elastic · ruflin · Nov 28, 2017 · Nov 21, 2017
diff --git a/auditbeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc b/auditbeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc
@@ -216,7 +216,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [id="{beatname_lc}-starting"]
 === Step 5: Start {beatname_uc}
 
-Run {beatname_uc} by issuing the appropriate command for your platform.
+Run {beatname_uc} by issuing the appropriate command for your platform. If you
+are accessing a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured
+credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 NOTE: If you use an init.d script to start {beatname_uc} on deb or rpm, you can't
 specify command line flags (see <<command-line-options>>). To specify flags,
@@ -261,12 +263,6 @@ PS C:{backslash}Program Files{backslash}{beatname_uc}> Start-Service {beatname_l
 
 By default the log files are stored in +C:{backslash}ProgramData{backslash}{beatname_lc}{backslash}Logs+.
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 ==== Test the {beatname_uc} installation
 
 To verify that your server's statistics are present in Elasticsearch, issue

diff --git a/filebeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc b/filebeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc
@@ -227,7 +227,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [[filebeat-starting]]
 === Step 6: Start Filebeat
 
-Start Filebeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform.
+Start Filebeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform. If you
+are accessing a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured
+credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 NOTE: If you use an init.d script to start Filebeat on deb or rpm, you can't
 specify command line flags (see <<command-line-options>>). To specify flags,
@@ -279,12 +281,6 @@ By default, Windows log files are stored in `C:\ProgramData\filebeat\Logs`.
 
 Filebeat is now ready to send log files to your defined output.
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 [[view-kibana-dashboards]]
 === Step 7: View the sample Kibana dashboards
 

diff --git a/filebeat/docs/modules-getting-started.asciidoc b/filebeat/docs/modules-getting-started.asciidoc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ following the numbered steps under <<filebeat-getting-started>>.
 
 ==== Prerequisites
 
-Before running Filebeat with modules enabled, you need to:
+Before running Filebeat modules, you need to:
 
 * Install and configure the Elastic stack. See
 {libbeat}/getting-started.html[Getting Started with Beats and the Elastic Stack].
@@ -46,10 +46,12 @@ enable the two plugins from the configuration page.
 ready to receive data from Filebeat.
 
 [[running-modules-quickstart]]
-==== Running Filebeat with modules enabled
+==== Running Filebeat modules
 
 To set up and run Filebeat modules:
 
+include::../../libbeat/docs/step-configure-credentials.asciidoc[]
+
 . Run the `setup` command to set up the initial environment. This command
 loads the recommended index template for writing to Elasticsearch and deploys
 the sample dashboards for visualizing the data in Kibana. For example:
@@ -122,11 +124,6 @@ logs:
 See <<configuration-filebeat-modules>> for more information about setting
 variables and advanced options.
 
-[[passing-credentials-modules]]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: modules
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
 
 [[visualizing-data]]
 ==== Visualize the data in Kibana

@@ -240,7 +240,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [[heartbeat-starting]]
 === Step 5: Start Heartbeat
 
-Start Heartbeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform.
+Start Heartbeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform. If you
+are accessing a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured
+credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 NOTE: If you use an init.d script to start Heartbeat on deb or rpm, you can't
 specify command line flags (see <<command-line-options>>). To specify flags,
@@ -284,12 +286,6 @@ By default, Windows log files are stored in +C:\ProgramData\heartbeat\Logs+.
 Heartbeat is now ready to check the status of your services and send
 events to your defined output.
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 [[view-kibana-dashboards]]
 === Step 6: View the sample Kibana dashboards
 

@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ endpoint earlier when you
 <<{beatname_lc}-configuration,configured {beatname_uc}>>. If you didn't,
 configure it now.
 
-Make sure Kibana is running before you perform this step.
+Make sure Kibana is running before you perform this step. If you are accessing a
+secured Kibana instance, make sure you've configured credentials as described in
+<<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 To set up the Kibana dashboards for {beatname_uc}:
 
@@ -72,9 +74,3 @@ and run:
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 PS > {beatname_lc} setup --dashboards
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-[[passing-credentials-dashboard-loading]]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: setup-dashboards
-include::./shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
@@ -66,12 +66,16 @@ setup.kibana.path: /kibana
 [float]
 ==== `setup.kibana.username`
 
-The basic authentication username for connecting to Kibana.
+The basic authentication username for connecting to Kibana. If you don't
+specify a value for this setting, {beatname_uc} uses the `username` specified
+for the Elasticsearch output.
 
 [float]
 ==== `setup.kibana.password`
 
-The basic authentication password for connecting to Elasticsearch.
+The basic authentication password for connecting to Kibana. If you don't
+specify a value for this setting, {beatname_uc} uses the `password` specified
+for the Elasticsearch output.
 
 [float]
 [[kibana-path-option]]

@@ -77,10 +77,11 @@ to temporarily disable the Logstash output and enable Elasticsearch by using the
 The examples here assume that Logstash output is enabled. You can omit the `-E`
 flags if Elasticsearch output is already enabled.
 
