Back up anything you intend to keep before uninstalling. Stop SoAI first, and do not use a generic recursive-delete command against an uncertain path. The supported uninstallers verify that their target looks like a SoAI installation and avoid deleting unrelated files.
Remove an installed deployment
Run the uninstaller from the installation it should remove. For the default target:
cd /opt/soai
./soai.sh stop
./uninstall_soai_linux.sh --dry-run
./uninstall_soai_linux.sh
--dry-run prints the exact plan without changing anything. The final command asks for confirmation and
elevates with sudo only when ownership or the matching systemd unit requires it. Use --yes
for an intentional unattended removal.
By default, the script removes SoAI-managed application files, the managed runtime, the installation's data
directory, transaction remnants, and the soai.service unit only when that unit points to this
installation. Use --keep-data to retain the installation's data directory, which contains
models, database, chats, logs, and configuration. Data paths configured outside the installation and shared system
packages are kept in either case.
The script refuses to operate on a running instance, a Git working tree, a broad system directory, or a directory it cannot identify as SoAI. Resolve that condition instead of bypassing the check.
Windows installer deployment
Close SoAI, then use Uninstall SoAI from the SoAI Start Menu folder or uninstall SoAI from the
Windows installed-apps settings. The installer registers Uninstall.exe for this purpose. The
uninstaller stops SoAI, removes its background service, shortcuts, registry entries, application files, and
managed runtime, and retains the installation's data directory by default. Select Remove all
SoAI application data only when you also intend to delete accounts, configuration, chats, models, files,
logs, and backups; this also removes each Windows user's SoAI window settings and sign-in data for this
installation. For an intentional unattended full removal, run Uninstall.exe /S /REMOVEAPPDATA.
Uninstall waits up to 60 seconds for SoAI and its desktop window to close. If either is still running, uninstall stops without removing application files and shows where diagnostic logs were saved. Close SoAI, then run the uninstaller again. It leaves the operating system's long-path setting enabled because other applications may use it.
Windows complete-archive deployment
Stop the selected archive installation, then run its target-scoped uninstaller from outside the installation directory:
powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\path\to\SoAI\installer-support\Remove-SoAI.ps1 -InstallRoot C:\path\to\SoAI -Mode ArchiveUninstall
This removes that archive deployment and its background service without changing installer-created shortcuts or
registry integration belonging to another SoAI installation. It retains the selected target's data directory by default. Add
-RemoveApplicationData only when you intend to remove all application data as well.
macOS (experimental) installation removal
SoAI Core has no native macOS uninstaller. If you enabled automatic startup during installation, unload the exact launchd service and remove its registration first:
sudo launchctl bootout system/com.getsoai.soai
sudo rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.getsoai.soai.plist
Stop any remaining instance with sudo /Applications/SoAI/soai.command stop, then remove
/Applications/SoAI in macOS Finder. The operating system may
request administrator credentials. This also removes the default data directory inside the application folder. A
custom data directory outside /Applications/SoAI remains in place and must be removed separately if
you no longer need it.
Remove other installations and confirm cleanup
A portable folder has no system-wide installation record. Stop the instance with its own launcher, confirm its status is stopped, preserve any required data, then remove only that identified folder through the operating system's normal file manager.
Confirm removal
- The former launcher no longer reports a running instance.
- The previous WebUI address no longer serves SoAI unless another instance owns it.
- On Linux,
soai.serviceis absent only when it belonged to the removed installation. - On macOS,
system/com.getsoai.soaiand its plist are absent if the installation used automatic startup. - Any retained or external data directories still have the ownership and access policy you expect.