Introducing Atera’s Linux Agent!

You asked, we listened: please welcome our new Linux agent!

That’s right, you can now monitor Windows, Mac, and Linux devices through the Atera agent. We’re rolling out new features for the Linux agent slowly, but here’s what you can do so far with the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

What can I monitor with the Linux agent?

Right now, our brand-new Linux agent can monitor device availability, CPI load, memory usage, and disk usage. Head to the Agent Console to view any of these metrics in detail. The Linux agent will be available for all IT department users, and for Growth and Power plans for MSPs.

What kind of prerequisites do I need to run the Linux agent?

Currently, Atera users can use the agent for Debian 11 and higher, and Ubuntu 18 and higher. At Atera, we’re here for you with support, bug fixes, and security patches for Linux, MacOs and Windows for these distributions.

You’ll also need to have Sudo and LSHW installed and enabled before the agent can do its thing. .Net runtime 6 will be installed by the agent on deployment.

How do I install the Linux agent?

Head to the install agent button, which you’ll find in the menu bar at the top of your screen. You’ll be prompted to pick your OS by the download agent installer. You’ll see that as well as Windows and Mac, you now have the option to install Linux. You can choose to assign the device to a user, or leave this field blank for it to be unassigned.

You’ll be prompted to copy and paste the terminal command and press Enter. If you’re asked to confirm your password, use your computer password, rather than the Atera login details you have.

Wait a few minutes, and go check the Atera platform to see your brand-new Linux device and associated information.

What can I see on the Linux agent console?

Below you can see an example of the Linux console — pretty, isn’t it? You can see at a glance the Machine Name, as well as critical information such as when the device was added, last seen, and its last reboot time. View a data visualization of metrics such as CPU and Memory, and toggle the time period between the previous 24 hours, the previous week, or even the previous month.

On the bottom right-hand side of the screen, you’ll be able to manage alerts. You can access five different types of alerts in the Linux agent console. These are:

• Hardware issues
• Disk problems
• Challenges with availability
• Performance problems
• General alerts

You can pause alerts entirely, and also create a ticket directly from an alert, or snooze, delete or resolve it as needed for your business context. Use threshold profiles to decide exactly which alerts you get for your Linux devices.

Note: Currently there are three alert types available for Linux devices. These are CPU load, memory usage, and hard disk usage. Watch this space for more alerts coming soon!

How do I manage Linux devices?

Check the top-right of the agent console, and you’ll be able to send remote commands to any Linux devices with an agent installed. You can also use the edit menu here to manage all of your passwords, clear device alerts, add attachements, or remove the device entirely. (For more details about the Linux agent, check out this how-to guide.)

Can I filter by Linux devices?

You certainly can! Head to Devices and choose Filters, and simply select the Linux agent under device type. Save the filter so that you can use this view any time you want.

Linux — We’re so happy to have you with us, and this is just the beginning!

This is just step one for our Linux Agent integration, and we’re so excited to hear from all of our Beta testers about what works, what doesn’t, and what you — the IT community of Atera— want to see coming next.

Right around the corner will be the ability to run scripts on Linux, as well as use AnyDesk for remote access. Have a great idea for what’s next? We want to hear it!

If you have any issues at all using the Linux agent, don’t hesitate to reach out to Support — we’re always happy to help.