries and Columns** and **Run Queries** permissions. | ## Install the plugin Choose the installation method that matches your Grafana deployment. ### Grafana Cloud Enterprise plugins must be activated for your organization before they appear as installable in the plugin catalog. 1. Go to [your Grafana Cloud organization settings](/orgs) and sign in with your Grafana Cloud account. 2. Select your organization. 3. Navigate to the **Plugins** tab and verify that the Honeycomb plugin is activated. If it isn’t listed, confirm your Cloud plan includes Enterprise plugins. 4. In your Grafana Cloud instance, navigate to **Administration** > **Plugins and data** > **Plugins**. 5. Search for **Honeycomb** and click **Install**. > Note > > If the **Install** button doesn’t appear, verify that the plugin is activated for your organization in [your Grafana Cloud organization settings](/orgs) and that your Cloud plan is Pro or Advanced. On Grafana Cloud, it can take up to 15 minutes for a newly activated plugin to appear. ### Self-managed Grafana (CLI) Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash grafana cli plugins install grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` Restart Grafana after installation: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash sudo systemctl restart grafana-server ``` ### Docker Set the `GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS` environment variable: YAML ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```yaml environment: - GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS=grafana-honeycomb-datasource - GF_ENTERPRISE_LICENSE_TEXT= ``` ### Kubernetes (Helm chart) Add the plugin to your Helm values: YAML ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```yaml plugins: - grafana-honeycomb-datasource envFromSecret: grafana-license-secret ``` Or use the `GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS` environment variable in your deployment spec: YAML ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```yaml env: - name: GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS value: "grafana-honeycomb-datasource" - name: GF_ENTERPRISE_LICENSE_TEXT valueFrom: secretKeyRef: name: grafana-license key: license.jwt ``` ### Kubernetes (init container) If you don’t control the Helm chart (for example, on a shared platform cluster), use an init container to download the plugin before Grafana starts: YAML ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```yaml initContainers: - name: install-plugins image: curlimages/curl:latest command: - sh - -c - | curl -sL https://grafana.com/api/plugins/grafana-honeycomb-datasource/versions/latest/download \ -o /plugins/grafana-honeycomb-datasource.zip && \ unzip /plugins/grafana-honeycomb-datasource.zip -d /plugins/ volumeMounts: - name: plugins mountPath: /plugins ``` Mount the same volume at `/var/lib/grafana/plugins` in the Grafana container. ### Air-gapped (offline) installation For environments without internet access: 1. Download the plugin ZIP from your [Grafana account portal](/orgs) on a machine with internet access. 2. Transfer the ZIP to the Grafana server. 3. Extract to the plugins directory: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash unzip grafana-honeycomb-datasource-.linux_amd64.zip -d /var/lib/grafana/plugins/ ``` 4. Set ownership: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash chown -R grafana:grafana /var/lib/grafana/plugins/grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` 5. Restart Grafana. The Honeycomb plugin is signed, and official downloads from your [Grafana account portal](/orgs) include a valid signature. If Grafana reports a signature error, don’t disable signature verification. Instead, resolve the underlying cause: - Confirm you downloaded the official ZIP and didn’t modify or repackage its contents. - Extract the complete plugin directory, including the `MANIFEST.txt` signature file, into the plugins directory. - Verify the plugin folder is named `grafana-honeycomb-datasource` to match the plugin ID. - Confirm the ZIP matches your server architecture and the plugin’s supported Grafana version. > Caution > > Don’t add this plugin to `allow_loading_unsigned_plugins`. Loading a signed Enterprise plugin as unsigned bypasses signature verification and isn’t supported. ### Verify the installation After installing, confirm the plugin is loaded: 1. Navigate to **Administration** > **Plugins and data** > **Plugins**. 2. Search for **Honeycomb** and verify the plugin appears with a status of **Installed**. 3. Navigate to **Connections** > **Add new connection** and search for **Honeycomb** to confirm it’s available as a data source. 