Demo Managing Plugins

In this hands-on guide, we’ll uninstall and clean up the Copy Artifact plugin in a simple chained-job workflow: ascii-build-job → ascii-test-job → ascii-deploy-job. By the end, you’ll know how to verify artifact handling, remove a plugin, and ensure no orphaned configuration remains.

Table of Contents

1. Job Workflow
2. Step 1: Verify Build Job Generates Artifact
3. Step 2: Configure Test Job to Copy Artifacts
4. Step 3: Trigger Builds and Observe Workflow
5. Step 4: Confirm Plugin Installation
6. Step 5: Locate Plugin on Filesystem
7. Step 6: Uninstall Copy Artifact Plugin
8. Step 7: Re-run Jobs After Uninstallation
9. Step 8: Inspect Job Configuration
10. Conclusion

Job Workflow

Step 1: Verify Build Job Generates Artifact

On the ascii-build-job dashboard, confirm the build archives advice.json successfully.

Step 2: Configure Test Job to Copy Artifacts

In ascii-test-job, add a Build Step → Copy artifacts from another project. Select:

• Project name: ascii-build-job
• Which build: Latest successful build
• Artifacts to copy: advice.json

Step 3: Trigger Builds and Observe Workflow

1. Click Build Now on ascii-build-job.
2. Review console output to ensure advice.json was archived:

$ ls advice.json
advice.json
$ cat advice.json
{"slip":{"advice":"Don't promise what you can't deliver."}}
$ jq -r .slip.advice
Don't promise what you can't deliver.
$ wc -w advice.json
6 advice.json

3. Both ascii-build-job and ascii-test-job should pass:

Step 4: Confirm Plugin Installation

Navigate to Manage Jenkins → Manage Plugins → Installed. Verify Copy Artifact is listed:

$ cd $JENKINS_HOME/plugins
$ ls | grep -i copy
copyartifact.jpi

Step 5: Locate Plugin on Filesystem

From a terminal (or IDE), inspect the plugin file:

$ cd $JENKINS_HOME/plugins
$ ls | grep -i copyartifact
copyartifact.jpi

Step 6: Uninstall Copy Artifact Plugin

1. Go to Manage Plugins → Installed.
2. Click Uninstall next to Copy Artifact.
3. Confirm the dialog to remove the plugin binary.

Step 7: Re-run Jobs After Uninstallation

Trigger ascii-build-job again, then ascii-test-job. You’ll see the copy step succeed (artifact already on disk), but Jenkins still internally uses the missing plugin reference:

[ascii-test-job] $ /bin/sh -xe /tmp/jenkinsXXXX.sh
+ ls advice.json
advice.json
+ cat advice.json
{"slip":{"advice":"Don't try and bump start a motorcycle on an icy road."}}
+ jq -r .slip.advice
Don't try and bump start a motorcycle on an icy road.
+ wc -w advice.json
11 advice.json

Step 8: Inspect Job Configuration

Open ascii-test-job/config.xml and locate the plugin reference:

<project>
  <builders>
    <hudson.plugins.copyartifact.CopyArtifact plugin="[email protected]_dca_a_9b_6549">
      <project>ascii-build-job</project>
      <filter>advice.json</filter>
      <selector class="hudson.plugins.copyartifact.StatusSelector">
        <stable>true</stable>
      </selector>
    </hudson.plugins.copyartifact.CopyArtifact>
    <!-- ... other builders ... -->
  </builders>
</project>

Without the plugin binary, this builder will error after a Jenkins restart. A full restart is required to purge these orphaned entries.

Conclusion

To fully remove a plugin and its configuration:

1. Uninstall the plugin via Manage Plugins.
2. Restart Jenkins to clean up any residual <plugin> elements in job config.xml files.

For more information, see the Jenkins Plugin Management documentation.