-If you are connecting to a secured Elasticsearch cluster, also see
-<<passing-credentials-template-loading>>. If the host running {beatname_uc} does
-not have direct connectivity to Elasticsearch, see
-<<load-template-manually-alternate>>.
+If you are connecting to a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've
+configured credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
+
+If the host running {beatname_uc} does not have direct connectivity to
+Elasticsearch, see <<load-template-manually-alternate>>.
 
 To load the template:
 
@@ -197,11 +198,3 @@ curl -XPUT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' http://localhost:9200/_template/{
 ----
 PS > Invoke-RestMethod -Method Put -ContentType "application/json" -InFile {beatname_lc}.template.json -Uri http://localhost:9200/_template/{beatname_lc}-{stack-version}
 ----
-
-
-[[passing-credentials-template-loading]]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: setup-index
-include::./shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
@@ -1,30 +1,23 @@
-ifeval::["{beatname_lc}"!="winlogbeat"]
-. If you've secured Elasticsearch and Kibana, you need to pass credentials when
-you run the commands that set up and start {beatname_uc}. You can either pass
-credentials at the <<command-line-options,command line>> (as shown later in the
-getting started guide), or specify credentials in the config file. If you plan
-to run {beatname_uc} as a service, you must specify credentials in the config
-file.
-endif::[]
-ifeval::["{beatname_lc}"=="winlogbeat"]
 . If you've secured Elasticsearch and Kibana, you need to specify credentials
 in the config file before you run the commands that set up and start
-{beatname_uc}.
-endif::[]
-+
-For example:
+{beatname_uc}. For example:
 +
+--
 [source,yaml]
 ----
 output.elasticsearch:
   hosts: ["myEShost:9200"]
-  username: elastic
-  password: elastic
+  username: "elastic"
+  password: "elastic"
 setup.kibana:
   host: "mykibanahost:5601"
-  username: elastic
-  password: elastic
+  username: "elastic" <1>
+  password: "elastic"
 ----
+<1> The `username` and `password` settings for Kibana are optional. If you don't
+specify credentials for Kibana, {beatname_uc} uses the `username` and `password`
+specified for the Elasticsearch output.
+--
 +
 Also see the security-related options described in <<setup-kibana-endpoint>> and
 <<elasticsearch-output,Configure the Elasticsearch output>>.
diff --git a/metricbeat/docs/gettingstarted.asciidoc b/metricbeat/docs/gettingstarted.asciidoc
@@ -249,7 +249,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [[metricbeat-starting]]
 === Step 5: Start Metricbeat
 
-Run Metricbeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform.
+Run Metricbeat by issuing the appropriate command for your platform. If you
+are accessing a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured
+credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 NOTE: If you use an init.d script to start Metricbeat on deb or rpm, you can't
 specify command line flags (see <<command-line-options>>). To specify flags,
@@ -302,12 +304,6 @@ By default the log files are stored in `C:\ProgramData\metricbeat\Logs`.
 NOTE: On Windows, statistics about system load and swap usage are currently
 not captured.
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 ==== Test the Metricbeat installation
 
 To verify that your server's statistics are present in Elasticsearch, issue

diff --git a/packetbeat/docs/gettingstarted.asciidoc b/packetbeat/docs/gettingstarted.asciidoc
@@ -266,7 +266,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [[packetbeat-starting]]
 === Step 5: Start Packetbeat
 
-Run Packetbeat by issuing the command that is appropriate for your platform.
+Run Packetbeat by issuing the command that is appropriate for your platform. If
+you are accessing a secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured
+credentials as described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 NOTE: If you use an init.d script to start Packetbeat on deb or rpm, you can't
 specify command line flags (see <<command-line-options>>). To specify flags,
@@ -314,12 +316,6 @@ PS C:\Program Files\Packetbeat> Start-Service packetbeat
 
 By default the log files are stored in `C:\ProgramData\packetbeat\Logs`.
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 ==== Test the Packetbeat installation
 
 Packetbeat is now ready to capture data from your network traffic. You can test

diff --git a/winlogbeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc b/winlogbeat/docs/getting-started.asciidoc
@@ -148,7 +148,9 @@ include::../../libbeat/docs/dashboards.asciidoc[]
 [[winlogbeat-starting]]
 === Step 6: Start Winlogbeat
 
-Start the Winlogbeat service with the following command:
+Start the Winlogbeat service with the following command. If you are accessing a
+secured Elasticsearch cluster, make sure you've configured credentials as
+described in <<{beatname_lc}-configuration>>.
 
 [source,shell]
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -167,12 +169,6 @@ this command:
 PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> services.msc
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-[id="{beatname_lc}-passing-credentials"]
-==== Pass credentials
-
-:start-type: start
-include::../../libbeat/docs/shared-passing-credentials-setup.asciidoc[]
-
 
 ==== Stop Winlogbeat