Installing the Server Scout Agent

Prerequisites

Before installing the Server Scout agent, ensure your Linux server meets these requirements:

• Bash 4.0 or later - Most modern Linux distributions include this by default
• curl - Required for downloading the agent and sending metrics
• systemd - Used for managing the agent service
• Outbound internet access - The agent needs to communicate with Server Scout's API

You can verify these requirements with:

bash --version
curl --version
systemctl --version

The Server Scout agent is lightweight, using approximately 3MB of RAM and reporting system metrics every 5 seconds.

Installation

Installing the Server Scout agent is straightforward with our one-line installer. You'll need your API key, which you can find in your Server Scout dashboard under Settings > API Keys.

1. Run the Installer

Execute this command on your server, replacing YOURAPIKEY with your actual API key:

curl -sL https://app.serverscout.ie/agent/install.sh | bash -s -- --url https://app.serverscout.ie --key YOUR_API_KEY

Important: Only run installation scripts from trusted sources. You can inspect our installer script at https://app.serverscout.ie/agent/install.sh before running it.

2. What Happens During Installation

The installer performs several tasks automatically:

• Downloads the latest Server Scout agent binary to /opt/scout-agent/scout-agent.sh
• Creates a dedicated serverscout system user for running the service
• Generates a systemd service file at /etc/systemd/system/scout-agent.service
• Configures your API key in /opt/scout-agent/agent.env
• Enables and starts the systemd service
• Sets up log rotation for agent logs

The entire process typically takes 10-30 seconds, depending on your server's internet connection speed.

Verifying the Installation

1. Check Service Status

Confirm the agent is running properly:

sudo systemctl status scout-agent

You should see output indicating the service is active (running). The logs will show the agent successfully connecting and beginning to report metrics.

2. View Recent Logs

Check the agent's logs for any issues:

sudo journalctl -u scout-agent -n 20

Successful installation logs will include messages about API connection establishment and initial metric collection.

3. Verify in Dashboard

Within 2-3 minutes, your server should appear in your Server Scout dashboard. If it doesn't appear, proceed to the troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Firewall Blocking Connections

If your server uses a firewall, ensure outbound HTTPS connections (port 443) are allowed to *.serverscout.ie. For iptables:

sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -d serverscout.ie -j ACCEPT

For ufw:

sudo ufw allow out 443

Permission Issues

If you encounter permission errors, verify the root user (systemd service) was created correctly:

id root
ls -la /opt/scout-agent/

The config directory should be owned by the root user (systemd service). If not, fix the permissions:

sudo chown -R root:root /opt/scout-agent/
sudo chmod 600 /opt/scout-agent/agent.env

Agent Won't Start

If the service fails to start, check for common issues:

1. Invalid API key: Verify your API key is correct in /opt/scout-agent/agent.env
2. Missing dependencies: Ensure curl is installed and functioning
3. Port conflicts: The agent uses a local socket file, so port conflicts are unlikely

Review detailed error messages with:

sudo journalctl -u scout-agent -f

Manual Service Management

You can manually control the agent service using standard systemd commands:

# Start the service
sudo systemctl start scout-agent

# Stop the service  
sudo systemctl stop scout-agent

# Restart the service
sudo systemctl restart scout-agent

# Disable automatic startup
sudo systemctl disable scout-agent

Next Steps

Once your agent is successfully installed and reporting, explore the Server Scout dashboard to:

• Set up custom alert thresholds for CPU, memory, and disk usage
• Configure notification channels (email, Slack, webhooks)
• Create custom monitoring checks for your specific applications
• Review historical performance trends and capacity planning reports

For additional configuration options and advanced features, consult the Server Scout documentation or contact our support team.