rcourtman
25d299346d
## Problem Agents installed through the one-step cluster deploy lose their command channel for good after their first restart. `POST /api/agents/agent/enroll` bound the runtime token to an invented `agent-<hostname>` and returned that as the agent's ID. The agent used it until Pulse acknowledged its first report with the host's real, machine-derived ID, which the agent persists. On the next start the agent registered under that real ID. The token was by then a version-2 binding to `agent-<hostname>`, so admission refused it with "Agent token mismatch: token is not bound to the registering agent", every few minutes, indefinitely. Seen live on a v6.5.0-rc.1 server with a deployed Proxmox node: reports flowed, but the node could run no commands or actions. ## Fix - **Enrollment leaves identity to the agent.** The runtime token is bound to the node's hostname and the current binding version, marked `deploy_identity_binding=agent`, and the response no longer carries `agentId`. The first command registration backfills the agent's own ID through the existing hostname-bound backfill path, and the config gate takes the same decision. - **One-time repair for tokens already issued.** A token enrollment bound to `agent-<hostname>` (it has `deploy_job_id` and no identity marker) may move once to the registering agent's ID: - The hostname must match exactly (case-insensitive), not by short-name equivalence. - The move persists `deploy_identity_binding=repaired` in the same save, and a failed save restores the previous metadata. - It applies whatever the token's binding version. - Any other identity or hostname is refused rather than handed to the legacy hostname migration. - A marked token never moves again, including after a hostname rebind recreates the `agent-<hostname>` shape. ## Tests - **`TestHandleEnroll_RuntimeTokenBindsTheAgentsOwnIdentityOnFirstCommandRegistration`** replays the field sequence: the identity enrollment handed out, then the acknowledged identity after a restart. It fails on the old code at the "registration after restart" step. - **`TestDeployPlaceholderTokenMovesToTheRegisteringAgentOnce`** covers: - the repair on the exact hostname only; - the persisted marker after a reload; - the repair, rebind to host b, repair-again attack; - config-gate parity. - **`TestVersionlessDeployPlaceholderCannotBeMovedTwice`** covers the versionless variant of that attack. - **`TestCurrentDeployTokenNeverMovesOnceBound`** checks that a token issued by current enrollment never moves once bound. - **Policy unit tests:** `TestEvaluateRepairsDeployPlaceholderBindingOnce`, `TestEvaluateVersionlessDeployPlaceholderOnlyMovesThroughTheRepair` and `TestEvaluateCurrentDeployTokenBackfillsTheAgentIdentity`. - **`TestContractDeployEnrollResponseCarriesNoAgentIdentity`** pins the enroll response keys. - **Mutation checks:** removing the marker check, loosening the hostname match, not persisting the marker, or letting placeholders fall through to the legacy branch each fails at least one of these tests. ## Not in this change Both of these exist for every install path and are not made worse here: - The first command registration binds whatever ID the agent presents. If that differs from the identity Pulse later resolves for its reports (a configured agent ID, or a host continuity fork), the next restart still mismatches. - Tokens that never connect the command channel keep an empty `bound_agent_id`, so collector-authority reduction cannot match them. Before this change they had a non-empty but wrong `agent-<hostname>`, which failed the same way.
Pulse
Real-time Proxmox, Docker and Kubernetes monitoring that finds what needs attention.
Pulse is a self-hosted monitoring workspace for Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, physical and virtual machines, and early-access VMware vSphere environments. It combines live infrastructure state, history, alerts, recovery visibility, and scheduled health checks without requiring a conventional enterprise monitoring stack.
Why Pulse
- It watches between visits. Alerts and Pulse Patrol find failed backups, capacity pressure, restart loops, unhealthy containers, clock drift, and other problems that dashboards cannot surface when nobody is looking.
- It keeps each platform familiar. Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, vSphere, and machines have dedicated views, backed by one shared resource model for search, alerts, history, and investigation.
- It stays operator-controlled. Credentials are encrypted at rest, API tokens are scoped, agent commands are disabled by default, and governed fixes require the configured policy and approval path.
Platform coverage
| Platform | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Proxmox VE, PBS, and PMG | Nodes, guests, storage, backups, replication, Ceph, mail gateways, and alerts |
| Docker and Podman | Hosts, containers, Compose projects, Swarm services, health, images, and updates |
| Kubernetes | Clusters, nodes, workloads, pods, services, storage, and events through the unified agent |
| TrueNAS SCALE and CORE | Pools, datasets, disks, snapshots, replication tasks, apps, VMs, and alerts |
| Linux, Windows, and macOS machines | Host health, filesystems, networking, temperatures, RAID, and availability through the unified agent |
| VMware vSphere | Early-access inventory, hosts, clusters, VMs, datastores, networks, snapshots, and recovery context; validate against your own vCenter before production use |
Platform pages keep storage and recovery information beside the infrastructure it belongs to. Alerts, Actions, and Patrol remain cross-platform views.
Patrol: monitoring that does rounds
Pulse Patrol runs scheduled checks across the current state and recent history of your infrastructure. Community installations can use a local model or their own AI provider for watch-only analysis. Pulse Pro adds investigation and policy-bound fixes with approval, verification, and an audit trail.
