Installing on RHEL, AlmaLinux, and Rocky Linux

Server Scout is fully compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and its derivatives, including AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux. This guide covers the installation process specific to RHEL-family systems and addresses common configuration considerations.

Tested Versions

Server Scout has been thoroughly tested on:

• CentOS 7
• RHEL 8 and 9
• AlmaLinux 8 and 9
• Rocky Linux 8 and 9

Prerequisites

Before installing Server Scout, verify that your system meets the basic requirements:

Bash Version

RHEL 7 and later include bash 4.0+ by default. You can verify your version with:

bash --version

cURL Installation

Most RHEL-family systems include cURL, but if it's missing, install it using:

For RHEL 8+ / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux:

sudo dnf install curl

For RHEL 7 / CentOS 7:

sudo yum install curl

SELinux Considerations

Server Scout is designed to work seamlessly with SELinux enabled. The agent:

• Runs within its own directory structure
• Uses standard system calls and file operations
• Typically requires no SELinux policy modifications

If you encounter SELinux-related issues (rare), you can check for denials with:

sudo ausearch -m AVC -ts recent

Installation

One-Line Installer

The simplest method is using our automated installer:

curl -sSL https://app.serverscout.ie/agent/install.sh | sudo bash

This script will:

1. Download the latest Server Scout agent
2. Install it to /opt/serverscout/
3. Configure the systemd service
4. Start monitoring automatically

Manual Registration

If you prefer to specify your server token manually:

curl -sSL https://app.serverscout.ie/agent/install.sh | sudo bash -s -- --token YOUR_SERVER_TOKEN

Verification

Check Service Status

Verify that the Server Scout service is running:

sudo systemctl status serverscout

You should see an active (running) status. To ensure it starts on boot:

sudo systemctl enable serverscout

Monitor Logs

View real-time logs to confirm proper operation:

sudo journalctl -u serverscout -f

For historical logs:

sudo journalctl -u serverscout --since "1 hour ago"

RHEL-Specific Features

Reboot Detection

Server Scout leverages RHEL's native reboot detection using the needs-restarting utility:

needs-restarting -r

This tool is part of:

• yum-utils (RHEL 7/CentOS 7)
• dnf-utils (RHEL 8+/AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux)

Package Update Monitoring

The agent uses system-appropriate package managers:

RHEL 8+ / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux:

dnf check-update

RHEL 7 / CentOS 7:

yum check-update

Firewall Configuration

FirewallD

Most RHEL-family systems use FirewallD, which typically allows outbound HTTPS connections by default. Server Scout only requires outbound access to app.serverscout.ie on port 443.

To verify outbound connectivity:

curl -I https://app.serverscout.ie

If you have restrictive outbound rules, ensure HTTPS (port 443) traffic is permitted to our API endpoints.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Service fails to start:

sudo journalctl -u serverscout --no-pager

Permission issues: Ensure the root user (systemd service) has appropriate permissions:

sudo ls -la /opt/serverscout/

Network connectivity: Test API connectivity:

curl -v https://app.serverscout.ie/health

Getting Support

If you encounter issues specific to your RHEL environment, check our knowledge base at serverscout.ie or contact support with:

• Your RHEL/derivative version (cat /etc/redhat-release)
• SELinux status (getenforce)
• Service logs (journalctl -u serverscout --no-pager)

Server Scout integrates naturally with RHEL-family systems, respecting existing security policies whilst providing comprehensive monitoring capabilities.