4. If the plugin doesn’t appear, check the Grafana server logs for errors and refer to [Troubleshoot installation issues](#troubleshoot-installation-issues). ## Upgrade the plugin Upgrade steps depend on your Grafana deployment environment. > Note > > On Grafana Cloud, the Honeycomb plugin is managed by Grafana and updates automatically. On self-managed Grafana, you must update Enterprise plugins manually. In other managed environments, such as Azure Managed Grafana, the plugin version is controlled by the platform provider and can lag behind the latest release. ### Grafana Cloud Plugins are automatically updated on Grafana Cloud. No manual action is required. If you experience issues after an automatic update, contact [Grafana Support](/support/). ### Self-managed Grafana 1. Update the plugin: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash grafana cli plugins update grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` 2. Restart Grafana. 3. Verify each data source connection with **Save & test**. To install a specific version: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash grafana cli plugins install grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` For Docker or Kubernetes, append the version to the plugin name: YAML ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```yaml environment: - GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS=grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` ### Roll back to a previous version If an upgrade causes issues on a self-managed instance, pin a specific plugin version: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash grafana cli plugins install grafana-honeycomb-datasource 2.15.4 ``` Restart Grafana after the rollback. > Note > > Rollback isn’t available on Grafana Cloud. Attempting a downgrade can leave the plugin backend on the newer version even when the frontend reports the older one, which results in a mismatched, unsupported state. Roll forward to a fixed version instead of rolling back. If you experience issues after an automatic update, contact [Grafana Support](/support/). ## Uninstall the plugin To remove the Honeycomb plugin from a self-managed Grafana instance: Bash ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy ```bash grafana cli plugins remove grafana-honeycomb-datasource ``` Restart Grafana after uninstalling. Existing data source configurations are preserved in the Grafana database but become non-functional until the plugin is reinstalled. For Docker or Kubernetes, remove `grafana-honeycomb-datasource` from the `GF_INSTALL_PLUGINS` variable and redeploy. ## Troubleshoot installation issues The following sections address common installation problems. ### Plugin doesn’t appear in the catalog (Grafana Cloud) **Cause:** The Enterprise plugin isn’t activated for your organization. **Solution:** 1. Go to [your Grafana Cloud organization settings](/orgs). 2. Select your organization and navigate to the **Plugins** tab. 3. Verify that the Honeycomb plugin is listed and activated. 4. Confirm your Cloud plan is Pro or Advanced. Free and Starter plans don’t include Enterprise plugins. ### “Plugin not found” or install button missing **Cause:** Your Grafana instance doesn’t have access to the Enterprise plugin repository. **Solution:** - **Grafana Cloud:** Verify plugin activation in [your Grafana Cloud organization settings](/orgs). - **Self-managed:** Verify your Grafana Enterprise license is active. The license must be set via the `GF_ENTERPRISE_LICENSE_TEXT` environment variable or the license path. Refer to [Activate an Enterprise license](/docs/grafana/latest/administration/enterprise-licensing/). ### License key errors (self-managed) **Cause:** The `GF_ENTERPRISE_LICENSE_TEXT` environment variable contains an invalid or malformed license key. **Solution:** 1. Verify the license key doesn’t contain extra whitespace, line breaks, or truncated characters. 2. Confirm the key is for the correct Grafana instance URL. 3. Check that the license hasn’t expired in [your Grafana Cloud organization settings](/orgs). 4. For license activation help, refer to [Activate an Enterprise license](/docs/grafana/latest/administration/enterprise-licensing/). ### Signature error (air-gapped installs) **Cause:** The plugin was installed from a ZIP file and Grafana can’t verify its signature. The Honeycomb plugin is signed, so this usually means the ZIP was modified, repackaged, or extracted without its signature file. **Solution:** 1. Download the ZIP from the official [Grafana account portal](/orgs). Official downloads are signed. Don’t modify or repackage the contents. 2. Extract the complete plugin directory, including the `MANIFEST.txt` signature file, and confirm the folder is named `grafana-honeycomb-datasource`. 3. Confirm the ZIP matches your server architecture and the plugin’s supported Grafana version. 4. Restart Grafana. > Caution > > Don’t work around a signature error by adding this plugin to `allow_loading_unsigned_plugins`. That bypasses signature verification for a signed Enterprise plugin and isn’t supported.