Pulse also includes an interactive Assistant and an MCP adapter for external clients such as Claude Code and OpenCode. Both sit on top of the same scoped inventory, metrics, alert, storage, and governed-action contracts.
Quick start
Choose an exact version from the latest release and keep that version pinned during installation.
Docker
docker run -d \
--name pulse \
-p 7655:7655 \
-v pulse_data:/data \
-e PULSE_DEPLOYMENT_METHOD=docker_run \
--restart unless-stopped \
rcourtman/pulse:vX.Y.Z
Open http://<your-ip>:7655 and follow the bootstrap-token setup. Docker host
monitoring is provided by the unified agent; the Pulse server container does
not need the Docker socket.
Proxmox LXC, Linux, and Kubernetes
The installer is signed. Verify install.sh against the pinned
pulse-installer key before running it:
export PULSE_VERSION=vX.Y.Z
curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/download/${PULSE_VERSION}/install.sh" &&
curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/download/${PULSE_VERSION}/install.sh.sshsig" &&
ssh-keygen -Y verify \
-f <(printf '%s\n' 'pulse-installer namespaces="pulse-install" ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIMZd/DaH+BldzOkq1A8KVTcFk73nAyrE8aJOyf7i00jm pulse-installer') \
-I pulse-installer \
-n pulse-install \
-s install.sh.sshsig < install.sh &&
bash install.sh --version "${PULSE_VERSION}"
Paste the whole block: installation stops if either download or signature verification fails. Do not run the final command separately to bypass a failure.
The GitHub installer installs the Pulse server. Install and upgrade agents (including v5-to-v6 agent upgrades) with the per-host command generated under Settings → Infrastructure → Install on a host.
Do you need an agent?
Often not. Proxmox VE, PBS, and PMG are monitored through the Proxmox API with a read-only token, so nothing runs on the host and the generated setup script creates a privilege-separated monitoring user. Install the unified agent only where you want data the platform API cannot provide, such as host SMART health, temperatures, Docker hosts, or standalone machines.
The agent is operator-controlled by design. Command execution is off by
default, the local listener binds to localhost, and generated systemd units
ship hardened. On Linux, the installer's --least-privilege profile runs the
service as a dedicated non-root user, with optional scoped sudo grants for
the few collectors that need elevation. The
agent security model documents exactly what the
agent can and cannot do at each privilege level.
Important
GitHub release assets and
rcourtman/pulseimages are Community builds. Relay, Pro, and eligible legacy customers should use the private image or Linux archive provided by the Pulse download portal. Replacing a private Pro runtime with a public Community build removes its private runtime hooks.
Editions
- Community — self-hosted monitoring, seven days of metric history, core SSO, update alerts, and Patrol with your own provider or local model.
- Pro — Community plus Patrol investigation, governed fixes, ninety days of history, centralized agent profiles, RBAC, audit logging, and reporting.
- MSP — for managed service providers: one Pulse Account running many client workspaces, each with an isolated Pulse runtime — separate dashboards, alerts, users, audit history, and reports. Free sixty-day two-client evaluation at Pulse for MSPs.
Relay is no longer sold. Existing Relay subscribers receive Pro features at their current price for as long as their subscription continues. Existing paired phones keep working until 31 March 2027. Relay connects the app, not the web UI. Use your own VPN or tunnel for remote web access. For phone alerts, add an ntfy, Gotify or Pushover destination and open Pulse in your phone's browser.
Core self-hosted monitoring is not gated by monitored-system or child-resource volume. See the runtime-aligned capability reference and current plans for details.
Documentation
- Install and deployment
- Production deployment and security
- Upgrade from Pulse v5
- Releases and update channels
- Configuration
- Platform and agent guides
- Pulse Intelligence
- Security and privacy
- Code signing policy
- Troubleshooting
- API reference and architecture
Localized getting started guides: Deutsch · Español
Development
Pulse uses Go 1.26 and a SolidJS/TypeScript frontend. The managed development
runtime starts the frontend at http://127.0.0.1:5173 and proxies API and
WebSocket traffic to the backend on port 7655.
npm ci
npm --prefix frontend-modern ci
npm run dev
Useful checks:
go test ./...
npm --prefix frontend-modern test
npm --prefix frontend-modern run type-check
python3 scripts/check_public_docs.py
See CONTRIBUTING.md before investing in a code change. Pulse uses an issue-first contribution process and does not normally accept unsolicited pull requests.
Community and support
- Ask questions in GitHub Discussions.
- Report reproducible bugs through GitHub Issues.
- Home Assistant users can use the community-maintained Pulse add-ons.
- If Pulse is useful to you, support its development through GitHub Sponsors or Ko-fi.
License
Everything in this repository is licensed under the MIT License. There is no dual licensing and no commercial or source-available code here.
Pulse Pro is a separate commercial product, built from private sources and distributed through pulserelay.pro. Its use is governed by the Terms of Service, which apply to that product only, not to anything in this repository.