How to force delete a kafka topic when delete fails?

[darrenfu]

*** This is a known issue ***
Even in the latest Kafka version (0.9.0), the deletion command below isn't always working.

bin/kafka-topics.sh --delete --zookeeper localhost:2181 --topic <topic_name>

(Note: Topic deletion option is disabled by default. To enable it set the server config)

delete.topic.enable=true

Bug to track: KAFKA-1397

*** The only way to delete a topic permanently is as follows: ***

• stop the brokers
  sudo supervisorctl stop kafka-broker
• remove the directories on disk
  sudo rm -rf <kafka_data_dir>/<topic_name>*
• remove the topic from zookeeper:
  bin/zkCli.sh

rmr /config/topics/<topic_name>
rmr /brokers/topics/<topic_name>
rmr /admin/delete_topics/<topic_name>

• verify the topic directory is deleted in zookeeper:

ls <path>

• start the brokers back up
  sudo supervisorctl start kafka-broker
• re-create the kafka topic if needed

bin/kafka-topics.sh --zookeeper ${zookeeper_server} --create --topic $topic --partitions=$pars --replication-factor $rep --config retention.ms=$ret

[shanemeister]

On a MAC, I changed directories to: /usr/local/Cellar/zookeeper/3.4.9/bin
Then:
./zkCli -server localhost:2181 rmr /config/topics/
./zkCli -server localhost:2181 rmr /brokers/topics/
./zkCli -server localhost:2181 rmr /admin/delete_topics/

And actually, if you don't add the topic name, it removes all topics.
kafka-topics --list --zookeeper localhost:2181
Returned no topics.

[abdbaddude]

Thanks guys ... it worked . Most advised solutions missed on "rmr /config/topics/<topic_name>"

[NateHan]

I have followed @darrenfu 's suggestion to the T, checked all the directories to be sure those are cleaned, and they are. However, upon restarting the Kafka Server, it STILL is trying to get a reference to old topics and trying to delete them, failing to rename them when deleting, and shutting down the broker because all the log dirs have failed. Any suggestions from here?

[ghost]

If you want to delete all the topics created, Then Stop Kafka and zookeeper and delete data/log directories of both.
i.e. directory specified as log.dirs in Kafka and dataDir in Zookeeper